Towing on snow pack

[timkoenig]

So I am at the Grand Canyon tonight (Trailer Village). Drove down from Zion today, was some threats of snow there and was thinking a couple hundred miles south would be better. Weather.com said all rain at Grand Canyon, they were very wrong. I also neglected to check the elevation, if I had known the south rim was over 7000 ft I probably would have picked a different stop.

So driving in from the east all of the sudden it is snowing. Then the next thing is it is sticking to the road. Before I knew it was running on snow pack. I knew to slow down, drop my trailer brake gain and use four wheel drive and slippery mode on the transmission.

Then I came around a bend and a Toyota 4 runner was in the middle of the road attempting to turn around. I was going maybe 25 mph and shut it down well away from him but ended up on the shoulder. He saw this and backed down the road and when he got up next to me managed to slide right into the side of my truck.

Damage to the side of the truck is mostly scratches, maybe a dent. I drove on maybe 20 miles to the RV park without incident and was probably running in at least 6 inches of snow when navigating the park. The truck does dig a little to get going but I guess the biggest thing I felt was the trailer sliding around. Truck has factory all terrains and trailer has factory Goodyear Endurance.

So my question is does anyone run tire chains on their truck and on the 5th wheel trailer? I think the best setup would be front and rear on the truck and at least one axle on the trailer. But my experience maybe 25 years ago with tire chains is they shake and vibrate the crap out of everything. I am wondering if more aggressive tires on the truck would be better and possibly a snow tire rated trailer tire?

Also thinking of just staying here until the roads are at least slush.

 

[Redapple63]

Such an unfortunate set of circumstances, so sorry that happened! First, I have never towed my rig in the snow, however, grew up in that kind of weather. I feel that a more aggressive snow tire most definitely would have aided in better traction, chains even better. Would not run chains on the rig even though you have the room, just think of the damage that could be done if they came undone. Chains come undone all the time.

I agree with you if you have the ability to wait it out, definitely do so.

 

[IBEW Sparky]

[MENTION=41375]timkoenig[/MENTION]

I'd wait it out until the roads are cleared and salted... I wouldn't want to risk more damage to my truck or RV using chains. I only ever had to pull my previous TT, a 30' Keystone Passport on snow and slush once after getting a surprise 8" of wet snow tailgating at an Eagles game. It wasn't fun and I had to travel at around 15mph for about 35 miles back to where I worked to park for the night. It sure was nerve wracking to say the least.

 

[huntindog]

Everything about cold weather camping is HARD. And that includes the towing part. That is why few people do it. It is just work to survive. I have done it quite a bit, as my RV is shelter for my outdoor activities, which often are in places and dates that do not change on account of bad weather.
I actually like the fact that most everyone else is gone.
As for the OP, You are in AZ, snow rarely lasts long here, so waiting it out is probably best for you, if you can.
Yes chains will work.. The more of your rigs tires you install them on the better. At a minimum do one axle on the TT, And I recommend all tires of the TV....Many only do the rears..... But I think that steering is important too. When towing with chains, keep the speed WAY down the slower the better.

 

[D2Reid]

I am wondering if more aggressive tires on the truck would be better and possibly a snow tire rated trailer tire?
Also thinking of just staying here until the roads are at least slush.

Been there done that, had to replace some fenders on my 5th wheel when a cable broke on the trailer chains. I travel to ski resorts. I put the chains on my front wheels of my 4x4, getting chains on the duallies is a real pain in the slush and snow. But that is an emergency situation for me, I do that only if I am trapped by an obligation I can't change, like picking up my grandson and the airport.

Most places I travel in the rockies the highway departments do a good job of clearing the major highways in a day, two at the most. So most of the time we just sit and wait, leave early or arrive late. Rv parks that do winter camping have been really good about adjusting our dates because of storms. They are not super packed and understand about winter travel.

I am replacing my OEM tires with a slightly more aggressive winter tire. It's trade of between tire noise and winter traction. Personal choices...

But my first reaction to driving in snow storms is to sit and wait till roads are better.

This was not a fun day for me....

 

[Ynot4me2]

I agree with [MENTION=6508]D2Reid[/MENTION]. Up here in Canada it's common. Packed snow is like ice. If you are going to change tires, stay away from aggressive off road tires even if they do have the snow flake symbol on them. They might be great in snow but absolutely the worse on ice or icy conditions. Might as well put dragster slicks on. If you hardly drive in snowy conditions, just get a set of really good all seasons. If you drive in snow a lot like up here in Canada, then a good extra set of winter tires would be a good investment. That's what we do. We're not aloud to have chains but I know in some province and states you are. That would be a great option if waiting it out is not an option or waiting for the roads to get salted or sanded.

