What do you tow with 4WD or AWD ?

[redneck joe]

Since 98 i'm on my third 4x and only because, absent of that option, it was the vehicle I wanted. There have been only a handful of times I've used the 4x in a ramp situation and all but one of those I probably could have stayed in 2x it was just easier to pop in and go.

I've got a dually now and I've read on here that it has less traction than a SRW. Also was talking to my buddy just last weekend that has a 2X DRW and he's had to get pulled that 2-3 feet to get him started.


and a few weeks ago wife was puling the truck up to park and she got caught in all the milfoil that had blown up to the ramp - sure was nice just to tell her to do the 4X and not worry about her stressing on being 'stuck' at the ramp.

 

[jkust]

My GMC Yukon Denai SUV is full time AWD. I've had it on a lift, and it's got the standard GM 10 bolt rear with 3.73s, and Independent front suspension. The transfer case looks just like any other GM truck, but it doesn't have a shift mechanism on it. I don't have 4WD low, but the truck has been reliable pulling my boat on the slimiest ramps, off roading in deep soft beach sand, driving in ice/snow, etc... The front tires screech a little on asphalt parking lots, so I know the AWD is working. It's a common gripe with these trucks.

I think that GMC, Cadillac, and the Ford Expedition might be the only true AWD trucks.

I would like to get a GMC Yukon Denali XL but wished it had the selector like the Suburbans do. I'm talking the previous generation. On the flip side, it would be my wife's daily driver and I could see her somehow putting the truck into 4wd low if it were to be a Suburban and taking off down the highway. The On demand AWD systems are also a MPG robber which I don't like but like the 6.2 in the Denali's having had issues with 2 of my three 5.3's using oil due to the the displacement on demand system which the 6.2 doesn't have. End of the day, I just want a truck based vehicle that has some ability to power the front wheels. I've lived with the On demand AWD systems on my last three truck based SUV's for about the last 9 years and they've done good by me.

 

[Rapio]

Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi Quadcab 4x4. Towing was never my issue. Fresh water ramps are fine. It is the salt water ramps with built up slime that makes me appreciate 4x4

 

[drrnjnr]

I tow my(our) Campion Explorer 542 on a Riba trailer (about 1750kg) with a Mercedes Vito van, a most excellent diesel with 90hp but LOADS of torques.........makes a very easy job, and you can have a nap in the back too! Boat ramps are dead easy too with the front wheel drive.

 

[SeaDooSam]

Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi Quadcab 4x4. Towing was never my issue. Fresh water ramps are fine. It is the salt water ramps with built up slime that makes me appreciate 4x4

How do you like it and how much does your boat weigh?

 

[SeaDooSam]

Ram 1500 5.7 Hemi Quadcab 4x4. Towing was never my issue. Fresh water ramps are fine. It is the salt water ramps with built up slime that makes me appreciate 4x4

How do you like it and how much does your boat weigh?

Sorry for the duplicate post. computer going crazy

 

[boatman37]

not Rapio but i love my 2013 Ram 1500 QC 4x4 Hemi. my boat and trailer are about 8000lbs. no problems at all.

 

[mjf55]

2004 Ram 1500 4x4, but have not had to use 4WD when pulling the boats.

 

[HT32BSX115]

My GMC Yukon Denai SUV is full time AWD. I've had it on a lift, and it's got the standard GM 10 bolt rear with 3.73s, and Independent front suspension. The transfer case looks just like any other GM truck, but it doesn't have a shift mechanism on it. I don't have 4WD low, but the truck has been reliable pulling my boat on the slimiest ramps, off roading in deep soft beach sand, driving in ice/snow, etc... The front tires screech a little on asphalt parking lots, so I know the AWD is working. It's a common gripe with these trucks.

I think that GMC, Cadillac, and the Ford Expedition might be the only true AWD trucks.

Your (1/2T chassis) Denali either has a viscous coupling or electric/hydraulically actuated clutches in the transfer case for torque splitting. If you don't have a "Lock" function or it's NOT selected and the tires are scuffing in turns on dry pavement, you need to have it looked at before it's damaged.

Your tires should never slip in turns on dry pavement with an AWD system.

Just about all the AWD suvs now have traction control (computerized selective individual wheel braking + multiclutch torque control front-backl ) It just works great. The driver cannot (or shouldn't be able to) tell when a wheel is braked (or the middle clutch is activated) to prevent slipping.

I've got a dually now and I've read on here that it has less traction than a SRW. Also was talking to my buddy just last weekend that has a 2X DRW and he's had to get pulled that 2-3 feet to get him started.

An empty DRW truck needs more weight (almost double) on the back axle than a SRW truck would need with the same tire pressure to produce the same the same tire-surface coefficient of friction (on each tire, so you wouldn't need that much to get the total etc as it were.............).

