Driver lost control down mountain

[gjones813]

First off I don't think duals would have helped this man. The darn truck stayed strait without a driver for a ways before it had to go right or left from the wheel being turned by things it was hitting down its path or leaning from the natural grade of the land, I don't think a dually could have done better in the same situation, but I do agree duals help side to side stability where it counts on the rear of vehicle, but that trailer is not that big that a single couldn't pull it safely.



As far as the driver, if my butt was going to plug off the deep end of a mountain, and no one else was in my vehicle, and it wasn't going so fast that I couldn't bail out, I would've gave it a second thought. I bet that was a nice insurance check!! (wink).

 

[HBarlow]

I would never think of jumping out of a moving vehicle either.

I heard someone on the radio very recently talking about the fight or flight response that we all have in us to varying degree. Some lean toward the flight response, others toward the fight instinct.

 

[RideSlow2004]

Just a thought, what the heck started a fire with that Ford? Did the transmission overheat, brakes overheat, or a catastrophic bearing failure put hot metal to the forest?



I have seen very few wrecks involving fires in the real world.

 

[brods]

Given all the physical damage to the underside, a compromised fuel tank spewing fuel combined with red hot brakes and or possibly a shorted battery?

 

[HBarlow]

That is an interesting question. I wondered the first time I looked at the photos if it was an old accident because of what looked like rust on the truck cab. Maybe it was a gasser that ignited when the gas tank leaked?

 

[RideSlow2004]

Rust comes pretty quick on any wrecked vehicle, but I don't think it was a gas rig due to the lack of a catalyst in the exhaust system.



Interesting info on igniting diesel fuel:



from Why do an analysis of diesel fuel



Flash Point is a measurement used to determine how to safely handle and store the fuel. Flash Point is the lowest temperature in which fuel can be ignited. Diesel fuel is typically assigned a Flash Point of between 100 to 160o Fahrenheit. Diesel fuel has the identification number NA 1993 (Combustible Liquid) when shipped in the U. S. and UN 1202 (Flammable Liquid) when shipped outside the states.

 

[Grizzly]

If the truck was a gasser and the fuel tank was leaking, I would have thought the truck would have exploded, not just burnt.

 

[SMcGrady]

... you have made two awesome posts and cannot argue your well founded points. I love to read articulated and well thought out posts.

x2... ... ... .

 

[hwebster]

Definitely gives a very clear image of "Crash and Burning" Glad no onw was hurt. .

I seem to remember having it drilled into my head when descending steep grades - keep off the brake! Control your speed with the transmission - and keep your speed down. . Gravity is relentless...

Once your brakes heat up... they become useless... Haven't seen any comments to that end. .

Thats why I love my 6 speed and my VGT Braking...

 

[steved]

Rust comes pretty quick on any wrecked vehicle...

Rust forms especially fast on steel that has been burnt... changes the steel's characteristics?

 

[steved]

If the truck was a gasser and the fuel tank was leaking, I would have thought the truck would have exploded, not just burnt.

Unless it popped the tank, then the gasoline will just flare upo like any other combustible fuel... needs to be contained to cause an explosion...

 

[Matt400]

Accident On Red Grade Road Tuesday Could Have Been A Lot Worse | Sheridan Media

Interesting twist having looked and listened to that link.

I suppose a dually would have been even worse then with the added rolling mass of 6 steel wheels :-laf



Another important reason to keep fluid changed as any moisture in the brake fluid lowers the boiling point. Must be pretty steep in that section as a few mentioned they use low range going down in that area.

 

[HBarlow]

It is interesting to read the defensive posts from those who own Ram 2500s. Must come from a deep inner feeling of regret. Cumminz wrote one joking post a couple weeks ago about whether the wrecked truck was a dually and the defense continues.

I've read lots of posts here and on other RV related forums over the years written by srw truck owners lamenting the fact that they bought srw trucks before they knew they would own a large fifth wheel or reporting the fact that they took the financial loss and traded up to a dually.

I don't remember ever reading or hearing of an owner who traded a dually for a srw because his truck had too many rear wheels.

