Major winter road trip-- need advice!! (1 Viewer)

[BManning`]

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.

Hmmm....hadn't thought of this!!


SandroadPacking 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.
12-04-10 09:56 PM Total agreement Sir!! I will have the wife & dogs with me so I'll be even more cautious than I'd be if it was just me...I was telling my wife, traction doesn't concern me as much as visibility and safety. No desire for bad outcomes!! If I can't see, we're Motel 6'ing it

 

[NMuzj100]

make sure to rain-x your front and rear windshields before heading out! makes a huge difference when it is snowing or raining and,

It also keeps ice and frost from getting a grip on the glass overnight. Which will make scraping with your new scraper much easier. (Don't forget the side mirrors and headlights.)

If you expect ice and frost overnight then raise the wipers off the glass. This keeps them from creating an ice dam at the bottom of the windshield and prevents them from getting damaged when cleaning in the morning.

I like two shovels.

One for ice, sand and dirt. (Use it where you or the person you are helping augered into the ditch on the side of the road.)

One for moving volumes of snow. (Shovel the driveway from the freed vehicle back up onto the road)

Having a second also creates the expectation that the crowd watching you work should help.

I also love my headlamp. Whether you are changing a tire or searching the cooler for the last caffeinated drink in a sea of diet tea infusions having self-directed hands-free light is a plus.

If you don't know when or if the diff fluids have ever been changed then now is the time. You could still have initial break-in particles in there wearing at your gears.

I would skip the gas can unless you get an external rack and just fuel early and often.

FYI - Your Revo 2s are likely the best tire possible for the mixed road conditions (Mostly dry pavement with mountain ice and snow.) you'll probably find.

 

[rusty_tlc]

A weather radio, very useful at any time of the year.

 

[BManning`]

I also love my headlamp. Whether you are changing a tire or searching the cooler for the last caffeinated drink in a sea of diet tea infusions having self-directed hands-free light is a plus. I'm a fan...I have one of these & it'll definitely be along

If you expect ice and frost overnight then raise the wipers off the glass. Used to do this when I lived back east!! Been a while now...

A weather radio, very useful at any time of the year. Taking one along, plus a laptop w/ internet card as well to check ahead on weather conditions

I would skip the gas can unless you get an external rack and just fuel early and often. Keep going back & forth on this one; only one really long stretch through the middle of nowhere (north of Flagstaff heading into Utah) so with proper planning a fuel can is probably unnecessary.

 

[rusty_tlc]

.....
I would skip the gas can unless you get an external rack and just fuel early and often. Keep going back & forth on this one; only one really long stretch through the middle of nowhere (north of Flagstaff heading into Utah) so with proper planning a fuel can is probably unnecessary.

Not likely to wind up in a snow drift in that areas so you probably don't need extra fuel. Sometimes it's good to have extra fuel just to keep the heater going if you get stuck, either off the road or because of closed roads. I like to have plenty of reserve in winter.

 

[OregonLC]

as an FYI (and I can't remember who posted it, UZJ100 perhaps?) the 4.7 has an idle fuel flow of roughly 1/2 GPM. So even a half tank should give you about a day of continuous idle if needed.

 

[Montana Sig]

You're going all out here. I promise Montana isn't a barren waste-land.

It's been covered. But I don't know if you'll really need to air down your tires. Our snow and ice up here has significantly lower water content. So it's not near as slick as the stuff I grew up on the Pacific Northwest.

 

[patrickfinley]

Remember to just get a set of chains for the rear. They won't fit up front, especially not with 285's. Diamond pattern seems to be the most recommended.

 

[TheFuzz]

With all the advice on packing and gear, nobody (unless I've missed something) has focused on basic bad-weather driving tips!

- Only go as fast as conditions allow. If you think you are going fast enough, you're probably going too fast. Slow and steady beats trying to save a few minutes and getting stuck or worse!

