We camp on the outer beach so 4x4 is mandatory. Living in the North East 4x4 is mandatory with the snow. That being said if you dont live in the snowy regions and do not ever want to camp off road, you think that you might not need it. However we camped in the WHite Mountains and our site was just a little off grade. It rained the noght before departure. I couldnt drive out of the gravel site in 2 wd. I pressed the button to 4wd and we were on our way. Thing I backed into the site and it looked fine. That very slight grade change didnt even click unitl we tried to leave. I would have needed a tow without it.