florida boy towing this winter

[scsowi]

so just so we are clear i have lived in florida my whole life never driven in ice/snow before. we have decided we are going to stone mountain georgia for christmas and i am guessing it is going to be cold enough for ice/snow. my question can anyone give me some sort of idea on things to be careful of im not a lead foot so i already figure take my time but the friends we are going with are getting chains for there truck which i had not even thought of and i asked well what about the camper does it need chains? i ask that because my understanding of chains is to break ice so you can have traction to stop? again i have never driven in any winter condition so dont hold back. lol

[bob caldwell]

I'd be using the slide control lever on brake controller to have trailer lead the tv when brake"n...... if in snow, fresh snow is better to travel in as far as being slippery....kinda like drive'n next to existing tracks......out here we see 18 wheelers with 'iron' on trailers....maybe cable chains would be ok, but depends on how much tire clearance you have...chains should fit snug to the tire, and you can pull the trailer onto a block to chain up...carry an old tarp to kneel down on.

[Happy Vibe]

You would need to check if chains are legal in Georgia. Personally if the roads are bad enough for chains I would not be driving with a trailer. I live in Ontario Canada so Have driven in snow my whole life.

[DobeFanatic]

Snow is not a common occurrence around Stone Mountain, east of downtown Atlanta.
I second the others, just don't go anywhere for a few hours, usually only a light dusting if any melts pretty quick.
when I lived there, I recall mowing grass on Christmas day so it is not necessarily going to be cold, especially with the trend we are seeing so far in Florida, definitely not getting cool this year as expected by now.

[5picker]

The ice/snow event that happened there (Atlanta) a year or so ago is an oddity.
You will likely not see that kind of weather again for a long time.
Typical Stone Mountain GA weather at Christmas is highs in the 40's to lows around 30º at night.

I agree with the statement that if the weather is bad enough that you need chains on your TV, you best not hook to your RV and try to tow it anywhere!

[ependydad]

Originally Posted by Happy Vibe

Personally if the roads are bad enough for chains I would not be driving with a trailer.

That's my take.

[scsowi]

thank you all! that is exactly what i needed to hear

[coupevillefish]

I agree with the if it's snow'n , I ain't go'n approach. That said, I did some research a while ago on Washington chain up laws. The statute was more towards commercial trucks but our requirement is chains on the drive wheels and on the far rear right trailer tire. I don't know the logic of only one trailer tire but that was what the illustrations showed.

[BooBoo23]

Forget getting chains for trip to Atlanta. When the roads get slick here it is best to park it and take a rest (even in heavy rains). The problem is not your getting around it is all the other crazy drivers that can't drive. Snowfalls are few and when it does snow it is usually 1-2 inches but even that will bring traffic to a standstill. The snows will clear off in 1-2 days and be back to dry surface. You should be more concerned about black ice when the roads are wet. If you don't see a spray coming from the rear of other vehicles it is time to get off the road. Now if you were going to someplace in New England in December you may want to reconsider. BTW chains are legal in Georgia but unless you absolutely need to get to someplace it is best to wait it out.

[WFD]

Originally Posted by ependydad

That's my take.

Same here....and we are on ice and snow for a good 5 mths of the year, any day now till at least April...the worst is a person who has never driven on ice or snow thinking they can do it....let alone pulling a trailer.

[bob caldwell]

No time like the present to learn...we out west learned early in life. Towed a lot between Oregon and California thru the mountains in winter snows to go racing.....do what you gotta due.

[53flattie]

Nothing to add regarding the chains, except that you won't need them. My comment is about Stone Mtn Campground - we go there every year for Memorial Day. It's a very nice campground and I look forward to our trip every year. Be sure to go over to the actual rock and see the carving, ride the tram (or hike) to the top. It's quite an impressive place.

Enjoy!!


2015 Rockwood 2306
2015 Tundra CrewMax

[cbconway]

Originally Posted by BooBoo23

Forget getting chains for trip to Atlanta... The problem is not your getting around it is all the other crazy drivers that can't drive...

X2 I'm a former yankee who learned to drive in ice and snow. Been in Atlanta 45 years and I NEVER drive here in snow unless it's a matter of life & death.

[mjbenedict]

If you MUST drive in snow make sure you turn down the gain on your TT brakes. They will lock up easily. You have to drive slow enough you can get the whole rig to stop when needed.
As others have stated its best to avoid towing in snow.

[Dabmeb]

Originally Posted by coupevillefish

I agree with the if it's snow'n , I ain't go'n approach. That said, I did some research a while ago on Washington chain up laws. The statute was more towards commercial trucks but our requirement is chains on the drive wheels and on the far rear right trailer tire. I don't know the logic of only one trailer tire but that was what the illustrations showed.

If you put a single chain on the trailer it keeps the wheel turning long after the others have locked up. As long as one wheel turns the trailer will stay behind you and not follow the road crown into the ditch.
Before auto slack adjusters we would deliberately back off one wheel brake right so we could always have one set of wheels on the trailer that would never lock up.

[merrykalia]

I was in Atlanta a couple of years ago in my car when it started snow flurrying. Those people are CRAZY! It was not accumulating, just a few flakes flying and it was about 36 degrees. 75 miles an hour, then complete stop, then 75 again. Cars every which-a-way all over I-75. We finally parked the vehicle and got a hotel. We waited until the next day and headed out.

I don't even want to pull a trailer through Atlanta, but definitely would not if it were snowing or had black ice.

You really should be fine in December. I would worry more about late January, early February. That's when it's more likely.

[Radio]

Originally Posted by scsowi

we have decided we are going to stone mountain georgia for christmas and i am guessing it is going to be cold enough for ice/snow.

I'd be guessing again.

It simply will not snow on Christmas in Atlanta, GA.

And if it does (but it won't) just stay put for a day and enjoy watching civilization come to a halt around you. Leave the chains at home and bring some short sleeved shirts.

This is one less thing for you to worry about. Come on up and have fun.

[SkipnTerri]

"You should be more concerned about black ice when the roads are wet. If you don't see a spray coming from the rear of other vehicles it is time to get off the road."


Excellent advice!