- Don't overcorrect or make sudden drastic corrections in winter weather. If you begin to lose control, let off of the gas, don't don't DON'T stab the brakes at all, and (I'm not kidding) loosen your grip on the wheel. I don't mean let go completely (we aren't doing "Jesus take the wheel" here), but let the wheel move freely, and let the car correct itself - without your inputs, you will end up either facing forwards or backwards, but you will be straight. During driving training at the academy, it was a friggin blizzard at the track. It took me a while to wrap my brain around these concepts, but even at 55mph in the snow (in a rear wheel drive POS crown vic) the cars really did correct themselves. You just have to let them. The same concepts apply to most vehicles.

- No tailgating! (this is a no brainer )

- During active storms, keep the high beams off. The higher output reflects off of the falling snow and makes visibility worse most of the time. Fog lights are good because they are lower to the ground.

- Don't get tunnel vision, which is easy to get on long, tiring trips. Look around you, look far ahead into the distance, and when turning, look INTO the turn, not in front of the car. Sounds like simple stuff, but you'll be amazed at how much more you see.

Anyway, thats all I've got. You may have already known some or all of that, but I find that most people are surprised by some of those tips.

 

[BamaHeel]

A trailer in order to fit all of the suggested equipment?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?

 

[Kigiin]

A trailer in order to fit all of the suggested equipment?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?

+1, geez it's all paved road, with most major interstate.

Just jump in the truck and go!

 

[Tahomatom]

I recommend those front floor matts that are made out of Rubber (Like cut up used tires)
They take up little room and bend so you can created some traction if placed under the tire.
Helps when you get high centered and spin too much and create an ice sheet under the tires.
Sucks to dig out only to spin anyway. Of course I didnt have the LC back then but I still leave one in the car anyway.
Much easier to pack than salt, etc.

Go to a backcountry / ski store for nice small light shovels.

 

[patrickfinley]

A trailer in order to fit all of the suggested equipment?!?!?!?!?!?!!?!?

Granted, some of this does sound like overkill, but you can fit most of the things you'll really need in a bag the size of small a gym duffel. I leave one in my car all the time. Don't forget you can also stuff things in the small storage area in the rear right side as well as the jack well on the left side.

Things that will fit in the bag:
hand warmers
some water
some snacks
work gloves
headlamp and extra batteries
multi-tool
tow strap
basic first aid kit
jumper cables
ice-scraper
folding shovel
strike anywhere matches
gas siphon pump

Your luggage probably already has warm clothes and food for the dog. Then cover your luggage with a blanket and toss in the chains and you're all set.

Loose the gas can - fill your tank intelligently.
Loose the weather radio, if there's an important storm coming all local radio stations on your car radio will announce this.

 

[Montana Sig]

Granted, some of this does sound like overkill, but you can fit most of the things you'll really need in a bag the size of small a gym duffel. I leave one in my car all the time. Don't forget you can also stuff things in the small storage area in the rear right side as well as the jack well on the left side.

Things that will fit in the bag:
hand warmers
some water
some snacks
work gloves
headlamp and extra batteries
multi-tool
tow strap
basic first aid kit
jumper cables
ice-scraper
folding shovel
strike anywhere matches
gas siphon pump

Your luggage probably already has warm clothes and food for the dog. Then cover your luggage with a blanket and toss in the chains and you're all set.

Loose the gas can - fill your tank intelligently.
Loose the weather radio, if there's an important storm coming all local radio stations on your car radio will announce this.

Yes, this. And if the local radio doesn't have any alerts, you can get them on your smart phone with most any weather apps. If that doesn't work, you can use 511 in Montana; it is the info service put out by the MDT. It's slow, but it works!

And oh yah; the driving tips are going to be your biggest thing. Sounds like you're set with your tires. Be smart, be collected and no sudden moves if the weather really turns to junk!

