# Towing In Snow



## ED_RN (Jun 25, 2006)

Can anyone give me a quick lesson about towing a TT in snow. I thought I saw a thread on this but when I ran a search nothing came up. I grew up in Jersey and know how to drive a vechicle in snow but not sure what the does and don't even try it's are with a trailer.


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## Sluggo54 (Jun 15, 2005)

ED_RN said:


> Can anyone give me a quick lesson about towing a TT in snow. I thought I saw a thread on this but when I ran a search nothing came up. I grew up in Jersey and know how to drive a vechicle in snow but not sure what the does and don't even try it's are with a trailer.


I've not towed anything more than a popup (with a full-size van) in snow, semis excluded. FOr the most part, the semis were on treated highways; mostly just taking it easy and staying alert.

My only recommendations are, one, don't. Two, if you must, just take it slow and easy, and if you can find an empty area to play a bit before hitting the road, do so. It might just send you bsck to #1.

Sluggo


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## ED_RN (Jun 25, 2006)

Sluggo54 said:


> Can anyone give me a quick lesson about towing a TT in snow. I thought I saw a thread on this but when I ran a search nothing came up. I grew up in Jersey and know how to drive a vechicle in snow but not sure what the does and don't even try it's are with a trailer.


I've not towed anything more than a popup (with a full-size van) in snow, semis excluded. FOr the most part, the semis were on treated highways; mostly just taking it easy and staying alert.

My only recommendations are, one, don't. Two, if you must, just take it slow and easy, and if you can find an empty area to play a bit before hitting the road, do so. It might just send you bsck to #1.

Sluggo
[/quote]Sounds like great advice. Hope I don't have to. Last time I went to Yosemite in October there was about 5 miles of road with about 1/2 inch of snow when we left. I was driving a 4 WD TV then and only pulling a pop-up that weighed less than 1000lbs.


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## N7OQ (Jun 10, 2006)

Whats Snow?


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## NJMikeC (Mar 29, 2006)

Absolutely do not do it. You should see what it is like towing a 1500 or 2000 lbs snowmobile trailer. Real ugly some times, it will sway all over the place without you even doing anything, ask Truck Drivers. And if you ever did it with a truck that lets say is undersized, then I guarantee you , you will be in a ditch.


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

If you were forced to, take it easy and stop for coffee. Then wait for at least the roads to get salted to continue.

There is nothing worse than looking in your mirrors and seeing the side of the trailer in it. Been there, done that in big rigs. I would not want the grabbing of electric brakes on icy roads.


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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

Didn't I hear somewhere that you can put chains on the TT wheels one on the back wheel of the one side and the other on the front wheel on the opposite side to give it traction









Don


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## vdub (Jun 19, 2004)

Best advice I could give is be prepared for snow, but avoid it at all costs. Note in pic below that I am stopped and unhooked. We were prepared to overnight along the side of the road, but a plow came along an hour later, we put on the chains and inched down the hill (about 10 miles). Very scarey when you have 10,000 pounds pushing you.


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## Scott and Jamie (Aug 27, 2006)

Towing in snow = Chains on trailer, and luck! I have towed many times on ice/snow and it is white knuckled everytime! Avoid it at all cost but if you do, chain up the TT and TV. I would recomend using small cable chains on all of the wheels (less vibration) Chain the "rear" of th Tv. Do not chain the front of the tv unless the rear is chained ( front chained without the rear can cause a jack knife situation while braking!) Take your time and pull off and let traffic by at Every safe spot.

Scott


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## Ghosty (Jan 17, 2005)

hey i have NO advice on towing in snow -- now sand i can tell you about -- but I digress...

Putting my work hat on for a moment -- Just make sure that you have plenty -- and I mean plenty of insurance on that vehicle(s) during snow time -- odds are when you lose control of that rig its going to be catastrophic and you are not only going to completely damage your TT and TV but the several others you run into .... mere "insurance minimals" are not going to cover it....


