Looking for snow advice - POSITIVE COMMENTS ONLY

[fallonator22]

Positive comments only because my last thread in regard to us being noobs and questions about propane got a lot of condescending answers.


OK - we are in southern Texas, looking to go to southern (Durango) Colorado for the christmas holiday. My question is about driving in the snow. Obviously in Texas you don't run into that problem. This is our first winter in the rig and would like to take it somewhere we can have a white christmas, but are a tad hesitant with driving it. Has regular street tires, as does the truck. It is a 40'6" sandpiper, and we have had no issues pulling so far, but in regular weather, or rain.

Any suggestions, comments, or advice from your own experience would be appreciated!

[Lantley]

troubledwaters wrote:

Lantley wrote:
...If you have no experience with towing in the snow don't do it. I would suggest someone with no experience only tow in the snow if there is some sort of emergency...

How do you get experience towing in snow then? Some people tow in snow or they can't pay the bills. Point being, there is a first time for everything. I've towed a whole lot of miles in snow; due care, proper equipment, is all good advice; but towing in snow ain't the end of the world.

The OP is a recreational tower. Those that tow through the snow to pay the bills are not doing it for recreation.
The OP has no experience driving in the snow. Leaving from Texas to find a white Christmas is not the time to learn snow towing.
Honestly there is no need for an inexperienced driver to tow in there snow unless its a dire emergency.
If the OP wants to learn try going to a vacant lot during a snowstorm and practice in a somewhat controlled environment vs. attempting a mountain pass in the snow just for fun.
I have been through the snow once. I reduced my speed and took my time and had no issues. But I was also prepared to pull over and wait it out or leave the trailer if necessary. It was not fun and I was no doing it just for the experience. I was also not attempting to cross a mountain pass either

[Sam_Spade]

troubledwaters wrote:
but towing in snow ain't the end of the world.

But it CAN be. And for some it IS.
If they don't have the proper skills and attitude.

The simple fact that this person is anticipating doing something that he seems to KNOW could be a problem......but is asking only for encouraging, "positive" comments.....makes it obvious to me that HE should not be doing it.

"**** the torpedoes, full speed ahead" only works sometimes.

When the weather in the mountains starts to get bad, there is a GOOD reason that tractor-trailers and RV trailers are the FIRST vehicles to be banned from the road.

[lee_worsdell]

I have ran into everything when I head to florida from Toronto. Just drive a little slower if its snow packed maybe 4 wheel drive for a bit but not to long pulling. Leave lots of room

[laknox]

Fallon, I agree that this is not a great trip to take to learn driving on ice/snow, mostly because of the grades. If you're dead set on going, then make sure you've got chains for both truck 'n trailer; even if trailer's not required, towing with them on is d@mn-sure safer! Also, depending on where you're coming from in S TX, I-10 W to I-25 up to ABQ, then W on I-40 to Thoreau and N on NM 371 to Farmington, then NM 516 to NM 550 to Durango might be a better option. A much more gradual climb, overall. Downside is about a hundred miles on 2/4 lane, but traffic is usually enough that, should there be snow, it'll likely get priority plowing.

Hopefully, a NM resident will chime in on this route.

Lyle

[DiskDoctr]

I would strongly recommend you familiarize yourself with your brake controller, set it properly, and practice reaching for the override while keeping control of the wheel and eyes on the road.

When braking, there are times you will need the trailer brakes to be more aggressive or even lock up on snow/ice without the TV locking up.

Often for lining up or swinging around on no traction turns :E

Be careful. Really careful.

[troubledwaters]

Lantley wrote:
...If you have no experience with towing in the snow don't do it. I would suggest someone with no experience only tow in the snow if there is some sort of emergency...

How do you get experience towing in snow then? Some people tow in snow or they can't pay the bills. Point being, there is a first time for everything. I've towed a whole lot of miles in snow; due care, proper equipment, is all good advice; but towing in snow ain't the end of the world.

[Butch50]

If going up I25 you go over Raton Pass first and then once you are in CO and going to Pueblo CO then heading over to Durango CO you have Wolf Creek Pass.

