vail pass on snow

When your drive tires are doing all the braking on slippery surfaces, your trailer can slip out and try to pass the truck (jack-knifing). Sometimes the trailer may continue straight but shove your drive tires out (also jack-knifing, but in a different manner). If you see/feel either start to happen, turn off the jakes, do not brake (a little trolley valve may be OK if the trailer tires are still rolling OK and the trailer is still pretty well in line), and gently feed in a little power to pull the trailer back into line.

If you're not watching the trailer like a hawk, it may step out too far before you feel it in the driver's seat.


Either with or without jakes, you need to be coming down the hill much slower than you would in dry. It isn't OK to be roaring down at the speed limit just because your jakes are holding you at 65mph... It is OK to use the jakes to hold you at say 30mph without having to ride the brakes all the way down.


PS: taking photographs while traveling down a snowy pass isn't the brightest idea


PPS: fix your windshield

 

And the argument starts again.....

 

Was the chain law up that day? I just crossed vail this morning. Dry as a whistle thank God.

 

Do what you like, you have obviously already decided this one. But you ask so here is my 2 cents. You will not know your in trouble with your jakes in the snow and ice till it is more than likely to late.

I do not use engine brakes in snow and ice. If you have a problem using your service brakes then I really suggest you learn how to use them before you get hurt or hurt someone else.

 

Jakes in the snow AND taking pics.

Somebody sure is putting that 6 months' experience to good use. SMH.

 

Fixed

Have you given any consideration to the fact that most modern dash cams have a mode, with which you can just press a single button on the back, to save a single still frame of the video. He could've just as easily reached up and hit that button, instead of pulling his phone/camera out and snapping pics.

Not saying that is the case, but it's a genuine possibility.

SMH x 2

 

Considering how far back from the dash the pic is that's not really possible.

 

We all have taken pictures while driving. I'm not sure if they think you are safer with both hands with a death grip on the steering wheel or not. 1 Death grip is enough, and just incase I don't make it down. My family will know that it was some real snow and ice that took me out. Not some dry road with driver error.

So my question to the guys who know. You still can jack knife even with the chains on? Talking probability wise and not doing something foolish? 14 years and I have only chained up once and that was with cable's and that was my first year driving so it's been awhile. I still don't even know how I put them things on. Keep telling myself I'm going to practice putting chains on in the summer time, but somehow I forget darn.