4x4 or not?

[UncleTim]

I live in Colorado. We need it regularly. You never know when you will need it either.

Plus there is this little patch of ice right off my driveway that I use it on at least seven or eight times a year. It can't be more than 5 feet long.

Besides the trailer, the Tundra is not so good in 2WD in the snow. So I use it around town or on mountainous roads in spots.

[alanmalk]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

The owners manual for my Tacoma says to exercise the 4WD monthly but I've been reluctant to do it on dry pavement. Is my concern misplaced? Is straight road okay?

I "exercise" my Tacoma 4WD only on dirt roads. As a "true" 4WD it does not have a center differential (unlike All Wheel Drive vehicles.) With out the center differential there is a possibility of added wear and tear since there is no "give" in the drive train. And the same reason suggests that unequal torque on the axles can promote a loss of control while turning.

[noblets]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

The owners manual for my Tacoma says to exercise the 4WD monthly but I've been reluctant to do it on dry pavement. Is my concern misplaced? Is straight road okay?

I have, on several occasions, forgotten to take my Tacoma out of 4WD when I'm back on pavement. Seems to have survived somehow.

[noblets]

Originally Posted by alanmalk

I "exercise" my Tacoma 4WD only on dirt roads. As a "true" 4WD it does not have a center differential (unlike All Wheel Drive vehicles.) With out the center differential there is a possibility of added wear and tear since there is no "give" in the drive train. And the same reason suggests that unequal torque on the axles can promote a loss of control while turning.

You can see that lack of "give" when you try to turn tight while in 4WD. Truck doesn't like it!

[Great Eggstrications]

Originally Posted by Mike Lewis

The owners manual for my Tacoma says to exercise the 4WD monthly but I've been reluctant to do it on dry pavement. Is my concern misplaced? Is straight road okay?

I don't know specifically about your Taco, but for my 4Runner, Toyota says to engage 4WD once a month for 10 miles. This helps ensure that all the pieces in the transfer case stay nice and unstuck. I have heard of cases where things can get all stuck up (e.g. can't engage 4WD) due to lack of use.

I head over to a nearby big gravel parking lot (to avoid driveline binding) and engage 4WD (both 4-High and 4-Low), use all the modes of the Multi-Terrain system, the hill-descent "crawl control" feature, and the e-locker on the rear differential. I just make repeated loops around the parking lot and engage these off-roady gizmos while going straight, then turn things off and revert to 2WD when turning around at the end of the parking lot before making another loop.

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by escape artist

Hi: C&G in FL... I feel somewhat sheepish but in our case the used vehicle dealers lots were hard packed with 4X4's but narry a 2X4 in sight. I'm just glad the 5.0TA was capable of handling the difference. Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

Hello Escape Artist,
Yes, north of the sun belt most trucks on the dealers lots are 4WD. About 50-50 here in the land of no-snow. Just noticed hen you quoted me that auto correct changed “snow” on my original post to dNow. I either need to a better preview of what I am going to post or get 4WD auto correct!

[Chamberman]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

Hello Escape Artist,
Yes, north of the sun belt most trucks on the dealers lots are 4WD. About 50-50 here in the land of no-snow. Just noticed hen you quoted me that auto correct changed “snow” on my original post to dNow. I either need to a better preview of what I am going to post or get 4WD auto correct!

Probably less than 25% of the trucks for sale here in the North Texas area are 4wd. There's no need for the added upfront and long term costs if your primary use is commuting/weekend towing on paved roads. The one odd ice storm we get here every few years doesn't warrant it either. I just stay home when that happens and wait a day or two for the ice to thaw.

[escape artist]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

Hello Escape Artist,
Yes, north of the sun belt most trucks on the dealers lots are 4WD. About 50-50 here in the land of no-snow. Just noticed hen you quoted me that auto correct changed “snow” on my original post to dNow. I either need to a better preview of what I am going to post or get 4WD auto correct!

Hi: C&G in FL... Hen it doesn't dNow I have been glad of an icescraper for some winter windshields in the "Sun belt". Your post reminds me of the guy that sent his wife a postcard from Vegas "Having a good time, wish you were her"!!! Alf
escape artist N.S. of Lake Erie

[Jack!]

Originally Posted by Carmel Clown

I've seen a few posts asking what truck people are towing the 5.0 with. How many of you have 4x4? Do you think it is necessary? Anyone worry about getting stuck in sand, wet grass, etc. with 2w drive?
Thanks.

Keep payload in mind. Crew vs Quad, 4x4 vs 4x2, make for significant bites on the truck's payload. My 4x2 quadcab has 1843lb payload which means I don't need to give this a lot of thought in most cases. I didn't like the payload bite for the 4x4 or bigger cab, being I would so seldom use these added items & a lower payload requires more often thought & planning.

[SkipperClyde]

I have always had 4WD. One of the issues in my area is resale value and availability of used trucks. You just can’t sell a 2WD worth the money in extreme rural Missouri.

[Doug2000]

We had a 14’ box tent trailer at 2600lbs towed by a 04 Ford Freestar minivan, we were up north, our campsite was gravel and at the bottom of a gully. We couldn’t get traction, we had to get the neighbors to give us a pull with their F250.

So, I would only tow with 4Wd.

[Vermilye]

I'll be the first to admit I rarely have needed 4 wheel drive while pulling the trailer. That said, on the rare occasions where I did need it I would have needed a tow to get out of the site (or, in one case, to back into it).

It is somewhat like the Air Conditioner. I strive to camp where I don't need it, but the few times I've run it I was awfully glad it was sitting on the roof. Last week was one of them - camping in a state park in Lorton, VA in 95°F temperatures. One of the first times I've run it all night. I did get used to the noise, however I did have an Easy Start installed which eliminated the compressor start up thump.

