Which is more important? 3/4 ton or 4WD?

ManglerYJ

ManglerYJ

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Lexington, NC
Assuming all other things equal...

I'm thinking towards a tow rig to pull a light weight buggy (approx. 2000 lbs) on a 2000-2500 lb trailer. I have not weighed the trailer, so that's just a guess.

I'll only be pulling the rig about 40 miles each way to Uwharrie and maybe once a year to Tellico. My trailer currently doesn't have brakes, but I will probably look at them very soon after completion of the buggy for at least the front axle.

Assuming I can get an equally equipped 2WD long bed single cab 3/4 ton of the same year, make, and model as a 4WD 1/2 ton reg cab long bed, which would you choose and why?

Assume identical powertrain setup for both rigs also.
 
Assuming same drivetrain, I would have to say 4wd. With properly rated tires and a stable load with the tongue weight dialed in the 1/2 ton would be fine on the road. The last thing you want is a stuck tow rig and trailer at the trailhead. Plus, you never know when you might have to back that trailer uphill on a loose surface. Just my 2 pennies.
 
4wd for sure. That's a light rig/trailer combo, and well within the tow capacity of any 1/2 ton on the market. You'll know it when it's back there, but since you'll hardly ever tow, it won't make much difference in the long run, especially with trailer brakes.

And 4wd might not seem that important at the dealership, but it makes all the difference in the world when it's 35 degrees and raining and you're stuck in wet grass.
 
Ill say 3/4 depending on what make/model/year.. 'most' 3/4tons have larger brakes and a little heavier suspension.

You've already said your towing to URE and 1-2 trips to Tellico, so that says you will have good parking areas. Again depending on the truck the 3/4 ton won't weight 7k# empty like the newer HD trucks so the stuck on wet grass bit won't be so dramatic..

with the 1/2 ton I'd even look to drop some weight by using an open deck or similar trailer.
 
I'd rather have 4wd. A lot easier to upgrade the suspension and brakes than convert to 4wd and I find myself using 4wd about every other time I tow. Dixie Run at Tellico, Callalantee parking lot during winter months, pulling to the top of the mountain at Harlan, going to get a friends broken rig at UNF all require 4wd at times.
 
I'm on the 4wd side too, just about finished converting my Z71 to a 1500HD its not that hard, but the whole wet grass thing seems dumb until your in a feild with a trailer attached to you, heck at the Rockrace i had to use 4wd to back my Z71/trailer/Jeep outta my parking spot, I mean i was on a hill and my tires are bald but yea, 4wd definitly.
 
I seem to use 4wd almost every trip. At the Dixie run last year it was wet and even a little muddy in the grass and 2wd rigs were getting stuck a lot. I used it at Harlan a week ago just because it's nice to have low gearing when you're getting it lined up into the spot next to the cabin. I used it at Callalantee for the same reason.

Like mentioned above, I've used 4wd at DPG too. If you're going to off road destinations all the time 4wd is a key thing to have.
 
I think all the 4wd guys are biasing the results. I have never been stuck with my 2wd rig. I have had to unload the trailer twice to get the rig where I wanted, but that was at night in the rain at crozet. With a 2wd you just have to think exit when you are parking and can't always drive where you want.

The questions you probably need to answer is how long do you want to keep the tow rig, how much can you spend, and what else will you find that you "need" to tow once you have it?

I know I didn't have anything but my rig to tow when I bought my truck. Now I have two rigs, a pontoon boat, and I am slowly picking up more light weight toys that I need to haul on a little trailer. I think you will be safe either way you go, but I do enjoy having a larger tow rig. Of course my trail rig weighs about what your entire setup does.
 
I tow a 4750lbs (loaded wight) trailer w/trailer brakes with my 1500 gmc. drive smart and the 1/5 ton is fine. I have been stuck on wet grass in my yard trying to move the trailer after it had been parked for awile. 4wheel drive did not help, utill i unhooked the trailer. moved truck and placed pavers at the four, now bear of grass, wheel marks. Then moved tariler. 4x4 is great to have in a tow rig. Low range is handy to.

Just get a 3/4ton 4X4.
 
That's sort of what I was figuring. I think if worst came to worst and I pulled the rig and trailer in somewhere that I got stuck in, I could always unhook the trailer and pull it short distance with the buggy (which of course WOULD be 4WD) and then load up again once I get everything back on terra firma. A little annoying, but it is doable as long as I have a hitch receiver on the buggy.

Down&Dirty said:
I think all the 4wd guys are biasing the results. I have never been stuck with my 2wd rig. I have had to unload the trailer twice to get the rig where I wanted, but that was at night in the rain at crozet. With a 2wd you just have to think exit when you are parking and can't always drive where you want.
The questions you probably need to answer is how long do you want to keep the tow rig, how much can you spend, and what else will you find that you "need" to tow once you have it?
I know I didn't have anything but my rig to tow when I bought my truck. Now I have two rigs, a pontoon boat, and I am slowly picking up more light weight toys that I need to haul on a little trailer. I think you will be safe either way you go, but I do enjoy having a larger tow rig. Of course my trail rig weighs about what your entire setup does.
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I'll chime in and say 4wd. I recently bought a 2wd Dodge 2500 heavy duty and used it to haul my rig to EJS. The very first day I arrived, I got stuck in the parking area behind the hotel. This is a good parking area, although the surface is dirt / sand. If I had the 4wd, I would have driven right out of it. As it was, I had to unload the jeep to pull my tow rig out of the sand (and it really wasn't that deep, but an open diff'd 2wd is really only one wheel drive).

