Forum Discussion

frankiebIII's avatar
frankiebIII
Explorer
Jan 06, 2016

Any tips for driving 40' class A diesel in snow

I've had my motor home for 3 years now. I live in Northern Cal where we have been in a drought and there has been very little snow. I drove my motor home to the mountains last year but did not encounter any snow as we were just below the snow level. Last week I drove my car up to Bear Valley about 3.5 hours away and stayed in a hotel for the night with my young daughter, girlfriend and her son. We were a bit cramped and I kept saying "I wish we drove the motor home up so we could be in luxurary and have more space and seperate sleeping areas." We both thought that driving the motor home in the snow might not be feasible but are we wrong?? I figure people own motor homes in parts of the country that get way more snow then we do. Yes, we could stop about an hour from the ski resort where the chance of snow is slim and drive up the mountain in my toad (AWD Ford Explorer) but then when we were at the mountain last week I saw a sign offering overnight RV parking right at the slopes for $35!!

So I come here looking for guidance. Mind you that this area is different then driving to Lake Tahoe where Hwy 80 is multiple lanes, steep grade and not too winding. Also you could be driving in the snow for hours.
This is single lane, very winding for a short period and only in the snow for the last hour of the drive.

Can it be done?

Do you need chains? If yes,on which tires?

Have YOU done it before?

Would you be better off with a certain type of tire? Snow tire for a motor Home?

Does the heavy weight of the motor home help or hurt?

Could I still tow my car?

Thanks for any feedback!
Class A
  • bluwtr49's avatar
    bluwtr49
    Explorer II
    Jan 06, 2016
    I have never driven the MH in snow. When snow is in the forecast, I find an RV park and hunker down.

    However, I did read in my literature not to use the Jake Brake when slippery so whatever you have for an engine brake you should think about the possible ramifications.
  • DSDP_Don's avatar
    DSDP_Don
    Explorer
    Jan 06, 2016
    Living in So Cal, I've only driven the RV in snow/ice once while camping at Yosemite. It's not something I would do again, unless ABSOLUTELY necessary. Just too many bad things can happen. Sliding a 40' motor home into a ditch, even at low speed, is much different than sliding a car into one.

    Can you imagine the issues you'll cause if you get a 40' motor home, with toad, stuck on a one lane road. If it's blocking traffic, they don't care what damage they do to it to get it out of the traffic lanes.

    The toad presents another issue. It will also need chains and requires another skill set to keep it under control in slippery conditions.

    Lastly, the $35.00 parking, does it include restroom facilities since you'll probably have to have your coach winterized at the time. Do they offer electric to provide the heat you need or the electricity your batteries will need to keep charged while your propane unit is running. To me, it would be more work than it's worth.
  • Busskipper's avatar
    Busskipper
    Explorer
    Jan 06, 2016
    frankiebIII wrote:
    I've had my motor home for 3 years now. I live in Northern Cal where we have been in a drought and there has been very little snow. I drove my motor home to the mountains last year but did not encounter any snow as we were just below the snow level. Last week I drove my car up to Bear Valley about 3.5 hours away and stayed in a hotel for the night with my young daughter, girlfriend and her son. We were a bit cramped and I kept saying "I wish we drove the motor home up so we could be in luxurary and have more space and seperate sleeping areas." We both thought that driving the motor home in the snow might not be feasible but are we wrong?? I figure people own motor homes in parts of the country that get way more snow then we do. Yes, we could stop about an hour from the ski resort where the chance of snow is slim and drive up the mountain in my toad (AWD Ford Explorer) but then when we were at the mountain last week I saw a sign offering overnight RV parking right at the slopes for $35!!

    So I come here looking for guidance. Mind you that this area is different then driving to Lake Tahoe where Hwy 80 is multiple lanes, steep grade and not too winding. Also you could be driving in the snow for hours.
    This is single lane, very winding for a short period and only in the snow for the last hour of the drive.

    Can it be done?

    Do you need chains? If yes,on which tires?

    Have YOU done it before?

    Would you be better off with a certain type of tire? Snow tire for a motor Home?

    Does the heavy weight of the motor home help or hurt?

    Could I still tow my car?

    Thanks for any feedback!


    You need to be comfortable with the driving conditions. PERIOD......

    No matter what is written - if you are not totally comfortable - pull over and STOP. IMHO, if you are asking the question you are likely not comfortable, so when in doubt just wait it out.

    Not sure what the consensus is but in my experience you need to be able to STOP, and to steer, if not PULL over and STOP. Going is always the least of my worries, Stopping is another issue, if I feel that is a question then Slow Down or Pull over.

