I'm looking for a new truck. I read some articles that 4wd isn't necessarily better for snow. I always thought it was a no-brainer that 4wd was better, but they were talking about cars, not trucks, and were saying things like snow tires and possibly chains are what make the most difference.
The only reason I lean towards hoping a 2WD is as good if not better than a 4x4 is because it's less parts. I'm buying it used, I don't want to worry that the previous owner messed up the trans and then have to replace it (or both in a 4x4?) in a year or two. Plus I might find a good deal and it's 2WD. I won't be realty towing much or towing on big hills, so I don't think I'll need 4x4 for towing, just for snow. Maybe I'll try uprooting really small stumps with it though.
I have a 2WD Ranger now. It's pretty bad in the snow with the bed empty or even with ~500lbs.
I drive like a bjtch in the snow too, I let people pass me sometimes, because I'd rather play it safe then to learn from an accident what the threshold of MPH and maneuvering is with this truck. I mean, I've messed around and did donuts and turns etc in empty parking lots and got an idea of its threshold but it is definitely pretty bad in the snow. It doesn't get stuck from a dead stop too bad like most of the coupes I've owned but it fishtails much worse.
so anyway, long story here, but I can't stress enough how much I never want anything remotely like this to ever happen again:
Last Winter I had a spur of the moment decision to go snowboarding. I didn't check the weather. It's very hilly near the ski resort of course. I usually don't deal with hills like this. I was like 10 mins from the ski place and it started snowing that thick snow that sticks to the pavement immediately.
I kid you not, how I made it to that ski place without crashing in the next 10 minutes felt like a 1 in 500,000 chance. Everyone was fishtailing and/or doing like 3 MPH on the way down the hills which I was going up. There were cars that are supposed to be great in the snow like 4wd subarus etc fishtailing at like 5MPH and sliding down the hill. There were boulders and possibly cliffs 5' to my right. There was no where to stop on these country cliff roads. It was so steep I would have slid back if I stopped. I literally had the wheel completely turned to the left in order to be going straight at certain times, and with cars right next to me in the opposite lane. I was freaking out. I had some Fn @#%^ behind me like riding my @#$ and the whole time I'm obviously flashing my high beams, I have a giant industrial emergency light on my truck that came with it that I had on, I was laying on the horn and beeping erratically.
I miraculously made it to a flat area where I could pull over. I start flagging down people asking if they were local etc and if they knew if they were going to even plow and salt these middle of nowhere roads. All I got was a 'maybe' from some locals and people that worked at the ski place which was like 10 seconds away up one last hill. I thought I was gonna sleep in my car but didn't know how long I'd be there until they plowed the area so I could go down the hills, or if they were going to plow and salt at all. After sitting like an hour or something, I decide to go for it up the one last hill to the resort parking lot where I might or might not have slept in my truck if they plowed the streets by the time I was done skiing. It was a small hill that takes like 8 seconds to drive up with no snow, so I waited for no oncoming cars and went for it up the center of the road with the highbeams and hazards flashing, laying on the horn erratically, emergency light going, and then @#% @%# #2 just couldn't' wait 5 seconds I guess and starts driving down the hill as I'm going up the center of the road! I don't know how I didn't crash into them or the rock wall 2' to my right.
So anyway, I snowboarded and by the time they closed, they had plowed and salting the roads fantastically, and I drove home fine (slowly).
I just kinda started researching this with watching youtube comparison videos etc and will probably end up with a 4WD, but I figured I'd also ask here since most of you have trucks anyway and might be in very hilly areas. What I've seen so far in comparison videos isn't really what I described either though. I haven't encountered hills/conditions like this except for going to the ski resort and usually I'm ok with the 2WD and going slow, but I would be nice to go skiing and not worry about if it's going to snow/freeze and also just to have the assurance in case I somehow find myself in similar situation even though if not on the way to the ski resort.
Is it simply that yes, 4WD is better overall for handling but doesn't guarantee at all that I can safely drive in conditions like this even if I add snow straps/chains (and possibly adding bed weight even though it's already a 4WD)?
side note, it makes me wonder with all the automated driving technology coming out now how they account for slippery conditions like this.
