Two wheel drive or 4x4?

I would get the 4x4 if I could afford it.

I looked long and hard for a dodge diesel truck, but all I could afford were 2x4 that had low miles.

I am very pleased with my truck, 2005 dodge diesel 2x4 quad cab, it drives and rides good, gets good mpg for a big heavy truck and could pull the world, if you could make the hook,

yes I know it has limitations and I just drive based on those limits.

I have an old jeep, if I want to mix up the mud.

however, I will say one thing, if you get a 2x4, be sure it has a good heavy duty set of tow hooks on the front end. as you may have to be pulled out someday and you do not want to tear up your bumper.

is it worth the extra 6-8k dollars for 4x4, yes some will say, others no, but per sales and where you live, you have to make the decision.

I live in west ky and roads are normally cleared in a short while, plus I am retired, so I do not have to go until the roads are cleared.

The Mad Norsky wrote:
Folks:

please step back, take a deep breath, and THINK!

The OP here is NOT asking about four wheel drive where you live.

The question being asked is does the OP need four wheel drive for winter in North Dakota.

I repeat, WINTER CONDITIONS IN NORTH DAKOTA!

So I suspect that most all have NOT experienced a North Dakota winter. And have absolutely no room to talk or offer advice here.

Not trying to be mean, crude, or impolite.

Well...actually...below is the original post. The original question REALLY is...WHICH DO YOU HAVE AND WHY DID YOU MAKE THAT CHOICE. And if you were not trying to be mean, crude, or impolite, constructive criticism might apply. Unless you are rreally "Mad" as your screen name indicates. Maybe not...But you do sound a little HUFFY. And you could maybe brush up on your reading comprehension. Or else maybe your memory.

newtondak wrote:
Looking at purchasing a new tow vehicle and considering the pros and cons of two wheel vs four wheel drive. Which do you have and why did you make that choice?

And then he goes on to post....I'll just bet he knows what N.D. winters are like. And because he is looking for a 2WD, indicates he wants to use in more for "traveling in the summer".

newtondak wrote:
I think they are probably few and far between in ND. We inquired at a dealership in MO and they said it would probably be a special order to get a two wheel drive. We're thinking that (I know it sounds unusual) we'd be here in ND (not in the camper) in the winter and traveling in the summer. We've always had Chevy or GMC but open to other options and looking at moving to a 3/4 ton.

I agree however, that winter conditions in ND may be more severe than we see here in Northern NH. But even so, a high percentage of trucks here are 4WD or AWD (SUV's). But if it's gunna sit in the barn all winter, then 2WD is just fine for towing an RV on wet or dry pavement.

There have been a couple of comments about snow stopping freight trains, needing a bulldozer to go someplace, or having to travel by snowmobile. A 4wd pickup is the answer for such situations? I really doubt it, as macho as they are. Used to be an ad showing how the snow plow driver got to work in a VW.

I have a 4wd because we get snow 5 months of the year here in Canada (fun right?). 2wd trucks are all but useless here, and very hard to sell/find unless they are for commercial use where the guys that buy them aren't the ones that have to drive them.

This image was taken not far from where I live. Yes, we got enough snow this year to stop a freight train.

TomG2 wrote:
... I do notice a very high percentage of 4wd vehicles in the ditch when I am driving in a snowy area.

Amen brother. LOL Usually the overwhelming majority of vehicles in the ditch are 4wd. I see it every winter. :)

So far, it appears that about 100% of us justify, accept, love, and are happy with our personal choices. I do not tow my trailer through North Dakota, Montana, or Maine in the winter time, but have in the summer. I do notice a very high percentage of 4wd vehicles in the ditch when I am driving in a snowy area.

This is the only reason I haven't bought a 1 ton van.. I have only needed 4wd a couple times with the trailer (usually when it was raining and site was slick), but moreso when launching the family's boat.

I shift the transfer case to low range quite frequently when manuevering into a site that has an incline, or backing onto blocks for leveling. I would not have a truck without 4wd. We have even towed the camper onto the beach before.

I would never have a 4x2 truck. I routinely have to back my flatbed trailer uphill on gravel. In the winter it's pretty tough in 4x2. In the summer it's impossible.

Loose, dry gravel at low speeds is just as much of an obstacle as snow.

Driving 25 miles on plowed roads or driving to a tree falling site may well be within the reach of a 4x2. Tree fallers work where the roads are built to handle log trucks after all. Most passenger cars could make it up there.

Again, I would venture to say that the winters in Northwestern Montana in the late 1950s were just as bad as any in NoDak. My car back then was a 1941 Buick Special fastback sedan. I was in the National Guard then, and our drills were once a week. I never missed a drill due to weather, all winter long. I lived 25 miles from the armory.
However, my parents did get trapped just outside Bad Rock Canyon on U.S. Hwy 2 once by a blizzard. They spent three days there. A 4X4 would have done them no good at all! My step father worked in the woods as a tree faller. Never owned a four wheel drive, never regretted not having one.
If you want a 4X4, go get one. As I said, I have two of them. BUT, when I needed a truck to tow a 32 foot triple slide fifth wheel, I got a 4X2. It did the job quite well!