2wd Tow Rig

[TJTank]

Dumb Idea? I'm having a hard time finding the truck that I want so I am opening myself up to 2wd? Anybody have one?

[dan58]

Keep looking for a 4wd one. I've been several places (including Gore) where I'd have been SOL with only 2wd.

[Cerebus]

Yeah, we had to pull out Giovanni's 2WD truck out at Gore, but that was after a heavy rain weekend. Happick "gets by" with a 2WD truck, maybe he'll chime in if he's ever gotten stuck.

[Mike]

Gore and RC bring the suck in wet conditions.

[Jack]

What are you towing, if you sold your Jeep? Boat?

[TJTank]

What are you towing, if you sold your Jeep? Boat?

buying a trail rig, just as soon as the jeep is gone.

[Jack]

Matt does OK. I have seen him have to be pulled out of a jam by a Ford though, and that is embarrassing.

[Cerebus]

Matt does OK. I have seen have to pulled out of a jam by a Ford though, and that is embarrassing.

Hahaha, I forgot about that. :D

...the final ride at Paragon. :(

[davenjeip]

4WD went out on my truck due to a bad front axle actuator POS thingy, and I ran it for a couple months just having 2WD.

Got stuck at Rausch going up the hill to the old staging area, got stuck in the driveway at Crozet, and got stuck at Big Dogs when I didn't even have a trailer behind me. I use 4WD more often than you would think at the parks, and have needed it to get the trailer moving at an intersection while pulling in the snow. Also park my trailer on the grass at my house, and I need to use 4WD to keep from spinning tires ant tearing up my lawn.

I'd hold out for a 4WD truck.

[Z28YJ]

My truck is 2wd. Hasn't been a problem at RC, even in the snow. But it does seem to have a locker or a pretty tight limited slip.

[TJTank]

I would prefer the 4wd, but as finding one with a 5/6spd is proving impossible I may have to go 2wd. Worst case I get someone to give me a pull to solid ground right?

[Happy Bear]

Ya'll are sissys that need 4wd:)

4wd would definitly be nice to have but I have used my 2wd cummins to go wheeling 10+ times a season for the last 4 years and have had to take a strap 2 times if I remember right. I've used the truck for probably at least 50 trips.

One time at paragon in bad ice/snow the other time was at Eugene's farm when we were way down a long hill in a field and it had been raining hard all weekend.

I've been to Rausch in the worst Ice/snow we get and to Bigdogs in some of the heaviest rain I've seen there and had no problems navigating in and out of the staging area or back to the campsite at Gore.

I like the ride of the 2wd, it tows better then several 4wd trucks I have used and the 3.55 gears tow great, good fuel economy and I can haul ass as well.


It does not do especially well in the snow being a 2wd pickup but only 1 or 2 snowstorms were bad enough that I couldn't safely drive the truck; a FWD car can get through just about any snow we get in MD though.

[TJTank]

guys with auto's what kind of mpg's are you getting?

do I just fail at searching, should I be using something other than cars.com, vehix.com, autotrader.com ?

[Happy Bear]

www.dieseltruckresouce.com

www.turbodieselregister.com

I get 12.5-14.5 mpg loaded mostly highway

14.5-17 mpg driving around unloaded with a good mix of highway/city depending on the time of year

19-21 mpg unloaded all highway

[Scooter]

The ONLY people who will recommend 2wd are the suckers that cheaped out and actually bought a 2wd towrig.

Me, NO WAY a 2wd truck would cut it, I use it for a DD, A tow rig(not just my off road vehicle) and "farm" truck. My truck tows better than a 2wd IMO, it has 3:55's so the fuel economy difference is negligible, unless you are counting every penny, then this sports not for you anyway.
Also, if you ever want to play around with your truck and do a truck pull or dirt drags, you are SOL
Get a 4x4.

Plus I can climb that one hill at RC behind the comp area, no 2wd truck is gonna do that :D

[Scooter]

www.dieseltruckresouce.com

www.turbodieselregister.com

I get 12.5-14.5 mpg loaded mostly highway

14.5-17 mpg driving around unloaded with a good mix of highway/city depending on the time of year

19-21 mpg unloaded all highway

HAHAHAHA, I get MINIMUM 17mpg DD, I get MINIMUM 13mpg towing to RC, and have hit just a twat hair shy of 22mpg on two all highway long distance trips. This is all hand calculated and corrected for tires with a Mopar DRB.
I make a LOT more power than your truck too, I guess there is NO mileage benefit with 2wd over 4wd :confused:

[phillyzj]

great an MPG argument! WOOHOOOOOO :D

[Scooter]

great an MPG argument! WOOHOOOOOO :D

Argument?

[phillyzj]

Argument?

sure why not :)

i was really just joking. seems like everytime MPG comes up, everyone gets better than everyone else.

IMO comparing your truck and matt's is not exactly an ideal comparison. stock for stock with the same drivers over the same terrain is about as exact as you can get.

a lot of heavily modded trucks get better mileage than stock (so i hear/read). A lot of emissions requirements on stock vehicles limit their MPG and modding gets by that. though i know matt has an edge or whatever on his truck though.

just sayin...there are a LOT of variables :) my durango got amazing mileage when i was cruising on back roads at 55-60. can't get the same out of it doing ~70 on the highway though. oh well.