EDIT: snow tires, I just get whatever fits from the junkyard. I get tires that are like %80 tred installed with previous tires removed for a total of like $35 each. Don't really want to spend I dunno $400 for a set of snow tires and change them out twice a year to other tires, but will definitely get chains/straps if they are much better than snow tires anyway. But then I dunno if I shouldn't drive on black salted pavement with the chains/straps.
thanks for any input
The only reason I lean towards hoping a 2WD is as good if not better than a 4x4 is because it's less parts. I'm buying it used, I don't want to worry that the previous owner messed up the trans and then have to replace it (or both in a 4x4?) in a year or two. Plus I might find a good deal and it's 2WD. I won't be realty towing much or towing on big hills, so I don't think I'll need 4x4 for towing, just for snow. Maybe I'll try uprooting really small stumps with it though.
I have a 2WD Ranger now. It's pretty bad in the snow with the bed empty or even with ~500lbs.
I drive like a bjtch in the snow too, I let people pass me sometimes, because I'd rather play it safe then to learn from an accident what the threshold of MPH and maneuvering is with this truck. I mean, I've messed around and did donuts and turns etc in empty parking lots and got an idea of its threshold but it is definitely pretty bad in the snow. It doesn't get stuck from a dead stop too bad like most of the coupes I've owned but it fishtails much worse.
so anyway, long story here, but I can't stress enough how much I never want anything remotely like this to ever happen again:
Last Winter I had a spur of the moment decision to go snowboarding. I didn't check the weather. It's very hilly near the ski resort of course. I usually don't deal with hills like this. I was like 10 mins from the ski place and it started snowing that thick snow that sticks to the pavement immediately.
I kid you not, how I made it to that ski place without crashing in the next 10 minutes felt like a 1 in 500,000 chance. Everyone was fishtailing and/or doing like 3 MPH on the way down the hills which I was going up. There were cars that are supposed to be great in the snow like 4wd subarus etc fishtailing at like 5MPH and sliding down the hill. There were boulders and possibly cliffs 5' to my right. There was no where to stop on these country cliff roads. It was so steep I would have slid back if I stopped. I literally had the wheel completely turned to the left in order to be going straight at certain times, and with cars right next to me in the opposite lane. I was freaking out. I had some Fn @#%^ behind me like riding my @#$ and the whole time I'm obviously flashing my high beams, I have a giant industrial emergency light on my truck that came with it that I had on, I was laying on the horn and beeping erratically.
I miraculously made it to a flat area where I could pull over. I start flagging down people asking if they were local etc and if they knew if they were going to even plow and salt these middle of nowhere roads. All I got was a 'maybe' from some locals and people that worked at the ski place which was like 10 seconds away up one last hill. I thought I was gonna sleep in my car but didn't know how long I'd be there until they plowed the area so I could go down the hills, or if they were going to plow and salt at all. After sitting like an hour or something, I decide to go for it up the one last hill to the resort parking lot where I might or might not have slept in my truck if they plowed the streets by the time I was done skiing. It was a small hill that takes like 8 seconds to drive up with no snow, so I waited for no oncoming cars and went for it up the center of the road with the highbeams and hazards flashing, laying on the horn erratically, emergency light going, and then @#% @%# #2 just couldn't' wait 5 seconds I guess and starts driving down the hill as I'm going up the center of the road! I don't know how I didn't crash into them or the rock wall 2' to my right.
So anyway, I snowboarded and by the time they closed, they had plowed and salting the roads fantastically, and I drove home fine (slowly).
I just kinda started researching this with watching youtube comparison videos etc and will probably end up with a 4WD, but I figured I'd also ask here since most of you have trucks anyway and might be in very hilly areas. What I've seen so far in comparison videos isn't really what I described either though. I haven't encountered hills/conditions like this except for going to the ski resort and usually I'm ok with the 2WD and going slow, but I would be nice to go skiing and not worry about if it's going to snow/freeze and also just to have the assurance in case I somehow find myself in similar situation even though if not on the way to the ski resort.
Is it simply that yes, 4WD is better overall for handling but doesn't guarantee at all that I can safely drive in conditions like this even if I add snow straps/chains (and possibly adding bed weight even though it's already a 4WD)?
side note, it makes me wonder with all the automated driving technology coming out now how they account for slippery conditions like this.
EDIT: snow tires, I just get whatever fits from the junkyard. I get tires that are like %80 tred installed with previous tires removed for a total of like $35 each. Don't really want to spend I dunno $400 for a set of snow tires and change them out twice a year to other tires, but will definitely get chains/straps if they are much better than snow tires anyway. But then I dunno if I shouldn't drive on black salted pavement with the chains/straps.
thanks for any input