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## johnp (Mar 15, 2004)

Ghosty tow in the snow. I would just like to see him drive in it







Head north and we can give you a lesson.

John


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

I guess Moosegut has not seen this thread yet. He camps in the snow regularly.

I tow in the snow a few times every winter because to get from point A to point B requires I climb a few hills. Just because there is snow does not mean you have to not go camping. Take your time, 4 wd and you will be fine.

That isn't sand I am driving on.


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## Scott and Jamie (Aug 27, 2006)

CamperAndy said:


> I guess Moosegut has not seen this thread yet. He camps in the snow regularly.
> 
> I tow in the snow a few times every winter because to get from point A to point B requires I climb a few hills. Just because there is snow does not mean you have to not go camping. Take your time, 4 wd and you will be fine.
> 
> That isn't sand I am driving on.


4wd is deffinatly a must But won't help except getting up a hill or traction to get going, wont help you go through a corner faster, won't make you stop faster. When a emergency situation happens I really hope you have chains on your trailer so you don't watch the TT attempt to pass you, slam into the side of your tv, and then if you are very lucky you will stop with no accidents except for the the damage to your TV/TT.

If you run into ice or snow..Chain It Up!!! 4wd will not help you at all to stop..

From Mt. Hood with lots of snow and hills,

Scott


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## Sluggo54 (Jun 15, 2005)

Guys, here's a post from the Dark Side:









I am getting over a very scary experience from a few days ago. We were in Chama, NM and had had snow the day before. I checked with the tourist board in Chama and was told that people had been turning around on Cumbres Pass with snowpack and ice. We changed our route; added 140 miles to go around the mountains and to cross at La Veda Pass; a pass that Chama tourist info had told us was "clear and dry". After driving around to Antonito (about an hour from La Veda Pass) I checked with their tourist information. She made five seperate phone calls and found nothing to indicate that the info from Chama was wrong and there were no advisories for La Veda. Just outside Ft. Gardner (the town before the pass) I tuned into the tourist info radio station and there were no advisories for the pass. We looked up the pass and while there were clouds and dark clouds, we could see the peaks and it looked lighter to the East (where we were headed). I was driving the rig in my sig; a 2002 Ford van + 30ft trailer. Our weight has always been steady (we fulltime) each and every time I've weighed us and we're just a hair under 16K, so I assume that is what we're at now (and were when we crossed the pass). As we headed up, road was dry, weather clear. Just before the top we got snow and slush and at the top there was one pullout and the 5er ahead of me pulled over in deep snow and joined 2 others there. I didn't know why then, but I did later.

Starting down the pass the road was icy which soon turned to pure, thick ice. The oncoming lane was plowed and dry or slushy, but the downhill (my) lane was thick ice. All vehicles had dropped their speed to 5mph or less. I dropped the Ford into 1st gear (2WD) and increased the trailer brakes. I jacknifed twice but got straight again. I literally inched down the mountain. There was no place to pull over, no pullouts and downhill had only one lane. At one point, when oncoming traffic had 2 lanes and both were dry (literally NO snow or ice) and ours was still thick ice, I took over closest oncoming lane so I could stop skidding. Before I got into that lane I would skid, brake (honestly, I never let off the brake completely), cranked my wheels, came to a stop, let off the brake a little bit, the van would move (turning), skid, stop, repeat. This is how I manuvered as there was absolutely NO control; all 4 wheels of the van were sliding.

Obviously, the best idea would have been to be clairvoient (sp?) and not gone up the pass. Second best would have been to stay at the top (with bad weather coming from the West and a broken genset I was worried about being stuck at the top and freezing to death; van had less than 1/2 tank of fuel). I never imagined that "they" would allow traffic up the pass (not one vehicle had chains on) with weather that bad, but they did and traffic continued behind us, so they didn't stop it and when we got to the bottom (at dark), traffic was still going up from the East.

