2x4 or 4x4?

[AZ Traveler]

This thread is getting too carried away. The choice between 2WD or 4WD is a personal one - there is no universal choice for all.

[mlh]

Originally Posted by AZ Traveler

This thread is getting too carried away. The choice between 2WD or 4WD is a personal one - there is no universal choice for all.

It’s a personal choice. What works for me my not work for someone else. What I need someone else may not. What is the discussion about?
Lynwood

[CaptnJohn]

Originally Posted by mlh

It’s a personal choice. What works for me my not work for someone else. What I need someone else may not. What is the discussion about?
Lynwood

Like a HS kid with the condom in his wallet,,,, may never need it but when you do you sure as hell do!

[BB_TX]

Originally Posted by AZ Traveler

This thread is getting too carried away. The choice between 2WD or 4WD is a personal one - there is no universal choice for all.

I fully agree. This is a normally very civil forum. But when this topic comes up, there are some who seem to want to make a person feel foolish for even considering 2 wheel drive. The right choice is what works for you, not what someone else thinks should work for you.

[WeBeFulltime]

Originally Posted by mtlakejim

Maybe the best way to say it is the advantages of 4x4 outweigh the disadvantages to the majority of people. Where I live the only folks that buy 2x4 are the ones that can't afford the difference for the 4x4.

Brilliant statement. Similar to saying "The only people that buy High Countrys are the ones who can't afford the real Montana"? Makes no sense at all, people buy what they want. I know I did and I'm sure you did too.

[gkonney]

How about swinging the tempo of this Thread now to "The neat things that we modified to make our Tow Vehicle work better for Us"...

[waynemoore]

Gkonney, GREAT idea ��.

For me Firestone air bags and a 40 gal fuel tank in the bed.

[gkonney]

Thanks!
My Mods:
B&W Slider Hitch
7500 series Air Lift Bags

[jeffba]

Okay I'll weigh in on this one. I ain't scared.

Had a 3/4 ton Chevy 2WD towing our TT. Hated the range with 8-10 MPG and a 25 gallon gas tank. Moved up to a 3/4 duramax again 2WD, but 35 gallon fuel tank. For pretty much the same reasons everyone gives for not going 4WD.
Well after not doing all my home work when we bought our HC I needed to get t bigger truck. No 1 ton 2wds to be found. So what the hay. Let's look at 4wd. Plenty of choices. As for ride. My '17 f350 SRW 8' bed PS 4x4, handles the neighborhood manhole covers better than the '11 Escape and rides better than the 3/4 2WD we traded in. (best ride comparison I could come up with)

If you look at the GVWR and Carrying capacity 4X4 is not so bad. For me at least.
Oh and at trade in. 4X2 was at a 10K disadvantage. So could have gotten double my money back for the cost of the option if I had gone with 4x4 vs 2x4.

So yes I caved and went with 4x4 and am happy i did. Will I need to use 4x4? Most likely not. In another 50 years will it matter to me, probably not.

[richfaa]

This 08 F-350 is stickily a tow vehicle that is what it does 95 of the time. We use it to get around when we are on the road.Here in Florida we drive it at least once a week out to wall mart or CW put 358 Florida miles on it last season. Since we only use it for towing and did not need it to do anything else we just got the biggest truck we could get at that time.It has a GVW of 13K and a CC of 4268 even after subtracting the loaded weight of the truck ready to pull (9200 lbs Fords are heavy) and the pin weight of the 3402 @ 3000K we have plenty of CC left. It is big, long, ugly, turning ratio of a aircraft carrier but it serves us well. It is on the north side of 96K miles.

[CaptnJohn]

Originally Posted by richfaa

This 08 F-350 is stickily a tow vehicle that is what it does 95 of the time. We use it to get around when we are on the road.Here in Florida we drive it at least once a week out to wall mart or CW put 358 Florida miles on it last season. Since we only use it for towing and did not need it to do anything else we just got the biggest truck we could get at that time.It has a GVW of 13K and a CC of 4268 even after subtracting the loaded weight of the truck ready to pull (9200 lbs Fords are heavy) and the pin weight of the 3402 @ 3000K we have plenty of CC left. It is big, long, ugly, turning ratio of a aircraft carrier but it serves us well. It is on the north side of 96K miles.

WoW!!! An '08 with 56K miles!!! My 2016 F350 just turned 1 year old and is showing going on 47K.

