Major winter road trip-- need advice!!

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BManning`

BManning`

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Oct 29, 2005
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Hi All...been a while since I posted but I'm always lurking in the shadows ;)

:princess:, 2 dogs & I are driving from Phoenix to Heron, MT to visit her brother & his fam for the holidays; 2-day trip each way, 1300+ miles each way , leaving Dec. 18 & driving back a week later, with a VERY GOOD chance of encountering lots & lots of wintry weather on the drive.

I am a decent planner, but can't hold a candle to some of you guys on this forum!! I am looking for great advice for things to pack & prepare for driving hundreds of miles in snowy, cold conditions, with long stretches of non-freeway driving.

My LC is an 02 so I have ATRAC, VSC, and whatnot, and 285 Bridgestone Revo II AT's with about 5k miles on them so lots of good tread; they are E-rated, but I figure I'll just run the pressure a little lower than my normal 38spsi to deal with snow. My brother-in-law has also talked me into buying some tire chains, just in case, for the trip (haven't bought them yet, but will...any advice on what chains to buy is welcome too)

I know the basics: food, water, flares, basic tools, blankets, flashlight, charged phone, yada yada. Was thinking of carrying a 10gal fuel can as well, since they'll be long stretches between fuel stations potentially. (don't want to hurry up and buy a gerry rack...thoughts of where/how to keep that fuel while driving?)

OK ladies & gents, starting naming off things I may not have thought of that you'd take if you were driving well over 1000 miles in lots of snow and cold. General advice (not "what to pack" related) is welcome too.

I'll be waiting.:popcorn:
 
A few things that I include:

- Heavy tow strap in case someone wants to help, you might need to provide them the strap.

- Good old fashioned red flares. Reflector types are good but the old burners are great too.

- Hose patch kit. They make wet patch kits for radiator hoses.

- Jumper cables. Again, someone may be wanting to help but may not have.

Aside from the packing list, how's the vehicle?

- Battery - is it new and in good shape, ready for cold starts?

- Spare - check the pressure and condition before you go.

- Wiper fluid - is it the winter type with a lower freeze point? Need new wiper blades?

- Coolant - is it quality and of the right mix?

- Lubricants - M1 will flow better on cold starts than dyno. Could be a good time to go synth on the diff's too. Check tranny fluid level before you go.

- MAF / TB - Clean 'em before the trip for best mileage.

- Lights - Do a quick walk around with someone holding the brake to make sure they all work.

Just the basics! Have a great trip and get some pics posted of your LC in the North Country when you get back!
 
If you buy chains at Les Schwab you can return them unused for a refund. If they are something you want to add to your kit, L.S. is still a good place to buy as is tirechains.com.

You have a pretty complete list, I think you'll be pretty good.
 
Spare wiper blades. If yours have been in AZ then a nice deep freeze can make them brittle when you need them most.

A sturdy window scraper is essential and I'd bring a large snow shovel just in case - if you need it you will really need it and be glad you have it.

Just make sure that when you stop for the night you either take the water with you or pour some out. Leaving a full gallon of water in the cold overnight will guarantee you a soggy carpet.
 
x2 on the windshield wiper fluid. You may want to throw in an extra gallon in your rig as back up. If you hit a storm you can drain your resevoir and without the ability to refill your wiper fluid, it makes for an interesting drive. Don't ask me how I know this!
 
Just 'cause you never know:

  • Snow jackets and gloves
  • Warm hat / hood
  • First aid kit
 
i would just buy a jumper pack instead of cables. mine you can charge from the cigarette lighter, and has outlets for usb, cigarette lighter, ect. just incase you need a power supply to charge your phone ect if the truck is dead.
-chians, and a tow strap w/ shackles ect.
-flashlights esp. one that can be recharged from the jumper pack.
-the newer type fuel cans seal pretty good (5gal cheapo plastic ones) i havent noticed any fumeage on the rare occasion that i throw mine in the back.
 
Thanks OregonLC!!


A few things that I include:

- Heavy tow strap in case someone wants to help, you might need to provide them the strap. Perfect...forgot about that & great time/excuse to buy a nice one

- Good old fashioned red flares. Reflector types are good but the old burners are great too. Definitely!

- Hose patch kit. They make wet patch kits for radiator hoses. Yes...hadn't though of that...

- Jumper cables. Again, someone may be wanting to help but may not have. Think I'm going to go with the cig lighter variety, as suggested by jwagner.

Aside from the packing list, how's the vehicle? See below

- Battery - is it new and in good shape, ready for cold starts? Almost brand new; original Panasonic died just a few months ago; went with biggest/baddest that AutoZone had

- Spare - check the pressure and condition before you go. Geez, almost missed that one!! Forgot the most obvious LOL I'll need to buy another 285 Revo II

- Wiper fluid - is it the winter type with a lower freeze point? Need new wiper blades? Will fill up with winter stuff + carry an extra bottle. Blades are quite new; if they stink in the snow I'm surely going to encounter I'll upgrade on the fly.

