Chionophobia: Intense fear of snow

Sand bags for weight in the back is a good thing, the no weight thing is awesome when you want to be that guy spinning for 5 min through the intersection.

 

Maintaining distance from other drivers is critical. Menards has tubes of sand - about 80 pounds each - put one next to each wheel well. And winter tires are the best thing you can do. It's an expense, but they make all of the difference. Some you can run year around, others like the Nokian Hakkapeliittas I run have to be changed out seasonally.

 

Yankee land here. Snow's been scare here in CT in recent years, but we have had some challenging winters. Been driving Toyota 4WDs for a few decades. I'll offer the following thoughts:
1. Drive like there's a egg between your foot and the skinny pedal and the brake pedal.
2. If you drive an auto, many times it's better to slip it into neutral if you gotta stop quicker than your truck seems to want to.
3. Depending on the snow conditions, airing down is not gonna help. You want the tires to grab the underlying surface and not 'float' on the snow.
4. 4WD helps get you moving, BUT it doesn't help you stop on icy surfaces. Combined with #2 above, it can help with stopping.
5. Remember that 4WD can get you really stuck compared to 2WD.
6. Busting thru snowbanks can be fun BUT in many situations it can pack snow between the ground and your truck's frame & skid plates. This literally can lift your tires off the ground and you get NO traction. When that happens you'll either need a tug or a shovel to get the snow out from under the truck. Been there too many times.
7. Avoid driving in heavy traffic, especially commuter hours. You and your vehicle may be just fine, but there are many other a$$holes out there that drive like it's bare pavement.
8. Carrying sand in the back is fine but remember if it gets wet and freezes it can't do double duty as weight AND/OR providing some grit under your tires.
9. Watch out for slushy roads. Hit a deep patch of slush and it'll pull your truck in directions you may not want to go.
10. A thin layer of snow on the pavement is usually more dangerous than 3-4 inches.
11. Sometimes you'll get better traction and have better control by driving in the snow-covered lane than in the mostly clear lane.
12. Most of all as others have said, find an empty snow-covered parking and practice (play). Leave it in 2WD drive, about 20 mph and turn the wheel & hit the gas. Know what a skid feels like. Try it again in 4WD - know the difference in behavior. Know what a 4-wheel sideways skid (drift) feels like. For every skid or slide you get yourself into, practice getting out of it.
Most of all, don't freak out when something happens. Practice so you'll have confidence and know how to deal with it.
Good snow tires are generally far better than off-road tires. They have a softer rubber compound that grips packed snow and ice much better. I run OEM tires most of the year and have a set of REAL snow tires for the Winter season (when/if we actually have a Winter season).
Be safe out there and enjoy your Taco.

 

Ya... it umm... it gets hot LOL... but it's a dry heat - kinda like an oven... I've seen 115+ out here for days.
I think last year we had 145 days > 100..

When I win the lottery ( any fking time now )... I'll have a place here from October through May and
then from June through September some place with elevation -

Some place like this with indoor-outdoor living LOL... probably park my Taco INSIDE THE HOUSE PROPER,
on persian rugs, where it belongs.

 

Yeah....when you win big. We can all come to visit for a few months.

I'll bring a turkey. Could someone bring brisket to cook over a slow smoker??

 

You put a lot of thought into this, thank you so much! I really appreciate it!

 

Thank you guys! Lots of great info, I appreciate you all

 

My tip is to rust proof your truck before they salt the roads this winter

and realize your truck can slide for a good sixty feet or so on snow, ive been going 25 on snow and slammed the brakes to test it, you should too

 

Hey neighbor! I learned how to drive in Burton in a 2wd chevy pickup.
Best advice is learn how to predict what all the other idiots on the road are going to do before they do it, whip whatever vehicle you're driving around in a snowy parking lot as much/often as you can to get the feel of slipping and sliding, traction control OFF, drive like you have an egg under your big toe on the brake/gas pedal and a cup of very hot coffee between your legs when it comes to turns, snow tires are worth the money, learn how to drive without 4wd and weight in the bed and you'll be a god on the road in no time.