Dumb Winter Driving Question

[Robert415]

Not sure if I am asking in the right place, but may be I can get some insight anyway. In snow and icy conditions should I take the family out in the '04 3500 DRW in 4wd or take the wife's '03 Grand Caravan w/o traction control?

 

[TSpecht]

IMO snowy and icy conditions can be safe in nearly anything. I never run 4wd unless I need it to get a little momentum or unless I'm in deep enough snow to hinder my forward progress otherwise. I've never driven a DRW but IMO it can't be that bad. I'd throw some secured weight in the rear and give it a shot. The biggest thing is to drive in a manner which isn't too fast for road conditions (strangely enough just like one should do in every other driving situation they might find themselves in... )



The way I see it 4wd tends to make one overconfident and proceed to drive at a rate of speed which is unsafe. Just because you can handle that speed in 4wd while driving along, does not mean you'll be able to decelerate from that speed in a safe distance. 35-40 is an absolute max speed for me on ice. Even then I know for a fact it's pushing it in terms of the braking system's ability to bring it to a halt (not the brakes' fault, the "frictionless" surface is the problem).



I would drive the truck if it were me. I have always had trouble operating front wheel drive vehicles in the snow. I'm used to expecting the rear to slide out a bit, and when in a front wheel drive vehicle I'm never expecting the vehicle to keep going in a straight line if it loses traction... Whichever you're most experienced with is the best one to operate. Maybe even take both to a deserted parking lot and practice, practice practice. That way you're exercising the most powerful safety device you have available (it exists between your ears)... If a response isn't instinctive there's a good chance it'll be too slow... Of course this is also just my opinion.

 

[red-rider]

Hi Robert,

If it makes you feel any better my truck has the anti spin differential and I took the family up to wrightwood to the snow. Well I managed to hit some black ice while throwing a Chicano U Turn, well I got stuck and wished I have gotten the 4X4. But after several attempts of backing up and sliding forward and backing up and sliding forward, I managed to get out. It was funny because some chap was following me and after they saw my wheels spinng and I wasnt going anywhere, they decided to go straight.



SO, my advice take the 4X, to get you out of situations like that

 

[DieselMinded]

It dont matter what your driving when it comes to ICE



Id suggest taking witch ever vehical you feal would be safer to crash

AIRBAGS ECT>>ECT>>



Id pick the truck for safty if you slide in to on comming trafic your way better off in a big heavy truck than the SUV ... your safer... ... ... ... ... but maybe not the other guy.



Plus sitting up higher will alow you to MOW OVER DEBRIS

LOGS, Ditches,DEER, ect,,,ect,,,



the bigger the better



But if its just snow the 4x4 for sure



IMO

DM

 

[DSutton]

Leave the truck at home

Your truck is very light in the rear, you have twice the tires, so half the weight per tire. The diesel can get away pretty quick on ice anyway.



The van has better distributed weight, I feel it would do better.



I just sold a DRW and it was a sled on slick surfaces. I've heard of guys in alaska removing the outside tires in those circumstances. We take the wifes suburban when things get bad. I know it's not as "Macho" as driving the truck, but I know my kids are safer.

 

[CLAYTON]

I would take the truck... I have been in some crazy snow storms up in the mountains here in Utah. I posted some pics a little while ago of the snow coming up to the door and the truck just plowed right through it.

 

[Bertram65]

I would take the truck, put some weight in the bed and put it in 4WD. I put it in 4WD whenever it is even slightly slippery, better to have it in and not need it than which you had put it in and have an accident. It will not hurt anything but the MPG as long as it is a little slippery. I always drive the truck on weekend nights as well, much rather have a drunk plow into me and the family when I we are in the truck then in my wife station wagon, and the odds are up on Friday and Saturday night. I have a friend who went in a ditch and rolled over because he did not put it in 4WD, the rear came around and there was nothing he could do to stop it, all he could say was "wish I had put it in 4WD" I don't want to be that guy.

 

[DIESELMAN]

In any weather, I drive the biggest chunk of steel I can find, I like my tanks!

 

[PWelsh]

Take the truck when it gets bad out. Drive slower than you think you should and it will never get away from you. 4x4 will help in really bad situations. In an accident, when some nut driving to fast for conditions runs into you it tuns into a simple matter of Physics. The guy with the most "mass" wins. I take the truck and leave the car in the garage.

