Do i need a four wheel drive?

[Solid Luck]

Yeah..you absolutely need one.
Costs thousands to do the mods, thousands to repair all the panel damage etc

Then again you can just stay on the easy tracks and save a buck or two.

 

[Tathradj]

Common Sense. ???

 

[robmoto]

Take a set of snow chains for the rear good for if you get bogged , plus pull the hand brake on a bit just enough to load the diff evenly but allowing the motor to still turn the rear wheels , now both will be drive wheels , you can also use your hi lift jack as a winch too .

 

[Guest]

G'day

Having worked some of those areas myself in the wet seasons I would not recommend venturing into them without a 4wd vehicle simply because in the right conditions you can of course access many of the places with a 2wd vehicle but where the problem lies is when you have a sudden change in the weather or heavy overnight rain you can find yourself stuck, that's all well and good if you have sited yourself on a high point or hard ground and can wait it out but if you have to get out for any reason like an emergency due to sickness or injury you may find yourself unable to.

I have seen it for myself and even woken to see that our vehicles have started to sink into the ground after having an overnight downpour on what looked to be hard and well packed rocky ground, one of the mates who was driving a 2wd van ( I had warned him many times about using this van) he would have been well stuck if we had not been with him, also the access tracks were very boggy and even the main track was under water in places, we towed him through the worst of it, we had to move when we did and get him back on the bitumen as further rain was on the way.

Its true people still get themselves stuck even with 4wd's but at least you have a far better chance of getting yourself out of the chit which I was able to only because of the 4wds capability, I would never recommend anyone take a 2wd vehicle off road as it would be irresponsible and also further to that if a person has to ask whether the vehicle they are using should be a 4wd or not its also possible that they could also inexperienced off road driver and also unfamiliar with the possible conditions they will encounter.

People die over here pretty much every year, many have perished due to inexperience or simply because they are too cocky and think it wont happen to them, some are experienced bush users as well, but many are not, I had a bad experience one year and even though I always take as many precautions as I can, and I can tell you when things turn to chit sometimes it can become a comedy of errors with one situation turning into another and then another, its too complicated to explain but simply put when things go wrong they can really go wrong.

Its better to be over prepared and increase your chances of survival, than to just wing it and hope for the best, better to be right then wrong :skull:

cheers

stayyerAU

 

[mudgee hunter]

2WD or 4WD, if your stuck, your stuck.
And both should be prepared to sit it out reguardless.
99% of the time if common sense of where to camp is practiced, you should be fine.
Carve up a closed road going to town for beers isn't going to make you very popular!
Obviously there is plenty of water to drink, you won't need fuel if you stay put...
If a snake nights you because you hogged the bed....
You should already have your eperb anyhow.
And be staying calm and still till they arrive, not swamp carving up a boggy trail.

 

[shakergt]

This is more a personal opinion but I would go 4wd over a 2wd. Yes you will get to many places with a 2wd but a 4wd can get you in further but they can get you into strife. As already mentioned a good downpour of rain and you will not be going any place in a hurry. I prefer a 4wd over the 2wd for many reasons. Most have long range tanks these day, extra weight carrying capabilities, extra ground clearance the list goes on. Either type of vehicle can be set up for camping. Most importantly please tell me you have a epirb or plb or something like that. We don't want another statistic in WA.

 

[Gem in I]

Personally I have preferred a 2 wheel drive because of less weight. My Navara has a reasonable height clearance probably similar to the hilux.
I have been stuck in plenty of river crossing and got out easy enough with recovery gear and skated across muddy terrain not getting bogged because of reduced weight. Far nth qld.

W.A could be a different beast with loose sand and salt lakes so i'm in the market for a 4by with a winch and a dead mans anchor.
plb and lots of water.
Hope this helps.

 

[Rockhunter62]

Hi Snappy,

Just stick to your 2wd Hilux this year. As you said you have recovery gear. Drive sensibly and to conditions and you will be right. Use this trip as a learning curve for next year. Just remember that your "light weight van" is a big anchor so be wary of where you tow it.

Cheers

Doug

 

[Snapperhappy]

Thanks again for all the good advice, looks like i won't be going anywhere for the next few months with the closing of the WA and SA borbers. I've got my eye on a 2019 mazda B T 50 4x4 free style cab. From what I've read i need to fit a catch can and second fuel filter to protect the diesel engine. Looks like the new diesels are a lot more complicated than the 3 L diesel in the hilux i have now

 

[Rockhunter62]

Thanks again for all the good advice, looks like i won't be going anywhere for the next few months with the closing of the WA and SA borbers. I've got my eye on a 2019 mazda B T 50 4x4 free style cab. From what I've read i need to fit a catch can and second fuel filter to protect the diesel engine. Looks like the new diesels are a lot more complicated than the 3 L diesel in the hilux i have now

Hi Snappy,

You don't have to fit the catch can and second fuel filter but in the long run it doesn't hurt. I have a 8 year old D Max that doesn't have either fitted and it has over 300,000 kms on it. Regular oil changes are a must and you can also use fuel additives to help keep your engine clean.

Cheers

Doug

PS, People just want to take your money off you when you buy a 4x4 and try to get you to fit things that you don't necessarily need.