[Scooter]

I hear ya man!. Matt's and my trucks are closer than you think, especially when it comes to emmisions. They are both 24 valve POS's with autos. Both are modified, mine more though. I have heard of guys gaining MPGs as they add power, not so in my case. My MPGs pretty much stayed the same from day 1.

One major difference is I'm turning into an old man, and drive like it. I remember how I drove when I was Matt's age, hammer down! :cool::cool::cool:

[Kack]

It seems like every time I see a talk about a tow rig it turns into a mpg discussion and every guy gets 1 mpg better than the other until it gets rediculous. Who cares, it's fuel and this is a $$ sport. If 10 bucks is gonna make or break your trip, you are in the wrong sport.

/ hijack

Hold out for a 4wd tow rig for sure. Like someone stated earlier, in wet grass it really helps just backing up and stuff. Also, if you're in somone's private place, you don't want to be the d-bag tearing up the grass because you have to get your tires to clean, just to move. Not a cool move if somone's being nice enough to let you park on their property. I personally like to have low range to give the tranny a break climbing slow hills like Crozet in the rain and one of the other places I go. Last March we wheeled Crozet in torrential downpour weather and even with 4 wheel I was all over the place.

[Scooter]

The only reason MPGs came up was because the OP asked what kind of MPG we all got. :rolleyes:

[Mighty Mouse]

I get 10 to 11 empty and 6 towing the K5. My 460 drinks alot.:D

As far as 4wd vs 2wd goes, I would get a 4wd if possible. A 2wd will get the job done but there might be times where you need a tug.

[phillyzj]

I hear ya man!. Matt's and my trucks are closer than you think, especially when it comes to emmisions. They are both 24 valve POS's with autos. Both are modified, mine more though. I have heard of guys gaining MPGs as they add power, not so in my case. My MPGs pretty much stayed the same from day 1.

One major difference is I'm turning into an old man, and drive like it. I remember how I drove when I was Matt's age, hammer down! :cool::cool::cool:

haha, probably a lot with driving style. you have a built auto too right? that might help in the MPG department too.

Some trucks are just weird, AJ's get's what 14 empty 7 towing? yea it's 4wd auto dually but still seems low.


Back to the 2WD comments. mine's not a 3/4 ton ram but my durango is 2wd. It has pissed me off on occasion. I think a LS in the back would help immensely but 4wd is better.

[TJTank]

As much as I don't want to It looks like I may have to go with an auto. I don't plan on any mods other than to improve economy. I drive like an old lady, and with work being about 3 miles from my front door, hopefully it won't brake the bank to bad.


Scooter, are there any must do mods for a 24valve other than a fass or air dog, and gauges ?

[mopar]

first must do for a dodge with an auto trans is to start saving money ..... and keep goerand bros number handy ...



and for the record my cummins 4 wheel drive 4.10 gears built trans and 35's i get 15 mpg .... does not matter what i do highway or around town i get 15 mpg

[Ramsport59]

my 01 cummins 4x4with 4.10s and 35's will get 23mpg on the highway empty light footed.....

It all depends on the rig

Rick

[Numidian]

my 01 cummins 4x4with 4.10s and 35's will get 23mpg on the highway empty light footed.....

It all depends on the rig

Rick

I get 55mpg in my diesel highway with a light foot. :eek:

[96zj]

I get 55mpg in my diesel highway with a light foot. :eek:

I have been getting like 52 on the past couple tanks. Mostly highway with a decent bit of city and traffic driving in there.

[Scooter]

I get 55mpg in my diesel highway with a light foot. :eek:


I have been getting like 52 on the past couple tanks. Mostly highway with a decent bit of city and traffic driving in there.

Since this is the tow rig section, tell us what you guys diesel get towing your rigs? :p

[mopar]

about 12 for me but my rig weighs twice as much as a jeep

[Scooter]

about 12 for me but my rig weighs twice as much as a jeep

Woooosh, right over your head.

[Shane]

I think my 03 ford is in tow mode 24/7 cause i get 12-13 mpg if im unloaded or im pulling 10-11,000 lbs behind me.

I like having 4wd, ive needed it when i went back in crozet to retrieve my rig off a trail with the trailer in tow, needed it when langdon when deck over surfing at camp 6 in big dogs, backing out of my camp spot at rc when its snowy. My rig/trailer is to big and heavy to try and rely on anyone to have to get pulled out so i dont think id ever go to 2 wheel drive.

[mopar]

Woooosh, right over your head.




no not right over my head ...... mine gets 12 towing my rig(1979 plymouth trailduster) which weighs twice as much as a jeep ........

[robieyukon]

To get back on topic. I think a 2wd truck will work if you use your head. make sure you have a posi or locker, good tires, and park down hill when possible so that you can get rolling. Prices for 2wd are much cheaper and they will go almost everywhere a 4wd truck will go with a little brains.
I towed a gooseneck 4 horse trailer for 5yrs with a 2wd dually. I can count on one hand how many times I needed a tow. An easy foot goes a long way :thumbsup:

[phillyzj]

no not right over my head ...... mine gets 12 towing my rig(1979 plymouth trailduster) which weighs twice as much as a jeep ........

yep right on over and it keeps going.....:happybear: