Can a pickup go off road out west with 4x4?

[rlwhit]

Would you believe that while at Quartzite last Jan saw a poor fellow with 2 wd stuck in the sand in the parking area. Had to get a 4wd to pull him out. We even needed 4wd to get out of there. We have had to use 4wd several times to in and out of campsite. Would not be w/o it.

Dick and Toni Whitfield
MOC 3189, 05 3475, 03 Chev 2500 HD Dura Max. Isolator king pin box, Ride Rite airbags. Fir ball - Velvet.

Blue skies and tailwinds

[dsprik]

Something else to consider... I am a 4x4 advocate. Even on concrete boat ramps (or any other steep grade), 4x4s have an distinct advantage. However, I transferred from Michigan to SW Kansas/OK Panhandle as an oilfield engineer and one of the biggest surprises in my life happened the first time I decided to take a "gravel" road on a rainy day outside of Liberal, KS. No problem in MI. Quagmire/death trap in the Panhandle/SW Kansas. Even a 4x4 won't help. Also, stay off the shoulder of the road when raining there. I've seen 18 wheelers buried on the side of the road in that clay.

I'm sure there are other areas of the country where rain may present a difficult driving situation off road, but definitely in that region.

Dave and Cheryl Sprik
Bellaire, MI

2002 GMC 2500HD 4x4 Ext Cab, LB, SLE (w/ full power/elect options)
Reese 16K Hitch, Draw Tite Brake Controller (Activator II)
Full undercoating, Rhino Spray-In Liner
2007 3400RL
Venetian Gold Interior
2nd A/C, Fireplace, Dual Pane Windows, Central Vac
WE'RE HOME!



Don't EVER give up on your Dream.

[drhowell]

I am a 4x4 advocate. Have traveled too many miles in snow country and have never had to install chains. When I was a road Maintenance foreman I would check on the Rotary Snow plows working on some of my high mountain passes and have pushed fresh 2' deep snow without chains and never been stuck. One trip with the Montana climbing a grade at night in a snow storm I came around a corner and there was the Highway patrol flagging an accident. This was one of those if you can keep up your momentum you can make the top of the hill type of situations. Well, I had to stop and then there was the creep forward, stop, creep forward, stop type drills as the CHP allowed traffic to pass the accident. The highway was white and slippery with packed snow and it was snowing. When I reached the cop he came over and asked if I thought I could make it around the tow truck. Sure, I said "NO PROBLEM". Thank God for the 4x4. My feeling is that if you need it you have it and if you don't need it you don't even think about it. Much cheaper than having to call a tow truck.

OH, and off roading is not something I usually do with my shiny new Ford. I have taken some rough logging roads though when chasing the perfect Christmas tree. I do my off roading with my ATV 4x4 Honda. I can usually slide it around some by hand if I get in a tight spot.

Farmer Don [MOC 3628]
Barbara & Fuzzy (the Bichon)
2001 3280RL
2004 Ford F250

[David and Jo-Anna]

I am really appreciating all this good feedback. I wanted to followup on a comment about whether a longbed pickup would be able to handle some of the hairpin turns on some of these national park "roads" out west.

Is the concern only about a crew cab longbed, or would it include concerns about a Super/extended cab longbed? From what I see in the brochures, the longbed versions of the Super/extended cabs don't seem to be all that long. For example, in the Fords, the wheelbase on the Supercab longbed is 158", barely longer than the 156" wheelbase of the shortbed crew cab Ford and much shorter than the 172.4" wheelbase of the crewcab longbed. Likewise, in the Chevy, the wheelbase of the extended cab longbed is 157.5", vs 153" for the standard box and 167" for the longbed crewcab--although Chevy has a shortbox (69" box) crewcab with a wheelbase of only 143.5".

David and Jo-Anna Kikel

[drhowell]

Most of these out west roads were built for logging trucks etc. Log bed and short bed is not a real factor unless you get out on jeep roads or covered wagon roads (not many that haven't been upgraded). I find more problems in shopping centers with narrow parking lanes and some gas stations etc than out in the mountains. Or for that matter just making a street corner turn without giving myself some turning space. Its easy to curb the rear wheels and of course much easier to jump the curb if you are towing a Montana at the time.