What would you have done differently? I plan to never approach another mountain unless the sky is brilliant blue but if the scenario somehow repeats itself, and I find myself towing in snow/ice with no place to pull over, what do I do?

Thanks so much!


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## CamperAndy (Aug 26, 2004)

Scott and Jamie said:


> 4wd is deffinatly a must But won't help except getting up a hill or traction to get going, wont help you go through a corner faster, won't make you stop faster. When a emergency situation happens I really hope you have chains on your trailer so you don't watch the TT attempt to pass you, slam into the side of your tv, and then if you are very lucky you will stop with no accidents except for the the damage to your TV/TT.
> 
> If you run into ice or snow..Chain It Up!!! 4wd will not help you at all to stop..
> 
> ...


There are plenty of people that have no clue how to walk on snow much less drive on it but the OP ask for a quick lesson on how. "Take your time and use 4wd" is the answer. Now there are lots of different snow types and each one has its own characteristics. The worst being the wet slushy junk which can not make up its mind it it is ice or water, to the packed and groomed snow in the picture. Around here they do not always scrape the roads to the pavement as groomed snow has better traction then half scraped roads. So I drive to conditions, means you can still drive. I did not say 4wd and go like a bat out of hell. So why assume I meant you can drive faster in corners or stop quick? I carry chains but I never use them, they are for getting you un stuck, not to allow me to drive faster then conditions allow.


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## ftroop (Sep 1, 2006)

NJMikeC said:


> Absolutely do not do it. You should see what it is like towing a 1500 or 2000 lbs snowmobile trailer. Real ugly some times, it will sway all over the place without you even doing anything, ask Truck Drivers. And if you ever did it with a truck that lets say is undersized, then I guarantee you , you will be in a ditch.


I would agree... I used to live on the NH/Vermont border. I saw many a truck/snowmobile trailer combos going too fast on I-91 in the snow. Many of them did end up in a ditch.


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## PDX_Doug (Nov 16, 2004)

It's all in that 'driving too fast' statement.

I'm with Andy on this one. I have not personally towed my Outback in the snow yet, but intend to this winter. In fact, the first snowfall we get around here (if we get one), I'm headed out to the storage lot just to get some practice. Prepare yourself with the right equipment and training, and then take it easy, and you should be fine. Driving on the snow is a different experience than on pavement, but no harder once you learn how to do it. Kind of like towing a trailer in the first place.









Happy Trails,
Doug


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## egregg57 (Feb 13, 2006)

Verstelle said:


> Whats Snow?


 Stop it You!!


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## ftroop (Sep 1, 2006)

My big concern would also be the other guy on the highway, and how well he knows how to drive in this stuff!! I may have all my chains and 4WD, but if he's going to slide into me, it doesn't help. Just my 2 cents!!


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## z-family (Oct 2, 2004)




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## HootBob (Apr 26, 2004)

Now that is just to much snow to tow in for me Rob









Don


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## luv2rv (Jun 21, 2004)

I had to tow in the snow coming back from Florida this past February from about mid point of New York State all the way home to just outside of Toronto. I think it was about 5 - 6 hours of travelling in the snow.

We stopped a few times and took it really easy but still travelled on a 4 lane Highway. You have to take your time and watch everything you are doing and expect the unexpected.

It can be done safely and is done safely all the time in the Great White North.

Wayne


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## Sluggo54 (Jun 15, 2005)

z-family said:


> I have towed a few different times in the snow before. They were two dear hunting trips and one late fall camping trip (unexpectedly snowed). We don't have big mountain sized hills, I think I would be leery on going down a snow covered mountain. But we do have rolling hills. I think the most important thing is to take it SLOW!!! I don't TRY to tow in the snow but Michigan weather is so unpredictable and dear hunting is right on the edge of snow season.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Rob - what the heck did you do with the canoe in your pic?









