Is 4x4 really necessary for a cabover build?

[pugslyyy]

I live in the Western US where there are mandatory chain controls in the winter *unless* you have four wheel / all wheel drive.

All my vehicles are 4x4/AWD. I like the convenience of not having to chain up when I go over the passes, and in low traction conditions (on or offroad), 4x4 has proven its benefit to me on many an occasion.

So does everyone *need* four wheel drive? Maybe not if you live in the southeast and never go off pavement, but personally I have found it to be pretty darn handy!

 

[rruff]

Considering Fuso but it's a pain and $ to convert to 4x4 and thus the question. I've driven my Odyssey, Mini, dads station wagon, cheapo rental through snow storms, Patagonia and outback New Zealand and rarely got stuck....but I dont want to invest big bucks into a cabover just to find I shoulda sprung for the $ as I'm stuck in Panama in a bog.

Why a cabover? Just like the brand, or the maneuverability? 4wd is cheap on domestic pickups.

If you plan to frequent bogs then I think 4wd is worth it for sure. There are always tradeoffs. The many times when 4wd would have been nice I just managed without it. It's an adventure...

 

[F350joe]

Spend the money on 4wd. Ive done plenty offroad in 2wd rigs and there is always that place where you need to keep momentum to not get stuck. Thats when you start bouncing and breaking things which could end up costing more than 4wd. With 4wd you redundancy and 4lo which is handy.

 

[rohat]

Why a cabover? Just like the brand, or the maneuverability? 4wd is cheap on domestic pickups.

If you plan to frequent bogs then I think 4wd is worth it for sure. There are always tradeoffs. The many times when 4wd would have been nice I just managed without it. It's an adventure...

I've been flip flopping between a F350-550 or cabover. Currently back on cabover for the storage, no 5' hood, living room and frankly cool factor.

 

[rruff]

I've been flip flopping between a F350-550 or cabover. Currently back on cabover for the storage, no 5' hood, living room and frankly cool factor.

Another consideration... if you buy a newer Ford with a bed it will have a stiff boxed frame which makes it easier to mount the camper; ie you can hard mount it. With a Fuso or NPR you'll need a subframe and pivots to accommodate flex.

Ya, I'm not fond of the gratuitous "style" of modern pickups either. Plus you definitely end up with a longer vehicle. Think the Ford would be more comfortable on the road though. Plus, over the cab is natural place for a sleeping berth, and you lose that with the Fuso/NPR.

 

[calicamper]

If your ever unfortunate enough to get in a wreck. The 350-550 will be decades in crash survivability ahead of the flimsy cab over cab. Most delivery guys driving cab overs will tell your their biggest fear is getting killed in the tin can cab over due to getting hit by some idiot.

 

[Buliwyf]

Modern cab overs are for urban city workers that nobody cares about. Anyone worth keeping around gets a nicer truck. Safety? Haha, utilitarian cabovers have none. Comfort's usually the same.

.........or, get one of these. AWD, cabover, cool as heck. And already has a box, just remove the floors armor plating.

 

[Regcabguy]

This ^^^ nothing wrong with 2WD in a cabover with duals, a rear locker and a low rear end ratio.
Low gearing, duals and a locker in a heavier vehicle work well.
Commercial vehicles tend to be well setup for slow speeds.

The dually's are the problem one

I went hunting in AZ- I brought my 2WD f150 for the nicer, faster and more economical ride from San Diego to AZ. No rain in the forecast and I knew the dirt road. It had rained prior so the road was saturated. It rained. I got MASSIVELY stuck and messed up my truck. Get 4x4, when you need it, you NEED it.

Some things I didn't even think about with 2x4 vs 4x4 is legit tow points on the front. I don't have those on my 2wd truck.

Needless to say- I will never ever not own a 4x vehicle again.

Get 4x4.

Spend the money on 4wd. Ive done plenty offroad in 2wd rigs and there is always that place where you need to keep momentum to not get stuck. Thats when you start bouncing and breaking things which could end up costing more than 4wd. With 4wd you redundancy and 4lo which is handy.

I wouldn't own a truck without 4wd especially with the added weight of a cabover. it does enable slowing down and it's indispensable for flotation in sand or silt.

