Loading Car For Snow Travel

[Janus]

2 hours ago, hauxwell said:

Enjoyed reading this.  I also think it’s the best story I’ve read this year.  Hope you didn’t cause any damage to the other car.

 

I’ve had to leave my car a few times on Fox Hill Road when the snow was bad.  Then walk the rest of the way home to Grenoside.  

I’m pleased I don’t live there now, but in fairness we don’t get that much snow. Good job we don’t the country comes to a stand still when we do.  

I wonder if anything significant changed after the winter of 1963? It was certainly a bad one. Some of older members may know.

[hauxwell]

7 minutes ago, Janus said:

I wonder if anything significant changed after the winter of 1963? It was certainly a bad one. Some of older members may know.

I can’t remember the winter of 1963.  The only thing I have noticed what’s changed over the years is the bright orange gritter lorries what’s dispatched  by the council when it snows. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[crookesey]

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]

 @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]

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

[sadbrewer]

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]

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]

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]

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.