Did you ever think that the show is real and they narrarate it after the face to add suspense and drama. The drivers chaining and getting loads is real, the anouncer may be scripted according to what they know is going to happen but the actual driving portion is real.
Driving With Chains--Is It a Rough Ride?
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Kestas
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This thread has me thinking that it may be a good idea for me to buy a set of chains for my winter car, a 91 Grand Marquis, for the few days we have bad snow.
Last time I used chains was when I had to get up the last thousand feet of a mountain to go to work over in Italy. Now it's just good on/off road truck tires and 4X4 when needed. I've yet to get stuck.
I have been travelling through the mountains of Alberta and British Columbia for for many years headed towards skiing destinations. I have never needed chains before.
That being said, I always still carry a set along with extra gas in a jerry can. You just never know what kind of situations you can get in. With no cell phone reception and hours between gas stations, its better to be prepared.
That being said, I always still carry a set along with extra gas in a jerry can. You just never know what kind of situations you can get in. With no cell phone reception and hours between gas stations, its better to be prepared.
Originally Posted By: eljefino
If Ice Road Truckers is a true documentary, then why did "they" bring some of the "stars" to Bolivia in the off-season to film a thing about the most dangerous roads in the world?
Doesn't mean much. For a car entertainment show.... the BBC brought did do a Top Gear challenge which started in Bolivia, which included the "Death Road"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yungas_Road
(which also makes me laugh at the Mitsubishi Outlander commercial praising its AWD system)...
Doesn't mean much. For a car entertainment show.... the BBC brought did do a Top Gear challenge which started in Bolivia, which included the "Death Road"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yungas_Road
(which also makes me laugh at the Mitsubishi Outlander commercial praising its AWD system)...
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Originally Posted By: kaboom10
Last time I used chains was when I had to get up the last thousand feet of a mountain to go to work over in Italy. Now it's just good on/off road truck tires and 4X4 when needed. I've yet to get stuck.
I can take you to PLENTY of places where 4x4 and a set of "good" on/off road tires will get you one place...
STUCK in a ditch.
Even with studded snow tires and 4wd (which most of the time does worst than true AWD systems like Subaru or Audi) will be a challenge.
Ice plus a grade requires something with serious bite like a cable chain or normal chain.
Bill
Last time I used chains was when I had to get up the last thousand feet of a mountain to go to work over in Italy. Now it's just good on/off road truck tires and 4X4 when needed. I've yet to get stuck.
I can take you to PLENTY of places where 4x4 and a set of "good" on/off road tires will get you one place...
STUCK in a ditch.
Even with studded snow tires and 4wd (which most of the time does worst than true AWD systems like Subaru or Audi) will be a challenge.
Ice plus a grade requires something with serious bite like a cable chain or normal chain.
Bill
In an ice storm I would take my wife's xB with its 5-speed manual and dedicated winter tires over my 4X4 Ram with the all-terrains and automatic transmission every time. But there aren't any mountains nearby, and I always say-it's not really winter until you see the first 4X4 SUV on it's roof in the median!
Originally Posted By: eljefino
I've never had to use chains. Only see them on snowplows and sometimes UPS trucks.
They seem like a temporary solution where there's LESS snow, eg those california mountain passes. And or a crutch for where they expect the typical motorist to not be able to handle snow: again, mountain passes.
Even studded tires are about as annoying as one would imagine. Floaty on dry pavement, LOUD, bad on gas, and if you peel out you leave a permanent mark on asphalt.
I hate to ruin your perception of Calif. but in certain areas we get as much snow depth as OR, WA,UT, which is significantly more than the east coast. The difference is that snowpack is not in our most populated areas.
I've never had to use chains. Only see them on snowplows and sometimes UPS trucks.
They seem like a temporary solution where there's LESS snow, eg those california mountain passes. And or a crutch for where they expect the typical motorist to not be able to handle snow: again, mountain passes.
Even studded tires are about as annoying as one would imagine. Floaty on dry pavement, LOUD, bad on gas, and if you peel out you leave a permanent mark on asphalt.
I hate to ruin your perception of Calif. but in certain areas we get as much snow depth as OR, WA,UT, which is significantly more than the east coast. The difference is that snowpack is not in our most populated areas.
Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
Many thanks all for the information! We travel very frequently to Colorado and although we have not had to have chains as yet (either conditions were not bad enough or we had not gone into an area that required them), I was curious as to how they change the driving characteristics of a vehicle--particularly the ride.
The only real pass that we would cross is Raton and that one is either maintained enough not to need chains or it is closed (have never seen an in between traveling through there).
