Tips for towing in the snow?

stickyTaco · 03-30-2016, 01:20 AM

Surprise spring storm caught us unexpectedly on our way home and I had to pick up cables for the TT. Fortunately chain requirements were lifted about 20 minutes before we got to Donner Pass.

Any tips on towing in the snow in the event we get caught in another storm at some point? Obviously slow down and leave more space are important but what about adjustments to the trailer brakes? Any issues having the tow vehicle in 4wd while towing?

Force · 03-30-2016, 06:32 AM

I've never had to tow a camper in snow, but have with a snowmobile trailer countless times. The main thing is stopping distance, so slow down of course, especially through corners. And I have no issue with 4WD up to 65mph. As for trailer brakes, you still want everything pretty even, maybe even dial the controller down a click or two, because the trailer locking up before the truck could get tricky real fast!

Bassdogs · 03-30-2016, 07:32 AM

FISH TAILING!! Its one thing to pull straight and for sure stopping distance and skidding are a very real potential but we have all seen what happens to an 18 wheeler when it swaps ends and the whole thing folds up like a jackknife. I would never, make that never ever, try to tow up or down a mountain pass with snow or ice on the road. Two years ago when returning from Fla in early March we got caught by an early Spring snow storm. I got behind 2 18 wheelers and drove in their tracks keeping as far back as I could and keep their tail lights in view. We drove that way in relatively flat or gently rolling hills for about 75 miles at speeds of 25 to 40 mph. Made it south of Nashville and drove out of the snow about 25 miles east on I40. Was it a good idea? NO and in hind site we should have stayed in that last rest area in Northern Ala and boondocked for the storm to clear the next day. We were lucky and I would never do it again.

Back to your ??, no there are no ways to make towing safe on a snowy mountain pass. Learn from my mistake and take my word, the knuckle marks on my steering wheel were not there when we left Montgomery earlier that day.

NVGun40 · 03-30-2016, 08:14 AM

I tow on snow and ice quite often. I grew up in the Reno, Carson City, NV area so I got my toes wet on Donner Pass. Of course, living in Alaska brings a whole new dynamic; especially since I enjoy my semi annual December Caribou hunts.

Force pretty much nailed it. You may want to consider dialing back on the trailer brake. Anti-Lock brakes are common now on vehicles, but trailers will lock up. This can lead to fishtailing.

You already did the other thing I would suggest, and that is getting a set of cable chains for the TT. This actually helps in the side to side sliding/fishtailing issue.

As for towing in 4wd. By all means, do it, that is what it's there for. Just remember, 4wd gives you better traction in pulling and turning, but not braking. Keep it all slow.

I am sure you already know this, but if you ever do have to chain up, a good rule is to never exceed 35mph.

The worst conditions I have ever towed in was one year coming out of Ely, NV. I had chains on all four wheels on the truck and all four wheels on the 5er.

Rvan · 03-30-2016, 08:18 AM

Sure you can tow in the snow! Slow down, and double your following distance. As was mentioned in an earlier reply, dial back the trailer brake. If you find yourself absolutely white knuckle, do EVERYBODY a favor, and at a safe spot pull in and boondock. High mountain passes are intimidating! Running a "drag chain" or even a cable, to me, could cause damage to the TT due to heavy vibration.

FishAr · 03-30-2016, 09:16 AM

I pulled my travel trailer back from Florida this year and got caught in ice and snow, and nowhere to stop. From before Murfreesboro, TN and through Nashville, all the way to Paducah KY and then home to Marion, IL. I found myself going 35 mph at times and was scared I'd get run over from behind. I let off the gas and coasted across every bridge because they were ice. Saw 3 vehicles that had lost it on the icy bridges, a semi that lost it in the median, and a car hauler semi on fire burning to the ground.
Rest areas were full, nowhere to park to spend the night.

I kept my silverado in awd, not 4wd.

I'd never heard of putting chains on a trailer until I read this thread.

