4x4 or not?

[gandttimes]

I was referring to GM automatic locking rear end that only engages when it senses that the wheel speed on one side is going to be 100 rpm more than the other. It also only works up to 32 km/hr then disengages.


George

[KJRitchie]

Originally Posted by BassCan

Started looking for a new tow vehicle for our 27 EB this year.
The wife and I are trying to decide if we need to add the 4x4 option when buying a new truck.
I feel that we live in lower Alabama and do most of our camping during warmer months so we really would not use it.
She feels that it would come in handy when we would need it.
It is a big investment, so want to do it right.
Thinking about a 2500 GMC truck, most likely a diesel.
So 4x4 or not?

If you will ordering then get the 4x4. Better resale with 4x4 on a GMC 2500 diesel. No one wants a 4x2 diesel truck. You are better off reducing the trim level than not ordering 4x4 if you are trying to meet a certain price level.

Kelvin

[Isuzusweet]

Originally Posted by gandttimes

I was referring to GM automatic locking rear end that only engages when it senses that the wheel speed on one side is going to be 100 rpm more than the other. It also only works up to 32 km/hr then disengages.


George

True an automatic locker is locked at the rest position and will unlock if it senses one wheel needs to travel faster or slower than the other. However not as durable as a LSD.

Listen to the end of the video for what he says about 2wd tires and 4wd.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f31W...0&spfreload=10

A limited slip is open at rest and will lock when wheel spin is detected and stay locked at speed.
A locker can be manually locked to stay locked at all times.

Cheers
Tony

Forgot about the automatic locker

[BoldAdventure]

Just noticed he said he lives in GA, doesn't that mean you have to buy a 4x4 by default? I mean what's more southern than a 4x4 truck and camping and jumping in a muddy creek.

[scamp]

Just remember spinning the rear wheels will through mud rocks at your airstream! I rather not go for 4x4 with locking rear diff. Plus you got to live with the wife ! I told you to get 4x4 !

Don

[ROBERT CROSS]

IMHO....
“Its better to have what you don't need when you need it, than not to have it when you don’t.”
RLC

[BassCan]

It sounds like some of you know my wife.
Do not want to be in a situation where she is
Stuck in the mud with a 4x2 with her hand on her hip, with I told you so look.
We appreciate the input.
Now to find a good deal.

[MrUKToad]

This is one of those subjects that polarizes opinion. I won't offer my thoughts on why you should or shouldn't need 4wd over 2wd, but I will recount a little story from last year.

We had a very nice little site at a Campground not too far from London, Ontario. It was just plain grass, on a slight incline and very wet. Our TV is both 2 wheel and front wheel drive and at that time its tires were, well, a little short on tread. I pulled through onto the grass and realised that when it came time to leave, hauling that 7,000 pound trailer up the slope was going to be an issue; I was just hoping that things might dry out a little first. Things looked bad, though, with more rain and other TVs, including a 4wd truck madly spinning wheels trying to get moving forward on their sites.

Come the day we had to leave I prepared well. I fished out a couple of old rubber foot well mats, an old patio mat, my 'Lego' blocks and (of course) my pride should I need to go and beg a tow from one of the other campers. We hitched, I sat in the driver's seat and fired up the TV, then ever so carefully fed the power in.

Do you know those worn old tires actually gripped? I applied the power just enough to get her rolling and made a completely slip-free passage up to the gravel road; the only marks on the grass were left by my positioning the wheels to get hitched up.

I'm not saying that's a reason to stay with 2wd but I was really grateful that the power delivery on the van was smooth enough not to spin the wheels, as others had done that very morning, and I think the front wheel drive was better for the task at hand, pulling rather than pushing on the wet surface.

I bought a set of new tires the very next week!

[gandttimes]

Originally Posted by Isuzusweet

True an automatic locker is locked at the rest position and will unlock if it senses one wheel needs to travel faster or slower than the other. However not as durable as a LSD.

Listen to the end of the video for what he says about 2wd tires and 4wd.

A limited slip is open at rest and will lock when wheel spin is detected and stay locked at speed.
A locker can be manually locked to stay locked at all times.

Cheers
Tony

Forgot about the automatic locker

Sorry Tony, but you are incorrect. G80, GM's locker is at rest , not locked. It takes an RPM differential to engage and a speed limit to disengage.
Limited Grip ( Slip) will actually put power to a wheel that does not have traction.
A 2 whl drive with locking ( G80) rear is better at getting out of an off camber situation than a 4whl drive with limited grip ( slip).
Electric locker is totally different.


