Should I get 4X4 or 4X2?

HowardBJr

HowardBJr
We’re in the process of refining our requirements for our RV purchase. We have not bought anything yet (i.e., truck, hitch, or RV) so we can make sure we don’t make a mistake and have to buy something twice. Our plan is to buy a heavily optioned Landmark Augusta for fulltime use (i.e., a heavy one).

We plan to stay in Florida during the winters and stay mostly in campgrounds and not go off road with the truck. We plan to move every few weeks. We plan to travel from Texas to the east coast and Florida to Pennsylvania.

The truck we plan on ordering is a 2010 Dodge 3500 Crew Cab dully with a long bed. We will get the diesel with the automatic. I’m not sure which rear end we will get. I’m need some advice on which drive I should order (i.e., 4X4 or 4X2). Either one can handle the weight of the Landmark. I know there are pros and cons to either one. Below are some I’ve come up with. Have I missed anything and what advice do you have? I’m leaning towards getting the 4X2 but I’m open to change. What I don’t know is how often do you really need the 4X4? What are the differences in the ride quality? I need as smooth a ride as possible due to my wife's health issues.




Pro of 4X4:
  • Less likely to need a tow truck if stuck in mud at campground
  • Higher resale value for truck

Con of 4X4
  • Higher initial cost
  • Lower fuel mileage
  • Higher maintenance cost (more to break)
  • Higher bed height on truck making it harder for my wife to get into the cab (she’s short and has arthritis) and due to the bed height I may possibly have to flip the axils on the Landmark to maintain a level ride while towing
  • Lower towing capacity

Pro of 4X2
  • Lower bed height
  • Lower initial cost
  • Lower maintenance cost
  • Higher fuel mileage
  • Higher towing capacity

Con of 4X2
  • May require winch or tow truck if stuck in mud at campground (could carry a winch in truck or use emergency service if stuck)
  • Lower resale value for truck
Thanks for your input.

Howard
 

jbeletti

Well-known member
Howard,

In my experience, the 4x2 is going to give your wife a more comfortable ride.

4x4 is nice to have but you the ride difference may be worth the trade-off. I towed for 3 years with my 4x2 and loved it. It is true though - little traction with a dually 4x2 on wet grass or snow.

My current TV is a 4x4 as it was the last 2007 chassis cab on the lot and the incentives were great on it.

Jim
 

tmcran

Well-known member
I would go with the 4x4. Now I have a ranch and need four wheel drive so I'm biased. Last year we were at a site and it was raining and muddy. I was slipping and the RV was stating to slide around. Put it in four wheel drive and out we went with no problems. I have never regreted having a 4x4 and will never have anything but a 4x4. In my area a 4x4 is also worth more in trade in and resale. But in the long run get what you want and then you'll be happy.
 
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ct0218

Well-known member
If you spend all or most of your time on flatlands and out of snow and ice 4X2 may work for you. Even if you do have to get a tow or two with a 4X2 during the truck's lifeyou may be better off if 4X4 is something you would rarely use. Where I am in the NC mountains a 4X4 is the norm.
 

Rmcgrath53

Well-known member
I have a 4x4 and live in Michigan. I use it all the time. I was in North Carolina in the mountains over Easter. It snowed unexpectedly, and boy was I glad I had it.I think you will be limiting your self if you dont get it.You may now say"we are only going where the weather is nice." You cant change your mind if you dont have a 4x4.
 

boatdoc

Well-known member
Howard, We looked all over the PNW for a 4x2 dually Dodge and couldn't find one, ended up with the truck in the sig. It tows our 3670 loaded up just fine. Having had 4x4 Fords all along I don't know what I was thinking trying to find a 2 wheeler. My votes for the 4x4 long bed.
 

creeper

Well-known member
Why would you have to flip the axles? No need to flip on mine 4x4.

A few examples.

Wall, South Dakota. Guys pulls in with his 4x2 Dodge. Turning into one of the loops he went into the grass and buried himself. Guys all stand around scratching heads and thinking while the wheels just spin. Guy comes over with his 4x4 F250 and pulls Truck and camper out of mud.

Denver, Colorado. Guys pulls in and is trying to back his dually into a sloped grassed spot. Light misty rain. Wheels spin, spin,spin and tear up grass. He ended up parked next to the office the first night.

Florida, Ny we pull into a campground at night. Snow fell. Try going up the hill. No go, spin, spin , spin. Put it in 24 wheel drive and up we go no problem. Would have never gotten into spot.

In all the years I've had 4x4 I've never had a transfer case problem.

My 4x4 has the same towing capacity as a 4x2. They play with the numbers and I end up with a Higher GVWR.

The 4x4 have a step. So they are not harder to get into.

No problem with ride on my 4x4. Ford allows you to select spring packages.

You forgot one added PRO for the 4x4. It lets you do more adventurous site seeing.
 

Cyncwby

Active Member
I can't tell you how many times I thanked the good Lord that I have a 4X4. You may not have to use it for months at a time....but that one time when you're WAAAAY out there and get stuck, it feels so good to reach down, pull that lever and feel your rig start to move. Like has been posted....would NEVER have a truck without it.
 

ludwigdavid

David & Diana
We live in the snow belt of NY and have only had a two wheel drive, never been stuck in 40 years of driving. Use your head when you drive and you will probably have no problems. Check your insurance, it may have towing coverage.
Good luck
 

davebennington

Senior Member
Everything that has been said so far is true. I live in VA and we do not get snow very often so that is not a problem. I have been on wet grass and could not move forward or back with our truck, Dodge 4X2 with the Dodge posi-trac rear. If I had to purchase today I would opt for the 4X4 the fuel milage cannot be that big of difference.