Rvan · 03-30-2016, 09:35 AM

FishAr, I'm somewhat jealous! Growing up and living in the Rockies, I've become very familiar with tire chains! Do you remember, as a kid looking down the tall, steep slide? When your towing, and get that feeling, it's time for drag chains! The basic premise of towing is the TV, MUST stay in the lead. Drag chains or putting on alternate traction devices (ATD) is a way to use the brakes on the rear vehicle to slow, and or help keep the tow vehicle out front. If you don't use the trailer brake properly, as I'm sure you've seen, is a great way to ditch the entire rig....

canadiankid · 03-30-2016, 11:08 AM

Definitely not an expert on the subject but I was working for a fishing lodge and we had to pull a goose neck trailer to the lodge in the winter, crossing lakes on ice roads and such, and I saw my boss do one of the coolest things ever. The trailer started to swing out and when we noticed it sure seemed to me like we where about to be in a wreck but he calmly engaged the trailer brake and stepped on the gas at the same time. I was very impressed. I often now put my hands on the trailer brake just so if ever I need to I'm used to its location.

MzLiz · 03-30-2016, 12:31 PM

I learned the hard way how quickly things can go south. I was driving a two ton flatbed truck up a very slight incline on a snow covered gravel road when all of a sudden I felt a little "whoops" and there I was facing in the direction I'd just came from. That truck did a perfect pirouette in the same tracks in about a heartbeat. I didn't think I'd been going too fast but I must have been.

MzLiz · 03-30-2016, 12:44 PM

Well maybe that was actually an easy way to learn - nothing bad happened.

Toad · 01-02-2021, 01:40 PM

Having been caught in the Siskiyou Mountains California

during a freak snow storm in November I can tell you it was a white knuckle experience.

As with the originator of this story, I too slide behind a semi in their tracks and trained down the mountain in 4wd.
I should have been more aware of upcoming weather conditions and waited it out a day or two.
In the the future I'll leave winter towing through snowy conditions to the professionals who have the experience in towing semi tractor trailers over the passes and ill sit by the fire and wait it out...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bassdogs

FISH TAILING!! Its one thing to pull straight and for sure stopping distance and skidding are a very real potential but we have all seen what happens to an 18 wheeler when it swaps ends and the whole thing folds up like a jackknife. I would never, make that never ever, try to tow up or down a mountain pass with snow or ice on the road. Two years ago when returning from Fla in early March we got caught by an early Spring snow storm. I got behind 2 18 wheelers and drove in their tracks keeping as far back as I could and keep their tail lights in view. We drove that way in relatively flat or gently rolling hills for about 75 miles at speeds of 25 to 40 mph. Made it south of Nashville and drove out of the snow about 25 miles east on I40. Was it a good idea? NO and in hind site we should have stayed in that last rest area in Northern Ala and boondocked for the storm to clear the next day. We were lucky and I would never do it again.

Back to your ??, no there are no ways to make towing safe on a snowy mountain pass. Learn from my mistake and take my word, the knuckle marks on my steering wheel were not there when we left Montgomery earlier that day.

ALJO · 01-02-2021, 02:58 PM

Real bad weather, heavy snow or wind? Stay put wherever you are. Why loose life, limp or equipment or bring someone else in danger. No one gets a medal for being stupid!

Kim Gass · 01-02-2021, 05:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALJO

Real bad weather, heavy snow or wind? Stay put wherever you are. Why loose life, limp or equipment or bring someone else in danger. No one gets a medal for being stupid!

We tow in the East all the time in snow! Just pretend an egg is on the brake and another on the accelerator. We have to always tow in snow. Otherwise between Dec and May we would no go anywhere.
The visibility is the killer. After 70 years in snow country we know that whiteouts are bad. Seems some others have never learned from what we see on TV . Whiteouts we head off the interstate and hide in a Mickey D's.

