- First Name
- Sherman
- Joined
- Dec 1, 2021
- Threads
- 29
- Messages
- 1,829
- Reaction score
- 1,886
- Location
- MIDDLETOWN, MD
- Vehicle(s)
- '22 Badlands ordered 12/17/2021 - Arrived 3/25/22
Our use is a lot like yours, including Costco. Gotta watch those parking blocks. There's nothing more embarrassing than getting stuck on one of those. All of the Costco members point, laugh, and post video all over the internet. It's best to carry a winch.
We do live on what passes for a mountain in this area, and our road has a tricky, steep (20%+ grade) hill. It turns into rough 2-track north of our place but unless the road is blocked (which happens occasionally because we're in the woods) we very rarely go in/out that way. Our lane is pretty steep also. That said, even in our situation, the BS BL is more than enough -- esp with the appropriate tires.
The other day, we did use the Badlands to direct the fall of a tree that 'wanted' to fall on our shed -- using logging rope and a snatch block, so the Badlands was nowhere near the tree. I was glad we could manually put it in 1st gear and lock the center and rear (making it quasi-4WD high range) because we had the front tires on blacktop and the rears on gravel. Before locking it up, the rears spun and the fronts were stationary.
BTW, that's how the AWD on the WRX performs -- it has VCUs center and rear (front open) but they are pathetically weak, so it acts as if both diffs are open (nothing can be locked). I even took it back to the dealer (where we later got the BS BL) to compare with a brand new model WRX off their lot. Some result. Rear end up on a floor jack, fronts on the shop floor, with a 2x4 laid flat in front of them = no go. It would spin the rears rather than climb a little 1-1/2" thick 2x4. The Ford techs all howled. So sad.
Our RAV4 has a decent full-time AWD system -- Torsen rear with a manually locking center diff. So essentially 4WD. That's plenty, most of the time. The problem -- with any vehicle, but esp the under-powered, manual trans '97 RAV4 -- is that in certain situations low range would be helpful or is absolutely necessary. First gear is low compared to other 5 speed transmissions, but it is still too high sometimes. Granted, most vehicles (like the BS) have automatics, making low range less necessary, but it can still be needed in special situations (that most people will rarely encounter).
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