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Old 11-13-2014, 08:38 AM   #21
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1962 24' Tradewind
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I use my 4WD a lot, especially in winter. The truck has a fairly light rear-end, so in icy conditions it looses traction easily if I don't have a lot of weight in the bed (I don't have a limited slip differential). It's easier to turn the knob to 4WD. I try not to tow trailers on ice, but sometimes it's necessary, and I wouldn't even think about doing that without 4WD.

I do the snow removal on our street with my ATV and tractor. If I don't have time to do that, there are many times that we would not get into town without 4WD.

I also find 4WD very useful on many of the Forest Service roads around here. They are often times steep and very washboarded. 4WD significantly reduces bouncing and slipping on these roads, especially with a trailer.
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Old 11-13-2014, 08:53 AM   #22
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For us 4WD because of where we want to go and what we want to see. There are a lot of parks that are best viewed in the backcountry, and plenty out west that allow ORV access. My favorites, Caynonlands & Capitol Reef are two such parks in UT. There are some in Colorado too, like Rocky Mountain National Park.





We knew we'd visit these places with our Airstream. So my truck is 4WD. Of course, the AS will stay in the camp ground, while we go off on day adventures.

That's all the reason I need. Plus, I have gotten a 2wd vehicle stuck in mud on wet grass while towing a trailer, and it's no fun!
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Old 11-13-2014, 09:13 AM   #23
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Originally Posted by atheness View Post
Hi ..M newbie looking to get tow vehicle. How important is it to have a 2WD vs a 4WD? getting information all over the map. Thanks...this is a great forum!
Well it depends on when and where you plan on pulling your camper. Don't you know now if you will use it?
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Old 11-13-2014, 09:22 AM   #24
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A number of practicalities in the choice of 2WD vs 4 WD:

towing: 4WD will come in handy now and then
climate: 4WD has advantages if you live in the snow belt
gas mileage: 2WD will have a very slight advantage
vehicle choice: far more 4WDs on most dealer lots than 2WDs, at least where I live
vehicle cost: slight advantage for 2WD, rebates often negate this
resale value: premium for 4WD, more than enough to cover added original cost
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Old 11-13-2014, 09:42 AM   #25
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I have a 2WD truck with passenger tires. It gets stuck in loose gravel or monkey grass or wet grass.
I may never get another truck- mine is paid for with 43,000 miles and new tires-
But, if I do ever get another truck, it WILL be a 4WD!
I have heard people say a 2WD seems to tow better- more power/take off/hill climbing ability. That has to be due to gear ratios or the extra weight of the front axles and transfer case. 6 out of 7 of our Duramax/Allison HD25000's are 4WD- I can't tell the difference.
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Old 11-13-2014, 09:44 AM   #26
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My wife calls my truck a "sissy truck" because it gets stuck so easily.
I must admit it does a little something to my testosterone-
A truck that looks so muscular, but can't pull its way off of a wet surface-
It is very muscular, just so long as it's dry-
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Old 11-13-2014, 09:46 AM   #27
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We have rearranged our whole parking/storage situation to avoid all wet surfaces-
We come in on the street side of the house and park the trailer in the front (concrete) drive-
When I used to park in back, I had to use my "call a friend" card one time. He had a 4WD- walked my truck and trailer right out-
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Old 11-17-2014, 04:00 PM   #28
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"Girl" perspective

It's a pleasure to have seasoned male truckers admire my backing skills (with a backup camera I don't need no stinkin' skills but what the heck).

I also used to enjoy a reputation for flawless hitching skills (until the Hensley, but I'm making much progress now. A bastard file and some Vaseline helped too. ...and that sounds a lot dirtier than it really is!)

I have only had to rely on the kindness of strangers twice to get my previous 2WD truck out of slop and wet grass... but it's a lot more fun to put it in low and confidently, gently ease my way out. And it was SO MUCH FUN to help pull a local fireman out of a ditch using some chains I thought to start carrying.


Judge your terrain, and likely destinations and choose accordingly.
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Old 11-17-2014, 07:41 PM   #29
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Higher resale value and just in case I went with a 4x4. Lose about 1 mpg maybe less.
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Old 11-17-2014, 07:57 PM   #30
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4WD is a waste!!

Until you need it.

Having it, I need it frequently. Not saying I wont own a truck without 4WD, but 4WD is a huge plus in my eyes.


1/2 Ton 4WD Truck, 72 Sovereign Hensley Arrow
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Old 11-17-2014, 08:16 PM   #31
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Quote:
Originally Posted by J. Morgan View Post
4WD is a waste!!

Until you need it.

Having it, I need it frequently. Not saying I wont own a truck without 4WD, but 4WD is a huge plus in my eyes.


1/2 Ton 4WD Truck, 72 Sovereign Hensley Arrow
My sentiments exactly.
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Old 11-17-2014, 08:24 PM   #32
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The problem with 4x4 or 4x2 trucks is that they are designed for big egos and marketing hype. None of them need to be 3 feet off the ground. There is no reason the 4x4 needs to be higher than the already too high 4x2. There is no reason that the 4x4's cannot be full time or on demand like Subaru has done for decades. Most of the time the Subaru's are full time FWD until it sense slip then it locks a clutch so more power goes to the back wheels. There is also no reason that the front axles can't have CV joints on them so they can be run on pavement. Yes there are times that 4WD comes in handy. The rest of the time it gets in the way. If I was camping with a 4x4 I would put a pop up slide in the back and forget a trailer.

