Is there no need for 4WD on a dually

[2DogsFarm]

I was talking with friends (both with decades of hauling experience) & the subject came up.
1 said she sees a lot of duallys w/o.
I can’t imagine hauling a big - 30’+ - trailer without it.
Actually, I find it hard to believe that any truck should not have 4WD.

Another friend has a 35’ 4H GN she hauls with a dually. No 4WD.

Many years ago…
Friend’s DH worked for Ford, giving them a healthy discount.
He bought a new F250 w/o 4WD.
Hauled horses to my place that Winter to ride in my indoor.
Then could not pull his steel 2H out of my drive. They had no problem getting in, it was when they loaded to leave, about an hour later.
There was ice, but otherwise the drive was flat.
Ended up switching to my older F250 with 4WD.
Hauled his trailer home, brought my truck back & was able to drive his truck home.

Opinions?

[Bay_Toby]

A dually without 4WD will get stuck on wet grass! In the snowy states, I think 4WD is a must.

And I’m calling my truck a fually from now on. It fits!

[NancyM]

I take my 1 ton 2WD duelly off the road in winter. We GET winter. She’s not good in snow and on icey conditions. When I bought her in 1997, I was looking for a highway vehicle to pull my trailer, and we rarely got truly snowy winter weather. Since we moved north, and now get actual “winter”, she’s a good weather truck only. Which is fine.

[house]

I have 4wd on my dually, but that said my 2 semi trucks are only 2wd, well my 2 axle is 4wd but still only rwd. I have to say that most places I pull a horse trailer that is fine, and when it is not having more drive axles does not help. on icy roads 4wd does very little, at least when you have any significant weight behind you. I was stuck driving through the Ice storm last year in TX, LA and MS, I had to get pulled out after I parked without a trailer and my air suspension froze but other than that we made it across most of the country totally frozen with no snow removal equipment, I guess it depends on what you do with your truck and trailer, but I would take a great defroster/windshield wipers over 4wd on a truck that hauls mostly on roads.

[trubandloki]

In my experience, like has been posted above, a dually with out 4WD will not do well on simple wet grass, let alone any other less than dry surface. I would not haul with out 4WD because I have needed it too many times to get out with out damaging the grass I was parked on.

[2DogsFarm]

edited my title

[Luseride]

I have had to use mine of wet grass, a loaded trailer and one wheel in mud, ice, etc. Spending that much money it makes sense to have the other tool.

[eightpondfarm]

cannot imagine gettine a truck without 4wd, but i’ve never had one bigger than a 250 so i don’t really know about duallys. BUT…i have had quite a few tractors and believe it or not, they come in 2WD! can’t imagine that either! Mine all have had 4wd

[endlessclimb]

I get stuck in my srw with reasonably aggressive tires unloaded if I’m in 2wd on wet surfaces.

My truck produces over 1000ftlb of torque at the wheels though, and as a Cummins all that torque comes at low rpm.

A dually would be even worse - more surface area means less pressure which means less traction.

The tricky part about 4wd on pickups is that the front transfer case needs to be moving to engage. This means if you’re already stuck-stuck, its too late to try and put it in 4wd.

And that’s how I got stuck in a low spot in a snowy parking lot in a 21’ long built diesel pickup. So embarassing…

[candyappy]

I don’t think we have ever owned a big truck that wasn’t 4WD! We call our current one a gutless wonder because even with excellent treaded tires it spins on wet grass without 4WD. It is a great truck in every other way. We’ve been happy with it for 21 years.

[KarenRO]

I have been told NOT to buy a dually as snow, wet grass, mud, etc. can get stuck in between the double rear tires, which causes the spinning. Not sure how 4-wheel drive would work on duallys as you have six tires. A heavy duty truck with 4 wheels and 4-wheel drive is more dependable in non-dry conditions.

[endlessclimb]

That is not why duallys are worse in slick conditions. It’s simple physics. They have more surface area so they float instead of bite.

[2DogsFarm]

So if you plan on driving on paved roads only a dually is better because… ???

[endlessclimb]

Two E rated tires per side instead of 1. Also helps with wind related sway.

[house]

double the weight capacity, and far less sidewall flex when you are at or near the weight rating for the tire.

[endlessclimb]

You’re joking about the 4 wheel drive with 6 tires, right?

… please say yes…

[endlessclimb]

Whoa whoa careful there. The weight capacity has a heck of a lot to do with suspension and axles, too.

Look up payload capacities. They’re not that God awfully far off, and certainly not double.

[house]

you still have twice the tire rating, there are other factors but Tire rating is typically the limiting factors on most axles,

[KarenRO]

LOL! Yes, I was joking about the 4-wheel drive on 6 tires!

[cutter99]

I will not buy a truck without 4 wheel drive. I currently have a RAM 3500 cab & chassis with 4 wheel drive. It is a great truck for around the farm, as long as the 4 wheel drive works.

I got stuck in a hay field pulling out a load of hay when a component of the 4 wheel drive gave out. Had to use a 4 wheel drive tractor to get the truck out.

That being said, it is the best truck I have ever towed with, and it is my fifth truck in the last 25 years or so. It handles cattle in our stock trailer a 1000 times better than our SRW one ton ever did, and you would never know our LQ trailer is behind it. I have no issues with sway from passing trucks.

Now, a cab and chassis is not quite as wide as a dually, so that makes it a little easier to handle in parking situations and things like drive thrus. I have an aluminum flatbed that makes it super easy to hook to different trailers.

But, in my opinion, people who buy trucks to REALLY use them, need 4 wheel drive. I can count the number of times I have parked on hard top at a horse event on one hand. I prefer not to get towed out!