That said we do not tow in the Rockies or Sierras. We do tow in Vermont and NH with some 3000 foot elevation changes. I am also happiest when there is no traffic. We had our most relaxing tow across Pennsyvania on 81 where there were no trucks and few cars. 14 inches total of blissful silence.
If your gut says no listen to it.

Shokyle1 · 01-02-2021, 09:22 PM

Also if you are using a friction sway control device you need to remove it when the roads are icy.

SloPoke · 01-03-2021, 12:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stickyTaco

Surprise spring storm caught us unexpectedly on our way home and I had to pick up cables for the TT. Fortunately chain requirements were lifted about 20 minutes before we got to Donner Pass.

Any tips on towing in the snow in the event we get caught in another storm at some point? Obviously slow down and leave more space are important but what about adjustments to the trailer brakes? Any issues having the tow vehicle in 4wd while towing?

Are we talking the fall / spring storms? or in the dead of winter? If in the dead of winter -Here you go... from lots of experience:

1 - Avoid travel in it it if you can, find a place to wait out the storm and hunker down. Snow sticks to the ground because the ground is COLD and it turns to ice easily.

2 - If you are already on the pass... put every chain you own on the wheels you have on the ground... If you don't have enough to cover all the wheelsw of the trailer.. make sure you have something on the trailer to keep it from passing you in a panic stop.

3 - go slow... but you won't go slow enough to handle the panic situation you find up ahead of you... IT happens... don't try to shhhh it .

4 - No matter how heavy you are... you will still slide on ice with chains.

How do I know... spent many Winters in the Midwest, and now Live where the State motto is "The Greatest Snow on Earth" and the Ice is a close second.

Bob K · 01-03-2021, 03:41 PM

My newest tip: Heed those "Bridge freezes before road surface" signs. Almost ended up in the ditch on I-80 last week when I crossed a bridge. Wet road before and wet road after the bridge, but the bridge was icy. When the rear of the truck bounced and unloaded a bit after driving over the bridge seam, it lost traction and put me in a partial jackknife until I hit good pavement on the other side of the bridge. The anti-sway also helped keep things in check when all the tires hooked up (slightly sideways) on good pavement.

I probably would have never noticed the slick bridge if I were just driving the truck, but the added weight (and bounce) on the back end of the truck from the trailer caused the rear of the truck to unload.

No, driving with the TV in 4x4 is no problem. It's a great idea to help maintain contact and control with the TV.

Get comfortable with manually activating the brakes. In a situation where one has lost traction, throwing the trailer out as a boat anchor or sea anchor, as it were, by applying the trailer brakes manually can help maintain some semblance of control.

Bob K · 01-03-2021, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shokyle1

Also if you are using a friction sway control device you need to remove it when the roads are icy.

I assert that icy roads are precisely when sway control would be beneficial. If the trailer loses traction, a sway control device can help keep it under control. Thoughts?

CAG · 01-03-2021, 07:07 PM

Yeah, I think the answer to this is "don't" but then there are times like getting caught in western NM in a blizzard or pulling out of elk camp during a blizzard because if we did not we would be stuck in the forest with the road to Flagstaff closed. They do actually close the gates across the highway and no traffic moves. If you are in between you are there for the duration.

It is a slow, four wheel drive, don't push the limits drive into town where you can wait the rest of it out.

CrowCross · 01-03-2021, 07:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ALJO

Real bad weather, heavy snow or wind? Stay put wherever you are. Why loose life, limp or equipment or bring someone else in danger. No one gets a medal for being stupid!

I agree....

We got caught behind an ice/snow storm in Roanoke...hung out a couple extra days and let it pass. Being retired has some benefits.

Karl

Duke4857 · 01-03-2021, 09:01 PM

I towed in the snow packed road one time on OR hwy 58. It was either pull over for the night or creepy crawl through. We had no tire chains for 1990 Suburban or trailer. I just snuggled in a long way behind a semi and kept his speed, that was between 25 or 30 miles a hour. Fast movers went by on the passing lanes and we arrived safe. I did back off the sway control brake we had on the trailer. I think that is a must if you use one.

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