I went from a 5th wheel to a Casita and an Astro van. I do a lot of solo trips and realized all I really wanted was someplace comfy and dry to sleep. I like hiking so 90% of the day I'm out anyway. ...
I very seldom see snow, what I see here are ROCKY roads and sand. I think a low range would be really helpful for some of the hills in places like Big Bend. The AWD does work amazingly well and will probably be here for a long time. Mine has the 3.73 gears, G80 locker, and about 4" of lift. It's no Rubicon but it's better to sleep in and goes a lot of places that your average van wouldn't.