 

[Victorian]

I owned a 2001 Sprinter with mechanical lockers and 4x4. Used it many times, especially with low range. As others said, you only need it for 1% of your travel time. Is it really worth it? Do you actually really need it where you are going? Best example: We crawled up a "difficult" forest service road to get as remote as possible... 30 minutes after setting up camp a Honda Civic zipped by.... later that day a guy with a regular pick up and 5th wheel wobbled past us.... I was in disbelieve to say the least.

We are now owning a 2wd transit. Have only been on a couple short outings due to covid but I have to say that I was surprised how far we could go with this simple set up.

A more important question I find is the serviceability of the vehicle. At times it was difficult to find a shop to work on the Sprinter. With the Ford we hope to never have that issue. Don't have personal experience with the Fuso/NPR but our customers are reporting some challenges to get help if needed.

 

[rohat]

Another consideration... if you buy a newer Ford with a bed it will have a stiff boxed frame which makes it easier to mount the camper; ie you can hard mount it. With a Fuso or NPR you'll need a subframe and pivots to accommodate flex.

Ya, I'm not fond of the gratuitous "style" of modern pickups either. Plus you definitely end up with a longer vehicle. Think the Ford would be more comfortable on the road though. Plus, over the cab is natural place for a sleeping berth, and you lose that with the Fuso/NPR.

yup. my thoughts exactly. F350/550: cons: long hood, lower cool factor. pros: good ride, easy to get parts, no 4wd conversion, bed over the cab. Cabover: pros: big, cool, height, storage can be built in chassis, good turning radius Cons: big, sourcing parts, slow and heavy, bed will take up room bc no bed over cab.

 

[vintageracer]

From a strictly monetary point of view all you need to do is go a dealer only auction and see the value of the 4WD/AWD option versus an equal 2WD vehicle.

For most pickups, SUV's and cars the added cost of the 4WD/AWD option itself will add about $2,000 to the sticker price of the vehicle. I have seen the price difference on identical make, model condition and mileage used vehicles at wholesale auction vary as much a $5,000+ more depending upon the make/model between the used vehicle equipped with 4WD/AWD option and the used 2 wheel drive equivalent vehicle. Yes it is the 4WD/AWD optioned vehicle that brings far "Mo Money"!

In my opinion if 4WD/AWD is available on any new vehicle you are considering purchasing BUY IT as this is one option that you will always git your money back and maybe much more than the original cost of the 4WD/AWD option when it is time to sell. You might find that your 4WD/AWD equipped vehicle is worth significantly MORE than the original cost of the 4WD/AWD option when time to sell when compared to an equal condition, year model, mileage, condition 2WD vehicle.

 

[4x4tripping]

Depends always on the driver and his needs, if 4x4 is necessary or not. And on the money. A 4x4 will burn more fuel (more weight).

The adventure will be always bigger on the same track - without 4x4..

In many part of the worlds most other will drive a non 4x4 - and reach near the same spots.

Doing wildcamping worldwide, you may be happy to reach a point you are more remote. Personally I would always take the 4x4 option with low gear. Also if it limits the weight what I can carry legal...

Surfy

 

[Buliwyf]

Bed location shouldn't be a plus, for the pickup. Assuming since we're talking about big boxes, that it's diesel. And putting the bed over the cab really isn't a good idea unless the box has jacks for easy removal.

[My Dodges cylinders #5&6 are so far onto the dash that they're part of the stereo.] When I pop the hood for newbs to see the engine they're like:
''I didn't know that the Cummins was just a 4 cylinder?''
"Look further back, waaay back there where no mortal can reach.''

 

[Lwing]

I wouldn't leave home without it, without lockers for that matter, or a winch, getting stuck sucks and I always push the limits and guess what, I still get stuck, and have to crawl around setting up a recovery, it sucks, but maybe I grin a little, get minimum 4x4

 

[billiebob]

4WD, AWD are great plusses but not a substitute for good judgement. Every winter, the number one vehicle in the median is an SUV. 4LO, lockers have many great qualities but most of the places overlanders go can be reached with 2WD and skill. All 4WD did for was allow me to "Tread Lightly".