There sure are a lot of actual 4WD trucks without lockers when they are sold. I have to wonder what the difference is between a Tacoma sport and an AWD vehicle, I think it’s 2WD mode and maybe clearance. I think there are even jeep gladiators without lockers… is that a jeep or like a cool looking suburban pavement car?
“Off-roading” is a big thing that means different things. I live in Colorado, in the front range area (Boulder) and the popular guides sort of divide trails in to three: green easy, blue moderate and red hard. Most of the blue trails you can do in a bone stock 4WD road truck, probably most AWDs with clearance. You’d want to take it easy and think through a couple sections but it’s doable. We’ve gone to multiple 10th mountain division huts in Subarus, made it with no scraping or problems. This is most trails. Now there are the reds and the hard reds, you basically need a modified vehicle for them. There are some “trail ready” trucks coming from the factory now, I’m under the impression that the “off-roading community” usually feels that even those need modification. Modifying the vehicle and the technical trail challenge is the idea for them.
The difference is driving on technical obstacles for that specific challenge, the driving and the building of the vehicle versus driving on rougher terrain to get to a location. NPS probably also frowns on rock stacking and other “recovery” techniques when a vehicle cannot clear an object.
> I have to wonder what the difference is between a Tacoma sport and an AWD vehicle, I think it’s 2WD mode and maybe clearance
As a long-time AWD driver who entertains the idea of getting an offroad vehicle at one point, this is my current understanding:
AWD: If one wheel slips and starts spinning, all other wheels stop turning. You are stuck. Clever electronics applying the brakes on the spinning wheel can help to redistribute the torque to other wheels, you might get unstuck.
4WD: If one wheel starts spinning, only the other wheel on the same axle stops turning. The transfer case is locked, and the other axle still receives torque. If both axles have one spinning wheel, you are stuck.
4WD with one locker: If one wheel on the axle with a locker starts spinning, the other wheel on the same axle still receives torque. If both axles each have one spinning wheel, you can still move the vehicle with one wheel still receiving torque.
4WD with locker on both axles: If you manage to get stuck with all 4 wheels spinning you should reflect on how the heck you ended up in that situation.
The problem with reducing AWD to all open Diffs. Subuaru, Mitishbishi, Honda (Acura), Toyato have all sold AWD system with various levels of limited slip and/or locking diffs which are much more complicated than just applying brakes.
“Off-roading” is a big thing that means different things. I live in Colorado, in the front range area (Boulder) and the popular guides sort of divide trails in to three: green easy, blue moderate and red hard. Most of the blue trails you can do in a bone stock 4WD road truck, probably most AWDs with clearance. You’d want to take it easy and think through a couple sections but it’s doable. We’ve gone to multiple 10th mountain division huts in Subarus, made it with no scraping or problems. This is most trails. Now there are the reds and the hard reds, you basically need a modified vehicle for them. There are some “trail ready” trucks coming from the factory now, I’m under the impression that the “off-roading community” usually feels that even those need modification. Modifying the vehicle and the technical trail challenge is the idea for them.
The difference is driving on technical obstacles for that specific challenge, the driving and the building of the vehicle versus driving on rougher terrain to get to a location. NPS probably also frowns on rock stacking and other “recovery” techniques when a vehicle cannot clear an object.