Loading Car For Snow Travel

[crookesey 635]

I’ve driven 4x4 SUV’s for so long that I’d forgotten what a standard saloon car was like, that was until last month when I had a Renault courtesy car during the snow, it was almost new with good tyres, I soon adapted, but wouldn’t go back to one. Having said that my Rheumatoid Arthritis necessitates that I have easy access/exit, that my Landrover gives me.

[Janus 28]

 @crookesey

The SUV cars must  be great in the snow compared to cars. They seem to be popular, there are a few about. I have never been in one but I imagine them to be very comfortable.  They seem to  get bad press,  but it could be down to jealously?

[Jackson21 0]

Well although a good story, it hasn't answered my question lol

[sadbrewer 20]

22 minutes ago, Jackson21 said:

Well although a good story, it hasn't answered my question lol

  Don't place too much reliance on front wheel drive ...the biggest single factors in snow are the tyres and the skill of the driver. If your tyres are not well treaded you will struggle in snow,  my old man always kept a pair of 'town and country' tyres in the garage and just got them swapped when necessary, in recent years we needed to look after elderly relatives... I  ordered snow tyres from Mytyres in Germany, the alternative is just to buy good quality snow chains and take them off as soon as the snow is gone.

[Jim117 72]

54 minutes ago, Jackson21 said:

Well although a good story, it hasn't answered my question lol

Really? Your FWD car has the weight of the engine and gearbox above the driving wheels so adding weight to the rear of the car will not help at all. Sadbrewer makes a valid point regarding tyres, I’ve seen 4x4’s get stuck because they have been fitted with fat road tyres that just spin and polish up the snow rather than digging in. I drive a 4x4 which has a composite set of tyres so it is ok in normal conditions and snow but I know I wouldn’t be winning any off road events. I also know people who swap to winter tyres and back according to the season but it’s up to you to decide if this would be worth the hassle and expense in your situation.

[L00b 441]

Snow socks are fairly inexpensive, lightweight and take up little room and work really well, so you could do worse than keep a pair (or 2 if your car is RWD) in the boot if the forecast is for snow. Until we moved away, I’d never been without, since getting stranded overnight in 2010.

 

Where we’ve moved away, winter tyres are mandatory from 1st November to 1st March, and everybody keeps a set of summers and a set of winters. The difference in adherence under wintry conditions is really staggering, basically you drive on snow or slush with winters, just as you would on a wet road with summers.
 

But not all winters are equal by far, and they don’t work miracles either (e.g. don’t expect enhanced performance on black ice). I’ve got Pirelli Sotto Zeros on a modern petrol RWD saloon and, with all the driving aids and care in the world, still got myself a nice little scare on Xmas Eve, lost the a55 for a second on a bend with adverse camber, at 20 mph or so. Very wet road, but plenty enough thread on the tyres, so there must have been some diesel spilt by a passing bus or lorry.

 

Nothing to add to the earlier advice, which is spot on. Drive slowly and smoothly, leaving twice the safety interval, try not to accelerate hard nor to brake hard/late/much (downshift/use engine braking). Basically: anticipate a loss of adherence at any given time, and could you correct/recover from it without a bump.

[Guest]

All depends as others have said. Winter (and all season)  tyres do make a difference when it's cold. I had an RX7 for 10 years, lots of power, RWD and no traction control. Always had winter tyres in the winter and never had an issue. Always made sure to have a shovel and some carpet in the boot. The only thing that caught me out was black ice.

 

But never be afraid to drive in the snow, I think a lot of the issues these days are people never drive in the snow so have little experience and these days place too much reliance on their car than their own driving skills.

[Findlay 116]

Carrying on the tyres recommendation you need good tread on your tyres so if they are below 3mm get them changed to an all season tyre. Carry a blanket or compact sleeping bag in the boot along with a compact snow shovel.

Make sure your fuel level doesn't drop below half a tank in case you get stuck in traffic for a few hours idling. Last thing you want to do is abandon your car as it takes forever to clear the route once the snow stops.

