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Towing in the Snow - like riding a bicycle - NOT!

DutchmenSport
Explorer
Explorer
We made plans to spend the first full week of March at Andrew Jackson State Park in South Carolina. We've been making last minute preparations and though everything was ready to go. Weather in Indiana has been all over the charts, but did not expect a very heavy blanket of snow to fall over night, and definitely did not expect to be driving on snow covered roads. After all, the weather man has been saying our cold snap was suppose to start turning around Saturday.... Right?

Well, snow! But we left anyway, even though the roads looked like this: Our destination for day 1 travel was Milton, WV staying at the KOA.






Towing in the snow was no problem at all. I've done it before, it just meant going slow. My top speed for the first hour was about 30 MPH, gradually moving in a Southward direction, but more East. And the speed increased gradually. Once we crossed over the Indiana-Ohio state line on I-70, now finally running 50 mph, we took the first rest stop and THAT'S when I remembered the toll that towing in the snow takes! No, not on my nerves or my skills. On this:

Yea, this is one of the door handles on the truck:



Here's another one:



Here's the full view. Oh My Gosh! I had given the camper a full bath just a week early. It WAS so shinny and I had it spotless! Now this:













Even after being on the road a couple hours, we still had snow hanging on.



But this is what really got my attention. Functionally, it didn't affect anything, it just looks awful:











We made it safely to the KOA, unwinterized the water line, and have been enjoy our traditional Wine and Cheese to celebrate our first camp-out of the year.

Tomorrow morning, we head out for Andrew Jackson State park. Hopefully, there's no more snow. Buy my goodness, my camper and truck is dirty!
35 REPLIES 35

Durb
Explorer
Explorer
What happened to "Pure as the wind driven snow"? Looks awful dirty to me.

dblr
Explorer
Explorer
73guna wrote:


That looks like a UPS pup?
2017 River Stone Legacy 38MB
2001 Kenworth T2000
2009 Smart on the deck.

73guna
Explorer
Explorer
2007 Chevy Silverado Crewcab Duramax.
2016 Wildwood 31qbts.

Lantley
Nomad
Nomad
I drove in those conditions a few Thanksgivings ago. No issues just drove slow.
What I really did not like was the effects of the road salt on the RV.
RV's are the cheapest things known to man as it is. Putting salt on the poor quality paint will quickly lead to rust.
I made a point to hose down the undercarriage and spray paint things as much as feasible.
19'Duramax w/hips, 2022 Alliance Paradigm 390MP >BD3,r,22" Blackstone
r,RV760 w/BC20,Glow Steps, Enduraplas25,Pedego
BakFlip,RVLock,Prog.50A surge ,Hughes autoformer
Porta Bote 8.0 Nissan, Sailun S637

Ski_Pro_3
Explorer
Explorer
DW and I watch the national evening news and see all these massive pile-ups on interstates where there's a little snow like in your photos and wonder why folks would venture out when conditions prove other drivers have no clue how to drive in those conditions. I don't doubt yours or my skills to stay at safe speeds and braking distances, just those of the other goons out there texting photos of the snow on the highway while still driving.

I drive a lot in snow and mountains, seeing as I go skiing a few times each week and California is having one heck of a snow year, but I've never seen the types of pile ups they have on those straight flat highways I see back East.

Cummins12V98
Explorer III
Explorer III
Had som fun traveling thru SD!


2015 RAM LongHorn 3500 Dually CrewCab 4X4 CUMMINS/AISIN RearAir 385HP/865TQ 4:10's
37,800# GCVWR "Towing Beast"

"HeavyWeight" B&W RVK3600

2016 MobileSuites 39TKSB3 highly "Elited" In the stable

2007.5 Mobile Suites 36 SB3 29,000# Combined SOLD

Searching_Ut
Explorer
Explorer
burningman wrote:
If you ran full running boards your truck wouldn't get so blasted!


I have the full length factory steps and the crud just tends to fly around them somehow and build up bad on top. They build up huge ice blocks, and of course when you go to get out of the truck you can't use them because of the ice on top of them.
2015 Ram 3500 Laramie CTD, 4X4, AISIN, B&W Companion Puck Mount
2016 Heartland Bighorn 3270RS, 1kw solar with Trimetric and dual SC2030, 600 watt and 2k inverters.

