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Old 10-14-2019, 01:23 PM   #61
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My experience with Ford's LSD is mixed.

I had a 1998 Ford Ranger 4WD with the optional 3.73 gears and LSD. That thing almost never needed 4WD and I took it through some tough hunting trails. The LSD was a monster.

My 2005 F-150 also has the 3.73 rear end with LSD. That thing has the worst grip of any truck I've driven. I've thrice checked my original window sticker, door jamb tag, and the actual axle stamps to make sure that I do in fact have an LSD. Supposedly I do, but there's just nothing there at all.

My 2006 Explorer had an LSD and the adaptive traction control. That thing was a tank through snow. Rarely used 4WD. My folks had a nearly identical setup and it was completely ineffective. 4WD or nothing for that rig. Most of my reading suggests that my folks' experience was more typical than mine.

But, through the years, it's been a complete mixed bag. For that reason, I'd never rely on Ford's factory LSD to be an improvement over 2WD. Maybe it will, maybe it won't. I can't speak to other manufacturers.

The newer Ford Super Duty SRWs don't have LSD as an option. It's an electric locking rear diff or open. I've used it once on a USFS with washboard when my rear end kept wandering at 10-15 mph. The locking diff kept my rear-end planted. Looking forward to trying it this winter out in the snow-packed USFS roads to get the family Christmas tree ... not going in our yard, Russ, it's going in our living room.

Ultimately, it's still about use. If you're in sand, wet grass, and other terrain, then maybe 4WD makes sense in FL. But, I've not once used 4WD in my camping adventures ... and I'm in CO. I only use 4WD during the winters.
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Old 10-14-2019, 03:13 PM   #62
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...

Many RV trips involve only pavement, so there are plenty of RV's without 4x4. About 99% of motorhomes for instance.

There is, however, one way for a good-sized motorhome to "get by" without 4x4 in low traction conditions and that is to carry and use tire chains. Tire-chains have way more traction than most people realize.

I recently considered tire chains because we now have a 4x2 mini-home on a 1.5 ton chassis. It's also crippled by having a dual rear axle. Duals seem to have their own problems with traction. I haven't actually carried tire chains for the mini but, if we still camped primitive as we did in our younger days, I can see that option might be the only way to go.

OTOH, chains are an incredible nuisance to temporarily install though, as opposed to pushing a button on the dash from a dry seat. We came from a TT pulled by various 4x4's and we did use 4x4 on occasion in order to leave primitive campgrounds after surprised by heavy rain. And 4x4's are handy when not camping in winter, for heavy snow packed streets just to get to work. I still kept our old 4x4 Excursion even though I'm retired now and don't purposely travel in bad weather.

In my experience, tire chains allow travel in mud and snow that exceeds the traction of most 4x4's without chains. I discovered that once when I used a 4x2 truck parked at the edge of the pavement. This truck had permanently installed tire-chains on for a jobsite in a very muddy development. The next year I had 4x4 because most other contractors that had them did ok and it saved unloading tools an extra time. But some of these 4x4's got stuck where I did not and could have used chains too. Chains do provide unbelievable traction.

Trucks with 4x4 always respond better to driven front wheel direction anyway. But trucks with only 4x2 can steer by simply constantly traveling in reverse. As the steering axle again creeps off the crown of a muddy road, it automatically aims the high-traction chained rear truck axle back up on center. Fortunately for me, I needed to back up to homes to unload tools, so the low-ball plan worked pretty good except I had to load tools twice to switch trucks.

The major flaw with a 4x2 with chained drive-axles is they are difficult to steer no matter how sharply the tires are turned unless the steering axle also has chains. Going forward on muddy roads can result in the front of the truck simply slipping downwards off the crown towards the ditch. The ultimate solution would then be 4x4 with chains on both axles or at least the front steering axle.

Traveling in reverse is not a viable option when towing, but it can work for motorhomes without trailers, and in a pinch, with a 4x2 towing an RV forwards in moderate marginal conditions.

