Re: Do I need 4WD?

[Jim Beidle <beidlej@yahoo.com>]

Just thought I'd throw my two-cents in on something I
do know about. I'm in complete agreement with Jim H on
this one--you need 4WD far more that dual rear tires
in this sport; unless you're haulling something big,
like a three- or four-horse with living quarters. Then
you'd benefit from both.

Last weekend I was at the Grizzly Mountain in Central
Oregon with Sue Brown and the Tree Frogs, driving my
"chase car", "Babe" the Blue Dakota. About two weeks
before I had the transfer case rebuilt; and am I ever
glad I did. When we arrived, I noticed a hand lettered
sign advertising 'Valet Parking'. "Cute," I thought.
Then I found out the cow/horse pasture for the ride
camp was on about 2" of gumbo mud. We could hear the
whoopin' and hollerin' as Sue and Aarene shifted into
4 wheel high to haul her big three-horse slant through
the muck to the camp site as we followed suite in
'Babe'. I kept my faithful Dakota in 2 Wheel drive
until I hit the first slick--luckily, modern transfer
cases support shift on the fly so we kept moving.

As we set up camp, we watched as a big red Case
tractor hauled in a couple of rigs. I gave 'Babe' a
pat on the hood when next I walked by. Then, that
night, it rained.

Two inches of gumbo became seven inches of slurry in
about two hours. The Dakota, now in four wheel low,
became the water truck for our site--Sue's chevy
stayed hooked up and ready to go, in case things got
even worse. Thankfully, the rains stopped. My Dakota
chugged along as people and horses slogged on through.
Late arrivals camped on the road, or were towed into
position by the Case.

The field was a heck of a lot drier by Saturday
afternoon, and yet heavier 2x4 rigs had sunk in far
enough that they needed some assistance getting out.
On behalf of those drivers that the tractor brigade
helped; "Thanks! Whew!" Afterall, It Could Have Been
Me.

Jim Holland is right. We drive and park in the
dangdest places while pursuing our sport. There is no
way I would want to do that without my trusty blue
Dakota and its four-wheel drive. That why I would say
"PASS" on the 2x4.

Another bit of advice: get the 'biggest' truck you can
afford. For a tow vehicle, I wouldn't want to settle
for less than a one-ton truck unless I had to; the
Dakota is a baby 3/4 ton that is not used for towing.
I know Sue is looking forward to replacing her 3/4 ton
Chevy prime mover with a one-ton this summer!

Jim Beidle
Chief Cook, Crew, and newly fledged LD rider
Tyee TreeFrogs

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