TV Bed Length and 2WD vs 4WD

[Jgntch]

Hi all...still a newbie here and trying my best to get as educated as I can. I tried a search for these, but still need more guidance. Hoping you all can enlighten me...

My hubby is pretty set that he wants a Toyota Tundra to pull a 5.0 or 23' when they come out (nothing purchased yet, hoping to get a used 5.0 to start out with...I dream big, I know!). The Tundra has a 5'6" bed. What do we need to consider with the 5.0? Is that bed long enough? Where do we place the rails/hitch for the most turnability? Any other insights/considerations we need to attend to before buying?

Secondly, I see a lot of mention of people specifically wanting two wheel drive and not four. What's the reason? To the non-mechanical me, a 4wd seems like it would have more luck towing up mountains, etc. I must be missing some key facts here....what are they? The Tundra comes in both versions. Would towing a 5.0 vs. a 23' make a difference in 2wd or 4wd being preferred?

As always, thank you so much for being willing to share your knowledge! This community is so awesome!!

Jackie

[LRL]

Go with 4 WD. You'll seldom need it. But when you do... you'll be very glad you have it. I do wish Toyota designed their vehicles similarly to Subaru: all wheel drive all the time, but still Toyota's 4WD is totally fine and there is no rational reason - other than $$ (which is very rational!) to pass on it.

[padlin]

2wd, better mpg, cheaper, less maintenance, cheaper tires.
4wd, better in the snow, wet grass, sand, better if you want to boondock as you can go off road to some extent, nice to have when you need it.

I don't see a reason why 2 or 4wd would matter to the act of towing.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by padlin

I don't see a reason why 2 or 4wd would matter to the act of towing.

Dragging a trailer increases the amount of pulling force needed much more than it increases the rear tire traction of a RWD tug, so the extra traction of 4WD is more likely to be needed while towing than while not towing.

[Rossue]

Seems oversimplistic. Lot of different types of 4WD/AWD. For most folks RWD with attention to tire pressure and rotation seems to work just fine. We've towed over 60K miles with no problems with a RWD SUV. Once I had to deflate the rear tires in sand. Now with limited slip differential I might not have had to do that.

[Ron in BC]

Originally Posted by Rossue

Once I had to deflate the rear tires in sand. Now with limited slip differential I might not have had to do that.

That might be the case. Without a locking dif I had to get towed out of some soft sand. Same place with the 2 wd F150 and I turned on the locking dif and got out myself. Guess I'm a slow learner. I'll try and remember next time not to back the trailer so far onto the beach.

I'm one of the minority of owners who always buys 4 x 2 trucks. Don't need the extra weight etc. of a 4 x 4.

Ron

[Centex]

Originally Posted by Jgntch

... The Tundra comes in both versions [2WD or 4WD]. Would towing a 5.0 vs. a 23' make a difference in 2wd or 4wd being preferred?...

You would need to check the Tundra-specific specs, but at least a consideration for the 5.0 would be ....

• 2WD vs 4WD payload rating
• 2WD vs 4WD bed rail height as it relates to clearances and electing the hi-lift axle option or not (see ETI 5.0 guidance)

Not suggesting that either would be an issue (I don't know the Tundra's specifics), just suggesting that it's prudent to confirm such details before buying any 5.0 tow vehicle.

Noting that it's not uncommon (but not a given) that 4WD has slightly reduced payload and slightly increased bed/rail-height relative to otherwise comparable 2WD models from a given manufacturer. That may or may not turn out to be a meaningful factor in the decision, but bears informed vehicle-specific consideration, IMO.

[steve dunham]

Our truck has 4 wheel drive and the 6ft 4” bed .
We use our truck bed for storage and anything shorter than 6ft 4” wouldn’t work for us
I have only used the 4 wheel drive a couple times when camping but numerous times in the snow season and when hunting / fishing

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by LRL

Go with 4 WD. You'll seldom need it. But when you do... you'll be very glad you have it. I do wish Toyota designed their vehicles similarly to Subaru: all wheel drive all the time, but still Toyota's 4WD is totally fine and there is no rational reason - other than $$ (which is very rational!) to pass on it.

At one time I thought the same thing. However, all the financial negatives and the fact that I have not driven on snow for almost 35 years means 2WD is adequate for my needs. The only time I might have found 4WD “necessary” I had electronic locking differential and it provided all the added traction I needed (backing uphill on loose gravel).

[HarleyD]

Our tow vehicle is also our ski vehicle so there was no question, 4 WD. We have the 3.5 EB F150 and the Trifecta 2.0 tonneau cover with the Andersen Ultimate hitch. I found a 6.5' bed shaped rubber mat about mudflap thickness that we throw in the bed for ski season to protect the skis from the bed rails. Works very well for both.

