2WD vs 4WD tow vehicle
DW and I are considering purchasing a fifth wheel and a tow vehicle. The trailer would be in the 30-33 ft range. The theoretical tow vehicle would be a fairly new (less than four model years old) F-3...
Forum Discussion
wandering1 wrote:
4wd is not needed for towing an RV trailer. The tow vehicle would not have enough power to pull an RV trailer thru the terrain that 4wd is needed for. 4wd costs more, adds weight to the truck, reduces the weight of the trailer you can tow and stay within the GCWR. If not RVing it is good for mudding if you like driving in the mud.
I towed my 5er through "The Gorge" from Sevierville TN to just outside Asheville NC, in the snow, which was sticking to the road, (had about 2-3" on the road...sorry to tell you....but the 4 wheel high option made it happen.....I didn't intentionally set out to tow in the white stuff, it just happened...and it got worse...but I made it all the way home towing UP the Gorge in 4 wheel high.....so.....4WD WAS needed to tow an RV,...MINE.....I don't go off road with 5er, but I've been on water soaked ground/grass, and I needed 4 wheel drive there also....The added cost is minimal, as is the weight, (alway's has paid off on trade in or sale...you get more around here for 4 wheel drive trucks). I'm really not worried about going over any numbers I tow just because the truck is a 4 wheel drive truck..AT a GVWR of 14,000# and a GCWR of 37,500# (RAWR of 9750#)....the weight of the 4 wheel drive components is not noticeable.