 

[Grizzly]

I have to agree with Harvey on this. Many SRW owners think their truck can do anything a DRW can do. They can get defensive and obsessed with that idea.



When I was considering on purchasing my first dually in 95, a friend, who owned a Chevy dually, told me that once you own a dually, you will never go back to a SRW truck.



I know, my 27' 5er doesn't require that much truck, but the 11' 3" Lance truck camper I had did. I like the stability of the DRW and could never go back to a SRW.

 

[GaryOwen]

Until recently I owned both a SRW and a DRW. Wife said one of them must go, so I decided to keep the SRW. I have a small 5th wheel and have no desire for a larger unit. Each truck has its own advantages and disadvantages and I felt the 2500 was the better choice for my needs.



A couple of drawbacks to the 3500, in my opinion, is 1) the width occasionally causes parking space problems, and 2) traction in most snow/ice conditions (and loose gravel roads) is not as good.



The 3500 has advantages also, such as stability, load carrying capacity, and smoother ride.



My only "defensive" reason for posting is to see that each vehicle gets a fair review. From what I have seen about the above accident, I see no discernable preference of either the SRW or DRW.

 

[SRath]

Just a SRW with training wheels...

I, too, owned both at the same time and chose the SRW over the dually for very practical reasons. Such as:



1> There is nothing in my world that the dually was superior at. No huge 5th wheel. No huge pickup camper. If I need to haul BIG, I use a true medium- or heavy-duty truck and do not kid myself about the benefits of two extra tires and the same everything else.



2> The 4x4 dually was a complete POS offroad, especially in mud, and on-road on snow and ice, and also on gravel roads unless you wanted to run around with 2 or 3 thousand pounds of ballast all the time, which meant you had no bedspace to haul anything. I go offroad. I hunt. I plow snow. I drive plenty of gravel roads.



3>I also have to park in today's toyota-sized parking spots in my day-to-day driving. Worse yet, my wife, an S-10 Blazer driver, drives my truck sometimes and can barely navigate a SRW X-cab fullsize pickup without whining or hitting anything.



4> Fuel mileage.



I am amazed at how defensive dually owners get when the impractical aspects and illusory benefits of a daily driver with such handicaps is brought up. Must be from a deep inner feeling of inadequacy, huh, Harvey? :-laf



Duallies need to stay on pavement. Dry pavement. They give less-than-expert and wannabe truckers the dangerous illusion they have a "Big Rig" capable of hauling or towing anything. If you can't handle it with a SRW dodge, you probably shouldn't be doing it with a dually dodge, either. Buy an F550 or Brigadier.

 

[Matt400]

Well you have to admit it was the remark about not being a dually must have had something to do with the wreck. The SWR readers are like ?? really, how do you figure looking at that and not knowing the details.



And I have seen here on TDR where DRW trucks convert to SWR. We all know a dually is more heavy duty, so is the 5500.

 

[SRath]

Seriously, I think you should drive/tow/haul/carry whatever you like as long as you can handle it. Our days are likely numbered anyway given the Global Alarmists efforts to set us all walking again, or to at least certainly "sin-tax" us to death. It is no laughing matter, either. Politicians have found the equivilent of "the race card" when it comes to getting away with any tax or fee they want to impose. All they need to do is incorporate the term "Environmental" into any tax law, fee, restriction, regulatory act, or ban and they can get away with anything.

"Diesel", "truck", "pickup", "SUV" and "motorhome" are all as easily targeted as cigarettes for being singled out and "sin-taxed".

Enjoy what you have while you can.

 

[HBarlow]

I agree with both of you.

I do admit that a dually owner started the issue but he was only teasing you guys, I don't think he meant a mean spirited criticism, he just posed the thought that he "bet" it was a srw truck. There was and is no indication the accident happened because the driver didn't have enough tires, I think it was later reported that he lacked skill, judgement, and brakes.

I'm not criticizing others for their choices.

 

[Matt400]

Enjoy what you have while you can.

Theres the sprit!