[salmo7000]

2WD versus 4WD... I think whether you need 4WD or not depends on what type of camping you're planning to do. If all you're doing is camping in paved, developed sites, then you can easily make do with 2WD. If you think you're going off the beaten path, however, I wouldn't be without 4WD. I was reminded of that just last week. I was out for 10 days, and I boondocked in undeveloped BLM sites for a good portion of that time. In all cases, these sites were located down dirt roads, with a lot of slope. Getting down to the sites was no problem, but my truck would have struggled to pull my 19 out of these sites without 4WD. Conditions were bone dry, but the steepness of the access roads combined with dirt and gravel caused the rear tires to spin until I put it in 4WD, even with good off-road tires.

The other consideration, again if you're planning to camp off pavement, is while you might be OK getting into a site with 2WD when conditions are dry, if it happens to rain while you're camped, dirt and grass can turn to slick mud, and getting out of the site without 4WD may be difficult or impossible until things dry out.

Personally, I want the peace of mind knowing I can get my trailer in and out of just about any site in just about any conditions. Indeed, I have had to use 4WD for this purpose on multiple occasions. I also carry chains in the truck, for the same peace of mind. For my desire to camp in places with quiet and solitude, I want the flexibility to be able to get into places that are not developed and may have more challenging access. But again, my style is not everyone's style, and if all you're planning to do is travel from developed site to developed site, 2WD would be perfectly sufficient.

[DanandDaphne]

I don't know how much you will be using this truck for purposes other than towing your escape but Granger Indiana looks like it's up North there so if you are going to be using it in the winter I would get the 4WD.

With the 5.0 and its pin weight of 700 + lbs an important consideration is the payload capacity of your TV. The higher level of trim the less the payload will be. With my 2002 SR5 Tundra with V-8 and 4WD my payload is 1,512 lbs. I consider this the minimum although there are probably people towing the 5.0 with less payload and are making it work. The same year 4WD V8 Tundra Limited only has 1,366 lbs payload. The two wheel drive V8 SR5 has 1,924.

[Bobbito]

I had the same type of payload difference with my 2005 Tundra. Mine had a 1580 lb payload limit, while a 2WD model was several hundred lbs more. And a few years ago I looked at a bigger Tundra on display at an outdoor show. I was surprised that the model on display had a payload capacity of only 1200 lbs. But today I looked online at a current Tundra and saw that there was very little difference in payload between the 2WD and 4WD models. Both were about 1600 lbs. I would be curious to know why things have changed.

Bob K

[steve dunham]

Originally Posted by DanandDaphne

I don't know how much you will be using this truck for purposes other than towing your escape but Granger Indiana looks like it's up North there so if you are going to be using it in the winter I would get the 4WD.

From our home in Wisconsin, Grainger Indiana is about half way to Florida so I would believe the climate would be semi tropical or on the Northern edge of the Citrus Belt ?

[Red Dog]

Originally Posted by LRL

Go with 4 WD. You'll seldom need it. But when you do... you'll be very glad you have it.

I totally agree with Lee.

Fred M.

[yardsale]

You didn't ask but I would comment on 5.0 vs. 23. With the 5.0 you lose the considerable storage capacity of the truck. If you like toys like we do, that is a big loss.

[daniel108]

I don't think I've ever really needed the 4WD benefits of my Land Rover in a towing situation (I've used it on off-road situations plenty), but I do enjoy going into low range when I'm backing the trailer, as it makes minor and slow movements much easier. An example would be backing up onto leveling blocks. Backing on level ground, it will move the trailer nicely on idle, so all I have to do is control the brake. So that is another benefit of (some) 4WD vehicles for towing.

[TTMartin]

Originally Posted by LRL

Go with 4 WD. You'll seldom need it. But when you do... you'll be very glad you have it.

Originally Posted by Red Dog

I totally agree with Lee.

Fred M.

I totally agree with Fred, totally agreeing with Lee.

[padlin]

Originally Posted by steve dunham

From our home in Wisconsin, Grainger Indiana is about half way to Florida so I would believe the climate would be semi tropical or on the Northern edge of the Citrus Belt ?

Looks to be just east of Chicago. 4wd might be nice there in winter although the winter shots I see for Chicago is always of ice.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Bobbito

I had the same type of payload difference with my 2005 Tundra. Mine had a 1580 lb payload limit, while a 2WD model was several hundred lbs more. And a few years ago I looked at a bigger Tundra on display at an outdoor show. I was surprised that the model on display had a payload capacity of only 1200 lbs. But today I looked online at a current Tundra and saw that there was very little difference in payload between the 2WD and 4WD models. Both were about 1600 lbs. I would be curious to know why things have changed.

If the 2WD and 4WD versions of a vehicle have identical suspension, axles, and structure, the 4WD payload is reduced by the extra weight of the 4WD hardware, which is substantial. But in many cases - particularly recently - the 4WD is equipped with higher-capacity suspension (and possibly other components) to increase the gross vehicle weight rating by enough to approximately compensate for the extra 4WD hardware weight, so the remaining payload is changed very little if at all.