Dave
 

boatto5er

Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
Hi Howard,

I vote for the 4x4. I've had to use it to get my Sundance moving on wet grass at my son's house where we keep it, just to go up a slight grade onto the driveway; and the Sundance weighs considerably less than the Landmark. A little difference in cost, but more overall versatility IMHO.

Gus
 

HowardBJr

HowardBJr
Why would you have to flip the axles? No need to flip on mine 4x4.
...

We want to get the Landmark Augusta. What range of bed height (i.e., ground to bed) and bed rail height (i.e., ground to top of bed rail) would work without having to flip the axils on the Augusta? It’s my understanding that the newer trucks have taller bed rails (i.e., the bed of the newer pickups are deeper than the previous generation of pickups). I believe you need about 6 inches of clearance between the bed rail and the 5th wheel in order to not make contact with the bed. I would like to put a bed cover on the truck so it would be nice to have an extra inch or so. I’ve not sorted out the hitch issues yet but I assume you can adjust the height of the hitch to accommodate to some extent the difference in height of a 4X4 vs. 4X2.

Thanks for your input.

Howard
 

mrcomer

Past Ohio Chapter Leaders (Founding)
I have a 4x4 and wouldn't be without it. It will only take one time that you need it to be happy you got it. It is also nice in heavy downpours when you are on the highway, kick it into 4 wheel hi and you have that extra traction. Good stuff in my opion.

Good luck,
Mark
 
Get the 4WD

My grandfather always preferred vans to pickups. Every time we went to northern Michigan (in the summer) we got stuck. I promised myself I would not buy a truck w/o 4WD. I have had a few w/o 4WD but not many. For what you will be spending on the truck already...it just makes sense to get the 4wd. Some camps are paved but even more are not. And remember this, most tow trucks are not 4WD. So they can't get to you either.
 

bigredtruck

Well-known member
We also have a 4x2 with duallies. We have changed the tires and had the rear end corrected and still get stuck at least once a year in mud or on grass. If we drop the trailer, the truck is fine. but the extra weight of the trailer (last time it was the Cougar at 10000 pounds on wet grass) drowns us. The worst part is that it's usually a 'little' 4x4 truck that pulls us out of whatever mess we are in. And you likely won't experience this, but after I dug the truck out of the snow three times this past winter (no trailer), I was on ebay daily looking for a 4x4. I would go with the 4x4 if I were you.
 

boatto5er

Founding VA Chap Ldr (Ret)
We want to get the Landmark Augusta. What range of bed height (i.e., ground to bed) and bed rail height (i.e., ground to top of bed rail) would work without having to flip the axils on the Augusta? It’s my understanding that the newer trucks have taller bed rails (i.e., the bed of the newer pickups are deeper than the previous generation of pickups). I believe you need about 6 inches of clearance between the bed rail and the 5th wheel in order to not make contact with the bed. I would like to put a bed cover on the truck so it would be nice to have an extra inch or so. I’ve not sorted out the hitch issues yet but I assume you can adjust the height of the hitch to accommodate to some extent the difference in height of a 4X4 vs. 4X2.

Thanks for your input.

Howard

Howard,

You should be perfectly fine with the bed height. The RV should be able to adjust the hitch height and pin height to get the vehicle and trailer lever with a good clearance. Llook into a Retrax system (http://www.rolltopcover.com) like we have for the bed cover. It's a hard, but flexible, acrylic cover that literally rolls up into a storage compartment at the front of the bed, in front of the hitch. We love ours and it is lockable at any point along it's path as it rolls up. They make one for use with 5th wheel hitches, so you have to be specific when you order it. I think the suggested "MSRP' is around $1300, but we got ours for over half that by including it in the truck deal.

Gus
 

grizzlygiant

Well-known member
I use the 4x at times all year and in all parts of the country -- snow, wet grass, mud, lose gravel -- plus the low range for extra-steep approaches. In my part of the country you would have to special-order to get a 2x!
 

mjatwalker

Retired MD Chapter ******s
4x4 all the way. We tow with a 2000 F-350 crew cab deisel with manual locking hubs.
It's nice to have 4x4 when you need it. The manual hubs also help with fuel mileage.

Good Luck, Mike Walker
 

creeper

Well-known member
We want to get the Landmark Augusta. What range of bed height (i.e., ground to bed) and bed rail height (i.e., ground to top of bed rail) would work without having to flip the axils on the Augusta? It’s my understanding that the newer trucks have taller bed rails (i.e., the bed of the newer pickups are deeper than the previous generation of pickups). I believe you need about 6 inches of clearance between the bed rail and the 5th wheel in order to not make contact with the bed. I would like to put a bed cover on the truck so it would be nice to have an extra inch or so. I’ve not sorted out the hitch issues yet but I assume you can adjust the height of the hitch to accommodate to some extent the difference in height of a 4X4 vs. 4X2.

Thanks for your input.


Howard

You'll have to see how much the truck squats. You can adjust the pin height as well as the hitch height.

I have a Pace Edwards roll top cover. An extra inch is not needed. More like a 1/4 inch.
 

Shadowchek

Well-known member
There have been times that I could back in 2wd but slid a little making it hard to back in straight. I put in in 4wd and I back in nice and under control. I wouldn't consider a 2wd drive myself. As far as the resale value goes there aren't very many people looking for a 2wd. Also sitting up a little higher you have better vision.

Greg
 
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