4x4 or ATV??

Hi everyone! I'm in a debate over which is the best mode of transportation for getting to those hard to reach areas mostly in Ontario. I've been looking at 4x4 trucks for a while now but now ATV's have peaked my interest as well. Anyone owning either one and has any benefits/disadvantages or advice they wish to share please do..Thanks..

Andrew..

4x4 keeps you dry and can carry more people and equipment, but an atv can go in narrower trails. So far, my 4x4 has taken me everywhere I have been able to drive to, but I don't know what trails in your area are like. Also an atv would be easier to get unstuck.

Put an ATV in the back of a 4x4!!!

Ha! Good one Rob.

I like the ATV more then the 4x4 cuz an ATV first is less expensive

Second is you don't have to give up your current car to collect, juts get a small trailer ( this will also increase storage room).

Third you can go way off road, as Jim said. You will be able to explore more sites & you wont need to risk parking your car near some old mine ( have it broken into), just drive it as far as you can. Also if you suffer damage, it will cost lest to fix then a truck.

ATV is also the better choice if you are on a tighter budget & not sure if you really what to invest in a truck. Smaller capital investment.

Just mine opinion.

Michal.

I don't have either - I have a 2WD Toyota Tacoma, 4-cyl, and I live in Arizona with some mean, gnarly "roads." So far, my truck has been extremely reliable getting into some places I ever thought it would get! That said, of course, it is limiting.

Here's an interesting point though: some 4x4 vehicles are actually probably worse for off-roading than my 2wd pickup! If they're not worse, they're definitely not much better. Of course, an old Jeep (preferably purchased from an off-road enthusiast!) is probably the best off-road vehicle. If it's set up well, an old Jeep can get into some crazy places! Now, one might think the same thing about a Hummer: after all, they're Army vehicles right? Think again! I don't have any personal experience with them but I've heard overwhelming anecdotal evidence that suggests that Hummers are extremely unreliable for off-roading. I've seen very many videos on YouTube where a hummer is stuck in a little mud pile and an F150 cruises right up and pulls it out, or something similar. So, I'd say don't get a Hummer! I don't know if they're very popular in Canada, but the bigger point is, do your research and get a truck or Jeep that's really meant for off-roading, not just anything that says 4WD. Subuarus are pretty nice too!

To me, the main difference between a truck and an ATV is not in getting to the site, but in exploring around the site. If you know exactly where you're going, then you can just pull right up to the site in either the truck or the ATV, doesn't really matter which you have. A decent truck will get you just about anywhere. But once you're near the site, or having trouble finding it, or want to explore for other possible sites nearby, an ATV is going to be way more convenient. Just jump in, cruise around, jump out and take a look, jump back in. No road required! Of course you can do the same with a truck, but an ATV is probably going to prove to be a lot more convenient. So for getting to a specific site, probably either one is just fine, but for exploring the area around a site, having an ATV is probably a lot nicer.

I'd say please be environmentally conscious, but hey, you're in Canada so do whatever you like up there! Seriously though - a hundred ATVs is a pretty damn quick way to ruin a landscape. A single ATV driving from abandoned mine to abandoned mine? Hopefully, that won't cause any significant destruction whatsoever. Something to consider though.

Good luck let us know what you decide!

Ben Kirchner

Hey guys great subject matter.

4wd or ATV - depends on what you want it to do.

I am a fairly keen field collector and have been a proud owner of a couple of 4wd,s for over 20 years. The first one was a basic Toyota hilux that went to some serious and great places, getting back was often harder - just ask some local Tas members (remember the knees' Steve).

My current model is a DT Isuzu, (as can be see in some of my list photos). I dont use it for serious off roading but it allows me to get into mine workings without issue where any 2wd will not get too due to the depth of goo. Mine trucks and loaders tend to leave up to 2 feet (600mm) deep holes that are full of semi fluid rock and sludge.

I tend not to engage 4wd at the start, remember if the 2wd starts to slip, I always have more grip available. Get stuck in 4wd and it is a dig or tow recovery. I can recommend not to put your vehicle in soft material when the vehicle stops and starts to sink. When the mud flows over the floor and come up underneath the seats, and you can push a shovel under all four wheels....yep your bogged and it that hour to get out.

So the 4wd drive will get all you digging equipment and yourself up old track and trails to old mines and deposits. This saves lots of walking.

The ATV are used in Tassie to then extend the range by being able to travell up tracks that have been washed out or are similarly inaccessible for 4wd vehicles. They also can be somewhat more dangerous for users - as there is no protection for rollovers etc.

I am sorry Ben but one point to remember, a 4wd will not get you about anywhere - this line of thinking will get you into lots of serious trouble. If you take the vehicle that you have travelled a long distance from home into very tough and uninhabited country, it is a very long walk to get home if something happens when yours is the only vehicle and it has become disabled because it is bogged or broken. There a number of people that died every year in Australia because this has happened to their vehicle.

