4x4 or a 4x2 for camping?

Years ago I got stuck on the beach when I did not have 4wd.

On the other hand, 4wd did not get me across a slow moving creek that was to the top of the hood of the jeep.

[tucsoncarol]

My dad always said we had 4 wheel drive not so we could get into trouble, but so that we could get out of trouble when we needed to. As PopBeavers notes, it doesn't always do that.

We have two vehicles, a '93 Dakota 4x4 and an '01 Yukon XL. We tow with the Yukon and it's OK. The only thing I wish is that it had 4 wheel drive. We live in southern Arizona so no snow but there's lots of back-road areas to visit and fish if there is water. We used the Dakota's 4x all over the state to travel the two tracks that pass for Forest Service and BLM roads. They are by turns sandy, wet, rocky, rutted and steep. That was when we tent camped, however, and we were convinced by family that once we got a trailer we would want to give that up in favor of more civilized RVing. Boy were they wrong! If it looks passable we still try it. So far, we have been OK without 4x4, but I know we have passed up a few opportunities with this set-up that we would have taken in a heartbeat in the past.

Around 1970 or so I was a member of Boy Scout Explorer Post 808. This was essentially a jeep club.

The adviser had a 1968 Jeep CJ5 and would sometimes tow his Lil Loafer trailer behind it. This is a stand up TT that will fit in the garage.

He towed it places where a 2wd 1/2 ton truck could not go. He had skid plates on the bottom. At times I watched as he would drag it over rocks with both wheels off of the ground.

Just having 4wd is sometimes not enough. You also have to know how to use it. You never straddle a large rock because you might "high center", meaning the middle of the vehicle is hung up on a rock and the wheels are off the ground. You drive with the wheels going over the high points in order to maximize ground clearance.

If you don't already know this, then you should not go off-road alone.

We always carried a couple of high lift jacks, at least two electric winches that were capable of lifting any one vehicle in the group completely off the ground and oxy-acetylene welding equipment.

One time we broke a gear in the Warn all range over drive. So we removed the gear, repaired it with a gas torch and continue on our merry way. When seriously off-roading you must *REALLY* be prepared.

We had to make the 4x4 vs. 2x4 decision a couple of years ago. At the time, we had no intention of towing anything! We bought the 4x4 then, and would do it again in a heartbeat. And now, we tow a TrailManor. The question for us is not so much regarding towing, but what we like to do when we get there. We have been able to visit many fabulous off-road places with our trusty Tacoma which we would not have been able to do with a standard 2x2 vehicle.

Excellent views and experiences posted on the question of 4x4 vs 4x2's. Been debating this issue, being in the market for a new tow truck, and have appreciated the many fine contributions made here.

As stated by several of you, the question really boils down to how one is going to use their RV; and, if one really needs 4x4 when not towing.

In our case, our TrailManor is more of a motel on wheels, used primarily to travel distances while seeing this great USA and/or family and friends. We don't usually go to a specific destination and stay a week or longer before returning home. Don't see how traveling on major roads, spending nights at RV parks, and rarely staying in one place for more than a day or two, makes a case for the initial higher cost and lower mpg of purchasing a 4x4 tow vehicle. We live in the south; rarely see snow, again no need for 4x4. And, should we ever get stuck in a muddy camp ground after a big rain, we would only be out the cost of getting a local garage to set us free.

Our fantasy life can sometimes play tricks on us and we begin to imagine all sorts of situations that would make having a 4x4 fun and adventuresome. So, once again, thanks for all your comments. They helped Dixie and me sort through this question with greater clarity.

(Incidentally, I place all-wheel drive cars and SUV.s in a different category, as with such drive trains one is getting a certain safety feature. We had a Subaru some years ago, when we lived in Nebraska, and its awd afforded a sure footedness on the road that was reassuring.)

One of the worst blizzards I've ever towed a trailer in was from Amarillo, TX to Tucumcari, NM. That was when we went to pick up our TM in Little Rock, AR. We were sure glad we had 4WD then!

Originally Posted by BobRederick

Lou

I bought my first 4x4 about 15 or 20 years ago and hope to never be without one again. I love it. We do dry camping a lot and putting it into 4-Low is awesome. You can creep into the site with the engine at an idle. The tranny seems to lock in and doesn't stall. This lets you go slowly into the site while watching all the corners to not bump into trees or rocks or tree stumps. It also lets me pull out of sand when we go to the Great Sand Dunes where that last bit of the trip is out onto the loose sand to park.

Interestingly, last week, we went over Sonora Pass in the Sierras of California. We were loaded pretty heavy after 4 months working in Ca. I had my GMC Envoy at 10,000 feet, down to 10 MPH in low, floored, and loosing speed on some of the slopes. Bonnie kept reminding me that I could go into 4-Low (which gives a 3:1 gear reduction) if I had to as she kept marveling at the scenery and shooting pictures. I was sweating bullets and will never forget that bit of road.

Then after you park and unhook, you are free to go just about anywhere you want and Bonnie and I find that getting off the highway is pretty interesting.

I hope this helps. JUst be aware that you may find entirely different things make you happy.

Do you tow a TM w/ your 4x4 Envoy? How does it perform? I have the same vehicle and am looking into getting a TM.

One other thing to think about is getting a 4x2 with a limited slip rear end. We use full size vans at work and they have the limited slip rear end. They are not as good as a 4x4, but you would be surprised how good they are. One of our microwave road sites has an access road that is a 35 to 40 degree incline. I got up the hill just fine with both rear wheels spinning when there was 4 inches of snow on the road. When I bought the conversion van I tow with, I made sure the rear end was limited slip. You can still get stuck with it, but much less often that with a normal rear end.

I watched someone try to back their long trailer into a campsite this year. It was about the longest Ford crew cab pickup I have ever seen without dual rear wheels.

Because of the curve of the main road and the angle he had to back into he ended up where his left front wheel was up against a berm while turned hard right, and he had already used all of his boards plus his bag of Lego blocks plus my spare bag of Lego blocks.

He was unable to bounce up the berm. So he put it into 4wd low range and crawled up it ever so slowly.

I will admit that this was an unusual situation.

But us Boy Scouts are always prepared.

Dear SawZ,
I do all of my towing with the Envoy. It works fine for me. I would stay off the Colorado Teeners, though. I have found that when I have to slow below 50 or 40 I am enjoying the scenery so much that I don't notice the lower speeds. Other times, the speed limit is down there anyway. I am pretty happy with the Envoy. That trip over Sonora Pass was the limit of capability, though!!!