Raton pass can get ugly at times, but it has to be the right kind of storm - ie, storms that come more from the southwest, or strong cold fronts from the north where the northern side gets a lot of snow. However, it's nothing like the passes along the continental divide that routinely get dumped on over the winter.
Regarding Colorado's chain law, if you have snow tires or 4 wheel drive, you don't need chains.
Many thanks all for the information! We travel very frequently to Colorado and although we have not had to have chains as yet (either conditions were not bad enough or we had not gone into an area that required them), I was curious as to how they change the driving characteristics of a vehicle--particularly the ride.
The only real pass that we would cross is Raton and that one is either maintained enough not to need chains or it is closed (have never seen an in between traveling through there).
Raton pass can get ugly at times, but it has to be the right kind of storm - ie, storms that come more from the southwest, or strong cold fronts from the north where the northern side gets a lot of snow. However, it's nothing like the passes along the continental divide that routinely get dumped on over the winter.
Regarding Colorado's chain law, if you have snow tires or 4 wheel drive, you don't need chains.
Originally Posted By: LineArrayNut
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0053UE2PG/ref=pe_175190_21431760_cs_sce_dp_1
anybody ever use these?
they are fairly new, so I doubt anyone has heard of them.
ADAC's testing does rank them better than textile based products such as the Autosock
http://www.adac.de/infotestrat/tests/aut...rcePageId=31821
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0053UE2PG/ref=pe_175190_21431760_cs_sce_dp_1
anybody ever use these?
they are fairly new, so I doubt anyone has heard of them.
ADAC's testing does rank them better than textile based products such as the Autosock
http://www.adac.de/infotestrat/tests/aut...rcePageId=31821
From the Amazon page: "Not meant for severe snow conditions, and cannot be substituted for chains for travel through mountain passes." I suspect that they'd shred very quickly on dry or wet (not snow or ice) pavement.
Yeah, but the snow patrol around here (Dayton - think TVA) is pretty lenient in our mountain passes...
It only snows about 3 times per winter & that isn't much depth or duration so all-seasons are ok. But about once in 3-4 years we will get about a foot and everything paralyzes. I figured a set would make more sense than ponying up for steelies and snows...
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Originally Posted By: HWEaton
Chains? You've never driven South Pass In Wyoming in the winter.
??? Meaning you have to have them or something else? I have been all over Wyoming, but not in the winter. We just returned from Estes Park over the Christmas/New Years holiday and although there was plenty of snow, I did not need chains.
I really would not want to be in a situation where I would need chains; better to be in the lodge next to the fireplace
Chains? You've never driven South Pass In Wyoming in the winter.
??? Meaning you have to have them or something else? I have been all over Wyoming, but not in the winter. We just returned from Estes Park over the Christmas/New Years holiday and although there was plenty of snow, I did not need chains.
I really would not want to be in a situation where I would need chains; better to be in the lodge next to the fireplace
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Originally Posted By: Drew99GT
Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
Many thanks all for the information! We travel very frequently to Colorado and although we have not had to have chains as yet (either conditions were not bad enough or we had not gone into an area that required them), I was curious as to how they change the driving characteristics of a vehicle--particularly the ride.
The only real pass that we would cross is Raton and that one is either maintained enough not to need chains or it is closed (have never seen an in between traveling through there).
Raton pass can get ugly at times, but it has to be the right kind of storm - ie, storms that come more from the southwest, or strong cold fronts from the north where the northern side gets a lot of snow. However, it's nothing like the passes along the continental divide that routinely get dumped on over the winter.
Regarding Colorado's chain law, if you have snow tires or 4 wheel drive, you don't need chains.
Thanks Drew! It is nice to know this. As much as we go to CO, I should have already checked on it
. We just came back from Estes Park and it was snowing, but luckily not enough for chains and we would not venture too far into potentially dangerous conditions anyway. The snow is a nuisance for all of the folks that live in it, but for us, it was a nice playtime...
Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
Many thanks all for the information! We travel very frequently to Colorado and although we have not had to have chains as yet (either conditions were not bad enough or we had not gone into an area that required them), I was curious as to how they change the driving characteristics of a vehicle--particularly the ride.
The only real pass that we would cross is Raton and that one is either maintained enough not to need chains or it is closed (have never seen an in between traveling through there).
Raton pass can get ugly at times, but it has to be the right kind of storm - ie, storms that come more from the southwest, or strong cold fronts from the north where the northern side gets a lot of snow. However, it's nothing like the passes along the continental divide that routinely get dumped on over the winter.
Regarding Colorado's chain law, if you have snow tires or 4 wheel drive, you don't need chains.
Thanks Drew! It is nice to know this. As much as we go to CO, I should have already checked on it
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