4x4 or 2wd?

[WanderingBiker]

Question:

Is a 4x4 absolutely necessary?  would be pulling a toy hauler with a 2500hd, hopefully standard with granny gear and overdrive 5th.... I see vans, and all kinds of other vehicles going into BLM areas.....

thanks
JT

 

[highdesertranger]

4x4 is not a necessity, you can almost go to all the places a 4x4 can go with a 2wd. however a 2wd relies on speed and momentum to cross bad spots. this is very hard on a vehicle and is how you break stuff.

without a 4x4 the only way to get a granny low is to get a stick and you better ask to confirm that you are actually getting a granny. even some so called all wheel drives do not a granny low.

a locking rear end is almost as good as a 4x4.

highdesertranger

 

[WanderingBiker]

4x4 is not a necessity,  you can almost go to all the places a 4x4 can go with a 2wd.  

without a 4x4 the only way to get a granny low is to get a stick and you better ask to confirm that you are actually getting a granny. 
a locking rear end is almost as good as a 4x4.

highdesertranger

Yes... in the 2000 range.... 2500hd range... the 5speeds have the granny and OD 5th... Im thinking a granny is almost as good as a 4wd, except in mud, snow, etc.... On ice nothing is good : it's very difficult to find an extended cab with a manual in either a 4wd or 2wd... very few up for sale.... most are automatics..... but will keep looking.....

JT

 

[bullfrog]

I seldom "need" 4 wheel drive but over all it is easier to use 4 wheel drive to get unstuck or crawl over rough areas than to have to speed up to get through in two wheel drive not to mention when pulling a trailer the damage you can do by not going slow and using a spotter. Lots of dump valves in the ditches of primative areas.

 

[Riverman]

Four wheel drive is a tool, like jumper cables to start your truck in an emergency. At my age and health, if I got stuck in the backwoods there's no way I could walk for miles to get help. Consider your age and health and not just the cost of having it.

By the way, I just sold my 3/4 ton rig this week... I don't need all that huge investment and expense to enjoy life anymore.

 

[Anjikun]

I am a newbie so don't know anything from experience, but I have been researching how to choose the right truck for a truck camper and found a lot of good info sources. Because I know I will want to do boon docking in the most remote areas, and because I will be living in Gaspésie Quebec (and still using the truck in winter while not living nomadically) I know for sure I will be getting 4x4.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Is a 4x4 absolutely necessary?  would be pulling a toy hauler with a 2500hd, hopefully standard with granny gear and overdrive 5th.... I see vans, and all kinds of other vehicles going into BLM areas.....

How large and heavy is the toyhauler you intend to pull?

Many of the mid and large size toyhaulers can't be pulled into remote areas, or even thru soft sand or gravel, despite the rugged appearance. 

Some of them DO have lifted, high ground clearance, but then they tend to be pretty tall and limit where you can go under lower hanging tree branches in forested areas. 

Having a 4WD might enourage you to drag that rig into a situation you cant get it out of.

 

[tx2sturgis]

A couple of toyhaulers stuck in the muck:

 

[highdesertranger]

4x4 is not a cure for stupid. highdesertranger

 

[WanderingBiker]

watched a few of those vids...... yup... stupidity abounds..... if your stuck, stop digging yourself in more... gezzzz

 

[tx2sturgis]

watched a few of those vids......  yup... stupidity abounds.....  if your stuck,  stop digging yourself in more... gezzzz

And something else that happens out there:

When you have a 4WD vehicle, you become the 'go-to' guy when other people get stuck.

Which opens you up to damaging your vehicle or theirs in the recovery attempt.

I'm guessing HDR can attest to this.

Having a 4x4 can be an asset, but occasionally, it turns into a liability.

 

[MrNoodly]

When pulling a large trailer on the type of ground that would call for 4-wheel drive, how much do the weight and resistance of the trailer shift weight off the front wheels of the truck? Or is that not really a problem?

 

[B and C]

It is called a load distributing hitch. It distributes weight to the front wheels. Not sure how these would react to up and down off-road though but great for the highway.

 

[tx2sturgis]

When pulling a large trailer on the type of ground that would call for 4-wheel drive, how much do the weight and resistance of the trailer shift weight off the front wheels of the truck? Or is that not really a problem?

Interesting question.

Personally I would not normally try pull a large trailer across ground that required 4WD. A small trailer, sure....

Having said that, I once saw a guy pull a 5th wheel RV trailer up a VERY steep and rough forest service road, and there, the 4WD was an asset. But the road was dry and hard packed, just very rough. He put in it LO-range, and idled up, which was actually more of an advantage than the 4WD itself. And this was a 5th wheel, so the weight shift to the rear (and off the front) was not an issue.

 

[WanderingBiker]

When pulling a large trailer on the type of ground that would call for 4-wheel drive, how much do the weight and resistance of the trailer shift weight off the front wheels of the truck? Or is that not really a problem?

will be looking for a gooseneck or 5th wheel...so the weight should stay over the back wheels

 

[MrNoodly]

And this was a 5th wheel, so the weight shift to the rear (and off the front) was not an issue.

I can see that being the case if the hitch is mounted forward of the rear axle, but if it's directly over the axle, wouldn't the vertical distance between the axle and hitch (which is greater on a 4x4) act like a fulcrum?

 

[tx2sturgis]

I can see that being the case if the hitch is mounted forward of the rear axle, but if it's directly over the axle, wouldn't the vertical distance between the axle and hitch (which is greater on a 4x4) act like a fulcrum?

Normally the 5th wheel or gooseneck ball is mounted slightly forward of the rear axle...except on some toterhomes.

Hey, here is another video that shows what determination, and multiple 4WD's can do:

 

[WanderingBiker]

Normally the 5th wheel or gooseneck ball is mounted slightly forward of the rear axle...except on some toterhomes.

Hey, here is another video that shows what determination, and multiple 4WD's can do:

Now thats something I doubt I would ever do LOL

 

[highdesertranger]

just because it's a 5er or gooseneck doesn't mean your front end doesn't get unloaded. in a couple of those vids the back of the trucks are clearly sagging which means the front is light. trying to drive those rigs over sugar sand is just plain stupid. Pismo beach is a crazy place with crazy people, I've been there once and will never go back. like I said a 4x4 doesn't fix stupid. highdesertranger

 

[tx2sturgis]

just because it's a 5er or gooseneck doesn't mean your front end doesn't get unloaded.  in a couple of those vids the back of the trucks are clearly sagging which means the front is light.  

Yes, but the weight shift is normally less than on a bumper pull RV. 

In commercial trucking we usually have a sliding fifth wheel and we can shift a LOT of weight forward over the steer axle if need be. Even then, in certain situations, the front end can get lighter.