Wolf Creek Pass

Wolf Creek Pass can be one nasty pass. Steep on both sides.

One thing to remember if driving a newer diesel truck with an exhaust brake and traveling on ice you don't want to use your brake if going down hills. It could cause your rig to jackknife. So all the way down the passes you will be using you truck and trailer brakes. Also make darn sure your trailer brakes are set up properly. You won't want them to put to much force and cause the trailer tires to slide and yet you want them enough to make sure that all of the braking is not done by the truck because that would be just like using the exhaust brake. It is a fine balancing act between truck and trailer brakes.

I lived in CO for 27 years and before that I was born and raised in NW Montana so I was very used to snow and ice and pulled 5ers for over 40 years off and on. If is was me I WOULD NOT pull my 32' 5er over these passes in the winter time.

How much winter driving experience do you have. Are you comfortable driving on snow and ice roads with just your truck for hours on end? If not then sure don't try it with your truck and trailer.

If you decide on it make sure you have chains for both the truck and trailer and know how to install them because if you need to put them on it is not going to be in a nice warm weather, it will most likely be snowing, blowing and cold.

This is IMO

[Lantley]

This is an Open Forum. It is full of lots of useful advice some answers maybe a little direct and as a result they may appear rude,crude and condescending.
Most posters responding are only trying to help even if there responses may seem a bit offensive.
With that in mind towing in the snow is asking for trouble. If you have no experience with towing in the snow don't do it. I would suggest someone with no experience only tow in the snow if there is some sort of emergency.
Towing in the snow just to have a white Christmas is a bad idea.
Spending Christmas in a white ditch would not be fun.

[Old-Biscuit]

I grew up in WY/UT and have driving in lots of snow/ice conditions/storms

Have ended up towing our 34' 5th wheel in a few snow/ice conditions and even with all my snow driving experiences it was still a bit unnerving.
A constant mental challenge

AS 'noobs' to towing and doing so with a 40' trailer I would NOT advise it.
IT takes *-------* that long for it all to go wrong.

That is as 'positive' as I can be

[BB_TX]

My advice would be leave now and get there quick. The weather forecast for Durango for the next 7 days is highs in the 40s/50s with no precip. That will put you on dry highways to get there and get set up. After that the temps drop and possible precipitation. And once there, do not leave until you have a forecast of several travel days of no snow. Go thru Santa Fe and up, or Albuquerque and up. Do not go thru Raton/Walsenburg/Alamosa and the associated passes. I would not recommend you even go if there is snow in the forecast for your travel dates.

I agree your biggest problem may be the temperatures, teens and sub teens.

Have you checked to see what is available as far as RV parks open?

bob_nestor wrote:
In Texas when it snows, and it sometimes does, the ones you find in ditches and wrapped around phone poles are the transplanted Yankees who "know how to drive on ice and snow." ..................

During my working life I traveled a lot to northern states. Invariably during the annual snow storms there the streets and highways were clogged with accidents. When I said that I thought they knew how to drive in it up there, the answer was "No, we just tell you southerners that. We are as bad as anyone else, especially during the early year storms."

[bob_nestor]

In Texas when it snows, and it sometimes does, the ones you find in ditches and wrapped around phone poles are the transplanted Yankees who "know how to drive on ice and snow." The natives down here all hunker down and wait for the ice and snow to melt. And I say that as a transplanted Yankee who grew up in Alaska and took my first driving test on glare ice - and passed it too BTW.

The difference between snow and ice in Texas and snow and ice further north is usually the temperatures. In Texas the temp will be close to freezing, so there's usually a thin layer of water on the top and this is the most dangerous time as it's the most slippery. Up north it's either a lot colder so the ice and snow has more "grip" or it's above freezing and melting quickly. Whenever driving on ice and snow just be aware of the temperature; the closer it is to freezing the more dangerous it's going to be to drive on.

