4x4 How important

[dlh62c]

Personally, I see 4x4 in an expedition camper as a mechanism to get you out of trouble, .....

I'd have to say I share this point of view as well.

Knowing what your driving on or into like a sandy beach or mud hole will go along way in saving you time, frustration and money. Everyone wants to camp at those far away remote locations we read and see pictures of, but once one starts jumping continents vehicle preservation should be foremost on a travelers mind. There's always the possibility of someone getting hurt in any vehicle extraction process. Hopefully its nothing more than a few cuts and some blisters, but it could be more severe like having a stroke or even a heart attack from the physical exertion.

 

[gait]

Well then You better stay on the bitumen. I believe you have no sense of Adventure. I run nearly all dirt roads in 4WD as it is safer and better for the vehicle.

Dan.

I forgot that bit - my front drive shaft needed rebuilding and had a vibration at anything above 20km/hr. 4wd on corrugations is also marginaly more comfortable and much more controlled.

Philosophically I started with the notion that 4wd was there to get me out of trouble. In reality the variety of conditions meant that approach was only possible some of the time, other times it was only possible to proceed because of 4wd. Thus it became a matter of matching my capability, vehicle performance and conditions. Basically can I get the vehicle through whatever with reasonable level of confidence. And not only with driving I typically have a back-out plan if things don't work out. I don't consider myself a risk taker, but I'm aware that some people take on less, others more. Through many years of industrial training I tend to approach "how to solve the problem safely" and worry about it afterwards rather than staring at it in a sea of bewilderment.

As far as vehicle preservation in far off lands is concerned I took the approach that the vehicle was disposable whereas I'm not. The thought of abandoning one's pride and joy, let alone the financial impact, may be a hard hurdle to get over but there's more than enough going on without being overly concerned about the vehicle. I see it all as a question of balance rather than priorities.

 

[Clawhammer]

"Boy, I'm glad this truck's only 2 wheel drive."

-said no one, ever.

 

[GR8ADV]

"Boy, I'm glad this truck's only 2 wheel drive."

-said no one, ever.

Now that's funny. And even more true.

 

[Aussie Iron]

4wd on corrugations is also marginally more comfortable and much more controlled.
Yes what it does is save the rear wheels from having to push the front wheels over the next lump in the road.

Philosophically I started with the notion that 4wd was there to get me out of trouble. In reality the variety of conditions meant that approach was only possible some of the time, other times it was only possible to proceed because of 4wd.
Thus it became a matter of matching my capability, vehicle performance and conditions. This is what I have been saying.
Basically can I get the vehicle through whatever with reasonable level of confidence. And not only with driving I typically have a back-out plan if things don't work out. I don't consider myself a risk taker, but I'm aware that some people take on less, others more. Through many years of industrial training I tend to approach "how to solve the problem safely" and worry about it afterwards rather than staring at it in a sea of bewilderment.

As far as vehicle preservation in far off lands is concerned I took the approach that the vehicle was disposable whereas I'm not. The thought of abandoning one's pride and joy, let alone the financial impact, may be a hard hurdle to get over but there's more than enough going on without being overly concerned about the vehicle. I see it all as a question of balance rather than priorities.

Can't Agree More,
Dan.

 

[quickfarms]

If you want to stay on the highway and go fast than 2wd is better.

I can get into many places with just 2wd but you are beating up the vehicle. In 4wd drive you can just walk in.

 

[biggoolies]

Carl Hunter travelled the world in 2001 in his fuso fg. He said about 95% of the time he used 2wd if I remember correctly. Only you can decide if you need it.

 

[SkiFreak]

Only you can decide if you need it.

Yeah, but you can only make the decision to engage 4x4 if you have it.

 

[Iain_U1250]

This one reason for 4wd



Try getting driving on or off any beach in 2WD, then you will see what 4wd is used for. Getting off the beach up the rather steep exist we had 4wd and rear diff lock in, even with the tyres down to 25psi.

If you stick to the 'chicken bus' routes, all you need is 2wd, but if you are interested in the more remote areas, do any sand driving, or even want to drive off a wet grassy field, then 4wd is required. Diff locks are optional, but well worth the investment if your truck doesn't have them as standard.

 

[Curtis in Texas]

I have a very capable 20 speed 4 wheel drive Rock Crawler truck that I tow to 4 wheeling spots with my motorhome.
Some of the places I want to set up base camp are so far back off the beaten path I needed to get serious with my Class A Motor Coach drivetrain.

I would love to convert it to 6 wheel drive (tag axle) on the Motorhome, but that would be a waste on money for a base camp that doesn't leave the USA.

So I re geared and put limited slip in the Dana 70 under the Big Girl.
The first time out after the rear end work I went wheeling in Colorado where we set up camp in a grass covered RV Campground.

Well as luck would have it, it rained like a son of a gun while we were there. Several had tried driving out on the last day and all sank like the Titanic. Everyone was waiting on a Tow Truck to arrive to get them out and I decided to try it. My 37' MH was the only Coach able to drive out on the soft grass without getting stuck. I did leave a nice set of ruts though.

Jaws dropped when we just motored out to the Highway unassisted with just 2 WD. Few noticed I was sporting limited slip on the dual wheels at first.

Of course I had staged my 4WD Crawler truck at the highway in preparation to use the winch should I end up with egg on my face.

If one is not planning on crossing the Gobi then a locker may be all you need.

But of course. My 4X4 CrawlerTruck has Air Lockers and winches on both ends because I tend to get in over my head.
I ain't completely crazy!

So it's like they are saying. It all depends on how far off the beaten path and what the weather conditions are as to your need for 4 wheel drive.

 

[axehead]

Two simple points in favour of 4x4 :

1) What if you drive in on an 'easy' track and set up camp for the night. Then during the night you get 3 inches of rain and now the easy track is a muddy washed out quagmire? Are you going to sit and wait for things to dry out or call a friend?

2) Resale value of a 2x4. How many people would want to buy a used vehicle in exactly the same configuration as you end up with, but only two wheel drive? I think you would lose 2/3 of you potential market right off the bat.

 

[Alastair D(Aus)]

Point 1 by axehead is the primary reason for me. Over many years of 4wd & camping with a normal size 4wd ie Landcruiser etc I have been caught by weather changes and been left potentially stuck. Also driving on a track surface that looks ok but then the crust collapses and the goo underneath has you caught. Now that I have an Isuzu NPS300 I think the potential to get stuck is much great which is why I have 4wd and winches at both ends. Not planning to deliberately drive into bad conditions but want to be able to get out from wherever I go if possible.

 

[Iain_U1250]

Remember that 2wd with an open diff soon turns into 1wd if things get slippery, and even 4wd soon turns into 2wd without diff locks. A rear locker will get you out of a lot of trouble, almost as good as 4wd. I had a Nissan 2wd panel van in Africa, and fitted it with AT tyres, lifted up the suspension and fitted a split handbrake to hold each wheel independently, there were not many places we could not go. The main thing that stopped us was slippery clay.

Just the other night we were camping up in the rainforest midway up a pretty steep road. It would be possible to drive up in 2wd when it was dry, provided you ha That night we have a quite a heavy thunderstorm, without 4wd, going anywhere would have been impossible, either up or down, it was wet for the next two day's and would have been stuck there in a 2wd truck, but we had no problem driving out in the Unimog.