Tow vehicle advice: 4x4 or 4x2?

"But, to say no one needs 4wd it is just not accurate."

I won't take the time to reread all the posts, but I don't recall anyone saying that. I do think 4x4, super duty, maxi, ram, duramax, boost,and other macho words are used to sell pickups to folks who never get off the dry pavement. My girlfriend likes the lower entrance of a 2wd compared to a 4wd. That is enough for me. Good driving skills takes care of the rest.

Gdetrailer wrote:

Vapor_Trails wrote:
American Southwest: More than 500,000 miles of desert. Good luck with that 2wd towing your three ton RV down a dirt road covered with a foot of sand.

Don't like temperatures once they pass the 90 degree mark so I don't think I will have ANY issue with dirt roads covered with a foot of sand :B

I will however invite you to try your luck out on a few inches of snow and or slush on top of ICY roads to see just how ineffective a 4x4 gets in those conditions.. Heck the weather channel LOVES to broadcast 4x4s and front wheel drives sliding and colliding on black ice all the time through winter.

Different strokes for different folks.

Very true about different strokes. I don't care whether anyone uses 4wd or not. And I totally agree there are plenty of idiots out there, both with and without transfer cases. But, to say no one needs 4wd it is just not accurate.

1. Only desert rats trek out there during the summer. But between October and April, the desert is awesome. If you've never been there, you're really missing out. Mojave, Sonoran, Arches, Bryce, Zion, et al. Phenomenal! youtube Glamis. It's a lot of fun.

2. Your mountains are twice as old as ours but not even half as tall. And maybe on the east coast your snow and ice are different than ours on the left coast, but living at the base of these and having driven them most of my life and also a class B up and down those roads for a couple of years back in college I can tell you chains AND 4wd are way better that chains and 2wd.

But like you said, to each his own. If you never tow in these places, 2wd is fine.


2wd only? Uh, no.



Purpose built vehicles will make it. But, your 2wd pickup is getting stuck.

I went through this myself when I was looking, I took the advice that if I needed it once a year it would have paid for itself. I've had it for 1 year and have used it 3 times in snow after I got stuck (I like to drive in 2wd so I don't get the false security) once at a boat launch, and 4 low when backing up the trailer a few times. I'm glad I bought it.

Gdetrailer wrote:
Don't like temperatures once they pass the 90 degree mark so I don't think I will have ANY issue with dirt roads covered with a foot of sand :B

I will however invite you to try your luck out on a few inches of snow and or slush on top of ICY roads to see just how ineffective a 4x4 gets in those conditions.. Heck the weather channel LOVES to broadcast 4x4s and front wheel drives sliding and colliding on black ice all the time through winter.

Different strokes for different folks.

I 'm sure the weather channel would show RWD vehicles sliding and colliding on black ice too if there were more than a (very) few of them on the road. I would think that the vehicles you prefer in winter driving conditions represent low single digit percentage of all vehicles sold in areas that experience those conditions. Wonder why that is?

The OP's RV'ing needs suggest a 2x4 would be just fine for him...if he can find one...they are strictly special order vehicles in the area I live.

Vapor_Trails wrote:
American Southwest: More than 500,000 miles of desert. Good luck with that 2wd towing your three ton RV down a dirt road covered with a foot of sand.

Don't like temperatures once they pass the 90 degree mark so I don't think I will have ANY issue with dirt roads covered with a foot of sand :B

I will however invite you to try your luck out on a few inches of snow and or slush on top of ICY roads to see just how ineffective a 4x4 gets in those conditions.. Heck the weather channel LOVES to broadcast 4x4s and front wheel drives sliding and colliding on black ice all the time through winter.

Different strokes for different folks.

American Southwest: More than 500,000 miles of desert. Good luck with that 2wd towing your three ton RV down a dirt road covered with a foot of sand.

TomG2 wrote:

PA12DRVR wrote:
.

- Ever seen a 2WD try to get going on polished ice at a city intersection? Kindof funny

About as funny as watching a smart aleck flash by in a 4WD and slide into a ditch full of snow and have to wait for a tow truck.

(Actually, it is not that much fun to see people in trouble.)

Actually I find it interesting that since I have a 2wd truck that I drive MORE CONSERVATIVE in bad weather than folks with front wheel drive, 4x4 and all wheel drives.

I often have 4x4s passing me at HIGH SPEEDS on snowy and ICY roads only to find them a few miles later in the ditch, or perched high up on a hillside way off the road...

Folks, wake up, just because you have 4x4, front wheel drive or all wheel drive it DOES NOT help you when it comes to BLACK ICE.

My Dad showed me many years ago that with some care 4x2 can go most places 4x4s can and heck with a set of chains we even showed up some 4x4s trying to climb a steep hillside to get firewood. While they were trying to back down the hill after getting stuck sideways we simply chained up and drive right past them.. :B

The looks of terror on their faces was priceless (it was steep)!

There is always a guy with a foot ball shirt on that loves to pull people out of the snow or mud. Give the guy; missing a tooth a break, let him pull you out, makes his day.

PA12DRVR wrote:
.

- Ever seen a 2WD try to get going on polished ice at a city intersection? Kindof funny

About as funny as watching a smart aleck flash by in a 4WD and slide into a ditch full of snow and have to wait for a tow truck.

(Actually, it is not that much fun to see people in trouble.)

I needed 4x4 once to pull out of a very wet grassy area in Florida. Other than that, I never needed 4x4 when towing, but I just like to go off the beaten path too much to by 4x2. Currently don't tow, but since living in Alaska is my once and future plan, I'll only by 4x4's.

- Ever seen a 2WD try to get going on polished ice at a city intersection? Kindof funny

- Driveways in snow: no prob with 4x4

the point was raised earlier as to what did we do before 4x4: Well, not being able to afford 4x4 for the 1st 30 year of my life, what I did in Alaska was drive carefully, use studded tires, establish a world record for being able to put chains on, invest in Warn products, and similar. Of course, one can get by on 4x2, but 4x4 offers an advantage.

Only the OP can decide if that advantage is worth the price. I think it's not even a decision worth considering (4x4, no brainer), but that's just MNSHO.