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Tow vehicle concern


MRR

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On 7/8/2017 at 10:50 AM, remoandiris said:

My next truck will be a SRW if it has the carrying capacity I need.  There are times a dually is more of a pain than they are worth.  In 6 yrs of traveling, I have yet to feel any kind of crosswind that would give me pause to tow with a SRW.  If the winds are that bad, find a campground and sit for a few days. 

Duallies do NOT come with TPMS.  IIRC, SRW 1-tons do come with it.  I have had a TST 507 Flow Thru system on my trailer for a few years.  I plan to get them for my truck, too.  Already have the metal valve stems.  Just have to install the flexible steel extensions on the rear wheels.  That is an added pain of duallies, but at least it is only a 1-time pain.

Duallies aren't that bad. I'd never driven a pickup truck before in my entire lifetime and we just got a new F450. The thing is a beast but now after having driven it almost 1k mi, I'm very comfortable with it in all sorts of traffic and situations. When I pass the big loaded up semi trucks, I barely notice the wind shear. 9280 lbs of truck will do that for you, especially with the DRW.

But common sense will have my truck and trailer parked any time there are high winds. It's just not worth the risk driving in those situations with my family on board.

You're absolutely right that it does not come with TPMS. I plan on installing the TST 507 internal sensors held in place with a strap to avoid having to use the ugly brass stems that TST supplies. Then I will add more sensors for the trailer TPMS.

 

 

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6 hours ago, TheLex said:

You're absolutely right that it does not come with TPMS. I plan on installing the TST 507 internal sensors held in place with a strap to avoid having to use the ugly brass stems that TST supplies. Then I will add more sensors for the trailer TPMS.

The new duallies DO come with TPMS.  My 2011 did not.  I do not know when TPMS became standard or how accurate/how the readout works.  Some TPMS simply shows if air pressure is low, not what the specific pressure is.  Other systems show specific pressures.

It appears rear GAWR on SRW 1-ton trucks is not very robust.  My current 5er is not SRW capable...and it is not a very heavy 5er.

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8 hours ago, remoandiris said:

The new duallies DO come with TPMS.  My 2011 did not.  I do not know when TPMS became standard or how accurate/how the readout works.  Some TPMS simply shows if air pressure is low, not what the specific pressure is.  Other systems show specific pressures.

It appears rear GAWR on SRW 1-ton trucks is not very robust.  My current 5er is not SRW capable...and it is not a very heavy 5er.

I stand corrected.  Yes the new duallies do come with TPMS. The exception is my F450 because this truck uses 19.5" rims and Ford has not certified a TPMS that works with this particular wheel. So those of us with F450's have to seek out aftermarket TPMS systems.

The reason I went with the F450 was not only because of the DRW, but because the 450 has extra large brakes and a wide track front axle that allow the truck to turn very sharply. I can easily make a U-turn into the #2 lane without having to back up and shimmy the truck.

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  • 1 month later...

I know it's been a couple of months since last post, but I think there is something missing in this conversation about tires burning.  History:  my husband drove truck commercially for about 50 years.  Many years he was going over the Grapevine several times a week, and I often rode with him.  At the top of the mountain is a rest area.  We would stop there, take a break for awhile, he'd thump the tires, and we would get going slowly.    Going north, the grade is long and steep.  I forgot the percent.  If you have any kind of weight you go slow because gravity alone is going to make your speed increase, and it takes a lot of planning to make that first turn off if that's where you are going.  Anyway, we would see a lot of, umm, guess you'd call them 'green' drivers go flying by, and then of course laying on their brakes. You got the picture.  Thing is at the bottom, if there were trailers smoking, or on fire, it was from the brakes getting too hot.  Sometime a fire gets started and there goes the trailer, load, etc. Even tractor if the driver didn't unhook soon enough. 

So I'm new here.  But figured it was worth a mention. 

Back to reading :)

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9 hours ago, GetNThere said:

So I'm new here.  But figured it was worth a mention. 

Back to reading

 

Having married a girl from that part of CA more than 50 years ago, I do recall seeing some of those guys myself. As I remember there also used to be a couple of runaway truck ramps on that road and they got used too! 

Don't be a stranger here and do join into any thread and forum.  :D

Good travelin !...............Kirk

Full-time 11+ years...... Now seasonal travelers.
Kirk & Pam's Great RV Adventure

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On 1/14/2018 at 5:25 AM, Kirk Wood said:

Having married a girl from that part of CA more than 50 years ago, I do recall seeing some of those guys myself. As I remember there also used to be a couple of runaway truck ramps on that road and they got used too!

You should see the one on the lee side of CA 178 descending to 395 near Inyokern or Ridgecrest. several miles long and SCARY!!!

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On 1/14/2018 at 5:25 AM, Kirk Wood said:

Having married a girl from that part of CA more than 50 years ago, I do recall seeing some of those guys myself. As I remember there also used to be a couple of runaway truck ramps on that road and they got used too! 

Those ramps are truly for runaways.  That fancy gravel is meant to bury you to the axles and gets deeper. If that didn't stop you the drop off will.  About 20/30 years ago we saw tractor and trailer at the bottom.  Been there awhile. No one could have made it out unless they jumped first.  The old hwy and ramps were brutal too because there wasn't much to slow you down.  It's the driver's decision.  The thought is you won't make it bottom of grade, likely killing yourself and probably other people, so you have very last option.  They used to leave the wrecks as a visual reminder, and it worked.  Grapevine gets respect one way or another.

On 1/15/2018 at 8:09 PM, OldMan said:

You should see the one on thew lee side of CA 178 desdending to 395 near Inyokern or Ridgecrest. several miles long and SCARY!!!

We were up 395 several times.  Don't remember 178, but also don't remember a road I'd want to take a rig on.  Got to be careful, study your maps, and talk to whoever you can (throw out the pride..not any good in hospital or worse).

Take care : )

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13 hours ago, GetNThere said:

Don't remember 178, but also don't remember a road I'd want to take a rig on.  Got to be careful, study your maps, and talk to whoever you can (throw out the pride..not any good in hospital or worse).

Take care : )

I've driven that road (178) several times but it's been 40 years or more. I was in a VW bus and there were a couple times I actually cut the ignition and just let the engine compression, sans spark, slow me down. Never did have to use the runaway ramp. This is where standard transmissions earn their keep, engine slowing.

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So many variables. Determine your specs and do the math particularity pin weight which is part of Carry capacity. Yes the dually can be a pain in the butt but we have one because we needed one.

Helen and I are long timers ..08 F-350 Ford,LB,CC,6.4L,4X4, Dually,4:10 diff dragging around a 2013 Montana 3402 Big Sky

SKP 100137. North Ridgeville, Ohio in the summer, sort of and where ever it is warm in the winter.

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6 hours ago, OldMan said:

I've driven that road (178) several times but it's been 40 years or more. I was in a VW bus and there were a couple times I actually cut the ignition and just let the engine compression, sans spark. Never did have to use the runaway ramp. This is where standard transmission earn their keep, engine slowing.

Another grade was going west out of Fort Stockton, Texas.  Long and straight.  Just seemed to go on and on.  We usually hit it at night.   Oh, and Baker, Ca heading east.  It was one of those optical illusions, I swear.  It didn't look like much, but could sure pick up speed fast  What can I say, we were usually heavy, lot of flatbed work.

Memories.  Hopefully things are better now. 

Take care  :)

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