[Rockers rule 673]

I've driven everything from Smart cars to Rollers  

Ignoring 4x4's. (although I have had to recover them as well)

For me RWD is far superior than highly geared FWD's.

There are exceptions . I could list them but the truth is you should know your car's capabilities already.

If your car is skittish even if it looks like rain or on wet grass, its hardly likely to be any good in't snow.

The main problem, people simply don't know how to drive in adverse weather conditions.

Momentum is the main ingredient for any form of travel.

Correct tyres, tread, spade in't back etc etc should hardly need referring to, but are all good advice..

Drive with the intent to get where your going to.

Too many drive as if they've reached retirement age (sorry to all those this applies to), or are scared of driving in the white stuff.

Reducing speed is understandable (drive to the condition's), but to slowdown that much you are not only impeding others, you've lost the momentum you need for that simplest of gradients and the snowball effect is, as we all know, other drivers having to find alternative route's  back home coz they've had to abandon the car (usually on a bus route) .

 

No, i'm not advocating race around as if its just another normal day (although getting the car sideways can be fun   )

Drive to the conditions and don't implead others.

 

Of-course the most sensible advice has to be, is your journey really necessary .

 

Enjoy . 

 

 

 

 

  

[Findlay 116]

On 06/01/2022 at 10:59, Rockers rule said:

Reducing speed is understandable (drive to the condition's), but to slowdown that much you are not only impeding others, you've lost the momentum you need for that simplest of gradients and the snowball effect is, as we all know, other drivers having to find alternative route's  back home coz they've had to abandon the car (usually on a bus route) 

I can well understand your need for momentum when towing but the nature of Sheffield's flat one level road design means lots of stop start junctions. Some of the  culprits I saw last year were the pelican crossings on the hills outside Crystal Peaks when Westfield school had to abandon classes and all the teachers were stranded along the tram route up to the A57. It was a case of helping to push their cars up the hill to get everyone moving stuck behind.

 

South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership posted this Winter driving e-learning module from Buckinghamshire http://buckinghamshire.edrivingsolutions.com/ModuleList.aspx

[Rockers rule 673]

29 minutes ago, Findlay said:

I can well understand your need for momentum when towing but the nature of Sheffield's flat one level road design means lots of stop start junctions. Some of the  culprits I saw last year were the pelican crossings on the hills outside Crystal Peaks when Westfield school had to abandon classes and all the teachers were stranded along the tram route up to the A57. It was a case of helping to push their cars up the hill to get everyone moving stuck behind.

 

South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership posted this Winter driving e-learning module from Buckinghamshire http://buckinghamshire.edrivingsolutions.com/ModuleList.aspx

Timing (says him with 9 kids  )

You've  the momentum, but can see the lights / junction etc are going to change before you get there.

Keep the speed down and avoid having to stop, ok it isn't always possible but it should be something your prepared to do rather than end up loosing traction and all the delights that go with sitting there going nowhere.

Same as everyday driving, too many out there simply don't read the road

Motorways are a prime example.

Your behind a vehicle overtaking a lorry (/ car), as soon as he has overtaken the lorry / car he pulls in straightaway, box's himself in with a slow moving vehicle in front of the vehicle he's just overtaken.

You've read the road and committed to overtake both slow-moving vehicles, you are then in the position of having to judge if the pillock is going to pull out in front of you or be content to sit there (mad with himself) knowing he should have kept going.

Q; why were All the teachers stranded? none of them have the sense to stagger their departure or wait for the madness to correct it'self before venturing out?

 

Keep safe out there - Snake Pass is shut and no doubt Ainley top 'll get a mention before long  

 

 

[HumbleNarrator 286]

On 31/12/2021 at 00:43, Jackson21 said:

My car is front wheel drive, which I'm told is good for snow driving. My dad used to chuck everything in his boot to weigh the car down for snow driving, back when cars were rear wheel drive.

 Should I put some weight in the boot, would it help? 

What snow?