4x4 Is It Needed
 

Hey Yall I'm Thinking Of Getting A F350 Dully Crew Cab And I Was Wondering If Ya Guys Think That A 4x4 Is Needed. It Will Be Hauling Our 92 Topgun Kevlar Which Weights About 13,500 With Trailer And All. Obviously I Know It's Better To Have 4x4 But I'm A 22 Year Old That Wants To Make The Truck Look Pretty. What I Want To Do With It , Can't Be Done With 4x4. So I Would Like Some Input On The People That Have 4x2 And Haul About The Same Weight That I Will Be Hauling Or People That Use To Have A 4x2 And Changed It For A 4x4. Thanks In Advance

Donz Jr Mike

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

Those ramps seem to get slippery at times, go with a 4X4, when the situation arises you will be glad you did. Besides the truck won't look to pretty when it cannot get the boat out of the water because the back tires are smoking. :)

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

hauling is not the problem, its when you dip the rig. i have seen to many guys dip their rigs with a 4x4 and not have it engaged only to be pulled out by another truck. if you dip your boat a lot in my eyes its a must. like i said just hauling its fine, but its the few times you will need it at a wet ramp or one that is not so great. for the few extra bucks well worth it. i have a f-450 4x4 and a f-550 4x2 never ever do i dip it with the 550. just my 2 cents.........

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

Go for the 4X4... it's well worth it when you have to crawl up a slippery ramp... I did it many times with a 2 wheel drive dually... what a pain in the butt.... most of the time it pulled fine.... but just as the front wheels would crest the top of the ramp... the weight would come off the rear wheels and they would spin... not a pretty sight........ I sometimes had to make several runs to get up the ramp......... :hothead:

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

Even backing down some ramps, if there slipery, the front wheels can start to slide on a 2WD if you have to brake sudenly. But the 4x4 don't.

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

I'll never have another truck that's not a 4x4. The way I look at it, it's cheap insurance that you can get out of something that you get yourself into, especially on a wet boat ramp, without having to have someone pull you, or worse yet, have a bunch of people jumping up and down in the back of your truck... :D

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

Just last week, my friend had his boat hauled. It is a 27ft. fishing boat with outboards, the truck was an F350. They couldn't get the boat up the ramp with 2 wheel drive, they had to get another truck to help the F350 get up the ramp.

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

Both my vehicles are 4x4. I wouldn't do without.

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

My sentiments exactly

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

I would not own a truck (or any tow vehicle) without 4-wheel drive.

It will be the difference between spinning your tires on a wet, slick ramp, and pulling out slowly with zero problems.

It's well worth the money for us "ramp boaters"! :D

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

Absolutely buy a 4x4. Not only will you be kicking yourself slipping down the ramp, but everyone will laugh at you. :D

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

4x4 all the way.
First time you hit a ram that's wet, slick, or sandy you'll appreciate it.
One local ramp is steep and many truck have trouble pulling boats up and out. I drop mine into 4x4 low and out it comes real easy.

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

No question 4x4!!

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

Definitely 4x4.. I had a 2 wheel drive truck before, but got tired of smoking the tires to get up a slippery ramp and bought a 4x4....

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

If you don't get 4wd, you will be sorry the first time you get stuck on a wet ramp. The only time I ever use 4wd is on the ramp, but it is worth it. Go for it.

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

4x4

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

Believe it or not, duallys have less traction. I did not believe it till the first time I went to haul out, barely touched the peddle and wheels spun! Get 4X4!!!!!!!

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

either a 4x4 or put a winch on the front of the 2wd

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

I must be real lucky.

I've towed and splashed the following with a Ford F350, 2wd, crew, with not 1 problem:

30' Scarab Sport
302 Formula
Gun
50' Nortech Cat
50' Nortech V

Did have Limited slip and ramps were in good condition.

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

I've never had a problem on the ramps either but i've seen a couple 4x2 super duty diesels get stuck on wet grass :eek:

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

4x4, its a must.