[richfaa]

Originally Posted by CaptnJohn

WoW!!! An '08 with 56K miles!!! My 2016 F350 just turned 1 year old and is showing going on 47K.

That is 96 K miles.That is still not high mileage but again just towing and when here in Florida during the winter it does not move much. We have been wintering here since 2008 so that is a lot of not moving much miles . We actually got the truck in late 2007 so it is over 10 years old .That would be @ 9600 miles a year which is about what we do some years more some years less again @ 95 % of that is pulling the Montana. Note we have a Honda Odyessy with us in Florida so not much need for the truck. The truck pretty much sits for 6 months.

We only did @ 4500 miles this summer touring the NE States, the fall rally and the 1200 miles trip to Florida We may do Yellowstone this summer as we did not get to spend much time there last trip.

[drjjj]

What JABurkholder said. I had a 99 F250 2WD when we first bought our 2007 3400RL. Towed it fine, but one Memorial Day weekend we took the grandkids camping in Concan, TX. The site we had to back in to had a significant uphill grade. Trying to jockey the rig in to the site the tranny overheated and the overflow tube hit the exhaust pipe (now hotter than hell) and started a fire. One granddaughter almost wet her pants and the other said "cool, Grandpa!". Luckily no damage to the truck itself and we were able to limp home. Did have to replace the transmission, though (not cheap). When I posted what happened on the MOC site I was told that one of the many benefits of 4WD was the 4Low for backing. I have used it many times and would not be without it. Just my $.02.

[adams7806]

We've got an oldie but goody, 2002 Ford F350. It's 4WD and we're glad it is! It's gotten out of a few dicey spots. We stayed at the Elks lodge in Louisville, KY, while on a cross country trip. Beautiful spot and wonderful people but it rained for 3 days straight and to get out of our spot we had to back up on to the lodge's grass. Long story short, grass plus 3 days of rain equals soft ground and mud. Really glad we were had 4WD. Without it, we would still be sitting there! LOL

We're hoping to retire Rosy (our truck) and get a new one next year. It will definitely be a 4WD!

[mtlakejim]

There has been a lot of discussion recently about the civility of conversations on here. I don't want to come off as a #$%# and get kicked off ok! If you read some of my comments I am poking light hearted fun. I am most definitely the sort of person that can have a heated debate on a given topic and shake your hand at the end of it even if we don't agree. If your the type of person that takes things very personally then I may well offend you on here. But if you met me in person I bet we would be friends.


When I made the comment that suggested that only poor people would buy a 2x4 I was very careful to say "WHERE I LIVE". In Arkansas it is a real thing that you simply don't buy a 2x4 truck. That would be akin to buying a truck without A/C in Florida. Simply put people just don't do it WHERE I LIVE. I wasn't trying to shame anyone with the comment.


If you want to buy a 2x4 truck by all means its your money do what you want. HOWEVER, I do think it is important to keep in mind that the thread was originally started by a newbee to towing wanting to know the pro's and con's of 2x4 vs 4x4. I think they deserve a through vetting of the subject regardless of how controversial it might be. That is a really big purchase for most folks and they need to get all the advice they can. Granted we could be more civil about it.

[BB_TX]

While you may find heated debates amusing and fun, I think you will find yourself in the minority on a forum such as this. While it is fine to state an opposing opinion, that should be the end of it. It should not lead to extended back and forth arguments with multiple members about the merits of your, or their, opinion. That will definitely lead to you being persona non grata to a majority of members.

All IMHO of course.

[mtlakejim]

Originally Posted by BB_TX

While you may find heated debates amusing and fun, I think you will find yourself in the minority on a forum such as this. While it is fine to state an opposing opinion, that should be the end of it. It should not lead to extended back and forth arguments with multiple members about the merits of your, or their, opinion. That will definitely lead to you being persona non grata to a majority of members.

All IMHO of course.

Very well then. Best wishes to all of you.

[Eagleback]

Trying not getting into the middle of this. But i have a 4x4, we live in Florida full time and we ended up needed it 2 times and glad i had it. Oh I forgot to add "IMHO"

[BB_TX]

Originally Posted by mtlakejim

Very well then. Best wishes to all of you.

Don't let me be the cause of you leaving. I am just one person on the forum and could very well be completely wrong. Wouldn't be the first time.

[JABURKHOLDER]

WOW. Just in case nobody noticed, the OP made his decision back in post #18 of this thread. Here we are now, 41 posts later, still discussing our personal beliefs, none of which is helpful to the OP.