Sandbags in Your 4x4 Longbed?

So what's the consensus everyone? Weight your 4x4 longbed or not for winter driving? (Winter to me means regular travel in the following conditions: serious drifting snow(1-5 feet), dry and wet snow as well as icy conditions. Up and down significant inclines with gearing changes etc. I am also assuming you would not be foolish enough to run stock tires. And as a best practice you carry chains, shovel, sand, retrieval gear, cold weather gear, first aid supplies and water. For you or for someone else. My policy is if a vehicle is off the road stop and help no matter what.)

 

You have 4 wheel drive, no need for sandbags.

 

if your doing crazy shit, get duratracs, snow chains, and weight doesnt hurt

doesnt hurt to be too prepaired

 

4x4 or not , weight over the back tires always helps in snow .

 

i carry a couple of cat little tuppers full of sand, not for weight but i can dump it out for traction if i get stuck

 

oh and carry a shovel

 

I have to disagree

In the winter you are not driving around in 4 wheel all the time, usually just when it is actually snowing or shortly after. Having the weight in the back improves traction in 2 wheel for daily driving when you hit little patches of black ice or random patches in the road.

 

i dont think weight in the bed will help on black ice, just makes the truck heavier and harder to control

 

Couldn't agree more! I usually put steel tractor weights in the bed of the truck but sandbags are nice because you can use the sand for traction if you need to. For those you who say you have 4x4, no need for extra weight, you need to spend more time in the snow... Good tires are a must for winter and the extra weight helps you get your traction to the ground so why wouldn't you?

 

Studs are the only thing that will help you on ice. Weight will help you everywhere else in the winter.

 

some weight wont hurt even in 4wd! we have added weight in the tundra when we wear in western new york a few years ago. but sometimes we hit a 2 foot deep snow drif. it did help some and also we did not clean the snow out of the bed till we had to back and head home.

 

Um , no Mr California

 

past few years i've thrown 2-3 50lbers in the back to help...i head to the mountains every weekend to snowboard and it's nice to have a little extra back there...i try to stay out of 4wd as much as i can

 

weight should also help the studs dig in to the ice.

 

x2

don't listen to the guy from cali

 

Weight in the bed definitely helps when driving in the snow, even in 4x4.

 

A little bit of weight in the back is a good thing.

 

Wow

That must be super neato when you get to " snow drive "

 

You don't need to worry about adding extra weigh for the trip up to the ski hill. But for us guys that drive in winter conditions for 6 months straight, it helps a lot.