Winter trip to Chicago

[cekkk]

Originally Posted by vlamgat

What are "automatic" tire chains? I have had to stop and fit every set I have ever purchased. Some of these new one-time (or two if you are careful) plastic grippers also have to be fitted manually.

Pray tell?

Those are the things my wife's school bus didn't have. She "parked out " at our snowy 9000' altitude home in Colorado. More than a few times I was recruited to chain up for her at 4:30 in the morning. She's worth it though.

[ppine]

I have driven across the US in winter many times. But I really don't like towing in the snow, especially in the mountains.

I'm glad you like it though.

[TitanMike]

A good thing to have along on a winter trip is a bag of old fashioned cat litter or "floor dry".

On an ice covered parking lot a few handfulls can get you moving and save having to chain up for 20 feet.

[johndjmix]

If you just want to get unstuck, carry some strap-ons. (Not that kind!). Strap on chains is what I’m referring to. Frequently called emergency chains you strap them through the wheel. Great for getting out when your hung up.

I always carry a set of those.

—john

[jwfrede]

Just a note to anyone new to RVing: never pull a trailer on highways with snow and ice. I am assuming that for the guy in this post it was just the parking lots and off ramps that where not black.

[dacheedah]

Originally Posted by richp

I carried and used chains regularly when I lived in Colorado. Saw lots of school buses and other heavy trucks with the self deploying chains.

Here in Illinois, both chains and studded tires are illegal. Go figure...

Rich

In Illinois law enforcement since 1980 and Tire chains are not illegal in Illinois when snow and ice conditions are present. You can not have them on when those conditions are not present. (625 ILCS 5/12-401) read the last paragraph.

[ppine]

In the West carrying chains is always a good idea. Two sets are even better, for your tow vehicle. Then you need a set for your trailer. I have had good luck while living in Colorado and Wyoming using snow tires with the little spikes in them. They really help when it gets icy. They are not legal everywhere and can only be run during certain months which varies by state.

[Wes Tausend]

...

Good story, John!

I made a somewhat comparable trip one time, but with a lot lighter rig. I also had studded winter tires, a big plus.

I've wondered what the situation is for chains and studded tires ("little spikes") is for traffic passing through states that do not allow them (ND does). I did have a fear that if I was apprehended with studs, I could be forced to stop, unable to move any further. I didn't even bring the large summer off-road tires with, due to lack of room.

This happened around 1995, as I traveled from Bismarck, ND to Wareham, Massachusetts to pick up a replica car on a small 6'x10' unsprung flatbed. The car manufacturer declined to store the paid-for order any longer and I had to pick it up on this very inconvenient agreed-to schedule. Work was swamped and I didn't have much time off, so my brother and I drove out to Massachusetts, straight through in January.

It was two days after a huge snowstorm that hit the entire Midwest and upper-eastern portion of the US. The roads were either plowed, or still being plowed. We didn't have to stop and wait. Large parts of the interstates had snow-banks from plowing, a few too tall to see over. When there wasn't huge snow-banks to the side, there was stuff in the ditch everywhere for about half the trip. A lot of tractor-trailers and 4x4's.

On the way back, we stopped overnight at his daughters place north of DE Moines. It was still a grueling trip back and the temperature had dropped to -15 degrees F.

ND allows studded tires and I had a complete winter set of four on the truck. The truck was a '94 B4000 Mazda 4x4 with extra cab (think Ford Ranger). I don't think the 2-wheel trailer weighed much over 1200 pounds loaded. The truck handled superbly, even on black ice, and I was able to drive the speed limit most everywhere. I love studded tires. We made about 15mpg overall.

The only flaws were, the hood flew off the car 5 miles from the factory and there were those mucky areas of horrid, salt slime. We finally found the hood, miraculously undamaged, over 100 feet from the highway in a feathery cat-tail slough. It must have flown off like a Frisbee guided by an angel. I think the hood might have been near irreplaceable because it is carbon fiber. And almost as bad, the entire cargo was soaked with salt goo, including cardboard boxes.

I just couldn't keep it clean enough with tarps, plastic and a couple rolls of duct tape. There is something to be said about enclosed trailers. I washed the trailer and cargo in a closed self-wash winter bay and ran the truck through an automatic bay with underbody a couple of times after.

Wes

[vlamgat]

Originally Posted by jwfrede

Just a note to anyone new to RVing: never pull a trailer on highways with snow and ice. I am assuming that for the guy in this post it was just the parking lots and off ramps that where not black.

Unfortunately it's sometimes not an option when the the rig is a work set up. Just a question of being equipped to handle it with studs, chains and tie on's. I put studs on the center wheel set of my trailer, chains on the front and tie on or nothing on the rears depending on conditions. Chains on fronts and outer rears for the truck. Takes about an hour alone (or half that with crew) and with tension tests. I will sit out a a 3 or 4 hour delay but can seldom afford a whole day in a lay-by assuming I have been thrown out of my previous parking place.

But I do get it - these are R-v's with the accent on the R because we have RETIRED and don't HAVE to go anywhere. Not there yet, but one day, perhaps, maybe, if its still legal!

