4X4 or 4X2

[gmattice]

I am considering trading in my rig for a new dually and want to know readers opinions on what they would consider the best option; a 4X4 or 4X2. I plan in the future on occasionally hauling a 5er and also an enclosed car trailer. With the 4X4's I have had in the past they were nice to have except I found I just never used the 4 wheel drive part very much. Now if I go with a 4X2 I would have the advantage of better mileage and cheaper first cost - however I lose that flexibility of having the 4 wheel drive if I were to ever need it. So I guess my bottom line question is for those 4X2 folks out there - how many times you wished you would have had the 4X4??

 

[DPelletier]

gmattice,

KLenger posted a thread like this a couple of weeks ago. You should be able to do a search for it. Lots of opinions.

Oh, and Ken eventually decided on 4x4.

Dave



ps. I would post a link to the thread, but I am technologically challenged! Sorry.

 

[klenger]

https://www.turbodieselregister.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=86630



See sig for results

 

[Jengle]

My personal opinion, I wouldn't own a truck without 4x4. I am still seeing over 18mpg around town. Haven't had it on a long road trip to get a real mpg for highway, but I can tell you I got a calculated 19. 4, hauling 4k of logs from CT to VA. Certified on a scale, not guessing. See my sig for the stats.

 

[StephenThomas]

Had a 4x2 once that I pulled a travel trailer with. Family and I camped in the back woods quite often. Rained on us once and the ground beneath was of course wet and slightly muddy. We had to delay our return trip by an extra 2 days until the ground dried enough to pull the trailer out. I traded my 4x2 in for a 4x4 the following week.



My brother in law once towed his boat with a 4x2. You should have seen him pulling his boat out of the water on the boat ramp. He couldn't get traction to save his life on some of those wet ramps. He now has a 4x4.

 

[Fireman Dave]

If you don't get, you know what will happen - you'll need it some day and wish you had it. The first time I really had to use my 4wd was on our first big towing trip in June of 2001 - in California. When we got to my brother's driveway, we stood there and just looked up. We hadn't been there before, so we weren't aware of what was to face us. And you know how it is - people who drive small cars and don't ever tow anything don't think to mention things like this ahead of time. It's a gravel driveway - about ¼ mile long - that seems to be almost straight up with hairpin turns and sharp dropoffs on the sides. There's no way we ever would have gotten our 27' TT up that mountain (yeah - I'll call it a mountain - not a hill) without 4wd.



My advice - get 4wd - especially in your part of the country. It's like all the power our trucks have. Maybe we don't always use it, but it's nice to have when we need it.

 

[Tony T.]

Like the others that have posted, I'm pretty bias about the 4x4. I have drove only 4x4's since 1984. I may not use it that often, but it's good to know I have it there when I need it. I needed mine the second week of ownership on the 2003 CTD. I had attended a retired co-workers funeral, and it had been raining a couple of days before. The ground was tacky,but not sloppy wet in the road ditch where we had to park, and of course I found a drop off, and the front end went down. I had not tried the 4wd out yet, and was praying it would lock in with about 15 other co-workers standing there watching. Mind you, this is my first Dodge, and most the guys watching me was Chevy and Ford guys. No problem it pulled right out. If it would have been a 4x2 I would have had to ask one those guys to pull me out. I don't think the mileage issue is that big of deal, there's not a great deal of difference between the 4x4, and the 4x2 in my opinion.

 

[ab7fh]

We had an '01 4x2 SRW. We traded it for an '03 4x4 DRW. I haul a slide in camper and a trailer with a 4x4 recreational truck on it. I got the combo stuck in the sand a couple times and that was what it took to convince me to get the 4x4 this time.



I do miss the better fuel economy though. Part of my problem with that is the 4:10 gears I ordered. They sure allow me to pull like crazy, but I think the 3. 73s that I had in my '01 was the best choice for the speeds I like to drive. I'm also not happy about Dodges lack of an axle or hub disconnect unit. It's ridicoulous to have to turn the front diff and driveshaft 100% of the time in a vehicle that spends only 1% of it's time in four wheel drive.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

I've launched a boat many times with my 4x2 without problems, even on packed sand, although it's only a 17 footer.



Vaughn

 

[Casey Balvert]

When I had my 97 there was three times that I wished I had a 4x4. With my new truck, once last year it would have been nice to have. But I would still buy a 4x2 again. Vehicle height when pulling a fiver, more maintenance, increase cost, higher insurance, reduced towing capacity. 99. 9 percent of the time I don't need a 4x4. For the other . 1 percent, I have tow hooks. But since 3/4 of Dodge trucks are 4x4, obviously a lot of people disagree with me.



Casey

 

[Dean Upson]

I will chime with the "4x4 crowd. I have had a 4x2 dually (1986 Ford) and it was absolutely useless in any kind of slippery conditions, pretty much a beached whale. I have used the 4wd many times getting into and out of campsites. One time in South Carolina after a hard rain, I pulled right out of a campground while others were having to be towed with a tractor. The only downside of the 4x4 is the bed height.



Dean

 

[MGordon]

I would never own a pick up that was 4x2. Without weight in the back they are useless, particularly duallies. If you get 1 or 2 mpg less,thats is just a cost of ownership. no big deal. IMHO.

 

[VicR]

Get one of each!

They are both different trucks and serve different purposes. The 99 rides and handles better and is easier with the camper because its lower, and once I got past the Michelin A/S it was very livable in the snow, on the other hand the 97 is much more of a brute, but thats the one that gets taken into the hills to play with and hopefully it will give us some snow camping trips this year.



Bottom line, you are the one who is going to be making the payments so get what you want and don't let the saleman, neighbor, etc talk you into anything. 2wd is cheaper going into it - but you lose that when you sell it too. That doesn't matter if you are going to keep the truck for 250k, but if you change trucks ever few years you don't really end up saving money over the long run. Just my campground observation but most of the 3500's I see towing large 5th wheels are 2wd's. If you are planning on selling in a few years, not sure if its a bigger market for a 2 or 4 wd dually. So I guess what I'm saying is if you are planning on keeping it forever, get what you want, if you are planning on selling in a few years, I suggest you look at getting the one you can turn quickest.



"life is a series of tradeoffs" - Milton Freedman, economist



-Vic

 

[Prairie Dog]

When I sold my 93 it would have been worth about $3 - $4K more if it would have had 4WD. So I could have enjoyed it for 10 years and then made money over and above what it would have added to the price when new.

That being said, my next truck (which I'll buy at retirement) will be a 2WD because I'll use it solely for pulling a fiver and I'm gonna do everything possible to follw the sun

 

[PLaFrombois]

Is there a lot of difference between the height of the 4X2 and 4X4 to cause problems pulling certain 5th wheel and goosenecks? That should also be a consideration if you're pulling a trailer. How much clearance will you have over the bed rails, and the steepness of inclines you'll encounter.

Paul

 

[barbwire]

4x4? 4x2?

I think that the extra $4000. 00 that is spent on getting 4x4, could buy a lot of tows. And, Triple A ins. will cover all those expenses. Also, more parts= more to wear out= more money spent on repairs. I thought that when I bought this new pickup (in sig. ) that I would have to park it till spring, and use the 99 during the winter. Not so. I have now put 8000 miles on the new 4x2, and have'nt even started up the 4x4 yet.

I think that a person - such as me- that has had nothing other than 4x4s for the last 30 yrs. kinda has to learn how to keep out of the sticky situations, that you let yourself get into with 4x4s, but , it is'nt that hard to be careful, after many years of wisdom collection. . Guess you could say, I sewed most of my wild oats, Now i'm eating the bread.

To each his own

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