Winter Mountain Driving Advice Needed

I carry tire chains to be legal, but my company is very good about us waiting out a snowstorm until the roads are passable. If you do have to chain up and drive, remember that the recommended top speed is 30 mph. Go much faster and you’ll break the chains.

 

The trailer always wants to go straight. If the trailer is pushing your truck down the road or around corners the trailer is in control of you. The trailer can push you tractor out of the way and keep going straight when it in control of you.

when your pulling the trailer your in control. That’s they you pull the trailer around corners or exit ramps. If changing lanes in snow apply a little power and pull the trailer into the lane you want to go in.

 

Not sure about the power divider. It won’t help much anyway if you’re already moving. Getting moving from a stop it can help.

Personally I think chaining up is stupid. If it’s bad enough out there to need chains it’s bad enough to where you should probably just park it for the day or night until the storm blows over and the plows do their job. Whatever your hauling probably ain’t that important anyway.

 

Liking the block trick. Going to remember that. Have a set of similar design with 6x6. Use them for landscaping dump trailer ramp extensions, and to get it over curbs in the city smoothly for dropping stone . Not a big trailer like you all run though

 

Have you ever thrown a set of three railers on and experienced just how safe your are with them on? And you feel that is stupid?

The power divider doubles your traction. I don't understand how you can come to the conclusion that it won't help much anyway.

 

Most people won’t throw three railers. Just chain the outside 4 and hope for the best. Lol.

Was up on Lolo one night and it was dumping heavy wet snow going east up the Idaho side. CRST truck chained the outside 4 and made it about 2 miles up before he spun out with his inside tires spinning on the snowpack and his chains doing nothing. Meanwhile 4 of us hung 3 railers and cruised right up the hill.

 

I get not wanting to chain, especially in wet sloppy snow, or if you have never done it, but man I look at as getting over the hill and on your way rather than being stuck on the side of the road for two days.

 

For me personally with the jake brake, on a Cascadia I definitely wouldn’t go above stage 2. I started sliding on stage 3 with mine. Cascadias have a really strong jake and 3 is about too much. I’ve never had a problem using 1 or 2 though. Other than that just be careful and drive slow.
You’ll kind of get a feel for braking. Sometimes you hit a slick spot and just have to let off and try again. If you start to slide usually letting off the brake will straighten you back out. Last winter I started jack knifing but thankfully hit some solid pavement briefly that straightened me out.