Am I the only guy that doesn't care abut 4WD?
10-17-2017, 11:18 AM
#171
Hey, if you live in a 12 month/year summer-like State, good on you for not needing 4WD.
I learned to drive in the 70's with 2W RWD. I always put 200lbs of sand in the box or trunk of my vehicles. My 1986 Mustang, I also bought a second set of tires, winter specific, never got stuck. 1993 I bought a front wheel drive car and second tires for winter, never got stuck.
It is never necessarily what you drive, it's HOW you drive.
I learned to drive in the 70's with 2W RWD. I always put 200lbs of sand in the box or trunk of my vehicles. My 1986 Mustang, I also bought a second set of tires, winter specific, never got stuck. 1993 I bought a front wheel drive car and second tires for winter, never got stuck.
It is never necessarily what you drive, it's HOW you drive.
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BlackBoost (10-17-2017)
10-17-2017, 11:47 AM
#172
Senior Member
Living in ontario, but ive done quite a bit of time up in Edmonton, Calgary and Yellowknife. And even Alert.
4x4 vs 2wd is as individual as the person using it. Myself. I know how to drive in crappy conditions with a 2wd. No salt on the roads and idiots everywhere. Im sure Alberta_Bound Can attest to the lack of salt.
If you wanna go offroad. Buy a 4x4. No doubt. If your staying on hard stand, 2wd with a locker should be more then enough. Buy good quality tires and slow down. You'll be fine.
Anyone thats been to Edmonton will probably be more then happy to tell you as soon as the snow flies, first thing in the ditch is some bonehead with 4x4 that thinks that they can they can do 120kph in a blinding snowstorm.
I relate it like this. Driven A tractor-trailer recently? No? Very very few will have anything more then rear wheel drive.
4x4 vs 2wd is as individual as the person using it. Myself. I know how to drive in crappy conditions with a 2wd. No salt on the roads and idiots everywhere. Im sure Alberta_Bound Can attest to the lack of salt.
If you wanna go offroad. Buy a 4x4. No doubt. If your staying on hard stand, 2wd with a locker should be more then enough. Buy good quality tires and slow down. You'll be fine.
Anyone thats been to Edmonton will probably be more then happy to tell you as soon as the snow flies, first thing in the ditch is some bonehead with 4x4 that thinks that they can they can do 120kph in a blinding snowstorm.
I relate it like this. Driven A tractor-trailer recently? No? Very very few will have anything more then rear wheel drive.
10-17-2017, 11:54 AM
#173
x2 on no salt on the roads here making the roads, interesting at times... But I do enjoy not getting rust on my vehicles here :P
The OP's question doesn't make sense considering where he lives, he doesn't need it. That's like stating he doesn't need winter tires, well duh, but many others who live in snow and ice country definitely do...
The OP's question doesn't make sense considering where he lives, he doesn't need it. That's like stating he doesn't need winter tires, well duh, but many others who live in snow and ice country definitely do...
10-17-2017, 12:29 PM
#174
Senior Member
The first vehicle I owned was a 4x2, 5-speed Toyota Pickup, acquired in the spring of my freshman year in college, just outside of Burlington, Vermont. It was also the first five-speed I'd driven, and quite the learning experience when I woke up to an unexpected snowstorm having spent the night in Burlington..."all-season" tires, no weight in the back, and me not yet very good at operating a clutch. Had to go the long way around to get back to my dorm.
I subsequently drove that truck through plenty of winter storms (with good snows and some weight in the bed), had it up a few logging roads (still remember getting stuck crossing a waterbar because I had one rear wheel chest-height off the ground and loading the bed up with rocks to counter-balance it), and otherwise took it almost as many places as my brother took his similar-vintage FWD VW Golf (which included many places that no reasonable adult would try taking a Golf, unless maybe it was a rental with supplemental damage insurance).
I will say that 4LO is very, very nice to have for rougher forest-service roads; even when it's not necessary for traction, being able to crawl along at very low speed is helpful, and the first gear in the 10-speed is low enough that engine braking is very effective even on fairly steep hills.
Since then, I've owned two FWD VWs while living in Vermont (one while working at a ski area), a 4x4 Bronco II, a 4x4 Suburban, a FWD Taurus, a 4x2 E350 box van, and a 4x4 Nissan XTerra. There are definitely places I'd not try to go with any of the two-wheel drive vehicles that I will with my F150, but if you wanted to drive those places, you'd already know that you were willing to eat the cost and performance penalties for 4x4. Aside from the Taurus, I never felt limited by two-wheel drive on any reasonably maintained roadway, and the Taurus just drove like crap in general.
But I would've parked and started skinning a lot sooner in a 2WD:
I subsequently drove that truck through plenty of winter storms (with good snows and some weight in the bed), had it up a few logging roads (still remember getting stuck crossing a waterbar because I had one rear wheel chest-height off the ground and loading the bed up with rocks to counter-balance it), and otherwise took it almost as many places as my brother took his similar-vintage FWD VW Golf (which included many places that no reasonable adult would try taking a Golf, unless maybe it was a rental with supplemental damage insurance).
I will say that 4LO is very, very nice to have for rougher forest-service roads; even when it's not necessary for traction, being able to crawl along at very low speed is helpful, and the first gear in the 10-speed is low enough that engine braking is very effective even on fairly steep hills.