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

Every time I seeing someone having a problem at a ramp, They seemed to have gone to that "When In Doubt, Gas It !!!! " school of driving. :D

In fact, My wife and I were laughing our asses off last week when the guy next to us was smoking the tires off a 2500 Chevy (2WD) trying to get a 18-20' run about out.

He kept just putting it to floor and spinning the hell out of it.

At the time, I had my old F150 (Single Wheel Peel) with the Scarab, and pulled mine right out.

I heard him tell his girl friend it was because my Ford didn't have enough power to spin the tires :D :D

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

One tire fire!!

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

There are 4 ramps around here I use. One ramp forget about it without 4X4, and one other can be questionable. As to loosing the brakes I put it in drive when I'm backing down. If I need to slow down I use the gas. Never locks up that way.

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

thanks guys 4x4 it will be

donz jr mike

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

the truck won't look to pretty when it cannot get the boat out of the water because the back tires are smoking. :D :chimp: :eek:

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

Chit I need to lock it in just to move my boat around in gravel. But I do have a 4 axle trailer thats a little hard to turn sharp.

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

When Crazyhorse and I picked up his 38 Flatdeck on Floriduh a couple of years ago, he was driving (and still is) a 2wd dually crew cab Chevy deisel. We had to have myself, Dave Dahl (DJD on this board) a couple of big guys at the ramp stand on the trailer tongue to get the boat out of the water. And this was on a nice long level ramp. As soon as the front tires got past the top of the ramp the rears started to spin. Took 2 trys to get the boat out and it probably wieghs about what yours weighs.

Go 4x4 and never look back!!!

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

Just my $0.02..
I had a 3500 series Chevy Dually, 2WD..got stuck on the ramp a bunch of times. I have a 2500 series Suburban 4WD, and I haven't gotten stuck anywhere....and, my boat is bigger now than with the dually.
hope this helps.
C

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

What he said.....

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

who says 4x4's cant be pretty

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

You know a 4X4 aint gonna hurt your resale either.

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

1995 40 hustler with tripples and tripple axle steel trailer. Duramax diesel allison tranny 1ton 2wd 6/8 suspension drop, steep ass ramp in the photo, no problem

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

4x4

I used non 4x4 for years and got real lucky. I was the master on getting 18,000 lbs out without a 4x4. Only once did we have to strap onto someone else's to duoble pull out. I did not have a dually. A dually will spin very easy.

Now with a 4x4 in low, it feels like someone rear-ended me as I fly up a ramp. You have all winter to look. Go to auto trader.

Mark

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

I tow a 43 Black Thunder with a 1997 Chevy 2wd crew cab dually. Boat on the trailer weighs about 14,500 lbs. Never had a problem on a ramp. I am particular about the ramps I use. Get a locking rear. Drive it up the ramp in low like you had a egg under the gas pedal. As for backing down get a trailer with electric over hydraulic disc brakes. Back down in neutral so the rear wheels are not driving and let gravity do the work. Make sure the truck has 4 wheel disc not rear drum brakes, as this will also help. 4wd costs about 1 mpg going down the road and costs to maintain. It is a bad idea to back down in drive, check the owners manual.

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

Thinking Of Something Like This Instead Of The 4x2 Dully After I Read All Of Yall's Post. I Wanted To Slamm The Dully On The 24.5 But As Most Of Ya Guys Probably Know Ya Can Slamm 4x4 So Now I Will Lift On Some 44 Or 46 Inch Swampers

Donz Jr Mike

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

What I Had In Mind And With Air Ride Suspension That Lift Like 5 Inches

Donz Jr Mike

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

Dont go too big or towing will be a problem. ya gotta keep your truck usable. :cool: I've got 6" of lift and 35's. Im gonna squeese 37 on this spring.

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

:d

Re: 4x4 Is It Needed
 

With 13k you need to keep it stock and strong when it comes to suspension...24.5's or boggers won't have the load rating needed to tow the Cig.

4x4 is a cheap form of insurance and the one time you need it will pay for itself :D