Florida Native driving to Michigan in January (Never driven in snow)

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MightyBombJAC

MightyBombJAC

10 Year
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
Threads
20
Messages
127
Location
Jensen Beach Florida
Me and my son (10) are driving up to Michigan in January for a wedding. I know, who gets married in Michigan in January. I've been getting my GX ready for the trip. I did the timing belt a couple months ago and changed the coolant. I just picked up some below 32 degree washer fluid. You wouldn't believe how hard it was to find a winter washer fluid here in South Florida. I'm sure I'll be able to get a windshield scraper somewhere along the way. I also just put on some BFG All Terrain KO2s. I figure the GX is probably the best vehicle for a Floridian to drive in snow for the first time.

Is there anything else that I am not thinking of?

I'm also making a vacation out of it. I have a ton of vacation time and my son is homeschooled. We are probably going to up the coast and spend some time in D.C. I was thinking about going all the way up to NYC then heading west to Niagara and cutting through Canada to Michigan (we do have our passports). I'm up for suggestions of things to do or places to go.
 
Run lower pressure...25 will be fine, if it really dumps lower to 20 or 18 in 2ft+ deep snow. Other than that, leave it in 4H, CDL unlocked, and drive a little more conservatively for stopping. The GX will do the rest. It is a snow goat.
 
I live in snow country, Colorado mountains, grew up in Chicago, I don't change my tire pressure, never have for snow. I will keep mine at the 45 they are set at now, but I am also running a 10ply Fun Country. The best thing would be for you to play with pressures if you think you need to. Higher Tire Pressures for Winter Driving
EDIT: I would think that there are 2 sides to this and places where higher or lower pressure might be helpful. I would say it would even depend on dry or wet snow.

It's will be more stops, but if the weather looks to be bad or is bad, don't go below a 1/2 tank. I would also only use Top Tier gas, you don't want to get some watered down gas. Add some wool blankets to the car, they can keep you alive and snacks. A big problem can be the other driver, and if you get stuck on a turnpike or freeway, you need to be ready for that. I say this, because I have been there, suck on a snow pack freeway for 3 hours. Driving inputs should be small, easy and smooth on bad road conditions, leave extra room between you and the vehicle in front of you. The BFG are good, but you will still need more room than you think.

Something to think about, back east and the upper central states have trucks running on the interstates and main roads at the start of snow falling, its only with major dumps or some back roads should you run into a problem. If it gets bad enough that the crews can clear the highways, odds are you don't want to be out in it, get a hotel room.

When you get back home, clean the underside of the GX, to get the road salt off.


I carry chains, because I have mountain passes all around me, like on my trip to Chicago this week, I have to cross 2-3 mountain passes depending on which way I go. Most years I have a set of studded snow tires for winter, almost as good as chains.
 
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As much as dealing with rust sucks, driving in snow is fun. Like Dan said, GX is great in the snow. Just give yourself plenty of room to stop.
 
You will not like my advice, and many would disagree, but here it is: rent a car/suv. It maybe overkill, but a weeks worth of heavy salt will take a toll on your pride and joy for the long term. If you are ok with it, then you are all set and the GX will not disappoint. K02's are good in the snow, but I would guess you are going to be dealing more with icy/packed roads than fluffy snow. Make sure your battery is fresh as well and test the freezing point of your coolant. You need to find -20 washer fluid, and potentially even lower depending on the weather.

Where is your wedding?
 
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+1 to @kbahus rent a vehicle. The salt gets into places you never expected, and can be impossible to remove. Around the Great Lakes, you also tend to have the heavier, wet snow vs the fluffy powder of other locales which presents challenges - it packs into your tread (a good thing, snow grips snow quite well), but can also create very slippery/icy surfaces. Never heard of airing down onroad in the snow, and I grew up in the Lake Effect snow machine off Lake Erie driving RWD American V8 junk.

It's really not that tough getting around in the snow up there: they are prepared for it, clear the primary roads and freeways promptly, and liberally salt the roads. As mentioned, just leave yourself plenty of space to stop - getting going in the snow is easy, stopping not so much.

I'd still rent, lake effect has already started so there's likely to be a ton of salt out there (I was in NE Ohio last week and they'd already started w/ the salt). FWD or AWD is all you need........
 