 

[srogers]

My $0.02 - carry a small tarp or heavy weight garbage sack, which will be worth it's weight in gold should you have to put chains on. Headlamps will save your bacon when trying to put chains on in the dark, and PRACTICE putting the chains on in your garage. Make sure that they fit, you know how to install them, and you might also get the rubber chain tighteners that go around the perimeter to keep tension on the chain (so that, should something come loose, it doesn't pull your brake lines out and you can actually travel faster than 20MPH). Decent insulated leather gloves are nice too, they are cheap and if you put some snow seal on the are fairly water resistant and you won't ruin a nice pair of ski gloves when putting on chains, etc. I can't tell you how many times I've seen folks trying to learn how to install chains on the side of the road, crawling around in 6 or 8 inches of snow with the wife hovering over them holding the instructions!

The rest of the stuff sounds good - I just keep a small sterno stove and a few sterno fuel cartridges with a large tin can in the kit in case I have to melt snow for water. They are cheap and I have a set in all of my rigs.

Road flares are great not only for break downs but you can start a fire with the wettest of material with a road flare...pine boughs soaked through won't stand a chance with a road flare burning for 15 minutes.

 

[scottm]

If I'm going to carry a shovel, I make it a sturdy one, I've dug many cars out with my Craftsman spade.

I was in a pretty bad accident years ago, my toolbox broke the rear seat forward but the two ratcheting straps I had on it held it there. Think about what all that stuff might do in an accident, secure it well. A can of gasoline in the back would not have held up.

 

[BendFJ]

This is how I get my "essential" accessories approved by the wife....New gobi rack for the gas can and shovel, arb bumper with winch (getting stuck) and 4 lights (vision), slee rear for hi-lift) and spare tire relocation and sliders in case you need to use the high lift...and then a tote for all the winter traveling tools, powerbars, water, gatorade, hand warmers, blankets, winter clothes, gloves, gloves for putting on chains, folding shovel, chains, toilet paper, paper towels, first aid kit, washer fluid, bag of sand, shakles, tow strap, yank strap, multitool, handheld CB (for no cell coverage areas) flares, lighter, firestarters, flashlights, and a costco jumpstarter. Gas should go on the roof or out on the new slee bumper gas/ladder rack attachment!

I travel a couple times a week on a dangerous mountain pass. I always travel with the notion that I might go off the road and be stuck in a ravine. How would I be able to get out? What if I'm stuck without help? That certainly will help with your planning.

 

[rusty_tlc]

as an FYI (and I can't remember who posted it, UZJ100 perhaps?) the 4.7 has an idle fuel flow of roughly 1/2 GPM. So even a half tank should give you about a day of continuous idle if needed.

Did you mean 1/2GPH?

 

[rusty_tlc]

+1, geez it's all paved road, with most major interstate.

Just jump in the truck and go!

I agree this thread is suggesting way more stuff than I would think necessary. However, in winter we do carry some extra stuff we don't in summer. Getting stuck on the side of the road when conditions are good and AAA is just a cell call away is not the same as getting stranded when the interstate gets closed due to blowing or drifting snow and neither AAA or anybody else is going to be able to reach you.

My list is pretty short though;
Sleeping bags, some food and water, a folding shovel, cell phone charger and extra washer fluid.


Since I got my HAM license and bought a couple of weather equipped radios I have started listening to the NOAA weather forecast each day when we travel. Just my way of avoiding trouble in the first place.

 

[45Kevin]

10-4 on the paved roads comment. You can only go about a 100 miles at most in Montana without passing a gas station or a town. Listen the local radio stations for weather and road conditions.

I travel in the winter mountain roads all the time.

If the vehicle is in good condition all I add for winter travel is a candle, a shovel, a tow strap, a small blanket and non-perishable snacks.

I usually have a couple of mars bars for snacks. I always have enough gas or fuel for several hours of idling. I don't let it get less than half full. If they close an interstate they will tell you at an off ramp and not let you proceed. The most important piece of equipment is the driver. Make good decisions and be prepared to lay-up in a hotel for a day.

Drive according to the conditions.