cinker
Cambridge, Ontario
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Joined: 12/05/2008
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Hi,
I am close to buying a RAM 2500 which is a RWD. Living in Ontario with normally 6 months of snow obviously a 4WD will handle better. I am 3 years from retirement and will soon be spending winters down south. So, question if I may, is the 2500 RWD to poweful drive for snow conditions? are there people on this forum who drive RWD in the snow?
thanks
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azandy70
Green Bay WI
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If you sit home when it snows you would be fine. I doubt you could ever resell a 2wd in Ontario. We have had large plow units that are Rwd but with tons of salt in the back. My vote would be 4x4. I've had issues at times in a park in summer where I would switch to 4x4 to avoid spinning tires and making a mess. Not sure I would go to 2wd till I am for sure retired and never at least see snow again
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skipnchar
Topeka or somewhere else
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Joined: 12/17/2003
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Too powerful for snow? Never heard of that one but of course a 4x4 would do much BETTER on snow but millions of 2 wheel rear drive vehicles drive on snow every year. Good luck / skip
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Supreme Oppressor
Grande Prairie, Alberta
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I am originally from Northern Ontario. I had a RWD vehicle when I lived there, as did others that I know. Its only too powerful if you hammer on the throttle. Get good tires. That will make a Huge difference, as most OEM supplied tires are junk (my fathers ram 1500 came with P rated tires). Make sure you have weight in the back. A few cement patio stones will add weight and still leave cargo area uncluttered. Sandbags also work well, and if you happen to get stuck on an icy patch, you have sand for traction.
2006 F350 6.0 diesel cc lb srw
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mkirsch
Rochester, NY
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I grew up just outside Buffalo NY. My folks never had anything BUT RWD vehicles for the first 24 years of my life.
All I have ever driven since I was 16 (going on 20 years now) have been RWD vehicles... roached-out '84 Caddy, and three pickup trucks...
Good snow tires and at least 300lbs of weight in the bed is all you need to EASILY get around in winter. If you can't get around with that, you've got no business being out anyway.
They dump so much salt on the roads, and there's so much traffic nowadays that the roads are clear and dry within 24 hours of a snowstorm.
2002 Chevy 3500 DRW 8.1L/Allison
2000 Palomino B1500
...and the reason why I need a DRW to haul a Palomino:
2004 United 7x14 tandem axle enclosed toy trailer
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david_42
Oregon
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I learned to drive in New Jersey in the winter in a RWD van. Sometimes starting in 2nd worked better in ice and snow. Other than that, it was never a big deal. Got my first 4x4 39 years later.
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Art D
Louisiana
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It's all about hills or flats. A RWD with limited slip will do fine on the flats, not so good if you have hills to climb.
I have a friend in the flats in the midwest who says they don't even need snow tires or limited slip, just good radials.
OH, and use 2nd gear from a stop, not 1st.
Geaux LSU
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NEVERSWEAT7
Bakersfield, Ca. USA
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I too grew up with rear wheel drive. Old 62 Rambler Cross country station wagon..drove on ice and snow going from Billing to Butte Mt. and back many winters. From there into big 77 F 250 4x4. Never looked back. For you resale will obviously be better in Canada on 4x4.
A thought, better to have and not need than to not have and wish you did. Good luck either way.
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Davehrn
Ohio
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I've got a 2009 dodge ram 1500 4wd. 20 inch tires and live NE Ohio (snow belt) in 2wd she loves to spin those back tires.
dodge raised the rpm engage on the torque converter. you will notice minimal grab to the tires until the rpms get up around 2000 - this adds performance (allows the engine to spin up before engaging the transmission) - but in snow it makes it more difficult to ease away / low rpm low torque. so much so that she will spin while trying to drive carefully on wet grass..
She's got the traction control system... which applies the brakes on the spinning side, but that only helps marginally.
my old chevy you could put in in "2" and she would start in second. (less torque) Not so on the dodge - it only limits how high of a gear you can go - you're in "2" she will only cycle between 1st and 2nd.
So either you add a lot of weight to the back of the bed, or pick up the 4wd.
If you've got the diesel... I can't help you.
and I agree with neversweat... If you live in a snowy area... once you go 4WD you will never go back and if you "must" go back to 2WD you will miss "4" and eventually pick up another...
~dave
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btd35
Spokane, WA
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Art D wrote:It's all about hills or flats. A RWD with limited slip will do fine on the flats, not so good if you have hills to climb.
I have a friend in the flats in the midwest who says they don't even need snow tires or limited slip, just good radials.
OH, and use 2nd gear from a stop, not 1st.
I would totaly agree. We lived in Seattle where they say people don't know how to drive in the snow. Well, many of them don't, but there are also a ton of steep hills, and temps just at freezing so very slippery.
We live in Spokane now, and the hills are more gentil and colder. It's easy to get around here in lots of snow in RWD's. That makes a big differance.
Tom & Beth
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99, Dodge 3500 Dually.
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