We don't need no stinkin 4X4 honey !

[Sportsmen]

Wife and I upgraded our tow vehicle a few months back from a 150 SuperCrew to a 2016 F250 CC gaser 2 wheel drive. We test drove 2 identical trucks. One a 2wheel drive and the other a 4 wheel drive. My wife found the 4X4 difficult to get into because of a bad back. I told her that we didn't need 4 wheel drive. Haven't had a need for one in 20 years. Fast forward to last Saturday night. We attended a wedding in the country where it had been raining cats and dogs for 2 days. Yep, the parking was in a grassy field on an up hill slope. Yep, you guessed it. We sunk up to the rims on the truck. Me and several others had to be towed back to the road. Guess this truck is a little heavier than the old 150.....


Lesson learned, stay on the pavement !

[BubbaChris]

All I have to do is look at "Winder Towing Inc" on Facebook or their YouTube channel "Matt's Towing & Recovery" to remind myself why I have the 4WD option. These are local guys working some of the areas I visit.

I love shift-on-the-fly and will reach for 4-Auto (really AWD) just about anytime I'm off pavement. And I do the same for 4-Hi the moment things aren't smooth and level. 4-Lo has been rarely engaged as it usually means I'll be getting so far off-level that traction isn't my only concern.

Our TT is our home close to adventures. So the TV has to be the adventure-mobile. None of our bush pinstripes have been permanent yet, but that day will likely come. Our adventures may keep me away from gong DRW on the next truck.

Prior to getting my Expy, we were exploring in my wife's GX470 and climbed the Hurricane Cliffs via the Honeymoon trail. I'm sure we were the rare visitor not in a side-by-side or Jeep with lockers. It turned out well, but I was starting to regret the idea that the way forward seemed less dangerous than finding a place to turn around.

Best regards,
Chris

[Durb]

After 8 pages of 4X4 drooling, it's time for a contrarian view. I have a 2WD dually, and I love it.

Resale value on a 4X4 is better, that is why I got a smoking deal on my 9 year old at the time CTD Laramie with 62k miles. If you are buying used then low resale value is a good thing. Plus, virtually every used 4X4 diesel in the Northwest has been lifted and chipped. Not for me.

It would be nice to have 4WD for the 1% you need it. Problem is, I drive the truck 100% of the time. I slide into my seat, I don't step and maneuver. I can lift an 80# bag of ready-mix onto my waist high tailgate, don't know if I could get it chest high. I can reach over my bed side walls and latch/unlatch my hitch. When I need to sit down, which is often now days, I drop my tailgate and have a seat. Plus my truck fits my fifth wheel, a 4X4 wouldn't.

I enjoy the precision and tracking of rack and pinion steering. I can work under the hood without using a step stool. I carry chains in the winter, but mostly the truck stays parked when conditions are bad; it is a primarily a tow vehicle and I don't winter camp. I'll take the AWD SUV when things are tough.

I may take a hit when I sell the truck which I don't intend to do. The people that ask me about selling it now would probably give me a good price.

[ppine]

These are amusing posts.
IN the West, 4wd just gets you stuck in worse places. I use it all the time.

[JIMMY034]

Lessmore wrote:
When the going gets tough ie; stuck.. in a regular 4WD...you have 2WD...one wheel in the back turns, one wheel in the front turns.

With the addition of a locker or limited slip in the rear axle of a 4WD...when you're stuck...you have 3WD...two wheels in the back are turning...one wheel still in the front is turning.

They're are some 4WD trucks with actual 4WD when you get stuck...ie; locker/limited slip rear and locker/limited slip front axle...in this case when you get stuck...all 4 wheels are turning...I think maybe only the Ford Raptor maybe so equipped. I'm sure others would know for sure if there are others.

All I know is on every Chevy I had (and my current GMC) all four wheels turned in 4WD. Maybe because GM, unlike everyone else, finally stopped using the outdated solid front axle? (I know someone is going to argue that, but bring it, I used to work at the GM axle plant for 13 years). Besides my personal preference on styling, I've been a GM guy since 2001 as I like how you don't have to lock hubs to have 'true' 4WD, not to mention superior ride quality, in my opinion, though the -350 dually is a nice ride!

[JIMMY034]

jerem0621 wrote:
4x4 is fun, but totally not needed for 90% of truck buyers. Towing a boat is useful on slick steep ramps, 4x4 is useful off road while hunting or property management, or for common usage. Most trucks sold new are too pretty and expensive for owners to take off road.

I try not to be too dogmatic, if you need it, buy it. If you don’t then get the 2WD savings... or the 4x4 just because.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

Well for some of us it's almost a must. Sure, you can do without it, just like you could do without an extended warranty or collision insurance...until you need it. I live in NY and wouldn't even consider being without it. And yeah, my truck is pretty and expensive, but I do tow a camper and grass gets wet and steep gravel roads challenge gravity, rain makes mud no matter where you live, and the resale value is way better. Some like to save money (while still buying a $65,000 truck...) but other like myself like to be prepared. I'd have four wheel drive if I never saw snow again. And you're right, my truck doesn't see off road...it's allergic to dirt :B:)

[JIMMY034]

Boomerweps wrote:
Texas, yup, rare need for a 4x4 unless a lot of desert driving. Here in Pennsylvania, it's a darn near must. Dealers only order in 2wd trucks if specifically requested. Dealer stock ordered trucks are all 4WD.

As they should be. No matter the climate, you won't need it until you need it. In NY, it's a must also, but I'd still insist on 4X4 if I moved to Arizona or Texas or Florida. It's like insurance, nice to have when you need it. It also makes no sense NOT to have it, it's a minimal difference in price, resale value is better, and if anyone is worried that the extra 500 pounds is going to be a problem with GCVWR, they're already towing too heavy to begin with.