[Ret.LEO]

Depends on your camping style. Extended season.......yes for 4X4. BLM Grounds.....yes for 4X4. Campground dwelling.........nope. Buy the ramps you can put under your tires if you get stuck. Good tow strap in case you need a pull.....along with a $10 bill to stick in their truck while they're not watching.

[skyfree]

I think of 4wd as an almost "free to own" option because resale is proportionally higher on 4wd vehicles. For example, a 2017 F150 5.0 V8 XLT Crew Cab short bed has a $2,500 higher KBB value with 4WD. It's a $3,800 option now, so I assume about $3,200 in 2017. That's a $700 net cost to have 4wd. Maintenance should be pretty cheap with infrequent diff oil changes.

We live in Tahoe so every vehicle we have ever owned in the last 20 years has been 4wd. No regrets when there is snow on the ground. Even places like Houston where snow and ice are not common can expect fluke storms where you will not make it home without it. Remember what happened in February 2021?

[Chamberman]

Originally Posted by skyfree

I think of 4wd as an almost "free to own" option because resale is proportionally higher on 4wd vehicles. For example, a 2017 F150 5.0 V8 XLT Crew Cab short bed has a $2,500 higher KBB value with 4WD. It's a $3,800 option now, so I assume about $3,200 in 2017. That's a $700 net cost to have 4wd. Maintenance should be pretty cheap with infrequent diff oil changes.

We live in Tahoe so every vehicle we have ever owned in the last 20 years has been 4wd. No regrets when there is snow on the ground. Even places like Houston where snow and ice are not common can expect fluke storms where you will not make it home without it. Remember what happened in February 2021?

That's not your only expense. Most buyers are not paying cash. If you're paying $3800 for the 4wd option and you're financing your truck then your financing $3800 more than you would have financed with 2wd. Add the interest up for this over a 4 to 5yr loan duration. A second expense is the worse gas mileage that the 4wd models get versus the exact same truck configuration in 2wd. I just did a check at fueleconomy.gov and several models get 2mpg worse highway and 1mpg worse city mileage for the 4wd versus 2wd in the same body and drivetrain config. It all adds up, in 4 years it may not seem like a lot but over 15 - 20 years of driving it will.



I say if you need 4wd you need it. If you just want 4wd then I say get it because you're just going to be unhappy without it. However living in the far south and saying you need 4wd because of a once in 20years ice storm that we knew for days prior was arriving is silly.

[John in Santa Cruz]

I've been very glad I had 4x4 a few times, pulling a boat out of harbor on a slippery ramp, pulling an RV out of a steep driveway on gravel, and having fun on dirt roads, epsecially going over dirt passes with snow and ice on top! most of the time even on dirt, I leave the truck in 2x4 until I *need* the 4x4. My current and prior truck both had good all terrain tires, those make a HUGE difference.

[UncleTim]

It seems like there are good reasons for both 4WD and 2WD, according to needs, weather, economic conditions and geographic locations. Makes sense.

I live at 5,400 feet elevation, right off the continental divide. I can drive to 10,300 feet in less than 30 minutes. I can almost always find snow. When encountering a 4WD road in Colorado, it is best to enquire how bad the road gets, and know your limits. Class III, IV or V. There are several ways to determine.

When traveling 4WD roads in Utah, you better know exactly what you are getting into, both for rocky roads of unimaginable horrors to mud pits that take weeks to dry out.

So it looks like there are good answers for different places. So the one thing we know for sure is; this is not a one size fits all answer.

[Dave Walter]

The last 5 vehicles that I purchased were 4x4. I would never buy 2wd again.

[Ian and Sue]

Originally Posted by Carmel Clown

I've seen a few posts asking what truck people are towing the 5.0 with. How many of you have 4x4? Do you think it is necessary? Anyone worry about getting stuck in sand, wet grass, etc. with 2w drive?
Thanks.

4x4 but I live in the mountains of Vermont and work and ski here. To get where I need to go I often need 4wd and always have real snow tires as well...all season tires just don't cut it around here!

I have had a number of occasions where I put the truck in 4wd to get the camper into a site with loose gravel and an uphill push...sometimes where it goes in my own driveway too!

[skyfree]

Originally Posted by Chamberman

That's not your only expense. Most buyers are not paying cash. If you're paying $3800 for the 4wd option and you're financing your truck then your financing $3800 more than you would have financed with 2wd. Add the interest up for this over a 4 to 5yr loan duration. A second expense is the worse gas mileage that the 4wd models get versus the exact same truck configuration in 2wd. I just did a check at fueleconomy.gov and several models get 2mpg worse highway and 1mpg worse city mileage for the 4wd versus 2wd in the same body and drivetrain config. It all adds up, in 4 years it may not seem like a lot but over 15 - 20 years of driving it will.



I say if you need 4wd you need it. If you just want 4wd then I say get it because you're just going to be unhappy without it. However living in the far south and saying you need 4wd because of a once in 20years ice storm that we knew for days prior was arriving is silly.

Living in the far south doesn't mean you are going to stay there. I can't imagine someone buying a truck and never encountering snow and ice on their travels, but maybe I'm jaded living in the west and encountering snow in July once in a while.

I ran the numbers and you are talking about an additional $328 in interest at 4 years and 4.18% (todays average rate).

The F150 5.0 gets only 1 mpg less than the 2wd, and at 15,000 miles a year for 4 years that's $616 at $3.50 a gallon.

So total cost for these 2 things is $944. Add the $700 cost differential after resale and that's $1644. Not insignificant, but if you are playing with $40K RV's I'm not sure that's a big deal to most people. However, I won't argue this point since different folks have different levels of wealth and if you need to save a few dollars with a 2wd vehicle you will likely not want to drive in snow then that's what you have to do.