The lake effect snow has certainly started:

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Thanks for all of the advice guys. That idea of a rental sounds great. I'm afraid it might be a little pricy though. I'll look into it. The wedding is in Lapeer. My Dad has family there. That picture with the snow looks so foreign to me. I really wouldn't even know what to do there. I guess that's why people retire to Florida and not to Michigan.

The Detroit Auto Show is going on during the time that I am up there. I might go check that out.
 
If you are scared of salt you could coat your underbody with some products, otherwise the chance of you going there during a major snow event is pretty slim. They get snow, but not on a daily basis in that area. Most difficult thing to remember is turning and braking will need increased attention in certain conditions. I have found that if I start to under steer in a corner, giving it some gas will allow the front tires to pull me through the corners. Also, you can still steer pretty well w/ abs braking.

If you have a chance, play in the snow. If you also have a chance to play on a frozen lake, do it. Just remember to stay in areas where others have been, and I always roll my windows down and DO NOT wear a seat belt on a frozen lake.
 
MightyBombJAC said:
Thanks for all of the advice guys. That idea of a rental sounds great. I'm afraid it might be a little pricy though. I'll look into it. The wedding is in Lapeer. My Dad has family there. That picture with the snow looks so foreign to me. I really wouldn't even know what to do there. I guess that's why people retire to Florida and not to Michigan.

The Detroit Auto Show is going on during the time that I am up there. I might go check that out.
Click to expand...

go to the auto show, it should be a good one. it is one of the top 3 in the US
 
I moved to Reno from Las Vegas, never drove on snow until we relocated, here is a little advice that helped me. As far as actual driving goes, it would be well worth your time to get off the interstate when you first hit snow and find an empty parking lot to play around in. You can read up on the basics of snow driving but nothing beats actually being behind the wheel and doing a few panic stops and tight turns at moderate speed. This will give you a feel for how the truck will behave. I still do a hard stop on icy /snowy roads before I hit the main streets, conditions vary and it's a quick easy way to get a feel for the road.

Dittos on having blankets, food and water in the car. A deck of cards is also welcome if you get stuck for a couple of hours.
 
I would invest in a long handled, high quality snow brush and ice chipper. It sucks when you come out to your vehicle and there is a foot of snow on it and you have to use your hands to clear the windows.
 
You really shouldn't have too many problems that you don't end up making for yourself. By January, most if not all the resident drivers that have forgotten how to drive in snow (happens every year....), have learned. Normal defensive driving techniques, always leave yourself a 'bail out' option.

If it's gets too 'hairy' out there, get off the road. If you're traveling at night: Find a nice motel, and hunker down.

Washington DC area is traffic ugliness during the week. And it's not really motorist friendly (parking, routes, etc.), unless you're a local. Luckily, I have a brother that has lived there for the past 20+ years, and he knows the Capitol District streets. And, it's probably the last place in the USA I'd want to be visiting during a classic Noreaster. But, IMHO, it is a place that everyone should visit during their lifetime. Way too many interesting things to do in a single day.

Niagara Falls is neat. But during the winter, I don't know how many things there would be to do. I believe they have put the Maid of the Mist boats away. Not much more than a 'stop, look, and go'.

Canada.... I'll let any resident Canadians give you guidance. Windsor, Ontario Canada is about a 30 minute drive from my house. Haven't been there in 10+ years.

North American Auto Show... Yeah it's okay. Crowds, crowds, crowds. Some days are worse than others. I would not recommend going there on a weekend. Even during the day, during the week, it gets crowded. Lot's of schools like to do 'field trips', if you get my drift.

The Henry Ford (Museum) is a decent stop. Also the Rouge Plant Tour is good.

If you spend a couple days in the Detroit area, let me know.
 
Get a bottle of 1/3 water and 2/3 rubbing alchohol with a spray head. Screw scraping. Spray it on and insta melt.
 
Check your coolant strength to make sure it's up to the task of dealing with winter conditions, bring blankets and proper winter clothes (boots, gloves, toque, scarf, long underwear, etc). I would MUCH rather subject my GX470 with good tires to a week of Michigan winter conditions than drive for the 1st time in winter in some rental car on all seasons.
 
I do appreciate all of the advice. I am taking everything into consideration. I think I'll be better off getting the gear on my way up there. I wouldn't even know where to find winter clothes and thick blankets down here. We are still in shorts and flip flops in my neck of the woods. I do think it's supposed to get down to 68 Thursday night though. I might have to put on shoes
 
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