For a lot of the places in Colorado most of the snow will be on the landscape and the roads will for the most part be fairly clear and drivable. At altitude, like Denver, the snow quickly sublimates (goes from a solid to a vapor without going to an in-between liquid state) and the roads usually clear not long after the snow stops falling. Further up in the mountains though, like Durango, the conditions will be different and more postcard winter-like.

Like others here have suggested, I wouldn't want to learn about winter driving pulling a trailer of any length. Flying up and renting a car to see the winter scenery is a much safer approach. Learn to drive on the stuff in a car before trying to tackle it in a bigger rig.

Oh, I did do Monarch Pass last spring in my RV towing my Jeep Wrangler. Snow and ice on the roads, chain laws in effect and I had regular tires and no chains. Didn't have any problems and didn't get caught, but I'll admit it wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done in my life. It's pretty close to the top of my Stupid List.

[path1]

My advice as retired truck driver...

Don't be in any poor driving situation if you Don't have to be in.

Adjust breaks on whatever your towing

Don't join any "Jack knife" club.

[Trackrig]

You have to be careful approaching turns with that much weight. The TT probably weighs more than your truck. (your profile isn't complete and doesn't say what you're towing with) When you go into a corner and let off of the gas and then turn the wheel, the weight of the trailer is going straight forward, the truck starts to turn, the trailer wants to continue straight since the truck is not pulling it at this point, and then the trailer causes a jack knife.

You see that a lot up here with new people pulling four place enclosed trailers with light truck, no weight in them and all season tires after the first big snowfall. They head into some corner, usually too fast anyways, and the trailer pushes them right off the corner, usually rolling both units because the truck went off the corner broadside.

With that trailer, if it's snowy at all, always stop headed down hill because you won't get it started again without your chains on. And take a good hydraulic jack, not the factory jack for the chains.

Bill

[SidecarFlip]

Not to be discouraging but if I were you, I'd leave the RV at home, take the truck only and get a motel. Lots safer, less stressful and no issues with a frozen up unit. I used to do a lot of winter camping and there is nothing worse that unthawing a frozen black tank knife valve (besides frozen water pipes that is. Cold weather can turn any adventure into a nightmare real quick.

[DutchmenSport]

I've towed in snow a few times and it's ALWAYS a nerve racking experience. I've not towed "out West", but have towed through Southern Indiana, Southern Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia, even parts of Virginia. States I was in do not require snow chains, at least on the interstates. So, I've had no experience with chains.

All I know is, you MUST go slow! I mean, like 20 mph if the roads are snow covered, maybe even slower. Entrance and exit snow covered ramps (especially cloverleaf style) are really challenging if they are slick under the snow. Trailer has a tendency to slide off the inside of the arch. I used 4x4 the entire distance which did keep good traction and pulling power. 2 wheel drive caused the rear tires to spin too much (not good). What normally took 1 hour to drive, actually took 3 or 4 hours. On one trip from Indiana to Norfolk, VA, the drive was so intense, we ended up stopping at a motel, somewhere in Tennessee for the night. I was exhausted beyond belief.

But, we're heading out again on Dec 23 for South Carolina for week over Christmas and be towing again. Like last year, we left in snow and arrived in Sunshine! Are these trips worth it? ABSOLUTELY YES!

EDIT:

One thing not mentioned ... (above or below) on anyone's post ... this is definitely NOT a "positive" though...

Um... your camper will get very dirty on on snow! It just ain't nice! Last March we left for South Carolina and the day we left it snowed, all the way from North Central Indiana to Ohio in a small blizzard that pop-up over night. When we crossed the State line on I-70, I was exhausted already. Stopped at that first rest area inside Ohio on I-70 Eastward from Indiana, and found this with the camper! I was so unhappy. The day before I washed the entire camper and truck (Temps were in the 60's), and it was so clean and shiny! That dirt stayed on the camper and truck for the next 3 weeks. We were so embarrassed at the campground, the camper was filthy!

Door handle on the truck:



Truck and Trailer together:



You can see it so well, but trailer door handle had ugly black miniature icecickles hanging from it!





EDIT EDIT:

Well, I like photos. This was March 2009 somewhere in Tennessee:



Dirty, Dirty, Dirty!.....