Sluggo


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## z-family (Oct 2, 2004)




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## Moosegut (Sep 24, 2005)

CamperAndy said:


> I guess Moosegut has not seen this thread yet. He camps in the snow regularly.
> 
> I tow in the snow a few times every winter because to get from point A to point B requires I climb a few hills. Just because there is snow does not mean you have to not go camping. Take your time, 4 wd and you will be fine.


Andy,

That's funny (made me chuckle) because I was just reading through the thread and thinking of my reply.







I had briefly looked at this thread when it was first started and haven't had a chance to get back to it. I do tow in the snow quite often. I'm surprised I don't have more pics of the Outback in the snow - Oh well, it was only our first winter in it last year. I have tons of the popoups and my last TT.

Any way, I always have concerns when someone has concerns - i.e. if someone is concerned about their abilities to tow in the snow, I have concerns for them too. Ed, if you are hesitant and concerned already (and thatâ€™s a good thing) donâ€™t PLAN on towing in the snow. Having said that, donâ€™t be afraid to tow in the snow. Just take it very, very easy and go slow.

The highways are usually okay, just slow down and stay to the right. Let all the idiots driving 4WD vehicles, who think they can do 75 in the snow just because they have it in 4WD, have the entire left side of the highway. When on two and four lane local highways, stay to the right and take it easy. On side roads or access roads, SLOW down. If possible, pull over and let people pass. I do that when I can, but I donâ€™t have a problem having a long line of vehicles behind me when the conditions are bad â€" they can wait.

Youâ€™ll also see idiots (sorry, but they are) towing in the snow thinking they can fly down the road just because they have 4WD. Let them go. Donâ€™t think â€œwell, it must be okay to go faster â€" they are.â€ Drive according to the conditions. Give yourself PLENTY of stopping distance. The electric brakes on the trailer do not react the same way the brakes on the TV do - they grab much faster and harder. In snow and ice they will lock up very easily so, as I said, drive slowly and allow plenty of stopping distance.

If you are planning to camp in the snow, 4WD is a must â€" AND A SHOVEL OR TWO. I have often arrived at the campground (99% of the time a state park) to find the site is snowed in. I can usually muscle my way into the site with the 4WD but I have bottomed out the TT and TV many times and had to shovel out. Arrived late one night with the popup and muscled in as far as I could until the jeep bottomed out and said, â€œWell, this is where weâ€™re stayingâ€ and opened the popup in the driveway of the area. Shoveled out the next day.

I also carry a come-along with me and have had to use that to get out of the snow. Itâ€™s pretty sad when wild turkeys (probably the stupidest animals on earth) sit and watch as youâ€™re shoveling and using the come-along to get the TV unstuck. I can just imagine what they were thinking. We laugh about that all the time.

Camping in the snow and winter is an absolute blast â€" if youâ€™re prepared. 4WD, shovels, plenty of cold weather gear (including heavy sleeping bags) in case the furnace decides to take a vacation and youâ€™ll have a lot of fun. I am tossed as to whether Iâ€™m going to undertake the project of re-doing my underbelly for better heating of the water lines or whether Iâ€™m just going to forgo the fresh water and use bottled water for everything â€" including the toilet. I didnâ€™t get to the project this summer and I have trips planned for every other weekend for the next few weeks and Iâ€™m not sure I want to get into such a big project on the off weekends.

Oh well, I digress. Back to the towing in the snow. Yes, you can tow in the snow successfully and enjoy camping in the winter. Drive VERY SLOWLY, give your self PLENTY OF STOPPING ROOM, brake easily, let the other guys be the idiots, stay to the right, pull over to let people pass only when safe and plausible, drive according to the conditions - And one other thing: SLOW DOWN.

Scott


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

I ll add to Mooseguts post. He is from NJ, but don t let that make you think its flat. The state park he goes to has some serious hills and winding roads to get to it in Sussex County.







Experience he does speak from


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