George

[shermantic]

Our 99 Suburban is 2wd it now has 396,000 Miles on the odometer! We purchased it used with 99,000 it is exclusively used to haul our Airstream we travel (Part Timers) 12 months out of the year! I can only recall 3 times for a few hundred feet that we would have ever pushed the 4x4 button! All 3 times was while returning home from Ski Trips up north in January. 2wd will yield lower maintenance cost, higher fuel economy, more comfortable ride. Examine how often you will be off roading you AS, and slick roading your AS. As far as spinning rocks/ mud onto your AS you should have "Sunglasses", Rock Gaurds, & a Sweep Hitch mounted Rock Guard on your AS in either case 2wd or 4x4.

[jcl]

Many years ago I drove a 4x4 off road recovery tow truck. We considered that for most of the people we pulled out, that their 4wd got them further down roads or trails that they shouldn't have been on anyways.

A frequent call was to one of the local beaches where someone had decided to launch or recover a boat, and found out that we had tides. And that the tide was coming in.

If you need 4wd for exploring when not towing, or in winter conditions, great. I've had both, and they both have a place.

The winch we had on the front of each of the company trucks was more effective at getting out of occasional trouble than the 4wd. If you are on wet grass with one axle, the other axle is probably on wet grass as well. And the winch option allows you all the simultaneous benefits of 2wd that shermantic lists above.

Jeff

[gandttimes]

True, sometimes 4x4can just get you stuck further down the road if you are not careful !


George

[NCMEDIC]

I'll never again own a 2 wheel drive truck. The 4X4 comes in handy all the time!

[Msmoto]

As the driver of a 4x4 with limited slip rear diff, I have discovered a few things. First, the rear will come loose in slippery conditions as both rear wheels tend to spin up in snow if too much throttle is given...... and towing in snow, this makes life exciting if the rear begins to move. As in coming in to this truck stop in Laramie, Wyoming:
AirstreamREV_2009_Int_27FB_Snow_04.2010-3 by Fantinesvoice.com, on Flickr

But, there have been many times, e.g., on wet grass, where the advantage of fwd allowed me to get out of a situation which could have been very difficult without the fwd.

However,I have, more than 30 years ago, found myself in exactly the situation described, me with a Toyota Land Cruiser....stuck in hub deep mud. The tow truck which tried to pull me out began moving back toward my vehicle when he began winching, until he blocked his wheels. So, if one needs fwd to get into a situation, maybe this is not the best idea. But getting out where 2wd will not do it, the fwd was worth all the costs in decreased fuel mileage, maintenance, etc. IMO only

[xrvr]

Mr Toad, you are correct. Some people like you think things out ahead and develop a plan. Sometimes 4wd just means more spinning wheels where forethought might have been prudent. Jim

[paiceman]

4x4 - no question. Stayed in a Maine State Park, reserved a site right on the water, had to go down a small hill into a level area of the campsite and when leaving had to go up and make a right turn out of the campsite onto a narrow, slightly hilly dirt road (mud when we left). Without a 4x4 we would have had to call for a tow and that would have been a very expensive tow and very difficult due to limited space. Oh, and when we did depart, we did not spin at all, in mud, towing a fully loaded 30' FC.

[GCinSC2]

Lots of opinions and real world experiences, I'll add mine. And is the real question truck w/o trailer or truck w/trailer?

2WD Dodge Ram 2500 5.9L Cummins, 6 spd.

Yes, I had to have my truck pulled 2 times, once on wet grass, once on sand. Both times I was empty w/o trailer. Buddy hooked his 4X4 and it was over in seconds.

Now, lets add the trailer to the comments.

We don't go boon-docking and only camped on grass once. But every time I take the AS from the backyard camp to the driveway I have to pull up a grade to get from backyard. Its all sand and some grass Here's the kicker.

Its a 7% grade measured with level in the I Phone, just under 100 yards long.

Truck gets rolling and I keep it rolling, no shifting.

So I bought the truck first, I try not to get into a aw crap spot and don't have the expense of 4X4. What makes it work? Good tires and the about 1100 Lbs tongue weight to load the rear tires.

YMMV.

[Skater]

When we bought our first pickup, we wanted the 4wd for snow situations, and we figured we might use it occasionally while camping. In reality, it was a very good thing that we got 4wd - it turns out we need it about 90% of the time when backing our trailer into the spot at home! Our yard turns into a soft mess after only a little rain, and if I don't engage the 4wd system, we sit and spin. I'm glad we didn't buy a 2wd truck, or we would have had to replace it immediately.

[EarlM]

Buy the 4WD

Earl

[andreasduess]

I've owned a number of 4WD vehicles and for me this isn't about getting into trouble further down a muddy road, it's the difference between getting stuck in a marginal situation or just being able to pull out.

When we go camping in spring or fall sites can be damp. Now, hitting the gas and spinning the wheels will got you stuck whatever you do, but sending power to four wheels will be helpful in these circumstances.