 

[IC Smoke]

Just remember your duals sticking out are making new paths in the snow so the rear will tend to wander a little bit on you. 4wd take the truck! come on, just say no to the van!

 

[JLovas]

I would probably take the pickup too, just because its a bigger vehicle. But as most everyone has said, be careful.



Two of us used to push snow (with our pickups) while we were in college, I had my 2500HD GMC 4x4 gasser, and my friend drove a ford DRW, and he was ALWAYS getting stuck in light snow/ice conditions. The DRW can be a big hinder in these conditions. I would put at least 1000 lbs of weight in the bed to try and offset the weight of the Cummins.



We had an ice storm here over New Years and the wife and I went to Jamestown (about 100 miles away) for a party. All roads were covered with 1/2"-3/4" of ice and I left my pickup in 4WD the whole way there and back and she handled like a dream... first time I was out in bad ice with it and I was VERY impressed. BUT, I obviously have a SRW (see sig) and my pickup weighs 9250 lbs with no driver/other cargo (I carry a lot of tools and service equipment with). But like everyone said, just keep it slow and you should do fine.

 

[KCJackson]

Not sure if I am asking in the right place, but may be I can get some insight anyway. In snow and icy conditions should I take the family out in the '04 3500 DRW in 4wd or take the wife's '03 Grand Caravan w/o traction control?

Well, I have a 4x4 dually, and my dad has a 2001 Grand Caravan, so I can make this comparison very well. The Ram will win. If you have to climb any hills or mountains, the weight transfer towards the rear pts more downforce over 2 "dead tires" in the van, while it rebalances the Ram and it will climb even better. When all the tires are getting power, you'll almost always do better.

 

[DSutton]

After rereading the post I see the van is

W/O traction control

. I misread!! You're probably all correct, a 4wd is a better option. But be advised Dually's are sleds!!! As stated I just traded off the 95 3500 and the new SRW does worlds better.

 

[JGarcia]

One other thing I do if the roads are really slick is to try to drive on the unpacked snow, not the driving tracks the other cars have created. There is better traction and less ice on the unpacked stuff. No matter what, lots of room between you and the guy in front of you.



JRG

 

[MSnow]

Well sir, no matter what you drive in the winter, it's best to stay away from all of the soccer moms and SUV dorks. So in other words... ..... WHEN IN DOUBT, CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT, STAND ON IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[bmoeller]

I haven't had any problems getting around with my dually in the winter. Doesn't handle any diffferent that my Ford. Biggest thing is, if you have an auto transmission and on ice or very slick conditions, lock out O/D 'til you get to about 50mph. My truck, when the oil is cold, will shift so hard into O/D, it'll try and spin you into the ditch. I rarely use the 4x4 in the winter, on the roads. Usually to get out of the drive at the farm, or in town where they won't salt/sand in an intersection.



I've driven an empty 18-wheeler on pure ice, so driving the dually isn't any big deal. Slow down as needed. Just don't get stupid, and you'll be fine.

 

[hagar]

I wouldn't recommend putt'n er in 4 wheel unless you need traction to get moving or you're in deap snow, when I slide I really like not having my front tires sliding and in 4wheel drive your front tires are doing the same thing the back ones are.

I've driven my dually thru all kinds of stuff and was very pleasantly surprised at how well she handles snow and ice, she's one of the best rigs I've ever driven in the stuff and I've done over 1. 3 million accident free miles dragging rocky sets across Washington, Idaho and Montana so I have a wee bit of experience.

 

[RWhuteside]

My wife & I spent 5 days during Xmas driving on ice in Texas, Arkansas and Mississippi. I don't have a 4x4 and I don't think it would have made any difference. Even with 400#s of sand in the back I still was white knuckling it. The good think is that the sand got us out of a Motel 6 parking lot in Little Rock. Now that we're home, we've had over 2' of snow in the last two weeks with over 14" today. Our van and the truck both handled the snow well.

 

[Mgeary]

Be careful driving in fresh snow (powder) During the recent storms in the Sierras I managed to pack the airbox with snow and ice so bad that it actually bent the filter element. All this happened before the check engine light came on. Never experienced a loss of power. Good excuse for the new intake. Other than that the truck did GREAT!!!!!!!

 

[WinRice]

On slick roads always use 4WD, don't wait until you need it!



4WD balances the power front and rear and actually helps to prevent slides, just don't get over-confident and drive too fast for conditions. And, as mentioned above, stay off the smooth tracks and drive on the 'crust', better traction that way.