What’s that they say about the definition of insanity? Something about towing with a Cybertruck, probably.
Here’s a video to watch for a laugh, a Cybertruck towing over light snow… with predictable results.
As the truck loses traction, the trailer jackknifes like it just remembered it had somewhere to be, slams into the back of the Cybertruck, and then nails a tree for good measure. The best part? The driver shouting, with perfect comedic timing, “NOT AGAIN!”
It’s not so much adding weight as it is where that weight is distributed. Pickups are rear wheel drive and a depressing number of them are two wheel drive only. There’s plenty of weight in a truck but in an empty one it’s all in the wrong place: Not over the rear axle. If you could take the engine out of a pickup truck and throw it in the bed somehow while keeping the thing running you could leave its net weight exactly the same and significantly increase its drive wheel traction in slippery conditions.
Your note on the traction control system is right on the nose. In situations like this it is often beneficial to turn it off. Its goal is to prevent wheel spin, but when some amount of wheel spin is unavoidable in your bid to scrabble for progress, it’s counterproductive. I have no idea if it can actually be sufficiently disabled in a Cybertruck, though, and I don’t care to bother to find out.
A rear wheel drive truck is actually the best for all truck situations other than when empty in harsh conditions. Work truck will frequently be towing something, and towing heavy loads works better with rear wheel drive than front wheel drive. Same with a bed full of heavy stuff. When it starts moving forward the weight shifts back, improving traction. Letting off the gas and having the engine brake is better with the rear wheels as well, only the brakes need to be heavier in the front.
The engine weight being in the front is actually a benefit when moving large loads in the bed or trailer, as it balances against the load shifting towards the back, improving steering. Not to mention a straight drive shaft from the engine can take more stress than front wheel CV joints under load.
Yeah, AWD should be better overall for trucks that don’t stick to main roads. But construction and other work doesn’t go offroading often and 2wd trucks do fine for that purpose 99% of the time.
All of this is true, with one glaring detail: 99% of owners of these trucks drive around with the bed empty all the time anyway, or at most with some groceries or something in the back.
Those people bought the wrong vehicle.