I had a 2002 Dodge 1500 4wd and pulled my rig and trailer all over the states of Utah, Nevada, New Mexico and California. It had the 4.7L and it did a great job. A little underpowered, but I could cruise all day at 65-75 mph and only on the biggest hills would I really notice it.

On this EJS trip, I stopped at a scale, and weighed my setup. The weight of the trailer's tandem axles was just over 5000 lbs. I'm not sure how much tongue weight was really on my rig, but with the 2500, you couldn't really tell the weight was on there. With the 1500, if I got the jeep too far forward, you could see it in the 'level' of the truck. I would usually get a few high beam flashes even when I was on low beam.

My next truck will be a 1500 (4wd of course, with the Hemi), although I think I will put a set of overload springs or something on it to better handle the tongue weight. My 2500 has the hemi, and that thing pulls really well.
 
My tow rig has a manual transmission, and I find the low range of the 4wd very handy when manuevering around my yard/driveway while backing the trailer into where I park it. More controlled with less slipping of the clutch required. Just something else to think about.
 
ManglerYJ said:
That's sort of what I was figuring. I think if worst came to worst and I pulled the rig and trailer in somewhere that I got stuck in, I could always unhook the trailer and pull it short distance with the buggy (which of course WOULD be 4WD) and then load up again once I get everything back on terra firma. A little annoying, but it is doable as long as I have a hitch receiver on the buggy.
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You're making one HUGE assumption - that your 4wd is not broken. Half the reason to get a trailer is so you can play rough. Now you've got to go bug someone else to pull ya out.

Or, take the money you save by not getting a 4wd or 3/4 ton and get a winch on a multi-mount.. another thought for ya..

I've got the new(er) truck bug again, and that was one of the thoughts that ran through my mind, since it saves you dealing with all the extra components of a 4wd truck as a DD.
 
4wd would be nice but I'd take a 3/4 or 1 ton 2wd over a 1/2 ton anyday. I purposely have bought 2wd duallys for my tow rigs because I don't want all the extra 4wd crap on my tow rig. Ask Brownhornet on here what it cost to rebuild the front end of his 3/4 ton 4x4 dodge. I've always had 2wd tow rigs and have yet to get stuck, not saying it won't ever happen, but then again I never really go anywhere to ride.:lol:
Not to mention the ride in a 2wd is waaaaaay better than most 4x4's I've been in.
 
I would figure out your budget of how much you can afford and find a way to do both. If you short yourself in the beginning, you'll be sorry later. I've seen a badass buggy on a truck and trailer that couldn't pull the wet grassy hill across the creek at Crawfords. Not naming names....he just needed a little tug to make it. Do your homework on line. Ford has a website that has all the ratings and specs on older trucks. I new what mine would tow and do before I commited. Also when hitting the dealers, open the driver door and there should be a decal that tells you the ratings of that truck on the B post. Alot of good sound advice on this thread.
 
How 'Bout this...

Bring what you got to tow with, an' a good tow strap or at least a chain with some hooks on it...

Or pay for AAA...your choice
 
I use my 4wd Nissan to tow my boat, it's maneuverable and with crawler gears and a locker I can position the boat trailer where ever I need to. Plus there is not much chance of slippage at the boat ramp. Not unlike moving a buggy on a trailer, you need to be able to maneuver easily and make sure you can tug it through, over, or around whatever you need to.

If I was towing on road exclusively I would get the 2wd, I do that all the time with my Dodge 2500 and a 16' tandem enclosed for work. I never get stuck, but I'm never in gravel, grass, or dirt either.
 
you can't get a dmax, cummins or powerho, in a 1500 so i would say 3/4 ton, my last 3 tow rigs have been 2 wheel drive, mainly b/c of price and i think 4x4 stuff wears, out gets loose, costs money, a 2wd drive rides better and goes straighter in my opinion which is important to me when your towing a fairly heavy load. nothing would be worse than a 1500 that is loose.
 
Shannon said:
definately 3/4 ton. If you get stuck in 2wd, put in a detroit.
HTH,
Shannon
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That brings up a good point. I've often contemplated getting a 2WD and putting a selectable locker (OX or ARB) in the rear of it. i noticed that once I locked the rear end of my Jeep (when I had it), that I rarely needed 4WD anymore on the trail. I usually only pulled the lever on a serious obstacle.

On a tow rig, I'd figure that having both tires pulling that have the weight pretty much directly over them would most likely be sufficient in all but the most extreme circumstances.

What's the concensus on that?
 
Mine has a limited slip and it will hook up when I need it to. An ARB would be cool but since I can't afford them for my trail rig there is no way I am dishing out that cash for my tow rig. 2wd is not a big down side. Much cheaper to maintain, rides better, and much cheaper to maintain. If you get stuck, you are typically wheeling with people anyway so just make them pull you out.
 
I wouldn't own a 2wd truck in my situation. Living and working on a farm, I have to have 4wd to get in and out of some of our pastures on a wet day with a heavy trailer hooked up. So if it were me, I'd buy an older truck that was both 3/4 ton and 4wd - but given the choices, I'd rather have a 3/4 ton and 2wd than a half ton for towing a rig.

- Mac
 
Just came back from Tellico. Camped on the TN side as I usually come through Robbinsville via the Scenic Highway. Just for grins and to get some mileage/time checks so I would know what I was talking about, I came back on Trail 1 and through Murphy which I hadn't done in years. My driver side ujoint was busted on the tow rig and as I have unit bearing hubs in the 96 Ram 2500 I was just running the stub shaft, basically 2wd. I did make it through Trail 1 with some creative driving, backing and throttle but it was close. I wouldn't want to try it again and will be sure to have my 4wd fixed before I tow again!
 
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