I also used a retired school bus for a while as a heated tool area for pumping water-based compound. The bus had a Detroit Locker differential in it, but it was still pretty useless on any mud. The duals don't dig well, but float on top. And, with both locked rear wheels slightly spinning, this bus didn't even steer well in reverse, at least without chains which I didn't bother to use.

I don't generally like most limited slip differentials where I live. Besides the bus, I had it in one truck and a Mustang. It is much safer to have a least one wheel not spinning on crowned, sloped, or windy pavement and both vehicles had a nasty tendency to try to unexpectedly swap ends on ice. If only one wheel occasionally spins, the other at least helps maintain direction. An electric lock, even on the front axle, would be ok as it can be used only at slow speeds without loss of high speed control.

I did have a '94 4x4 on which I used specific studded mud and snow grip tires for a few years during the allowed months of November to April. I heartily recommend carbide tire studs if your state allows them, although I traveled interstate from North Dakota to Massachusetts to haul a car back on a trailer one icy winter irreverently using studs all the way. They really work good, especially on glare ice, even while towing.

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Old 10-14-2019, 03:18 PM   #63
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My decision may end up being a easy one in the end ... just buy a 6.4 Hemi 2500 with 4x4 and 3600 lbs of payload and save the $9,100 add on ... our hills here in Fl are easy to manage ... My current little Ram yanks the 5ver around and stops it with ease so a 2500 could be nothing but better ... the 8 speed in tow haul is excellent so we will see ... Thanks for all the feedback and I think I would like to have the 4x4 if I ever need it
I apologize, I posted my thoughts before realizing you had made a decision already. I was not happy with my Ram 6.4 and 10K camper, however most of that centered around the 6 speed transmission and it's overly tall gearing.
I think the new 8 speed will be perfect for what you are wanting to do.. I think If they would have the 8 speed when I bought mine new in 2016 I would have kept it. The motor is a solid performer, you should be happy!
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Old 10-14-2019, 03:54 PM   #64
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I apologize, I posted my thoughts before realizing you had made a decision already. I was not happy with my Ram 6.4 and 10K camper, however most of that centered around the 6 speed transmission and it's overly tall gearing.
I think the new 8 speed will be perfect for what you are wanting to do.. I think If they would have the 8 speed when I bought mine new in 2016 I would have kept it. The motor is a solid performer, you should be happy!
No worries have not decided yet ... my Post says I may not I did ....
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Old 10-17-2019, 06:40 PM   #65
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If you never ever leave the pavement..... 2x4
Issue is the anchor up front...aka engine when empty on anything not paved.

Might also check out used prices? Seems like you sell often 2x4 might be harder but maybe in FL its not an issue,

I'm in WA and big % are 4x4. I considered it in 05 for a min glad I bought 4x4, never will consider again unless it's true dry payment pounder.
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Old 10-17-2019, 06:55 PM   #66
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Ram 3500

My wife liked how a 2018 Ram 3500 6' bed rode better than the Ram 2500. It was also on the lot in a dark red which she liked.
From my point of view I also got the Aisin transmission which is highly rated. As well as diesel. Possibly more expensive than a gasser by the time you add the fuel cost, the filters and the DEF but the power is excellent and the range is enough to synchronize with my bathroom break requirements.
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Old 10-17-2019, 07:01 PM   #67
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Might go with 4x2 on next TV ... looking at Ram 2500 diesel and 4x2 gets me extra 400 lbs payload ... owned 14 trucks last 30 years in business and never needed 4x4 here in Florida ... already use mid-grade so no price diff for gas ... understand more expense for oil changes ... my 5th is light 10,300 loaded ... tow at least once a month ... Yea I know 4x4 nice to have when you need it just never have ... when was last time you used your 4x4 ?? Thanks Frank

When I left Florida last march, the guy next to me wished he had SIX wheel drive to get out of the white sand site he had been on for 2 months. He had to be pulled out, eventually.


