Driving

No 4wd, I am too cheap. 2001 Sierra with new General AT2's, locking diff, and 400 lbs of Anthracite in the back. Picked my daughter up from work on Thursday as the storm was building. Told her Anthracite was getting us home, she laughed. We came upon a steep hill, and I told her "Black Rocks Don't Fail Me Now", her response, "Dad you are such a Redneck. Do Rednecks burn Anthracite?
The Sierra is so much more sure footed in snow than all my old S trucks, S10's and Sonoma. They to where 2WD and I was a field tech driving 40,000 miles per year, in all kinds of weather, just driving smart. All local travel now less than 8000 miles per year.

Yep, a good driver, more than 50% of the vehicle weight on the driving wheels, and some common sense. Will get you through most snow storms.
I had many ratty VW's for winter-rides. And they were impressive in the snow.. about 60% of the vehicle weight on the driving wheels. Add a set of true 'snow tires' or CHAINS !! whoo hoo! it was a 4-wheeled snowmobile!

I remember a '69 ford Econoline van I had, the blunt nosed van, sort of looked like a pug dog.
I had modified it to be a mini-motorhome, had a custom rear bumper holding 35 gallons of fuel, propane tanks on the back too.. [ Thank God, I never got hit in the rear! ] And a huge set of snow tires on it too.

I had that long, long driveway, and it was usually drifted over.. but the blunt nose and flat bumper of the Econoline worked like a snow plow,, I had to steer to the side of the driveway, stop and back up, because the snow was piling up over the top of the hood. It was almost a plow truck without a plow.

Greg L

I've seen it many times, and done it myself many times.

In the middle of a parking lot, a car, minivan, whatever. spinning it's wheels. getting a little bit of movement, but the driver doesn't know how to capitalize on the little bit of kinetic energy they get when the vehicle rocks just a little.

I've seen others, and I too have gone to the door of the car, talked with the driver, made a suggestion, even reached through the window to turn the steering wheel..
Then the stuck-driver gives up, gets out, and a real driver gets in.. and within a few minutes, using careful applications of throttle, skilled steering, and understanding that you must keep the vehicle moving, using the rocking motions of the car riding up the sides and ends of the ruts in the snow..
And the vehicle gets out, and the 'real driver' gets out, turns the car back over to it's owner..

I guess just like I can't play a piano, or any musical instrument... some people can't 'feel' a vehicle's messages.

Greg L

I was traveling to St. Lawrence county N.Y. on Friday the 14th from south central PA, and didn't run into any of those idiots. We made it in 7 1/2 hours for 450 miles. Lots of slippery roads, but people drove ok. Above Syracuse the roads were covered for the most part, but traffic was moving 65.