If you watch someone towing they will usually turn away from the corner first to allow the room for your turning radius towing or not depending on the distance between the axles of the trailing axle. Old trucker stuff. One more thing to consider is a 5th wheel turning radius vs a bumper tow turning radius. It is a small but definite difference. The bumper tow actually pushes the trailer out away from the turn before it starts to trail the tow vehicle (distance between rear axle on TV and bumper) where a 5er sits right over the axle and doesn't get that kick out so it starts trailing the TV sooner making it cut across the corner more. Does that make sense?

Farmer Don [MOC 3628]
Barbara & Fuzzy (the Bichon)
2001 3280RL
2004 Ford F250

[Cat320]

For the GMs, the CC is only 7" longer than the EC...that's one reason I opted for my first CC after several ECs. If I were you, I'd look at the LOA, not just the wheelbase, it gives a more accurate picture of how long that thing really is.

[sreigle]

David, I should have referred to long wheelbase when I made my comments rather than using cab/bed configuration. Mine has the 156" wheelbase and did those turns just fine. Crewcab shortbed on mine. I'm not real sure the 172 incher could make the turns on Shafer Trail but I suspect they can. Slowly and carefully, which is also they way I was handling those hairpin turns.

See another Montana or Mountaineer on the road? Flash lights twice, it might be one of us!
Steve Reigle (pronounced Regal)
Fulltiming since 3/21/03
'03 3295RK
'05 Ford F250 SD Lariat CC SB 6.0L PSD/TS FX4 4x4

Our RV Travels (now Firefox-compatible)

[Wrenchtraveller]

Another point to consider if you decide to go Ford, is that in 05, Ford really made their 4x4s turn so much sharper and my 05 CC LB has the same turning radius as my 04 CC SB did. This is a huge difference and if you want, test drive a pre-05 Ford Superduty 4X4 and then drive a new one. I love my CC LB and never have found the length to be a real problem as long as you don't have to parallel park in most cites. Most malls are fine. Ford also makes a dually short box but they are pretty rare and you might have to factory order.

Any 4x4 will get you on most logging roads and places you want to see. As far as real serious 4x4 useage, very few people will take a new pickup on extreme 4x4 trails. For that you want a beater that you don't mind scratching and denting up.

Don & Donna
Vancouver Island
2005 Ford F350 V10 Lariat CC 4x4 LB SRW 11200 GVWR
2006 Montana 2955RL
click on the little pic to see a big pic

[lasater]

I reckon I need to put in my "two-cents worth". I have a 2002 F-250, PSD, 2WD with 107,000 miles on it. While pulling my 2955RK, I have never needed 4WD. But!!!!!, after unhooking, there have been many times that I wanted 4WD. During the 4th of July weekend, we went to Canyon De Chelly (pronounced De Chez) for the weekend. We contacted with a native Navaho to guide us up the canyon to Spider Rock (about a 6-hour 4WD trip. We were fortunate enough to also have my wife's Ford Explorer (4WD) with us. We used Low Range for most of the trip.

My 2WD would not have gotten us past the Visitor's Center. But, it did get us to the Spider Rock Campground for 3 days of boondocking.

Bottom line on 2WD VS 4WD is what the driver wants the TV to do for him. Although my current TV is 2WD, I am considering trading for a new GMC, Duramax, 4WD with all the goodies.

See ya down the road.

Brad & Carol Lasater
2003 2955RL
2002 F250 2WD Lariat, 7.3L PSD, 6-spd manual, Crew Cab, Short Bed, Pullrite 20K SuperSlider, Prodigy Controller
Golden Shores, AZ

[DCP]

I have had to use my 4 wheel drive twice now and it's worth every cent I paid for it. One campground with steep gravel drives and one with a grassy slope. Don't leave home without it!

Dave & Emily with Martha the dog.
05',F-250SD,4WD,CC,PSD, King Ranch, Banks exhaust, Airaid air filter & Firestone Air Bags.
2005 Montana 2980 RL

[Montana Sky]

As long as I am in the LDT it will be a 4x4. If and when I move to a MDT it will be a 4x2, not sure I want a Freightliner M2 Sportchassis off roading out there. =)


2004 Chevy Silverado LT 2500HD CrewCab Duramax
2004 Montana 3400RL

[David and Jo-Anna]

Dave--don't be too hasty. Somehow the idea of you going off road with a Freightliner seems right--and certainly something I'd like to see!!