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[mbergthold]

I have chains for both axles of our Imagine 2500, same size tire as the 2019 Ranger that we no longer have. Cables are fine for snow, but on ice you'll roll, not bite. Waiting it out is always safer.

 

[RickLight]

It's worth knowing that when chains are required they generally mean TV and one axle of trailer. As always rules vary state by state.

The corollary is that when a highway is THAT bad staying put is VERY wise!

 

[BreakfastinAmerica]

I siped my previous motorhome tires. They supposedly wear faster, but RV tires usually go bad before they wear out.
I liked that they helped in possibly icy road conditions that I could not avoid or expected.

 

[Pawsitive Camping Life]

If you are using chains on the trailer, only put on one side of axle. It works as a drag chain when brakes are activated. See link https://wsdot.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2021-10/CommercialVehicle-ChainRequirements.pdf

 

[MoonShadow_1911]

Okay, I'll chime in here. I grew up and learned how to drive in Colorado. We rodeoed, so was almost always pulling horses. In the winter, we'd chain up the truck, on all 4 tires, due to it being a 4x4, and chain the back two tires in the trailer, one on each side. Someone posted that the rear chains act as a drag, in some cases, yes. For us, it made sure we had some kind of braking traction on either side. Chains on the trailer don't necessarily help it "grip" when driving, but do help on braking. This is what I'm be doing when we go full time. It's about $600.00 with of chains that I may never use, but I would rather have them and never need them, than need them and not have them.

Oh, a side note, we never drive over 35-40 MPH when chained, or in inclement (read snowy) weather. There were 4-5 cowboys in that truck, and always 4 horses in the trailer. We pulled both bumper pull 4 horse trailers and goosenecks. The gooseneck pulled better on ice and snow. Both trailers had brakes, albeit the gooseneck had disc brakes.

Just my experience. Oh, for me, the best rule for driving in ice and snow pack is, "take it slow and easy". Nothing is worth sliding into a ditch, or of the mountainside.

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[Dcarrion]

First off, I'd like to thank everyone for all of the great wealth of information on these boards!

My wife and I are about to embark on our first camping snowboard trip. We've been full-timing in our 2670MK since September but that time has been spent in temps above freezing. The plan is to hit Snowshoe, WV then Pennsylvania and up to Vermont if we can keep things feeling safe. I have absolutely zero experience towing on snow packed roads. Then again, I had nearly zero experience towing at all before we started our full-timing journey.

As for chains, I intend to have 3 sets ready for action. In a worst case scenario, we'll chain up all 4 tires of the 4x4 and the rear axle of the 2670Mk.

All of that's said, I fully expect that we'll be "snowed in" a couple of times given the fact that we're seeking mountains full of snow! When that happens, we'll just stay put at the RV park we're staying at until the roads are clear to move to the next location for snowboarding.

I'll try to come back and give an update on my findings as soon as I have some experience under my belt.

Stay safe everyone!

 

[FT4NOW]

One thing to add. For those that dont have much experience with tire chains, you should do a test fit with all your chains before you are in a snow area. Not all chains install the same way, and it's better to know how to put them on ahead of time instead of trying to figure it out in the snow or on the side of a road in a chain up area.

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[MoonShadow_1911]

One thing to add. For those that dont have much experience with tire chains, you should do a test fit with all your chains before you are in a snow area. Not all chains install the same way, and it's better to know how to put them on ahead of time instead of trying to figure it out in the snow or on the side of a road in a chain up area.

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While freezing you butt and fingers off! Good point [MENTION=5834]FT4NOW[/MENTION]!

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[timkoenig]

First off, I'd like to thank everyone for all of the great wealth of information on these boards!

My wife and I are about to embark on our first camping snowboard trip. We've been full-timing in our 2670MK since September but that time has been spent in temps above freezing. The plan is to hit Snowshoe, WV then Pennsylvania and up to Vermont if we can keep things feeling safe. I have absolutely zero experience towing on snow packed roads. Then again, I had nearly zero experience towing at all before we started our full-timing journey.

As for chains, I intend to have 3 sets ready for action. In a worst case scenario, we'll chain up all 4 tires of the 4x4 and the rear axle of the 2670Mk.

All of that's said, I fully expect that we'll be "snowed in" a couple of times given the fact that we're seeking mountains full of snow! When that happens, we'll just stay put at the RV park we're staying at until the roads are clear to move to the next location for snowboarding.

I'll try to come back and give an update on my findings as soon as I have some experience under my belt.

Stay safe everyone!

I think your rig is a bumper pull. I would expect that to be not as good as a 5th wheel due to not as much weight on your tow vehicle. Make sure you have good tread on you tow vehicle tires. Practice stopping on snow before you have to stop hard. If no one is passing you then you are going too fast. Good luck!