2WD or 4X4 for a truck camper

1972 Ford F-250. 1 wheel drive. Without adding traction devises like tire chains and adding weight in the bed it is useless in the snow.



1989 5.0L HO Mustang. 2 wheel drive.
Same thing here but this isn't a truck and isn't capable of hauling a camper.



2011 Chevy 2500HD. 3 wheel drive.
Awesome in the snow just as it is. Just a simple pull on the lever and away you go.



1979 Ford F-260. 4 wheel drive.
Questionable on ice. ;)

The second two are far superior in all off-road situations than the first two.





I would take the truck with 4wd for hauling a camper over a 2wd every time.
Snow or no snow.
Trucks no longer have a 6.32 : 1 first gear so having a low range trumps 2wd every time.

jaycocreek wrote:
A 4X4 is nice and has a Kool factor but knowing that "most" are only 2WD with one in the front pulling and one in the rear pushing,a 2WD can do more than one thinks.

By your definition, a 2WD is a 4x4, so yeah that’s what we’ve been saying. A 2WD is better than a 1WD. :D

Time for another thread ...

JRscooby wrote:
I think you missed the point.

Sounds like your point has nothing to do with what I posted, so I have no idea why you quoted me.

How can this be controversial for outdoor people?

noteven wrote:
Re the dualled wheels on one axle with locking diff concept vs driven wheels on all axles (often singles) ....

This is a secret the military and off highway emergency services hasn’t figured out yet, right? (Laughing)

We could chain up the old 2wd square body GMC 1/2 truck 350 3spd auto and get to where the firewood was being cut ... stack a yuge load on there and then it would go in the snow...

When the wife and I got married(Yellowpine Idaho) we were living in McCall Idaho where the snowfall is rated as the most in a city in North Central Idaho,over 220" one year....We both had 2WD's and neither of us ever got stuck to that point in town...Atleast 1/2 the town used 2WD vehicles..

The wifes rig was a 3/4 ton 1967 Ford 2WD with a 3 speed on the column..9 months of snow and just a 2WD...But anyone with knowledge of driving in the snow realizes weight over the axle is your friend and usually carries chains..That is why these front wheel drives do so well in the snow,the engine weight over the drive wheels or wheel..

I once took my Mazda 2WD elk hunting towed behind my 24ft Class C..Started running into snow but didn't want to stop and turn around..Ended up on a groomed snowmobile trail and embarrassed as heck as we drove past the snowmobilers on top of the snow(because of weight or lack of it) on there freshly groomed trail..

A 4X4 is nice and has a Kool factor but knowing that "most" are only 2WD with one in the front pulling and one in the rear pushing,a 2WD can do more than one thinks..Weight can be your friend or it can be your enemy..Snow conditions also mean alot..Fresh packed snow vs un-packed fresh snow or groomed plowed snow..They all determine traction..

But then again,we are talking truck campers and 2WD or 4WD..They are heavy/wide and tall limiting where you can take one with either of the two options.

Re the dualled wheels on one axle with locking diff concept vs driven wheels on all axles (often singles) ....

This is a secret the military and off highway emergency services hasn’t figured out yet, right? (Laughing)

We could chain up the old 2wd square body GMC 1/2 truck 350 3spd auto and get to where the firewood was being cut ... stack a yuge load on there and then it would go in the snow...

jaycocreek wrote:
You meant 2X4 didn't you,one tire in the front pulling and one tire in the rear pushing?(Laughing)

Sure, just like you have a 1WD, or maybe a 2WD since you have a DRW. Or, was mine a 3WD ... you know 1 wheel in front and two wheels in the back. I have a Polaris Ranger for most tasks on my land, but rarely need anything other than turf mode. For some reason, it doesn’t do as well driving to town and picking up lumber, or driving to CDL to pickup furniture and pulling a trailer.

Maybe you need a different thread ... do you take your TC off or leave it on, so you can see how many of us use a truck for something other than hauling our TC. Never mind, I’ll start it. :D

jimh425 wrote:

JRscooby wrote:
I have seen the damage done to that farm done by 4X4.

Sure, you can tear up ground with 4x4 as well. But, if you had been here, you would see the damage that didn’t happen because of 4x4.

I think you missed the point. Take the gate into the feed-lot. With 4X2, we would likely get stuck if it was muddy. So we kept enough feed in the bin in the lot, so if we had mud for a few days we could walk from the gate, feed, and walk out. When it dried, every morning put 2 day's feed in the pickup, feed, then put the rest in the bin, until bin full. If it stayed wet long enough for the bin to get MT, pick up box with the tractor.
With the 4X4, that mud will not stop me, so I cut ruts. And I don't know how long ago, but the ruts diverted any run-off from the pasture, so now there is a gully under the gate, and the pond has dried up. And back in the day that pond had a pipe thru the dam into a tank to water the stock.
Sure sometimes a 4X4 can go without doing the damage that a 4X2 could do. But do you have to go? Do you have to take the pickup?

Sure, you can tear up ground with 4x4 as well. But, if you had been here, you would see the damage that didn’t happen because of 4x4.

You meant 2X4 didn't you,one tire in the front pulling and one tire in the rear pushing?(Laughing)

Lockers on a 2WD DRW give you 4 wheels pushing or 4WD..

I think most of us realize any pickup with a full sized 8ft wide(13ft high) truck camper is not an off road,like in true 4X4ing,rig..To high/to heavy and to wide..So it is "very limited" where it can go, 4X4 or 2X4..The narrower and the least tall definitely has the advantage,like the pop-up truck campers.

Take the 10ft plus truck campers with a slide,where are you really going to take that big/heavy/wide beast?..Kayteg showed he can take his Lance 1172 up a pretty narky road for such a large truck camper but I'll bet he is the exception,not the norm..And he did not need 4X4 to do it,just RWD.

As for real off road 4X4ing..I have a Yamaha Rhino with 2WD/4WD and 4WD lockers where power is to all 4 wheels..It's narrow and can get where Jeeps, like the CJ5 can't and can carry 500 pounds and tow over 1200# with two peoplein the front.

So most of us have a truck camper because we tow our toys, whether it is a boat/jeep or ATV's so we do not need to take the TC back into places that can damage either the truck or camper because of it's total weight/width or height,so 4X4 is not needed..JMHO

We had a Toyota Celica STS 185 - 220hp turbocharged 6 spd 4 wheel drive - Street production model for World Rally homogenization... power to weight would be like a 600hp pickup but without solid axles and the wagon springs...

You put the studded winter moccasins on it was a hoot...