I've seen & heard comments from people who got their vehicle off the end of the ramp due to folks "powering" their outboard & stern drive boats onto the trailer, (which is illegal in Michigan). Doing this digs a hole at the bottom of the ramp. At that point, a 4x4 is the only thing that will get you out short of a tow-truck. On the same note, in Michigan, with all of the snow, any truck that is not a 4x4 is not really valued. Front-wheel drive cars are great in the snow, but a rear-wheel drive truck is no fun, and more than a bit dangerous. I wouldn't recommend a 4x4 truck to anyone who doesn't need one, but if you've got a good use for one, they're nice in every way. Even fuel is not so bad, I recently drove from Lansing to Marquette (390+/- miles) in my '04 Chevy half-ton Z71 4x4 with the 5.3L V8 (295 hp, 330 ft/lbs torque), and got 23.5 miles to the gallon (about the same as my badly tuned '67 bug). Granted, I drove 60 mph, but that's pretty much my pace anymore. Don't try this in a new half-ton Ford, they're lucky to get 16 MPG. The truck will tow the M23 with ease, and would do OK pulling the 27, although 10,000 lbs. would exceed the rated capability by a few pounds.