Since then, I've owned two FWD VWs while living in Vermont (one while working at a ski area), a 4x4 Bronco II, a 4x4 Suburban, a FWD Taurus, a 4x2 E350 box van, and a 4x4 Nissan XTerra. There are definitely places I'd not try to go with any of the two-wheel drive vehicles that I will with my F150, but if you wanted to drive those places, you'd already know that you were willing to eat the cost and performance penalties for 4x4. Aside from the Taurus, I never felt limited by two-wheel drive on any reasonably maintained roadway, and the Taurus just drove like crap in general.
But I would've parked and started skinning a lot sooner in a 2WD:
10-17-2017, 12:50 PM
#175
Senior Member
Yep.. I second that "All-season" joke. All season isn't. Good set of solid winter tires never hurt if you live in an area that sees snow. Especially if you have 2wd.
Where I live, snow isnt common.. 2-3 inches all year round. I'm purposely not mounting my winters until after so I can get a feel for the trucks handling under the worst conditions.
Where I live, snow isnt common.. 2-3 inches all year round. I'm purposely not mounting my winters until after so I can get a feel for the trucks handling under the worst conditions.
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BlackBoost (10-17-2017)
10-17-2017, 01:19 PM
#176
The first vehicle I owned was a 4x2, 5-speed Toyota Pickup, acquired in the spring of my freshman year in college, just outside of Burlington, Vermont. It was also the first five-speed I'd driven, and quite the learning experience when I woke up to an unexpected snowstorm having spent the night in Burlington..."all-season" tires, no weight in the back, and me not yet very good at operating a clutch. Had to go the long way around to get back to my dorm.
I subsequently drove that truck through plenty of winter storms (with good snows and some weight in the bed), had it up a few logging roads (still remember getting stuck crossing a waterbar because I had one rear wheel chest-height off the ground and loading the bed up with rocks to counter-balance it), and otherwise took it almost as many places as my brother took his similar-vintage FWD VW Golf (which included many places that no reasonable adult would try taking a Golf, unless maybe it was a rental with supplemental damage insurance).
I will say that 4LO is very, very nice to have for rougher forest-service roads; even when it's not necessary for traction, being able to crawl along at very low speed is helpful, and the first gear in the 10-speed is low enough that engine braking is very effective even on fairly steep hills.
Since then, I've owned two FWD VWs while living in Vermont (one while working at a ski area), a 4x4 Bronco II, a 4x4 Suburban, a FWD Taurus, a 4x2 E350 box van, and a 4x4 Nissan XTerra. There are definitely places I'd not try to go with any of the two-wheel drive vehicles that I will with my F150, but if you wanted to drive those places, you'd already know that you were willing to eat the cost and performance penalties for 4x4. Aside from the Taurus, I never felt limited by two-wheel drive on any reasonably maintained roadway, and the Taurus just drove like crap in general.
But I would've parked and started skinning a lot sooner in a 2WD:
I subsequently drove that truck through plenty of winter storms (with good snows and some weight in the bed), had it up a few logging roads (still remember getting stuck crossing a waterbar because I had one rear wheel chest-height off the ground and loading the bed up with rocks to counter-balance it), and otherwise took it almost as many places as my brother took his similar-vintage FWD VW Golf (which included many places that no reasonable adult would try taking a Golf, unless maybe it was a rental with supplemental damage insurance).
I will say that 4LO is very, very nice to have for rougher forest-service roads; even when it's not necessary for traction, being able to crawl along at very low speed is helpful, and the first gear in the 10-speed is low enough that engine braking is very effective even on fairly steep hills.
Since then, I've owned two FWD VWs while living in Vermont (one while working at a ski area), a 4x4 Bronco II, a 4x4 Suburban, a FWD Taurus, a 4x2 E350 box van, and a 4x4 Nissan XTerra. There are definitely places I'd not try to go with any of the two-wheel drive vehicles that I will with my F150, but if you wanted to drive those places, you'd already know that you were willing to eat the cost and performance penalties for 4x4. Aside from the Taurus, I never felt limited by two-wheel drive on any reasonably maintained roadway, and the Taurus just drove like crap in general.
But I would've parked and started skinning a lot sooner in a 2WD:
10-17-2017, 01:42 PM
#177
I don't "need" 4WD, but it is useful for situations that I would otherwise not attempt and would miss out on said enjoyment. Example: I've always wanted to go drive down South Padre Island, way beyond the populated portion. This area requires 4x4 to safely avoid getting stuck. Even then, you have to be careful, preferably go with a buddy in another 4x4. Obviously I could avoid that situation, but I could also still be driving a Honda Civic. Instead, I wanted a 4x4.
Also, if I ever were to own another 2WD truck, it would *have to* have a locking or limited-slip rear end. Otherwise, what you really have is a 1 wheel drive truck.
Also, if I ever were to own another 2WD truck, it would *have to* have a locking or limited-slip rear end. Otherwise, what you really have is a 1 wheel drive truck.
10-17-2017, 01:43 PM
#178
Senior Member
getting a truck without 4wd is like buying a beer that is known flat ! LOL
10-17-2017, 03:44 PM
#179
Senior Member
Living in Southern Ontario and working as a Contractor, I've had 4X4's as long as I care to remember. I would never be with out one for my line of work. My wife drives an AWD as does my daughter, and my son drives a 4X4. If they only needed AWD/4 wheel drive once to SAFELY get home, I consider it money well spent. Having said that, they don't stop any better than a rear wheel unit.
