How important is four-wheel-drive?

[jennykatz]

If you haven't bought a truck yet? We bought a Honda Pilot 4whl drive instead of the Ridgeline another good option Both of these have 4whl drive . YOU will appreciate the 4whl option when it's low tide and your truck is sliding into the water .
If you do decide on a 2whl drive make sure it has the traction lock , posi-traction or limited slip optiion .Good Luck on your decision

[marvin4239]

Both my tow vehicles a Jeep Cherokee and 3/4 ton Ford Diesel are 4 wheel drive and I wouldn't be without it. I seldom need it but when I do I really need it. One ramp close to my house is impossible without 4 wheel drive. Their are a few beaches still left I go to where you are allowed to drive on with four wheel drive and having four wheel drive makes these accessible where without they wouldn't be. Their really isn't much difference today in the fuel usage between 4 wheel and non 4 wheel drive. In the Ford trucks the tow rating is slightly lower on a four wheel drive model than the two wheel drive.

[Dora~Jean]

I have an '03 Expedition with 4WD. Best decision I ever made. After owning 14 previous trailerable boats, pulling on all sorts of ramps and conditions, this made the whole effort a "non-event." I appreciate the 4 wheel LOW range just about as much as the 4WD. I essentially idle (or just above) the boat out of the water. Of course my boat & trailer combo weigh ~7,500 lbs, about 50%+ more than a 22. I still get 19-20mpg on the highway non-towing.

My 2c. Go for it.

[Da Nag]

While I'm firmly in the 4WD camp, there's another option - 2WD with a winch.

Certainly not as convenient as 4WD, if simply dealing with a slippery ramp. However, there are situations where it will get you out where 4WD won't. It's also less expensive than the 4WD upgrade paid at purchase time, won't hit your fuel mileage like 4WD will, and 2WD typically rides much nicer.

If going this route, you can't beat a Milemarker hydraulic unit...they're very light compared to electric units, and will work all day at full strength without taxing your battery. You'll also find they come in very handy for many tasks, beyond extracting one's vehicle from a stuck situation.

And, iffin' one gets a fancy shmancy bumper to go along with it, you get much more respect at redneck bars...

[bjidzik]

Definately get a 4x4. It's better to have it & not need it, than to need it & not have it.

For trailering, I stay in 2w drive. When launching or recovering on a ramp, I switch to 4W drive. Once off the ramp, I go back to 2W drive.

[Doryman]

[thataway]

The thing which may be missed in all of this, is that there are a number of vehicles short of 3/4 ton trucks which will work fine for the C Dory 22 and still have four wheel drive. For the 25 , Tom Cat, and the Ranger 25--you need a bigger vehicle.

[Pat Anderson]

Whoa, gotta challenge you on that last part! Our Nissan Titan, a four wheel drive half-ton truck with tow package, handles our CD25 just fine.

[Da Nag]

[starcrafttom]

Funny winch story, an unnamed person (my brother) decided to unroll his cable on an ele winch while waiting for someone. He’s in the woods and on a slight hill. The hardest part of wrapping a steel cable on a drum is keeping enough tension on it. So park on a hill and tie off the hook end of the line to a tree put the truck in neutral and stand in front of the truck with a remote. Now first thing first is to unroll the cable. Just hit the button on the remote and watch the cable slowly unroll. once you get to the end you can reverse the drum and slowly wrap the cable back on with the weight of the truck keeping the cable tight, If the cable end is connected to the drum............. cable got to the end and came right off the drum and the truck rolled down the hill and into a tree. The unnamed brother had to run to the truck and try to jump thru the window, if you have seen my gravity challenged brother ( 250) the idea of him jumping thru a door let alone a window of a moving truck will bring tears to your eyes.

[garyk]

Four wheel drive is a great asset IF you have it. Lots of C-Brats may not have the luxury. I carry a 25 foot, one inch nylon rope,with 24 inches of 5/16th chain spliced on each end with an approperate hook. Most of the time there will be some one at the ramp that would be happy to show you how great their 4 wheel whatever can pull you up the ramp.
As for sand, I lived and windsurfed in Mexico for 10 years most of us had 4 wheel drive Jeeps or Broncos. It was amazing to see Mexican cars and 2 wheel drive pickups driving on very soft sand where it was a chore for a newbe with 4 wheel drive to operate on the same beach. The trick, lower the pressure in all four tires to 10 psi. I've seen pick up trucks draging 20 foot Pongas up a very soft beach. Be sure to go back to normal pressure when reurning to hard surface. We used a dive air tank for this purpose.
Gary

[Anita Marie]

A winch should be a standard feature on all Ford trucks, just like the extra hood latches that come standard.

[Da Nag]

[Dreamer]

After years of watching launch/retrieve fiascos, the last thing I would want to do on a launch ramp is ask someone to tow me out or look for a post to attach my winch cable to. There are usually people waiting to launch and they're usually impatient. Bottom line, Get the 4X4!

[garyk]

Roger,
I agree most people would be at the end of their rope (pun intended) if they had to wait while some greenhorn without four wheel drive got in over their head at the launch ramp.(Oops, I did it again) I might get a free beer if I came to the rescue with a quick tow. My suggestion was not to buy a two wheel drive and a tow rope, but to be prepared in the event you do get on a slick ramp with a two wheel drive. Patience's would really be strained if the "stuckee" had to go through the "waitees" and ask if anyone had a tow rope
.Gary