2wd or 4wd for towing

Not needing a 4 wheel drive truck in Florida cuase it's Florida is not repeat not a good thought. Down here with sugar sand everywhere it's so easy to get stuck unless u leave one wheel on the road when pulling off to the side. We don't have snow but sugar sand is not ur friend. If u stay on pavement all the time the 2 wheel is fine. Just pulling my truck behind my house and parking it I get stuck in the soft ground with grass... That's because all the soft ground is sand..... Several campgrounds down here may not have all have paved spots. Trust me, my last 2 wheel drive truck I got stuck with wet grass and soft ground of sand.... Not fun at the campground... Anyway just my experience that's all. Get what you want and can afford. Me.... When I need it I like having it, also resale here is much better with a 4x4. A 2 wheel truck will sell, but at a much lower price. Btw if you go to the beach... U need it, in fact during some times of the year, a 4x4 is the only truck alowed on the beach, especially around St Augustine and Daytona, and yes the cops always check. When u pay at the gate they will ask you and look, if it's a 2 wheel drive you are parking where ever you can find a spot and walk. Sorry long post but just giving you all the Florida info I can provide...Good luck on your decision.

I honestly use 4WD for backing a trailer up a hill more than anything else. Campground we stay at most has a lot of uphill approaches, and you hear a lot of spinning tires trying to get rigs into them.

It's comforting to know that the more things change, the more they stay the same. Same tired old BS answers... Need it if you have it, but want it if you eat it. Whatever.

The simple fact of the matter is the market is going to 4x4. 2WD is going the way of the manual transmission; more expensive to keep the option in the inventory vs. the number of units sold. I would bet in 10 years you won't be able to buy a 2WD pickup truck of any description.

IMHO you will be able to find a better deal on a 4x4. It might actually end up being CHEAPER than the 2WD simply based on how rare 2WD trucks are. Dealers will be less willing to cut you a deal on the 2WD because they know there is a small but passionate market who are foolishly willing to pay more for less. If you're not fool enough to pay full retail, someone else will.

Overall you will get a better value for your money on the 4x4 even if you spend a little more.

The 4x4 technology these days is so refined that it doesn't really hurt your fuel economy much anymore, and can withstand long periods of non-use. The mechanical and electronic components are durable and reliable so despite what your proclivities are, there really is nothing to worry about.

Back in the ‘80’s, my uncle told me, “I don’t care if it’s a Cadillac....it’s gonna be 4WD”!
He was a man of few words, and I took that to heart....and have’t regretted it!

I can't get up my driveway when there is snow on it without 4x4, so that's why I have it... :) I've tried to get up it in 2wd just to see what would happen... Didn't happen...

Even when I was still on the incline, shifted into 4x4 and I got up the driveway into my garage.

Even my wifes Rav4 with 4wd gets up the driveway with snow on it.. The Plymouth Acclaim she had before the Rav could not..

I also use it for the 4-lo feature to backup the trailer into it's parking space at the house.. It's on the side yard, with a steep gravel driveway and it's just easier to backup in 4-lo..

The only answer to this is "what works best for you"... Everyone is going to have their own "what works best for me" answer, so get what you get and that's all you got or need... ;)

Good luck!

Mitch

burningman wrote:
Or maybe you want to back uphill on some grass or gravel without tearing it up.

X2. I wonder if those who claim they've never needed 4wd in tough spots even know if they've left ruts or spun gravel all over. 4wd is gentler on your rig and the driving surface.

memtb wrote:
You’ll never miss it.... till you need it!

Y'know, the same could be said about a firearm!
Or a fishing license...
Or a fly rod...
Or a limited slip differential...
or a winch (and, perhaps, a wench!)
Also, the "just cheap insurance!" applies as well!

transferred wrote:

SidecarFlip wrote:

I have lockers front and back so I'm true 4wd bit that is rare today and it's aftermarket.

Resale value on a '4wd' is always better but then the maintenance is higher too and conversely, load carrying capacity drops with a 4wd versus a 2wd. Most people never take that into consideration.

For the new Ram 3500s SRWs (like the truck the OP is talking about) this is WRONG. The 4x4s have an increased GVWR to make up the heavier curb weight.

Haven't checked F and GM but they may be the same.

Actually it’s always been WRONG! This nonsense about payload numbers is taken all too seriously. These trucks are under-rated on paper so they fit into the legal definition of 3/4 and 1-ton pickup trucks. If you buy a 4WD you won’t have to leave your wife and dog (or beer) at home because the book says you lost 200 pounds of payload.

I won’t own a 2WD pickup. It really sucks when you’re pointed uphill on gravel with a trailer on and you can’t get moving. Or maybe you want to back uphill on some grass or gravel without tearing it up. There are countless situations that have nothing to do with going “off roading” where having 4WD saves the day.

I’ve owned a whole bunch of 4WD pickups and the only significant extra maintenance
was a leaking axle seal at 80k miles. Big deal.

You’ll never miss it.... till you need it!

SidecarFlip wrote:

I have lockers front and back so I'm true 4wd bit that is rare today and it's aftermarket.

Resale value on a '4wd' is always better but then the maintenance is higher too and conversely, load carrying capacity drops with a 4wd versus a 2wd. Most people never take that into consideration.

For the new Ram 3500s SRWs (like the truck the OP is talking about) this is WRONG. The 4x4s have an increased GVWR to make up the heavier curb weight.

Haven't checked F and GM but they may be the same.