I used it 3 days ago when I left my last camp site. There was no sewer, so I had to drive through the dump area on way out. No way to get out with a 40 footer, except to swing wide, in a driving rain storm, through the grass. That required 4wd to accomplish.
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Old 10-17-2019, 07:01 PM   #68
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If you are ever thinking about owning a trailerable boat, get 4x4. Too many boat ramps have slick spots that require a 4x4 to pull the boat out of the water. Similarly, if you are going into sandy campsites in FL, you need a 4x4.

If you do neither of these things, and don't plan to, 4x2 will suffice. When I owned boats, I finally had to move up to a 4x4 Suburban to avoid getting stuck occasionally getting my sailboat up the ramp. With my camper in Colorado, a FWD minivan is sufficient - I just don't go where the footing is too precarious.

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Old 10-17-2019, 07:31 PM   #69
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Don't do it

I've owned 5 dodge 2500 diesels and the only one I've gotten stuck is my current 4X2. All the others were 4X4. I thought I'd save a little when I bought this one because I'd never had a problem. Duh. The engine is HEAVY. Wet sod, stuck. Loose sand, stuck. It doesn't take much when you get off the asphalt. And it's NEVER convenient.
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Old 10-17-2019, 07:38 PM   #70
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Might go with 4x2 on next TV ... looking at Ram 2500 diesel and 4x2 gets me extra 400 lbs payload ... owned 14 trucks last 30 years in business and never needed 4x4 here in Florida ... already use mid-grade so no price diff for gas ... understand more expense for oil changes ... my 5th is light 10,300 loaded ... tow at least once a month ... Yea I know 4x4 nice to have when you need it just never have ... when was last time you used your 4x4 ?? Thanks Frank
Really just depends on your needs! I need 4x4 in the sandy/ gravel hills we go through. But if it’s flat...I wouldn’t need a 4x4 either.
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Old 10-17-2019, 07:46 PM   #71
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I have had wet roads in the Tennessee mountains cause issue. Had to stop due to an accident on a wet uphill. Was like ice. Had to use 4x4 And lock the rear diff.

Have had to help pull people out of what started as wet grass and is now a mud slop due to

There’s a couple of state parks here that I need to use 4x4 to get the truck moving due to an incline.

Not to mention every winter. We got 8” of snow last year. Highways were empty due to every on ramp being clogged up with people who couldn’t get up the ramp. I did 50 mph the whole way home after I drove around the stuck people.

Even with 4x4 I carry tire chains with me year around in the trainer. They get moved to the truck in the winter. Don’t plan on walking the mile home after the big hill next time we get an ice Storm.

Chains paid off last fall. Had to use them to get a game warden out of a ditch on conservation land.

I would get the same truck in a 3500 with 4x4. Actually mine would be s ford but you get the point.
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Old 10-17-2019, 07:58 PM   #72
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Resale and 4wd when you need it.

Are you planning on owning it forever? When it's time to sell or trade in, you'll wish you opted for the 4WD. Any slippery situation will not only save you but give you peace of mind with the 4WD.
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Old 10-17-2019, 07:59 PM   #73
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I will go 4x4 .... thanks for the feedback .... if I go 3/4 it will be gas if one ton can be either ...
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Old 10-17-2019, 08:48 PM   #74
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My first new Ram back in 2003 was custom ordered 2wd in Montana because the dealer wouldn't stock 2wds. It was great, a good 10% less expensive ($3000 on a $25,000 truck) than the exact same truck in 4wd. No it wouldn't go up the street in front of my house in the winter and it sat all winter tucked away in the garage. I only put 17,000 miles on it in 3 years, then when I wanted to sell it guess what, just like the dealer said, nobody wants a 2wd truck in Montana. Luckily it's less than $1000 to ship a truck to Tennessee where the new owner was happy to have such a cherry low mile Hemi Sport 2wd. Hindsight now I wouldn't have bought the 2wd in Montana but would have no hesitation in Florida to buy one. I do drive an old 2wd truck every single day for work but that means I live weeks at a time with chains on the back.
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Old 10-17-2019, 08:50 PM   #75
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I use mine often but I live in Idaho the last time was climbing the upgrade to my ranch after the county had plowed deep gravel onto the surface in two wheel the tires just slipped and thru gravel in four not so. Do you load your truck so heaver that 400 lbs payload would be and issue with your light trailer just asking. 4 wheel is sort of like a fire extinguisher sits unused but is a gods send when needed.

