Driving in the snow and ice - what do you do?

[saenzm]

So on my recent trip, it started to snow and the roads were fairly slippery. Since my daily driver is 4x4 you can imagine I was a little frustrated that my van was only RWD. Well, I know I will be chasing snow annually to go snowboarding and such. So what do you guys do when you need to drive in areas with snow. I bought chains in case I needed to climb the hill (which I avoided this time), but just driving around town was nerve racking.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mark

[mkguitar]

I have millions of miles with rear wheel drive- in Canadia.

if the roads are really tricky, stay home, that way you won;t be hit by the "hummer-hero"...let him slide off the road and you can watch his rescue on the news.

in most cases it is a short drive on secondary roads to wet pavement.

chains are good, practice putting them on- a short shovel, and a good trick is using your floor mats to get unstuck- it may kill your mats though.


My brother lives at a ski resort- he had a 4wd Blazer in 1974...before the roads went in and the resort was developed...only 2wd since then.

Mike

[Bruceper]

Tires tires tires. Get tires that are snow rated. These do not need to be dedicated winter tires but can be Mud & Snow and have the "snowflake" emblem on them. They make a difference with starting, stopping and slipping. These are typically called four season tires. Not all season, all season tires are bad in snow and on ice.

If you are driving seasonally with winter, then get actual winter tires. They are even better than above.

[Keyne]

Winter tires make a huge difference. Swap em on at a thanksgiving and off at end season. Also take it slow and maintain momentum really helps. My biggest concern is as mentioned above... the morons with AWD or 4x4 that drive too fast and have no clue what they are doing and think their vehicle will save them. Rules of physics apply to all vehicles.

[willin]

I try not to drive in the snow that much. Here are some of the tips that I can offer : Drive slowly and get good winter tires.

[BBQ]

.


Get front wheel drive

[Marley]

Living in the foothills on the east slope of the Rockies we see snow occasionally :
In fact when I built my house here on 6 acres I took a picture everyday from the same fence post looking across the pond to the building site - that year we had white stuff on the ground at least once in every month of construction until we moved in during September 1992 :

We drove for years up to Banff to ski with only 2wd when I was younger. There were several ways we prepared and one was racing around empty mall parking lots in figure 8's using light poles as the turn markers - I even did that with my kids when they started driving - you learn a lot in a hurry...

Anyway there are a few things to consider (some mentioned above):

- Tires. Mountain highways here require tires with the snowflake symbol from November to March. I have put Nokian Rotiiva tires on my rig.
- Drive like you are trying save gas and brake pads - slow motion on the throttle and the brakes.
- Keep weight in vehicle balanced front to back. Adjust to find the sweet spot between understeer and oversteer.
Watch the temperatures - roads will be far more slippery and unpredictable when the temperature is around the freezing point. Driving in cold weather with a deep layer of snow is easier than dealing with black ice.
- Always be careful going up hills when your transmission wants to downshift. Many spin outs are caused by this as the sudden increase in torque to the rear wheels breaks traction fast.

[AZ ADVenturist]

All good advice from people of the North. And that's how we drove growing up in Montana. Even No. Arizona gets a good bit of snow in Jan, Feb.
I'm always amazed at people who pass me , then a mile or so down the road they're in the ditch. At least they aren't a hazard for awhile.
But watch out for the semis & 18 wheelers on I -40 especially! (Rain, snow or shine )!

[BBQ]

Try this ClassB

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPc-ik9F...y=mark_neufeld

[AZ ADVenturist]

That could work. I wonder about sleeping comfort? (Not!)
Probably fitted _w/ cleats on tracks for ice & snow pack roads.
Wouldn't work well in So. West though.

[saenzm]

Originally Posted by BBQ

Try this ClassB

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPc-ik9F...y=mark_neufeld

I'd try it, but my face doesn't make duck lips! LOL

[Marley]

Originally Posted by BBQ

Try this ClassB

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPc-ik9F...y=mark_neufeld

Ski Doo (Bombardier) made a model that was fully enclosed like that for decades. For people on prairie farms it was the only mode of transport if you were any distance from a highway.

[Bruceper]

They're still used here for ice fishing and work crews off road. Although they are rare to see them.

[Marley]

Originally Posted by Bruceper

They're still used here for ice fishing and work crews off road. Although they are rare to see them.

Collectors items now.

[Roxy4x4]

Another person here that’s driven professionally on Canadian winter roads for the past 45 years. It’s all about having good ‘dedicated’ winter tires. I now run Nokian winters on all four corners and am thrilled with them. Personally I don’t like front wheel drive vehicles, nor do I like rear axle duallys for traction - I actually have found both front wheel drive and duallys to be detrimental. Not looking to get into a debate about it, just saying what my experiences have been. If you have never had really good winter tires (not all seasons) you can’t appreciate the difference.

[cruising7388]

Originally Posted by Roxy4x4

Another person here that’s driven professionally on Canadian winter roads for the past 45 years. It’s all about having good ‘dedicated’ winter tires. I now run Nokian winters on all four corners and am thrilled with them. Personally I don’t like front wheel drive vehicles, nor do I like rear axle duallys for traction - I actually have found both front wheel drive and duallys to be detrimental. Not looking to get into a debate about it, just saying what my experiences have been. If you have never had really good winter tires (not all seasons) you can’t appreciate the difference.

Why are dual wheels detrimental in ice and snow conditions?

[BBQ]

Originally Posted by Marley

Ski Doo (Bombardier) made a model that was fully enclosed like that for decades. For people on prairie farms it was the only mode of transport if you were any distance from a highway.

Somewhere in NWT.
That's my limo when I was in the army.

[booster]

Originally Posted by cruising7388

Why are dual wheels detrimental in ice and snow conditions?

Absolutely horrible.

You can get some advantage by getting a van with a locking differential, but you need to be sure it is one that is not a full time limited slip (suregrip, positraction, etc) or a full time locker. We put a an updated rear axle into our Chevy and got one with a Gov-lock which only locks the rear wheels together if one tire is going considerably faster than the other. It also unlocks and won't lock at about 20mph so you don't get into the rear wheel drive locked rear end fishtail suicide run if you hit ice at speed. It is not going to help you turn, steer, or brake, but it will let you keep going in worse conditions without getting stuck.

[Bruceper]

Originally Posted by cruising7388

Why are dual wheels detrimental in ice and snow conditions?

The answer is thinner tires penetrate snow better and provide more weight over the smaller footprint.

The wider tire however does better in slush due to the displacement of the slush.

With modern winter tires the thin vs wide debate is pretty moot. They include a softer material compound with tread designed to shed the snow.

[AZ ADVenturist]

SNOW! In Arizona! ! We live in Prescott area, just under 5000 ft.
About 2 inches in my yard this morning. Between home & town - about 8 miles. Snow plowing not yet started. 3 cars off the road - in the ditch.
Drove my 2wd pickup. Left the Jeep in the garage. Scraped ice from windows. I drove 45mph. Didn't even spin a wheel or slide at an intersection.
It's not luck, it is experience, technique, patience & control.
Of course my buddy originally from North Dakota did the same, so no big deal on my part.
We then went out & practiced spinning some 'bodies' on the back roads.
Some "kids" never grow up!