On the ramps I use, I would never be able to pull my boat out without 4wd. They are pretty steep and usually wet. Not to mention 4wd is a must for me with our winter weather. I had a 3500 dually before my current 2500HD and if there was even a 1/2 inch of snow on the ground, it got real slippery real quick without 4wd.

A bit of my history...
1995 Chevy s10 2wd, 5 speed, 22' Scarab, sketchy ramp...made it! but stupid.
1995 1500 Chevy 4x4 22 Scarab or 24 Condor...no worries.
1989 Chevy 3500 diesel dually 2WD, new tires, sketchy ramp, 24' Condor=stuck.
1995 2500 454 Suburban 4x4, same ramp, 26' Sutphen..no problems, ever.
2006 F250 Quad cab,shortbed, turbo diesel,4x4...bring it on!
$.02
chris

Im not sure I would agree. The things that are going to go wrong on a newer truck are in the motor or the trans. Youve got that on both. Maintenance wise you have a front diff that along with the rear needs to be changed once every two or three yrs....if that. Ive never had any t-case issues or maintenance in any of the 7 or 8 4x4s ive owned. Im still of the opinion that it is just as easy and cost efficient to own a 4x4 as a 2wd and a whole lot more useful when you need it.

I would never ever buy a 2wd truck. once there was somekind of an accident at the boat ramp I launched. could not use it for hours and hours, so I asked my friend to drive the truck and trailer the closest lauch ramp. There was unfortunatly only one other launch ramp, and it was made more for small fishing boat than 357 formula. It was not even asphalt launch ramp, it was a dirt launch ramp...

Man was I happy to have the 4WD ! And I really needed it!

4 x 4 all the way!

Speaking of 4x4's does anyone have a line on a 2008 chevy 3500 crewcab dulley must be victody red LTZ gut loaded. I can't find one in Texas area all sold any leads will be appreciated. Thanks

Exactly. Buy a 4x4.

The good thing about 4X4 trucks is they have low range, great for pulling off a steep ramp with heavy boat, less strain on tranny & engine

my thought in going 2wd was to save money on the initial purchase (trying to save money). I only use my pickup for the boat and occasionally a car trailer. I am a dealer so snow and inclement weather are not really consideration.I'm not too worried about maintenance because the truck will probably be rarely used (the 20 0r so times I use the boat) and the boat is stored 1/8th of a mile from the ramp. I plan a couple of trips next season but probably won't put 2,000 miles on it anyway. But after reading most of the responses it looks like I'm going to shop for a late 90's Chevy or GMC diesel dually 4x4.
Thanks

The late 90s GM diesels are not strong towers. The 6.5L TD is a dog, as you can get more grunt and reliability out of the 454 gassers.

If you are shopping for that vintage of vehicle, look for a 7.3L PSD Ford. The 7.3L is one of their best ever, and the entire trucks are about as bulletproof as one could get.

Traded my 97 Chevy 3500 dually for a 7.3 PSD. I had a Manual 6.5 and I don't think it was nearly as much of a dog as the Autos probably were. Had 293k on it when I sold it I believe....3rd Gear Syncros were a bad problem in them.

BEST move I ever made. I don't know about ALL of the late 90's GM vehicles, but I know mine had drums in the rear and made stopping a nerve wracking experience with 15k behind me.... Got it done, but it wasn't pretty