I agree, worth having when needed, even if rare
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Old 10-18-2019, 05:45 AM   #76
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Might go with 4x2 on next TV ... looking at Ram 2500 diesel and 4x2 gets me extra 400 lbs payload ... owned 14 trucks last 30 years in business and never needed 4x4 here in Florida ... already use mid-grade so no price diff for gas ... understand more expense for oil changes ... my 5th is light 10,300 loaded ... tow at least once a month ... Yea I know 4x4 nice to have when you need it just never have ... when was last time you used your 4x4 ?? Thanks Frank
I have 4x4 and have occasionally needed it in hilly campgrounds with gravel roads in NC, VA, GA, PA, NH, etc. Used it for driving on the beach in Fla.
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Old 10-18-2019, 08:44 AM   #77
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I have a 2020 2511 Mini Lite and a 2018 F150 4X4 V8. Recently my wife and I went to the Gila National Forest are and HWY 15 had some steep grades going I stayed in 4X2 and I could smell the brakes getting to hot. When we left I put it in 4X4H and I got the same MPG but I didn’t have to use the brakes that much. I will always use the method when in steep hills from now on. My TT is about 6 thousand pounds loaded max towing of truck 9,100 Lbs.
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Old 10-18-2019, 09:06 AM   #78
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Have gotten stuck in the mud twice in my early years was enough for me to never be without 4 wheel drive again. Although, the first time was in a 1975 Monte Carlo.

It takes very little mud and slope to make you have a very bad day without it, even slightly off the pavement. Just remember, 4 wheel drive is to get you out of trouble, not into it....
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Old 10-18-2019, 09:35 AM   #79
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Smile

We are on our 2nd 4x2 Ram diesel. Got our 1st in Idaho in '95, and kept it for 20 years and 300k miles. Had to really hunt to find the replacement, but wouldn't trade it for the world. We pull a 35ft. Flagstaff Vlite now days, that tips the scales at 8500 loaded. We get between 10 and 11 mpg on the highway, doing about 70 mph. With less than 50k on it the motor is still loosening up.
Chose 4x2 for multiple reasons. 1) We got the truck to tow the trailer. The trailer isn't going anywhere that requires 4 wheel drive. 2) like you said it adds weight to the truck that you just pay to haul around all the time. 3) 4x4 adds bookoo bucks to the maintenance list.
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Old 10-18-2019, 10:33 AM   #80
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We are on our 2nd 4x2 Ram diesel. Got our 1st in Idaho in '95, and kept it for 20 years and 300k miles. Had to really hunt to find the replacement, but wouldn't trade it for the world. We pull a 35ft. Flagstaff Vlite now days, that tips the scales at 8500 loaded. We get between 10 and 11 mpg on the highway, doing about 70 mph. With less than 50k on it the motor is still loosening up.
Chose 4x2 for multiple reasons. 1) We got the truck to tow the trailer. The trailer isn't going anywhere that requires 4 wheel drive. 2) like you said it adds weight to the truck that you just pay to haul around all the time. 3) 4x4 adds bookoo bucks to the maintenance list.
Curious as to what you mean by "bookoo bucks to the maintanence list " if it's 4x4?
I have owned and maintained them all my driving life and cost really seems negligible. So you swap your front diff fluid a few times during the life of the vhicle for , what 20 bucks at a time? Maybe grease a U-joint or two and even if eventually need to be replaced they are very cheap and easy to do.. I see the weight issue, I see the purchase price issue, I just do not see spending an extra ton of money on maintanance just because it's 4x4. I mean 30+ years with em and thats my experience anyway.
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