David and Jo-Anna Kikel

[Montana Sky]

David~ your right, it would be a sight to see!!


2004 Chevy Silverado LT 2500HD CrewCab Duramax
2004 Montana 3400RL

[Virgil]

In this part of the world, 2 wheel drive pickups are hard to find and hard to trade in. There are a lot of gravel roads here and when it rains, 4 wheel drive is nice and of course in winter too. I have been in campgrounds where it has come in handy after rains. Personally, I really don't think you would be out anything by getting it, even though you might not ever use it. It is a good safety feature and you will get it back at trade in time. It seems more and and more car manufacturers are offering more and more AWD vehicles. As always, the choice is yours, just my 2 cents.

Virg and Jo
Tioga, ND
06 F-350,4X4, PSD, LB, SRW, Tow command, Lariat
03 Montana 2955RL

[Bob Pasternak]

Glenn: In looking at the pic of your tracks in the mud, I notice you have some very high blocking under the landing gear. I'd not have guts enough to stack blocks like that on ground that soft. I be afraid one of them would sink in and take the other with it. Wouldn't want to wake up at 2 in the morning when my bed was yanked out from under me. Also a strong straight line wind could conceivably blow the trailer off of them. JMHO.

'05 Dodge 2500 SLT Quad-cab Cummins. Auto 4X2 LB 3.73. 15K Reese. '06 Montana 3000RK.
I bought a Cummins engine, it just came wrapped in a Dodge.

Seen on a tombstone in Tombstone, AZ "Here lies Lester Moore: 4 slugs from a .44: No Les no more."


Our '06 3000RK. Length: 36' 2". (Nose cap to ladder.) OAL 52'. Dry weight (2 filled gas bottles.)10340. Pin weight: 2240

[Thunderman]

I would get the 4x4... just in case it is needed. To me the bigger question is, does one really need the dually?
Good luck!

Weldon

Weldon and Carolyn
I.D.No. 920
2001 F-250 PSD, CC
2003 2955RL Montana

[David and Jo-Anna]

I've become convinced I should go with the 4x4. Looks like I have to give up the dually since I just found out my condo complex won't let me park a dually here. So just need to convince myself to stay with the super/extended cab rather than a crew cab as some are suggesting on another thread--I'd worry that a crew cab longbed would be getting too long to handle some of the hairpin turns Steve and others described when traveling on some of the back roads in the national parks out west.

David and Jo-Anna Kikel

[Parrothead]

David
I drove our dually crew cab long bed in Yellowstone Upper Loop. If I can do, anyone can. Don't discount the long bed. You have a larger fuel tank and don't need the sliding hitch. I've followed your posts concerning the length of NP in the west and the roads in the west. Are you asking this because you plan on traveling in the west or do you think we are still the "wild west" out here. LOL I don't think our NP are any different than the rest of the country.
Happy trails............................

Sue and Ed Rowe
Hemet California

2005 3400RL

2006 GMC 3500 Dually, D/A, Crew Cab, Long Bed

[richfaa]

Don't know that I would fore-go a long bed CC or dually because of a road here or there that you may or may not be able to negotiate. The condo issue is another story . My rational was..get the biggest truck that you can afford that will serve your needs. If you can't have a dually were you live and there is no way around it...then that is that. The long bed and the crew cab are real handy things to have.As for the 4X4..if you need it you need it..as weight conscious as you are I would not think that you can choose to have both the dually and the 4X4.I had to make that choice and I chose the Dually because it better met MY needs. Sounds like your condo association made that choice for you.

Rich& Helen N.Ridgeville,Ohio.

F-350SD, Lariat, V-10,4:30 Diff, tow command Long bed, Crew Cab Dually, 06 3400RL
Mor-Ryde Pin Box

[David and Jo-Anna]

Rich--

You are right on. And in some ways it's a relief that the condo association made the decision for me on the dually--I'd been debating that for some time, and resolving that issue helped other things like the decision on 4x4 fall in place.

Now if only the Chevy had a higher payload. LOL!!!!

David and Jo-Anna Kikel