[FOURWHL]

Welp it was bound to happen but we managed to get stuck in a parking lot with 1" of icy snow outside Chicago today too [emoji28]

Staying at a harvest host tonight and the lot is not plowed, since you know Chicago golf courses don't get a lot of traffic in January. Stopped a little too short as I came up hill and suddenly that slick surface and 40k lbs said no.

Thankfully the friends we came to visit also have a jeep and they were happy to come rescue us. Just a little help from a wrangler spinning 4 tires was all it took!

Was a good demonstration in how important momentum is!

[Rancher Rob]

We got a quote for Onspot automatic chains here in WA state. I think it was like 2 days labor and $3k or so. I ended up not getting them because we have hardly been able to use our RV much less take it up to ski lodges and the like. I did get snow socks and two sets of chains (as required by WA law). The reason we didn't get auto chains is because the bounce and jangle and make a lot of noise 99% of the time when not in use and are only good for mild snow up to an inch or 1-1/2 and not of much use in anything heavier.

[halla]

Originally Posted by FOURWHL

Welp it was bound to happen but we managed to get stuck in a parking lot with 1" of icy snow outside Chicago today too [emoji28]

Staying at a harvest host tonight and the lot is not plowed, since you know Chicago golf courses don't get a lot of traffic in January. Stopped a little too short as I came up hill and suddenly that slick surface and 40k lbs said no.

Thankfully the friends we came to visit also have a jeep and they were happy to come rescue us. Just a little help from a wrangler spinning 4 tires was all it took!

Was a good demonstration in how important momentum is!

Should have stayed south. LOL. Nice to know there is a always a Jeep around to pull you out. That should be used on the Wrangler commercials.

[vlamgat]

Originally Posted by FOURWHL

Was a good demonstration in how important momentum is!

Maybe but momentum is out of control and can take you anywhere especially with $)K# to maintain the slide. Its about traction and that means devices and the patience to install them.

[FOURWHL]

Originally Posted by vlamgat

Maybe but momentum is out of control and can take you anywhere especially with $)K# to maintain the slide. Its about traction and that means devices and the patience to install them.

Not really a concern in an empty parking lot at 1mph. But it sure highlights the need for them on the interstate in mountainous regions.

[FOURWHL]

Originally Posted by halla

Should have stayed south. LOL. Nice to know there is a always a Jeep around to pull you out. That should be used on the Wrangler commercials.

Worst part is nobody even got video....

[richp]

Originally Posted by dacheedah

In Illinois law enforcement since 1980 and Tire chains are not illegal in Illinois when snow and ice conditions are present. You can not have them on when those conditions are not present. (625 ILCS 5/12-401) read the last paragraph.

Thanks. When I moved here from Colorado in 1997, my Firestone dealer told me my studded truck tires and chains were illegal. Never questioned it...


Rich

[bclemens]

Originally Posted by FOURWHL

Not really a concern in an empty parking lot at 1mph. But it sure highlights the need for them on the interstate in mountainous regions.

Not really a concern, but shouldn't there be concern? 1mph empty today, 75mph full tomorrow with bus loads of children and pregnant women on a march to a safe zone during evacuation. You should think about it.

[vlamgat]

To BC's point - I used to think the same until one day, in an Audi Quattro (goes anywhere - right!) I was creeping through a parking lot which has an unnoticeable (at first) slight off camber tilt. The car started to follow the camber at 1 mph and even with quattro, attempts to regain traction with gas and ABS, there was no stopping the side movement until I hit the grass verge and regained traction on the P/S wheels. There are only 2 ways to handle ice:stop or studs/chains. Momentum is not one of them especially if you have not stopped before entering the "ice field" and walked the area to see its extent and relative slope. All this is exacerbated by the us of OTR tires on these rigs designed for 75 mph, 20,000 lbs and Arizona Summer heat: stiff casings, hard compound, large sipes, high pressures.

[FOURWHL]

I'm not even sure how Quattro, which relies heavily on wheel spin so the LSDs can do their thing, even applies to what I'm talking about here. But there's plenty of scenarios where momentum management is accomplished by controlled input when sliding. Traction is not a binary condition. Small inputs still result in acceleration of the vehicle, just a matter of whether or not that is enough to overcome the environmental forces. Controlling a spin comes to mind in a rear wheel drive vehicle, or snowmobiling, rally racing, ultra 4, trophy trucks. All of which apply drive forces with less than ideal traction to manage momentum.

Momentum management and understanding what your vehicle is going to do in a given situation and when and where to apply power is a key driver skill and what contributes to avoiding uglier scenarios as you describe.

I do agree though on the DOT tires. It was quite impressive how little it took to defeat them even when in contact with asphalt. Then again the fact that they've lasted 75k miles carrying the weight they have is something to credit. I'll have to look at what other options exist in this size as replacement is coming soon. Some added siping would be nice but will have to evaluate the trade offs in terms of everyday usage. But let's not turn this into a tire thread

[halla]

What pressure would you run in those new tires? LMAO. I had to ask.