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Old 11-17-2014, 08:42 PM   #33
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I bought a 2wd 2008 Tundra because it cost 3k less than the 4wd, less maintenance cost and mileage was 1 mpg better. It has something called electronic limited slip. I have found it to be worthless. It works fine in my BMW and my wife's Jetta, but just not in my Tundra. I have not gotten stuck yet and I do a lot of boon docking while attending music festivals. I know that I will get stuck some time. I have a good set of chains that I hope will get me unstuck when that does happen. I will find out how well they work when I do get stuck.

I think the best of both worlds is 2wd with a mechanical limited slip differential. I know it is available for other trucks, just not for the Tundra.

Except for the worthless electronic limited slip, I have been very happy with my 2wd Tundra. I consistently get 13.5 mpg. Oh, it also has a slightly higher payload rating than the 4wd, which really helps since it is only a 1/2 ton truck.

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Old 11-17-2014, 08:48 PM   #34
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I have owned 4x4s trucks or SUVs for our recreational endeavors almost thirty years now and never regretted the cost of ownership difference. Currently, I need my 4x4 to leave the property with the trailer if it has rained, or in the Fall, the leaves have dropped in abundance from high winds overnight. I hate blowing leaves at dawn on departure date! Elsewhere, like others have mentioned, the freedom to inspect off road locations or use overflow spots in damp fields is priceless.
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Old 11-17-2014, 08:53 PM   #35
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4WD will also get you lots of places 2WD will not. Engineer Pass, Colorado, about 20+ miles from the black top.
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Old 11-17-2014, 09:19 PM   #36
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4WD can be expensive

We bought a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee to tow our 19' Bambi. I got 4WD mainly for resale. It is actually a AWD system. One point about this drive train that I did not appreciate was that all four tires have to be the same brand and model so the forces on all four wheels are close to equal. This was driven home when we hit an object in the road just outside of Wells, NV (read as middle of nowhere). Whatever it was put a thumb sized hole in the tire that could not be repaired. We were towing the Bambi at the time. No drama when it happened and we were able to change the left rear tire on the Jeep without even removing the Bambi (me and the tow truck guy with a hydraulic jack). After getting the spare on, I drove the Jeep and Bambi a couple of miles and unhitched. Headed back to Wells where I had to buy 4 new tires at $320 each! The Amazon price for the same tire is about $180. Highway robbery for sure, but I am thankful he had four tires and a good brand (Toyo). The requirement of having the same tire on all four corners was new to me. I checked with two Jeep dealers and they confirmed that I needed four new tires since we could not match the three remaining tires.
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Old 11-17-2014, 09:58 PM   #37
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You don't need four wheel drive.

Hi, I have been towing my trailer for ten years now with my Lincoln Navigator 4X2. I have many thousands of miles towing in all kinds of weather. In 14 Western States and 3 Western Provence's. I have towed in rain, snow, and on ice. [no chains] On this trip, that I'm on now, I parked on the side of the road in Monument Valley in very soft red dirt. I could see my tow vehicle and trailer tires sinking. But my faithful Lincoln got us out. To date, we have never been stuck or in a situation where we couldn't drive out.

But, I WANTED a new tow vehicle and bought a brand new Ford F-150 4X4 partly because we moved to Oregon although we towed though Oregon in the snow several times with the Lincoln. So why am I traveling with my Lincoln on a trip which has been about 4,000 miles so far? Because I got my new truck one day before this trip and it needs 1,000 miles break in on the differential before towing.

You don't really need a 4X4, but it might be nice to have one.
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Old 11-17-2014, 11:04 PM   #38
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4x4... used it a few times.. beats calling a tow truck.

While I do not TOW in 4x4, I have in a couple situations, flipped to the 4x4 on the fly.. (nice to have)... did not stop or get out of truck, turned the dial and in a couple seconds was in 4x4. In the situation, I was on loose gravel which was being tossed on to the AS.. after flipping to 4x4, the rear wheels were not digging as much so significantly stopped throwing rocks at the AS... also, made less RUTS...

Another time, when backing the AS into a slot with a fresh load of gravel having recently been dumped on the site, I flipped to 4x4 and gently eased the AS into position.. no tire spin or rock slingin.....

Resale .. a plus... but, I don't plan to sell it.. so, I will enjoy it..

A couple more times visiting family 'in the sticks' I had the occasion to engage 4x4... all I needed then was a chaw of terbacky!!!
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Old 11-17-2014, 11:30 PM   #39
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Not sure what kind of snow you get in Eugene, but if you want to experience snow camping at Mt. Bachelor or any similar PNW ski resort, you will want a 4x4 TV. Chains are so much hassle compared to just pushing a button or switch to activate 4x4.

In the PNW, you have try hard to find a new 4x2 truck, especially in a crew cab. When I both the RAM 2500 from the largest PNW dealer (Dave Smith, in Idaho, they will save you several thousand over a local dealer), they said they didn't stock 4x2s cause they had a hard time selling them.
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Old 11-18-2014, 04:16 AM   #40
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We can't wait to get out west where we will "need" our 4WD!
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