- Coolant - is it quality and of the right mix? Coolant done about 30k ago @ 55k miles by dealer; time to do it again? Trying to decide if it's necessary or perhaps overkill

- Lubricants - M1 will flow better on cold starts than dyno. Could be a good time to go synth on the diff's too. Check tranny fluid level before you go. Debating this one; I already run M1 5w30 in the engine; I don't tow so I'm wondering if the trans (done @ 55k) and the diffs (maybe never? I'm the 2nd owner) might be overkill

- MAF / TB - Clean 'em before the trip for best mileage. Did this back in Feb; might at least check 'em and see if a touch-up might be due

- Lights - Do a quick walk around with someone holding the brake to make sure they all work. Good advice yet again

Just the basics! Have a great trip and get some pics posted of your LC in the North Country when you get back! Definitely!! Except for a few runs up to Flagstaff this'll be my first snowy trip in the LC. Can't wait to see how ATRAC/VSC and Revo IIs handle heavy snow12-04-10 01:11 PM

Also debating putting on some high-powered fogs to tackle the bad conditions; advice welcome
 
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jwagner:

i would just buy a jumper pack instead of cables. mine you can charge from the cigarette lighter, and has outlets for usb, cigarette lighter, ect. just incase you need a power supply to charge your phone ect if the truck is dead. Good advice...going to follow it

-the newer type fuel cans seal pretty good (5gal cheapo plastic ones) i havent noticed any fumeage on the rare occasion that i throw mine in the back. Well, I might be re-thinking this one; would be a good time/excuse, like the tow strap, to get a gerry can setup going

Smooth LC:

Just 'cause you never know:

  • Snow jackets and gloves
  • Warm hat / hood
  • First aid kit
Absolutely brother! Right...you never know...

BJTLC100:

If you hit a storm you can drain your resevoir and without the ability to refill your wiper fluid, it makes for an interesting drive. Don't ask me how I know this! Thanks...I won't let that happen (but I might've if you hadn't spoken up)

BigBlue99:

Spare wiper blades. If yours have been in AZ then a nice deep freeze can make them brittle when you need them most. They're pretty new, but will get replaced at the first sign of any ineffectiveness.

A sturdy window scraper is essential and I'd bring a large snow shovel just in case - if you need it you will really need it and be glad you have it. Good man...I would've forgotten a scraper...haven't needed once since moving to Phx in 06, that's for certain

Just make sure that when you stop for the night you either take the water with you or pour some out. Leaving a full gallon of water in the cold overnight will guarantee you a soggy carpet. Learning from the experiences of others...it's a beautiful thing12-04-10 01:37 PM

Thanks to everyone so far!! Keep the posts coming...



 
24HOURSOFNEVADA:

If you buy chains at Les Schwab you can return them unused for a refund. If they are something you want to add to your kit, L.S. is still a good place to buy as is tirechains.com Thanks! I'll think I'll do this, as I may not need them and don't see them coming in real handy in Phoenix anytime soon
 
A couple of things to think about:

1 - Make sure your windshield wiper fluid does not freeze. I put in the stuff that goes down to -25 every winter, even though it does not get THAT cold, but just in case.

2 - Grab a pack of those 12-hour hand warmer things. I have a pack of 10 in my truck at all times. You never know if you will get stranded or meet someone who is stranded who will appreciate having warm hands. Plus :princess: and the kids will appreciate them.

Good luck on your trip!

Jonathan
 
I even have some fire starter and white gas in the truck. Heading out for two weeks end of December with my 11yr. old daughter.
 
tag3 said:
I even have some fire starter and white gas in the truck. Heading out for two weeks end of December with my 11yr. old daughter.
Click to expand...

Good point. From a survival standpoint it makes sense to be at least able to boil water (snow) if you truly get stuck in a blizzard. I have a couple of these in my backpacking supplies. Ultra light/compact and can bring water to boil in 30 seconds.

MSR Pocket Rocket Backpacking Stove at REI.com
 
^^Well, with that in mind, if you have a backpacking water filter, throw it in too. I have used mine when out exploring and my wife became dehydrated. Not sure you would need it for your trip, but it is a thought.
 
I would also recommend a lightweight shovel and a bag of ice melt in case you get stuck off the road.
 
Morty said:
I would also recommend a lightweight shovel and a bag of ice melt in case you get stuck off the road.
Click to expand...
Excellent...I already have a folding, lightweight shovel for my camping backpack & the ice melt is a good idea

OregonLC From a survival standpoint it makes sense to be at least able to boil water (snow) if you truly get stuck in a blizzard I have one of those compact stoves but may not have thought to bring it! Thanks!

LCHardriver_02 Make sure your windshield wiper fluid does not freeze Will make it a point to fill up & carry the extra-frigid winter rated stuff






 
make sure to rain-x your front and rear windshields before heading out! makes a huge difference when it is snowing or raining and, at highway speeds, if you did a good enough job you may not even have to use your wipers. i have been in some nasty CO storms driving over passes and having rain-x on is a very large improvement.
 
Packing some common sense and a weather radio might keep you from driving into the teeth of a winter storm. When it's 10 degrees and snowing hard it's a lot more fun waiting out a storm in a motel room than having to actually use all the contingency stuff you're taking. ;)
 
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