Yeti_plus
Explorer
Explorer
We went to Florida at the end of January and drove through snow flurries in Ontario, Michigan and Ohio, but nothing like you had.
I washed the truck and trailer in Florida and was happy with the nice clean setup, then the GPS sent us down a dirt road in Georgia on the way home and the truck and trailer looked almost as bad as yours, but covered in red Georgia clay. They had a little bit of rain just before we got there.
Washed the trailer after we got home, but like Ken said the next day was below freezing and has stayed there.
Enjoy your time in the warmer weather. I wish we had more time in Florida but had to come home for appointments.
2014 Chevrolet 3500 CC 4X4 Duramax, Tork Lift Tiedowns, TorkLift Fastguns, Superhitch and supertruss
2009 Jayco 213 SOLD
2008 Bigfoot 25C9.4

newman_fulltime
Explorer II
Explorer II
DutchmenSport wrote:
06Fargo wrote:
If that ice puts you 72lbs over GVWR GAWR GCWR or some other GR you'll have to park it or buy a bigger truck....

Signed
R V dot Net Weight Police


Oh my! I never though about the extra weight from the ice hanging on. Do you "really" think I am now a candidate for a BIGGER truck now? (I'm negotiable!) :B

With that extra weight on them trailer axles watch out time to beef them up :B

rhagfo
Explorer III
Explorer III
Great post Dutchmen!
Nothing wrong with winter camping, if you have the correct equipment is is great. Marty (blt2ski) really knows how to do it, as he goes camping to ski. DW and I have always enjoyed winter camping the the storms on the coast.
You need to take a trip out West and see our Coast!!
Russ & Paula the Beagle Belle.
2016 Ram Laramie 3500 Aisin DRW 4X4 Long bed.
2005 Copper Canyon 293 FWSLS, 32' GVWR 12,360#

"Visit and Enjoy Oregon State Parks"

dodge_guy
Explorer II
Explorer II
People like you should be ashamed!!!

Some of us can't get out for another month!
Wife Kim
Son Brandon 17yrs
Daughter Marissa 16yrs
Dog Bailey

12 Forest River Georgetown 350TS Hellwig sway bars, BlueOx TrueCenter stabilizer

13 Ford Explorer Roadmaster Stowmaster 5000, VIP Tow>
A bad day camping is
better than a good day at work!

noteven
Explorer III
Explorer III
DutchmenSport wrote:
06Fargo wrote:
If that ice puts you 72lbs over GVWR GAWR GCWR or some other GR you'll have to park it or buy a bigger truck....

Signed
R V dot Net Weight Police


Oh my! I never though about the extra weight from the ice hanging on. Do you "really" think I am now a candidate for a BIGGER truck now? (I'm negotiable!) :B


Accumulated ice is nothing to joke about, sir. 87lbs of it can cause the door sticker to lose control! Do search. ๐Ÿ˜„

I need a coffee

Bedlam
Moderator
Moderator
Rock Tamers on the back of my trucks have cut down what gets kicked up on the trailers. I don't mind when they sand, but the chemicals they use for deicing are still corrosive (even if they are not as bad salt). My state started chemically treating the roads and I have been using much more water to get that crud off than I used to.

Host Mammoth 11.5 on Ram 5500 HD

burningman
Explorer II
Explorer II
If you ran full running boards your truck wouldn't get so blasted!
2017 Northern Lite 10-2 EX CD SE
99 Ram 4x4 Dually Cummins
A whole lot more fuel, a whole lot more boost.
4.10 gears, Gear Vendors overdrive, exhaust brake
Built auto, triple disc, billet shafts.
Kelderman Air Ride, Helwig sway bar.

blt2ski
Moderator
Moderator
That looks like a small amount is snow on everything.......I came off of one of thelocal passes with a ski area. Pass was closed for 3 days, snowed over 4'......had some 6000 lbs of snow on truck and trailer at a scale halfway home! EVERYTHING was a bit overloaded.

Winter camping at ski areas is a LOT of fun. Head up on a friday afternoon, come home sunday......

Marty
92 Navistar dump truck, 7.3L 7 sp, 4.33 gears with a Detroit no spin
2014 Chevy 1500 Dual cab 4x4
92 Red-e-haul 12K equipment trailer