 

[gtochris]

My 4Runner has an on-demand 4x4 system where you can be in 2wd or 4x4 that is automatic with a manual locking center differential and of course, 4LO.
We used the 4x4 HI mode every time, our ramp has gravel which complicates things, we have used LO a few times on really steep ramps and it's a great tool.
I definitely use 4x4 often either off-road, snow, or boat towing, I couldn't imagine owning an SUV without.
Growing up my parents had a 2wd Astro van, it did the job but required an extra level of care and choice when picking ramps. We then had a 4x4 Tahoe and mode made small work of any ramp.

 

[Rapio]

How do you like it and how much does your boat weigh?

Sorry for the duplicate post. computer going crazy

​My boat isn't as heavy as Boatman37 below and I haven't weighed it. However I do mountain passes to 6% grade and sometimes a bit more. Good truck no real problems. Also pull a 2 horse trailer. As I said in another trailer post, I installed Firestone air bags and LT tires. Altho' the 5.7 Hemi has a couple cylinders that go on vacation when not working, this truck is bit of a fuel hog when pulling.

 

[SeaDooSam]

​My boat isn't as heavy as Boatman37 below and I haven't weighed it. However I do mountain passes to 6% grade and sometimes a bit more. Good truck no real problems. Also pull a 2 horse trailer. As I said in another trailer post, I installed Firestone air bags and LT tires. Altho' the 5.7 Hemi has a couple cylinders that go on vacation when not working, this truck is bit of a fuel hog when pulling.

Thanks. Not too many hills where we pull.

 

[jkust]

Your (1/2T chassis) Denali either has a viscous coupling or electric/hydraulically actuated clutches in the transfer case for torque splitting. If you don't have a "Lock" function or it's NOT selected and the tires are scuffing in turns on dry pavement, you need to have it looked at before it's damaged.

Your tires should never slip in turns on dry pavement with an AWD system.

Just about all the AWD suvs now have traction control (computerized selective individual wheel braking + multiclutch torque control front-backl ) It just works great. The driver cannot (or shouldn't be able to) tell when a wheel is braked (or the middle clutch is activated) to prevent slipping.



An empty DRW truck needs more weight (almost double) on the back axle than a SRW truck would need with the same tire pressure to produce the same the same tire-surface coefficient of friction (on each tire, so you wouldn't need that much to get the total etc as it were.............).

One of the big issues for some of the GM on demand awd systems is they had I believe a 50k fluid replacement interval for the AWD system. People would skip it not paying attention that that the service interval is so short. I've heard of a lot of systems locking up keeping the front wheels engaged all the time until they implode. I can generally tell under certain conditions when the GM Stabilitrac is activated because mostly just because it will immediately straighten out the suv if I am being too aggressive on the ice or snow. At that point you can do whatever you want with the gas and it won't let you do anything but go straight.

 

[hemi rt]

Also the traction control only works on the wheels that have power applied to the so if you have a front wheel drive vehicle the traction control will only work on the front wheels. What is making a vehicle go straight as stated above is the electronic stability program (ESP), even though they use the brakes, just as most TCS system, they work on all the wheels but have nothing to do with the TCS system

 

[MH Hawker]

i rarely have to use 4x in the last 3 plus years it was one at one ramp but it was nice to hit the button, its a lot more in snow

 

[boatman37]

i get about 10 MPG pulling my boat and about 15-16 MPG empty in town.

i don't use 4WD to pull the boat up the ramp but its nice to have if i ever need it

 

[Blind Date]

When the boat gets put away the snowmobiles come out. 2WD is not an option w/me for towing on snowy and/or icey roads. The mileage robbing AWD systems on some of the full-size GM SUV's is a show stopper for me. I prefer the traditional 4WD with low range in my 2007 Tahoe. The "auto" mode is perfect on snowy roads as the truck doesn't push through the corners.

 

[jkust]

When the boat gets put away the snowmobiles come out. 2WD is not an option w/me for towing on snowy and/or icey roads. The mileage robbing AWD systems on some of the full-size GM SUV's is a show stopper for me. I prefer the traditional 4WD with low range in my 2007 Tahoe. The "auto" mode is perfect on snowy roads as the truck doesn't push through the corners.

Agreed, you can 'get away' with 2wd and a limited slip or locking rear at the ramp but when winter comes, it is amazing how often having a trailer full of sleds going down some icy dirt road, up a hill, out in the boonies makes 4wd something of a necessity. It's that tool that you don't use terribly often, but when you need it, it is a necessity.

 

[thumpar]

I had an AWD for about 15 years and then went to my Yukon. I can select 2wd, 4wd hi or lo, and auto awd. A reason I won't go with the Denali version is that it is stuck in AWD full time. My AWD was a Safari van. It got about the same mileage as my Yukon in 2wd and it can tow more.

 

[bassman284]

​My boat isn't as heavy as Boatman37 below and I haven't weighed it. However I do mountain passes to 6% grade and sometimes a bit more. Good truck no real problems. Also pull a 2 horse trailer. As I said in another trailer post, I installed Firestone air bags and LT tires. Altho' the 5.7 Hemi has a couple cylinders that go on vacation when not working, this truck is bit of a fuel hog when pulling.

Yeah that's the problem with the 5.7. When you're towing NOTHING goes on vacation.