Winter Driving- Are You Ready?

We replaced the tires in the late Summer and the truck will go in for service next week. At that point we'll also replace the anti-freeze with fresh. Other than switching out truck bags from the Summer bag to the Winter one, we're ready to go.

 

When I lived in snow country, I put a tarp over my truck cab while it was parked, both at work and at home .
Did several things .
The tarp was closed in the door jamb so it cant blow off, and or be stolen.
It prevented people from snooping in the window .
If it snowed the windshield stayed clear and the locks ice free.
Because it draped over the hood to the ground , when I'd start the truck the tarp blocked the freezing air dso the engine warmed up more efficiently .
Taking it off was easy, and I was often out the gate before the rest of the crew, still scrapping off their windshields.
In severe cold I put a rough service lamp and bulb under the hood semi-perminantly , it was better than the heated dip stick or heated radiator hose .
1. I knew at a glance it was working seeing the light on under the truck .the other products your guessing and hoping they are working and don't know they are working till the last second your headed for work .
2. it warms more area than the other devices.
4.Though the truck was old "1958" , and the engine was tired an had 40 weight oil, the 100 watt lamp was sufficient to give me a good start up in the coldest mornings.
5. never had battery issues due to cold . .
6. My truck was easy to spot in the parking lot .

Knowing the asset this has been , I would never venture in to snow country with out both the tarp and the rough service light for my vehicle.

 

"What is this...... snow.... you speak of?"
Says the guy from sunny Florida.

I last drove in icy conditions in the early 1980s, in my Navy years. No desire to repeat.

 

Driving in snow is very political.
In good dry daytime weather out on the open highway, you can be the king of the road ,with in the limits of the vehicles ability to perform . Switching from that to night time foggy/icy roads , it's another world .
I've done this repeatedly , driving through the mountains .
On ice several other things have a vote that may trump your vote.
other drivers.
Changing conditions, dry, to wet, to ice, turns and irregularities in the road surface.
traction , snow contact and road contact
The is why I find it valuable to have at least 100' of good heavy rope for pulling people out or getting my self pulled out of snow berms . or for getting people lifted from over the side of mountain roads . or throwing to folks having fallen through ice .
Having some practice and training in handling rope helps in volumes . Some use is common sense but then sense is not that common now days.
Get some books on rope handling and rescue, and harness some use , and it will always pay volumes.

 

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Well, ya know, one of the beautiful things about living in my part of Texas, is that whenever we get snow, they either do a delayed reporting to work, or just tell everyone to stay home. Only ones out driving in that stuff are the idjits, and the first responders who are showing up to the accidents, that were caused by the idjits!

 

Several years back, we actually had ice on our bridges here in Tallahassee, Florida. The city spread sand on them, to help us commuters get to work safely.
Weird thing was, temp wasn't all that cold, high twenties as I recall. We get temps in the teens with no ice. But it had rained just before, and humidity was still high. Unusual condition for us. That sand was blowing around for weeks after.

 

I flushed and filled two of my three vehicles this summer. (Third was good to go) Good to go to -35F or so. Will check the antifreeze again once the snow flies. On my RWD sedan, I run Nitto snow tires, which have a subzero compound and give great traction in water, snow and ice, and are about the quietest of the winter tires I've run. Like many of you, I carry a winter survival kit in the car with a shovel, traction mats, warm clothes, survival blanket and such in every vehicle that I drive in winter. Oh, and I put 8 bags of dirt over the rear wheels, since I don't have a 4wd truck. In the spring, the dirt gets used to fill holes, flower boxes, and such.

 

Time to get any maintenance your vehicles need before things get cold, rainy, or snowy. I keep mounted studded tires and when I change out my summer tires I check brakes and bleed the brake fluid. Check the bolts that hold the wheel to the vehicle and replace any that are goobered up. Since the rigs get jacked up it's a good time to change oil. Also time to lay the chains out and inspect them and make sure the right set is in each vehicle. Make sure phone chargers are in the console. I just make a Saturday out of it.

Yes to the winter kit. Need dump and review. I like the dirt idea by @Navyair.

Also, something I'm now putting in all the vehicles "just in case" is this Harbor Freight multi use transfer pump, a whopping $6.99 and works dandy if you need to siphon gas. just get the flow started and stop pumping. Sometimes I bring extra gas especially if I'm going over winter passes, and with this I can set the can in the bed of my truck by the fill spout and siphon from there. MUCH easier and about as quick as pouring the gas and you don't have to worry about an accidental spill.