RE: [A/S] 4 WD when towing - Can get you out of a bad situation

["Oliver Filippi" <ofilippi@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

For many of us, 4 WD is like insurance.  You hope it is the worst investment
you ever make - something you will never need to use.  Although it is neat
to be able to see things that you could otherwise not get to in a safe and
reliable fashion.  Some undeveloped areas like Arches National Park in Utah
[unless you hire a Hum Vee to take you around], for example.

I had an experience where a full size Chevy Blazer (1974 vintage) 4WD tow
vehicle saved my neck.

It was getting late and we were looking for a campsite for the night.  My
wife located one - Tehachapi park [near the famous railroad loop AND State
Prison!]  So we headed up the single lane unpaved road which got narrower
and steeper.  No shoulders, just a sharp drop off. Could only see straight
ahead with the headlights.  Everything else was pitch black.

As I drove up the road, I had to use more and more throttle, lower and lower
gears and went slower and slower as the engine and transmission temperatures
rose, particularly the latter.  Soon I could smell hot transmission fluid
and the engine was racing with virtually no forward motion!  There was no
way I could back down the road, as one small error would put me off the
road.

Then it dawned on me. I had a TWO speed transfer case!  So I stopped,
shifted the transfer case into LOW, and proceded to easily drive the rest of
the way up the hill to the camping area. The automatic transmission 4 WD
Blazers of that era had a full time four wheel drive system.  However, if
the road was slippery  (or lots of loose gravel) there was a 4 WD Lock
feature which would transmit the power 50/50 to the front and rear axles
(thus if both front or rear wheels did not have traction half of the power
would still go to the other axle).

A two wheel drive tow vehicle would never have gotten me out of this
situation.  And this was before cell phones!

Needless to say, my current tow vehicle, a 3/4 ton Chevy Silverado extended
cab short bed pickup, has four wheel drive.

Oliver Filippi