Is your 4x4 a "Must Have" or "Nice to Have"

[Orv]

One hard-to-price factor is that a 4WD van has a "wow factor" when people see it...people are intrigued by van campers in general right now, but the 4WD ones really get people excited. If you want to impress people a 4WD van will do it! (I say this without a trace of sarcasm. Expressing a personal style is a perfectly good reason to pick a vehicle.)

One caveat is to make sure you have a company lined up that will insure it. Some insurers balk at vehicles with modified suspensions. There's a lot of collected knowledge about that on this site, fortunately.

[deserteagle56]

Originally Posted by Orv

One hard-to-price factor is that a 4WD van has a "wow factor" when people see it...people are intrigued by van campers in general right now, but the 4WD ones really get people excited. If you want to impress people a 4WD van will do it! (I say this without a trace of sarcasm. Expressing a personal style is a perfectly good reason to pick a vehicle.)

That "Wow" factor is one of the things I dislike about my van. It draws way too much attention...and from what I read, is much more likely to be the target of a thief. My van is Basecamp - I haul either a dirt bike or quad in the back - so the van is parked in some remote spot and I'm gone all day on the bike or quad. So I have to take extra precautions to keep it MY van.

But low range 4wd is required to get to many of my camping spots.

[vandiesel]

Originally Posted by deserteagle56

That "Wow" factor is one of the things I dislike about my van. It draws way too much attention...and from what I read, is much more likely to be the target of a thief. My van is Basecamp - I haul either a dirt bike or quad in the back - so the van is parked in some remote spot and I'm gone all day on the bike or quad. So I have to take extra precautions to keep it MY van.

But low range 4wd is required to get to many of my camping spots.

That feeling of exposure while out in the backcountry hits me also.

[ctb]

What everybody else said and the only addition is STEEP uphill/climb...4x4 was a must...too heavy not to spin and be scared of the uncontrolled/unwanted reverse...good idea with the 2wd first..cheaper AND less looked at by buyers...most on the market seem to want it done so they can start the van and drive off...plus they are wiling to spend that 4x4 cash as well...good luck

[TomsBeast]

I find having 4x4 eases my anxiety when in the back country. In my old 2x4 tuck, if it started to rain and the trail might be muddy, I'd end my trip early and head to firm ground. With 4x4 under my camper, I worry less about getting stuck in mud, snow, or ice, will often just wait out a rain squall, or travel further up trail in deeper snow.


I'll say this, there's a steep price penalty to pay for having 4x4, initial price to get in the game, cost of repairs over the life of the rig, and less fuel economy. For instance, I've rebuilt my front hubs and replaced both stub axles, replaced my t-case, stuff you don't have/never think about on a 2wd rig.

[86Scotty]

Originally Posted by deserteagle56

That "Wow" factor is one of the things I dislike about my van. It draws way too much attention...and from what I read, is much more likely to be the target of a thief.

I couldn't agree more. Other people's interest was one of my least favorite things about camping in the 4wd vans I've owned, or parking them or just owning one. I do not like to be interrogated by strangers during the few times I can get away to camp.

[Charliesmom]

I’ve owned a 1979 Bronco 4X4, 1998 4 Runner 4X4, 2015 Xterra Pro 4X and now a 2019 Transit 350 SMB Quigley 4X4. Although we don’t do any rock crawling in our current vehicle, we like to get off the beaten track. The 4WD allows us to do that. With good judgment, it keeps us out of trouble; with bad judgment, it gets us out of trouble (with proper recovery gear)
https://youtu.be/6ORxj94L9UU

[BVerhulst]

I agree with most all of the above comments.

For me, 4x4 is a must have. Without it, I might as well just use a bigger - and arguably more comfortable - Class C motorhome or similar. The purpose of the 4x4 van is to go places that are remote and in rugged conditions, including snowy mountain roads for skiing or ice climbing, muddy and rocky trails that require high clearance, narrow passages between trees, etc.

I also agree with the "wow" factor being a bit of a drawback; may van attracts waaaay more attention than I like to draw. I'd much rather be "incognito"; instead, I'm bombarded by questions and people asking to look inside everywhere I go.

[IanF]

4WD would be nice, but I don't consider it a "must". And this is coming from many years of owning 4x4 trucks. But like many things, it depends on what one wants out of their RV experience. I don't have plans to really go off-roading with my van. My desire is to get to mtn biking destinations, which are usually accessible by a regular car. Nor do I really want to risk my "house" on roads where 4WD would be a necessity. If I'm in a situation where I actually need 4WD, it means I messed up.

[BroncoHauler]

These days there are more and more people camping, so for me, I need to push further and further into the backcountry if I'm looking for solitude. That typically means less maintained roads so 4x4 is a must. Add to that I pull a trailer, so it's quite a bit easier to get stuck without 4x4.


Herb