Let me tell you how awesome my Tacoma was...

If you didn't know, the East Coast was just slammed by a snow storm. I was excited given that I bought my truck in June. Well I soon got over my excitement.

I left work at 4:30 and after 2.5 hours in traffic, I hadn't yet gone 1 mile. When I finally got near the front of this particular traffic jam, I saw that 2WD cars were unable to make it up a hill and were in various states of getting stuck. Every once in a while people would get free and traffic would move until another got stuck.

I was the last car to make it through for a while as the person behind me got stuck. I pulled over when I made it above the ~6 cars that were stuck. The first "car" I towed up the hill was a giant conversion van. I put the truck in 4-Hi and tried to pull and wasn't able to go anywhere. I then switched into 4-Lo, Locked the Rear Differential, and enable ATRAC. I pulled that van uphill through 6" of snow.

Then, as I was making my way home, all the snow on the roof of my truck fell over top of my windshield. I was forced to pull over in ~10" of snow to clear it off. I didn't need anything but 4-Hi as I broke through the wake a plow left behind back onto the more packed snow.

My Tacoma rocks =)

 

glad i don't have to deal with snow...doubt my sport would be able to handle all that lol

 

Yep I didn't get stuck in the storm coming home wed night but going to work this morning on Fairfax County Parkway there were abandoned cars everywhere it was like an obstacle course! Averaged ~5mph for 7 miles on the parkway. Made it to work in 2 hours what is normally a 30-40 min drive.

Where about in VA you located? I'm in Chantilly.

 

No kidding!! I'm live in Leesburg and work in Chantilly!

The hill I was talking about was the Willard Road overpass over Route 28.

Does anyone know if a Westin Sportsman is sufficient to push a car up a hill?

 

Yep it was enough to get me going by the time it switched off I would expect.

Edit: Doing some reading and there was a chance I was still in 4-Hi with just the Rear Locker engaged as the light was blinking and the truck was beeping (At least part of the time). I forgot to put it in Neutral when I shifted... didn't know that was required for an AT.

 

Not with out tearing something up.

 

Don't know about the sportsman. The tubes are fairly thin metal IIRC.

and LOL at the willard road exit. I know exactly where that is. I take willard around to Stonecroft to Route 50 to go home rather than fight route 50 all the way home (live near 28 and 50). That is a fairly steep overpass for snow. I went thru there at around 3pm and it was still raining so I made it out before the big pile of cars. It was clear this afternoon when I went home.

There's another guy on the forum that lives up near you. He was looking for off roading places in Loudoun county.

 

I believe the locker says 3mph max speed.

 

I only have a sport but was also amazed on how well it handled in the snow. I actually found myself pushing buttons on the left side of the steering wheel just to have extra fun.
What was truly amazing was the cornering in a couple inches of snow at an intersection. With my 2000 F-150, the front end would push in 4x4 so I was constantly switching back and forth so I could steer.

 

Good story! I'm in Mass and we've been getting blasted with snow this year too. My Sport is doing a good job. Tires make a big difference though.

I pulled a Cherokee out of a snow bank yesterday. One of the cops that was directing traffic didn't think the "little" Taco could do it but it pulled it right out.

These are great trucks for sure!

 

Lol ok so hopefully I have exhausted all the noob out of my system now.

I guess I pulled that thing up the hill in standard 4-Hi haha.

Thats what I was worried about with the Sportsman. Any chance there is a similar style grille that I would be able to push with? Or is a bull-bar/push-bar my only option.

I know of 1 spot that my buddy showed me off of Loudoun County Parkway near 267. Pretty steep grade going up and over when he showed me in his truck. You have to take it at an angle to avoid high-pointing the truck.

-Kevin

Up until helping people, I was wishing I left around that time too haha.

 

All you need to do is get rid of the dunflop's

and these trucks are outstanding in the snow!!

still recommend the Goodyear Duratracs

for driving like this:

 

I went through 10 in of un-plowed snow this morning with my 5 lugger. I used auto LSD once, and even then, I didn't really need it.

 

That looks like fun!!

So given that it was, for all intents and purposes, a blizzard outside, I had to have my window open to know when to pull and what not. Needless to say, the interior of the truck got very wet. Is there anything special I should do to clean everything up? (Kind of wish I had gotten Seat Covers before this haha)

 

Don't worry. Your sport would do just fine. Last winter we had 18 inches of very wet snow in October. I went to work at 6 AM so no streets had been plowed or driven on. Even with the crappy factory tires with 35,000 miles I was very impressed.

 

I know you're a good man, and you are a good man helping people in need, but remember the saying "nice guys finish last" its true!
Rule #1 Always make the person your pulling out hook up the tow strap to his car. If you hook it up for him and you damage or pull something off then you will be responsible for that damage.
Rule #2 If the person in need refuses to hook it up himself, then just leave!.
If you do damage his car, even if the owner says "don't worry about it" he can later change his mind call the police and have you charged with a hit and run, yes! it has happened, yes, that has happened to friends I know.
Its your truck, you have nothing to prove, they are stuck because they choose not to own a 4x4 truck like you have, nobody will be impressed that your truck pulled them out.
The only people I pull out are friends and family.

Note: The person you pulled out and damaged his car will later find out that his insurance coverage will refuse to pay that claim and the insurance agent will tell him the only way out if it was a hit and run or leaving the scene of an accident, he has to call the police and file charges against you, and he will!
YES!!! That has happened many times, don't believe me? Call you insurance agent and ask him!

just trying to help

 

I didn't know that!! Thank you so much for the information. I was lucky in that I triple checked with him and then he actually got out and hooked it up. The conversion van obviously didn't have any tow hooks so we had used a hole in the frame to pull from. (No way in hell I was pulling anyone without a hook/frame attachment.

If I can just find a guard for the front that will allow me to slowly nose up to someone and help push them up a hill (Another guy did this for a few cars without hooks/frame attachments). I feel like if I take it slow enough the Westin Sportsman should be just fine - but then again I could be over-estimating.

Looking like more snow Monday Night-Wednesday night, so I'm hoping to get the Westin off of Amazon with 2 Day shipping so I have it just in case. Anyone have any better ideas?

 

If you plan on doing any pushing with the front you need a new bumper. Those cheap brush guards won't cut it. Check out the ARB, I got it from AutoAnything.com

 

BartStar - thanks for the infomation...I never thought of that but it makes sense

 

Hmm - Getting a little pricey. I don't intend on pushing anything with any regularity. This is the first time I really wish I had the need.

The one guy pushed with a pillow between his bumper and the other car without any damage (outside of a bent license plate). You would still recommend going for a new front bumper? (I like my Fog lights :\ )

Any chance the front bumper would also solve the slight rubbing issue people report with 285's with a 3" lift on the front?

-Kevin