So I am in full accord with Rob - have both.

Andrew Tuma

This is not correct, ROADS are required. It is illegal on 99% of public lands to go driving across country, with the exception of very few open travel areas. A large fine and jail time await you if you believe otherwise. This is also ammo for enviro groups to close legitimate roads, so please stay on established roads and trails.
Ben Kirchner Wrote:

But once
> you're near the site, or having trouble finding
> it, or want to explore for other possible sites
> nearby, an ATV is going to be way more convenient.
> Just jump in, cruise around, jump out and take a
> look, jump back in. No road required!

You may find the cheapest option (depending on how often you collect) is to hire a 4x4 for those trips where you really need it. Unless you're going on these trips every weekend it may work out cheaper and easier.

Jolyon

Hi guys,

Thanks for the great points! You're definitely right - a 4WD will not go a lot of places. I was definitely exaggerating. It will increase the options greatly compared to a 2WD. The better the 4WD the more places you can get to, but yes there's definitely a limit to everything! That is an important clarification I agree. And even with the best 4WD you should carry extra tires and all the necessities for camping/hiking out if absolutely need be!

What's the thought about solid tires? I'm overly paranoid about getting flat tires - I always have a spare of course and I should get another one, but still, I'm always dreading popping a tire - even though it very rarely happens - and I even worry about popping multiple tires! So I've given thought to these solid tires but I'd like to hear what others think?

Jim, is that true in Canada too? I don't know the answer. Yes you're supposed to stay on roads or trails, and yes there can be a big fine if you don't, and yeah it can be terrible for the landscape. I'm in no ways an ATV advocate. Here in AZ it's pretty easy to see the harm that serious ATV use has done to a lot of areas, not to mention the legal consequences for taking them where they're not allowed. That said, it's pretty easy to see the convenience they can offer, especially where laws might be more lax, or laxly enforced, or where there might be ATV trails. I would definitely try to be familiar with the area before deciding whether or not to take a legal risk!

Ben Kirchner

In Canadian National Parks you can't pick a flower or keep a rock without facing the pain of fines or jail time. However you can catch all the butterflies you want and drive them to extinction!!! So lord knows what the off road rules are. The reluctance of both major political parties to pass any effective environmental laws leads me to believe that you can drive where you want.

Andrew an ATV is the way to go in the Canadian shield. 4X4's are useless in mud and there is plenty of that on those old roads ( if you ever get stuck in mud with a 4X4 you will wish you had an ATV). For those not familiar with the Canadian shield there are countless lumbering roads all over the place that are only passable with an ATV.

Thanks for everyone's input. I have thought of renting a 4x4 pickup but, any damage that occurs and I'm on the hook for repair costs.. Either way an ATV and trailer is about 5-6 g's and a decent used pickup 8-15g's. I think I'll be getting a Boat, Bike and ATV trader this week and start lookin.. I think a two seater with alot of racks will probably do the job.. First I have to see if my car can even pull that much weight??

Andrew..

get an ATV... invest in bungee cords and if you can try and find plastic milk crates. they are very good for strapping onto the ATV. rather easy to carry they have handles and you can put a few on the rack easily plus you should have room on the front and back for a few crates. I need to take advantage of the ATV my parents have in bancroft.

Rob isnt that the sad truth about butterflies I remember always being able to find the monarch caterpilllers as a kid and now you can find any. I cant barely find milkweed even. I do remember however catching many silkworms or whatever those pests of a caterpiller were invading the trees. I had fun tossing them in the river for rockbass food :)

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A buena hambre no hay pan duro

I live in the Colorado San Juans, the self-claimed "Jeep capital of the world". My Nissan Xterra takes me any place I want to go in this extremely rugged country. Ten ply tires are the minimum on these trails. Most of the trails that are legally open are as accessible by 4WD as by ATV. Yes, an ATV will take you to places that a 4x4 won't but you've probably driven a trail closed to motorized vehicles to do so. I cannot tell you how many times I've seen ATV's tearing up our alpine tundra. It is essential that people respect these pristine areas as the "nature nazis" use this type of behavior in their ceaseless movement to close all access roads. We have local organizations attempting to do just that very thing!

For me, a 4x4 is essential for access to my home about three months of the year, so it is a practical decision as well.

Mark

Hi Mark, most of the trails up on the Canadian Shield (ie Bancroft and areas) are used in the winter for Snowmobiling. These roads and trails through the bush are everywhere. Some are wide enough for larger vehicles and some are not.. You have to realize Hastings and Haliburton countys are driven by Snowmobiling and ATV'ing. It's a large tourist market. Most of these trails are marked if you are one Private property. ATV's are also used by many folk up there as transportation as well. I would say most of the people stay on the trails up there. The bush is too dense. Hard enough to walk through it sometimes never mind trying and ATV to get through.

Andrew.