I had a 1990 Chevy S-10 with only rear drive when I took it on an epic cross-country road trip from western Pennsylvania to Alaska and back. I logged over 15,000 miles and encountered many trail conditions.

We beat the hell out of that thing, but it just kept moving forward! We also had about 900 pounds of supplies in the back which helped to provide incredible traction.

The most remarkable test was driving on a 4X4 trail to gain access to the trail to Mount Blackburn from the McCarthey Highway. Before you snicker, the McCarthey Highway is a dirt and gravel track that is peppered with enormous holes with exposed railroad ties and stakes. The highway was a beating itself. The 4X4 access trail took some amazing driving to get a low-clearance rear drive vehicle up and over the rocks and boulders standing in our way. It was kind of amazing.

The most mud that I ever drove through was on the Dalton highway. I figure the road averaged about 3-4 inches of mud from start to finish, but there were plenty of sections which required off-road racing skills to negotiate when traveling at 60 mph.

The little truck eventually caught on fire several years after the hard driving, but the memory of its feats will live on.