2 wheel drive or 4 wheel drive?

[snowball]

2 wheel drive is what I have and what I wanted to get but they are hard to find and even harder to sell
so had resigned myself to a 4x4 however saw one in the ads...by owner...so tempted to call dd questioned me as to why
I wanted a 2 wheel drive said as I understood dad saying...one something more to go wrong...added weight...lower gas mileage...and something
to do with because the pickup is heavier lessens the amount of weight it can tow...so she said why don't you go to the forum and see
what they recommend so here am I asking what do you recommend and why...and am I remembering correctly?
sheila

[gingerK]

I have both a 2wd and a 4wd pickup. 2wd sucks in bad weather ( snowy, icy conditions). 4wd eats gas, but it also has a hemi, so could be more of the reason why it eats gas. The 2wd pulls my horse trailer just fine, the 4wd will too but again, gas mileage sucks. Although I love my 2wd truck, I much prefer my Durango. It is AWD and goes wherever I want and gets better gas mileage. Not much help, I guess but that's my 2 cents.

[Azusateach]

Sheila, my understanding is that 4WD doesn't have as large a towing capacity as a 2WD does. I don't know why, but it doesn't. So if you're planning to pull your 5th wheel with it, you might want to check out how much each type is rated to tow.

Laura

[Queen]

I've owned both over the years and like Ginger said, 2wd is better on gas but awful in snow, 4X4 is the opposite. Beyond that a 4X4 does cost more in maintenance in the long run, the rear differential requires periodic maintenance.

For me it would come down to where you plan to go, and where you will be driving when you're not towing. If you enjoy hauling up fire roads and spending time where it;s snowy, I'd go 4X4. If you prefer more tame weather and paved/gravel roads, a 2wd will serve you fine.

[MelissaD]

Well here's what I think I know and some other info on the subject
Talking pickup trucks:

As already stated 2WD stinks in bad weather, wet grass, mud, sand, all the camping environments.
- The Big 3 push 4WD since it drives up their profit margins and almost all new pickups are 4WD.
- As with many things the newer trucks are more efficient and the 4WD version tends to run about 300# heavier than the 2WD version.
- The newer trucks get better fuel mileage due to more powerful engines and higher gear rations so the difference in mpg these days is around 1 mpg.
- Diesels handle 4WD better than gas engines in my opinion due to their higher torque.
- 4WD pickup ride about 2" higher to get additional clearance for both the front axle and ground clearance (assumes you are going to leave the road)

Personal experience I've owned Ford pickups
1980 F150 4x2 got stuck every winter or when I left the pavement.
1992? F150 4x4 never got stuck and got me to work everyday. Underpowered engine and drank gas at 10 mpg avg.
2004 F350 4x2 diesel pulls and rides well but will get stuck looking at wet grass or loose gravel.

If I bought another pickup for towing my camper it will probably be 4WD. I'll give up 300# of cargo capacity and tow capacity to avoid the hassle of getting stuck in the campground. If I bought a "grocery getter" (shiny 1500's people drive like cars) I'd probably buy a 2WD.

Remember 4WD gets you going better but does nothing more to stop you

When you need it, 4WD is worth every penny. Otherwise, it's wasted money.

4x4? 4x2? Part-Time 4WD? Full-Time AWD? http://4wheeldrive.about.com/od/offroadatvbasics/ss/4wd-2wd-difference-between-4x4-4x2.htm

[chalet05]

Sheila, while I was thinking about my response, I thought 'we need Melissa'! When I came back, there she was!

Our husbands had similar thoughts about 4 wheel drive!! This truck does have 4 wd because it was on the lot. It came in very handy in Northwest Territory's mud! It's also handy when pulling up on leveling blocks. My truck is diesel and I get pretty good mileage - 11 or 12 - with the camper on.

[snowball]

while waiting for the dogs to get groomed had time to kill so went to a couple of dealerships one was a Chevelote the salesman was very informative
almost too much made the brain tired...and standing next to those 4x4 made me really feel shorter than I am... massive brutes..
he was telling me about the fuel perhaps an newer one would work but then realism sets and says but in order to stay where you can afford the payments and
still do something other than travel from Q to Tetonia and back need a older one decisions decisions!!! thanks for the impute ...oh another thing
what would be important questions to ask so I will sound like I know what in the heck I'm doing
sheila

[bertk523]

Many of the 4x4 have the option to drive in 2 wheel or 4 wheel. 4 wheel is good for bad weather or mud - stuff like that. 2 wheel has more torque for towing. mine is either... always use 2 wheel, except twice this winter when driving on an icy gravel road. BUT - again - you are correct. need to check the wallet before deciding. if you spend so much you can't go anywhere you might as well have NOT bought anything. Diesel is heavier, has more power and will go up and down mountains better. gas mileage towing is also better than regular gas. but again more costly - but better resale. also maintenance is higher on diesel.

that's my 2 cents.

[avalen]

Others things to ask/think about,,,,you don't want to have the kind of hubs you have to lick in place from the outside,
Also consider the insurance, price can vary of course. One other thing I was going to
bring up and it totally flew out my ear as I was typing

[Colliemom]

Being you live in a snow area, I would go with a 4 wheel drive. The newer trucks out now, can go between 4 wheel and 2 wheel drive with depending on which you need. My truck has 4 wheel drive and now of course I am in 2 wheel. I find no difference in the gas mileage and also, 4 wheel drive comes in handy if you happen to get stuck in muddy campsite, at least you can pull a trailer out or from anything for that matter. You have a big trailer so you should probably consider getting a one ton truck. Plenty of towing power and less strain on the truck too.

[mitch5252]

...I thought 'we need Melissa'! When I came back, there she was!

..
My exact original thought!
..

[snowball]

because I'm not in the North hopefully when it snows...I don't need the 4x4 can see that it might come in handy
but still not overly eager to get it...if I do it will be because it's all to be found...and if what I've heard if I get dually's with
that will off set the weight of the 4x4 I'm still pondering still looking and still wanting to wait until the late summer early
fallish to get it...but if the right one comes up in the mean time well I will hopefully grab it..and yes I did plan on getting
a 3500 had a 2500 need something stronger...I've also heard a manual would be best just not sure I'm up to that we will see
thanks for all the help muchly appreciated
sheila

[Colliemom]

I my years of being on the road, with or with out a trailer, and working in the state park for 16 years, I have noticed that at least 90% of trucks pulling big 5ers are Chevy 2500 HD and most all have 4x4. Automatic transmissions are pretty much standard now and you really don't need manual. The trick is like a lot of us have said, is to figure out how much towing weight the truck can handle, minus the weight of the hitch platform, the amount of cargo the truck can carry and passengers. With that, you will know if you have the power to pull.