[Edd505]

Lessmore wrote:

Good point. I also can't imagine too many owners taking their new 60 grand + :B 4WD on many off road expeditions. That usually comes when the 4WD becomes 15 years old and a high school kid's personal transportation.

Now a 4WD bought by a rancher/farmer/utility company will be using a 4WD off road in some difficult situations...but most will be using them to make sure they don't get stuck on the wet grass with their trailer or have to back up their trailer in an elevated parking spot. That's what I read here and I'm ...not... being critical.

We've been stuck..once on wet grass, which we eventually sank into the ground, had to use campfire wood as traction aids in the ruts we created. We got out on our own, using this method with the trailer connected, but it wasn't easy. Our tow vehicle was a '61 Nomad wagon, 283 V8, PG, 2WD, early positraction. This was back in '62. It would of been easier if we had a 4WD, but back then, about the only 4WD you would see towing would be something like a Suburban or an International Travelall SUV and those guys usually had an Airstream. They were older retired executives with bucks.

Also backing up a heavy trailer into an elevated difficult parking area is made easier by using low range, 4WD. I know.

That so. I towed a 16ft Shasta with a Bronco 300 6cyl 4 speed trough more creak beds. "If the Bronco will go, so will the trailer" until I got to a dead end log road hunting. After that trip I had a bumper mount hitch I could clamp to the front bumper, drop the trailer, turn around & rehitch, to push the trailer ahead of me.

[Lessmore]

jerem0621 wrote:
4x4 is fun, but totally not needed for 90% of truck buyers. Towing a boat is useful on slick steep ramps, 4x4 is useful off road while hunting or property management, or for common usage. Most trucks sold new are too pretty and expensive for owners to take off road.

I try not to be too dogmatic, if you need it, buy it. If you don’t then get the 2WD savings... or the 4x4 just because.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

Good point. I also can't imagine too many owners taking their new 60 grand + :B 4WD on many off road expeditions. That usually comes when the 4WD becomes 15 years old and a high school kid's personal transportation.

Now a 4WD bought by a rancher/farmer/utility company will be using a 4WD off road in some difficult situations...but most will be using them to make sure they don't get stuck on the wet grass with their trailer or have to back up their trailer in an elevated parking spot. That's what I read here and I'm ...not... being critical.

We've been stuck..once on wet grass, which we eventually sank into the ground, had to use campfire wood as traction aids in the ruts we created. We got out on our own, using this method with the trailer connected, but it wasn't easy. Our tow vehicle was a '61 Nomad wagon, 283 V8, PG, 2WD, early positraction. This was back in '62. It would of been easier if we had a 4WD, but back then, about the only 4WD you would see towing would be something like a Suburban or an International Travelall SUV and those guys usually had an Airstream. They were older retired executives with bucks.

Also backing up a heavy trailer into an elevated difficult parking area is made easier by using low range, 4WD. I know.

[jerem0621]

4x4 is fun, but totally not needed for 90% of truck buyers. Towing a boat is useful on slick steep ramps, 4x4 is useful off road while hunting or property management, or for common usage. Most trucks sold new are too pretty and expensive for owners to take off road.

I try not to be too dogmatic, if you need it, buy it. If you don’t then get the 2WD savings... or the 4x4 just because.

Thanks!

Jeremiah

[Sport45]

Sportsmen wrote:

ShinerBock wrote:

rightlaneonly wrote:

old idaho guy wrote:
I can get stuck way better with 4wd!

That:B

I can attest to that. Although I got stuck because I did not have it in 4wd until I was already slowed down to a crawl because I forgot to turn off traction control.

ShinerBock, wow this truck has traction control and I did not think to turn it off. This truck is very different than the F150 it replaced and I am obviously still learning... Thx !

My wager would be you’d have been stuck whether you turned traction control off or not. When the bottom drops out you just don’t go very far pushing mud in front of your axles.

[trail-explorer]

Boomerweps wrote:
Here in Pennsylvania, it's a darn near must. Dealers only order in 2wd trucks if specifically requested. Dealer stock ordered trucks are all 4WD.

Same in WA.

The only 2WD dealers stock are the fleet models for commercial users.

[ppine]

There is more misinformation on this topic that any I can think of.
4wd just gets you stuck in worse places.
If you spend your time 2wd until you get stuck you are not going anywhere on many roads in the West.
We have state highways in Nevada that are still dirt.
Towing an Rv on dirt is not that easy.
Wet roads, roads with clay, steep roads and snow can stop you in your tracks with chains on all 4 wheels.
Be careful where you try to go, especially if you are towing anything.
Having a 2wd vehicle is not such a good idea if you plan on traveling.
Today is May 16. We expect 1-2 feet of snow in the Sierras in the next couple of days. The passes are closed.

[ShinerBock]

Edd505 wrote:

ShinerBock wrote:


I can attest to that. Although I got stuck because I did not have it in 4wd until I was already slowed down to a crawl because I forgot to turn off traction control.

That's why you drive in 2W until stuck, then shift to 4x4.

I did. By the time 4wd kicked in, the traction control already got me stuck and the ground was soup. Where I got stuck was where the water was running off from an over flowing stock tank from raining for two days. Front tires just sank instantly.

[Edd505]

ShinerBock wrote:


I can attest to that. Although I got stuck because I did not have it in 4wd until I was already slowed down to a crawl because I forgot to turn off traction control.

That's why you drive in 2W until stuck, then shift to 4x4.