    I have Wintered in Colorado and have driven in the snow there (Breck and Vail), so yes it can be done, Chains, I would look at the clearance before I headed down the road with them on MY Coach. I have driven to Colorado in the snow. I have driven to Ski Resorts in the Snow. I have pulled over and stopped in the SNOW. For 25 years, while in business, we would push snow, so I have hundreds of hours in the snow. So for me the minute I start to feel just a little uncomfortable I pull off and STOP.

    One year we had to drive all the way to Mont-Tremblant, QC just to find snow (Old Class C) - arrived it was 32 degrees and that night -5 and then it snowed on the way home, great story and not that great sking.

    Back to the question - yes it can be done, many do it, can you do it ? Sorry but only you know the answer to that question.

    BOL,
  • WyoTraveler's avatar
    WyoTraveler
    Explorer
    Jan 06, 2016
    Chains? Yes. Snow tires? No. Handling? I've driven MCI and Crown buses (hauling prisoners). I've also driven gasser MHs. I learned how to drive on snow and ice. I had training driving on soap covered track. My thoughts. On a slippery surface a diesel MH tends to lose traction in the front because engine is in the rear. Steering gets erratic. The MH may not react to a quick steering movement. A gasser MH seems more stable front and back on a slippery surface because the engine is in the front. However, if you break traction with a car or PU you can turn into the skid and it will recover. (maybe) If you break traction with a long vehicle like any type of MH, Gasser or diesel, it is pretty much over. You just don't have the turning radius to recover. In a MH it becomes much more important to gear down and stay off the brakes on slippery surfaces. In addition keep steering movements to a minimum. Black ice on shady mountain curves can turn into a nightmare so driving becomes much more tiring. Chains? They now sell cable chains for busses that qualify commercially. I carry them anytime I am on the road in the winter months. They are much lighter than link chains and easier to install. Installation on outside rear duals. Hope this answers some questions.
  • Mfan's avatar
    Mfan
    Explorer
    Jan 06, 2016
    All of the above plus, look underneath your mh. Do you really want all of the road mess splashing on all of those things? My fw takes the winter off.
  • phillyg's avatar
    phillyg
    Explorer II
    Jan 06, 2016
    Can it be done? -- Yes

    Do you need chains? -- Maybe, depending on snow depth or required in a snow area. If yes,on which tires? -- Outer duals minimally

    Have YOU done it before? -- Yes, once when I couldn't avoid it.

    Would you be better off with a certain type of tire? Snow tire for a motor Home? -- Chains or normal tires; I wouldn't bother with snow tires.

    Does the heavy weight of the motor home help or hurt? I don't think it matters.

    Could I still tow my car? -- I've never tried.

    Lastly, I don't recommend doing it at all.
  • rgatijnet1's avatar
    rgatijnet1
    Explorer III
    Jan 06, 2016
    Since it varies per state, the bast information can be obtained by going to the State websites and see what they say about where and when you need tire chains. Some places only require them on the outside dual driving axle and others want both of the duals to have chains. There are also some roads where they will not allow you to go unless you have your chains installed and there are places that will rent sets of chains for your use.
    I've driven in the snow a lot and have had to use my chains often. Sometimes I needed them not so much for the roads, but they were necessary to get in to and out of some RV Parks that are not equipped to deal with snow. The vehicle weight does not have much difference in moving, but it does make a difference trying to stop on snow/ice. You need to drive carefully and be careful when on the highway and crossing overpasses that may have ice on the road surface.
    I never had a problem towing a vehicle in the snow but until you get a little experience, I would avoid driving in a heavy snowstorm. You would be surprised how quickly snow/ice can form on your 4' high windshield and how long it takes for the defroster, at the bottom, to melt it. Then when it melts it can slide down and block your view for a time.
    Other than that, just go for it. We love Winter travel and actually prefer it to Summer travel.
  • Kayteg1's avatar
    Kayteg1
    Explorer II
    Jan 06, 2016
    You do need chains.
    Assuming you are not planing to drive back roads with deep powder, you should have no problem.
    Inconvenience yes, as putting chains on big rig in falling rain is not fun.
    I did it few times and additional problem come from chain wear out.
    Caltrans makes you putting the chains long before the snow, so you grind them on concrete for long time.
    I had chains on outer duallies only and wear them on 16 miles drive. Repaired them at the resort, put on other side on return trip and had not much left.
    Buy both - cables and chains.
    Cables are easier to put and rolls don't wear out that fast, but for deep snow you need real chains.
    What size wheels you have? I have extra set of chains for 22.5 wheels.
    Weight of the coach and big wheels helps a lot, especially in slushy snow when cars hydroplane.

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