Snow Chain Advice? Anyone use them? Split from another topic

[Ray and Susan Huff]

2 hours ago, NCeagle said:

These are on sale 16% off right now on Amazon and the lowest price in 30 days.  I'm pulling the trigger on them since I pick up in 5 weeks and will be within the return window if they don't clear / fit or something.   I suspect the price will creep up as winter gets closer and closer.

I like the Z-chain that JD suggests as they don't require tightener/tensioners.

I'm not as worried about price increase as winter nears  as I am availability . . . . . . . you know, like TP 😁

[John E Davies]

15 hours ago, Susan Huff said:

Not ordering chains for the Ollie yet.  Will wait to hear what Oliver (and others) have to say.  We might just wait until we get to Hohenwald and pick them up locally . . . . . after the drive out, we will have a better idea of road conditions and whether we need them.

I have decided to never buy a fire extinguisher until I actually need one. And life insurance, I will wait until I am about to die. And I won’t fill my truck up with gas until it starts to splutter. Chains.... yep, I will just wait until the storm hits and then go get a set.

LOL. Don’t plan on buying chains in middle TN in December. Do they even sell them there? Walk into Wally World and ask for chains and they will just stare blankly at you. Read:   .... https://nashvillest.com/2017/01/10/snow-nashvillians-cant-drive/

Buy now when on they are sale - use https://camelcamelcamel.com/ to track Amazon prices - stash them away, and pat yourself on the back. At your Ollie delivery you can take them out for your sales person to marvel over..... “”What the heck are those?” 😬

John Davies

Spokane WA

Edited October 14, 2020 by John E Davies

[Ray and Susan Huff]

30 minutes ago, John E Davies said:

I have decided to never buy a fire extinguisher until I actually need one. And life insurance, I will wait until I am about to die. And I won’t fill my truck up with gas until it starts to splutter. Chains.... yep, I will just wait until the storm hits and then go get a set.

LOL. Don’t plan on buying chains in middle TN in December. Do they even sell them there? Walk into Wally World and ask for chains and they will just stare blankly at you. Read:   .... https://nashvillest.com/2017/01/10/snow-nashvillians-cant-drive/

Buy now when on they are sale - use https://camelcamelcamel.com/ to track Amazon prices - stash them away, and pat yourself on the back. At your Ollie delivery you can take them out for your sales person to marvel over..... “”What the heck are those?” 😬

John Davies

Spokane WA

Thanks, @John E Davies  I kind of expected that . . . . . . a bit like finding an air conditioner in Siberia.  

Will buy them at Les Schwab where we can return them if not used 😁  Might not be on sale, but probably won't use them anyway.

[topgun2]

Believe it or not - right here in a little town in "southern" North Carolina the local WalMart has chains in stock.  Certainly there are no roads anywhere near here where chains are required.  Go figure.

Bill

[Ray and Susan Huff]

17 hours ago, Susan Huff said:

I'm waiting for a response from Oliver.  Hoping they have some experience with chains on the Oliver.  I'm confident, if they don't they will investigate the matter 😃

 

I heard from Oliver, regarding the use of chains on the Elite II.  I sent a link to the Z-chains suggested by @John E Davies.  Here is Oliver's response:

 

Those should work fine for our trailer. There will be plenty of clearance for them to fit.

[SeaDawg]

7 hours ago, topgun2 said:

Believe it or not - right here in a little town in "southern" North Carolina the local WalMart has chains in stock.  Certainly there are no roads anywhere near here where chains are required.  Go figure.

Bill

Seven Devils, and I think Sugar Mountain and other areas require  or recommend chains if you don't have 4wd or snow tires.

Probably 100 miles from you. Also available at our Asheville Walmart. And numerous auto stores.

[topgun2]

According to NCDOT regs tire chains are not required but may be used when safety conditions warrant.  So, I'm guessing that there are areas of the State where chains are recommended and certainly there are areas of the State where one would be a fool to drive without them under and there may even be some private or semi-private areas that may require them.

Bill 

[SeaDawg]

Agree. I think their town rules evolved because of southerners/skiers/ vacationers coming up in rear wheel drive vehicles,  without proper tires.

We had snow and ice one time when we stayed in seven devils. We just stayed out til it warmed up and melted. Even though we had awd.

[Ray and Susan Huff]

3 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

Agree. I think their town rules evolved because of southerners/skiers/ vacationers coming up in rear wheel drive vehicles,  without proper tires.

We had snow and ice one time when we stayed in seven devils. We just stayed out til it warmed up and melted. Even though we had awd.

We've always lived where there are icy roads and sometimes snow, so we understand driving in winter conditions.  Even so, when our roads would turn icy, I'd have my husband drive me to work . . . . . no way I want to be at the mercy of crazy-stupid drivers.  The worse case scenario is living in a town with a military base where there are people from every latitude, some of whom have never driven in ice/snow.  I spent one winter on Whidbey Island, WA and decided it was best to just stay home when conditions turned bad.  People would drive up to an intersection and expect the brakes to stop them as usual . . . . . . .  as they slowly slide off the road into the ditch.  

[Ray and Susan Huff]

6 hours ago, Susan Huff said:

I heard from Oliver, regarding the use of chains on the Elite II.  I sent a link to the Z-chains suggested by @John E Davies.  Here is Oliver's response:

 

Those should work fine for our trailer. There will be plenty of clearance for them to fit.

So here's what we are going to do: I stopped at Les Schwab today and they have the chains for the pickup and the Z-cables for the trailer.  Can purchase them now and return if we don't use them.  This will be one thing we don't have to shop for when we get to Hohenwald.

[WhatDa]

I am in the "don't go if chains are required" camp and we have a fair amount of winter snowfall.  Our vehicles have Blizzak/Nokian tires on them - so if those aren't working it's probably not great to be out - and that just means we stay in the lowlands at home sometimes. We carry the autosocks, this model for the ollie and  another set for the truck.  Reports are they are effective when used for their purpose (snowed in pass) but quickly shred if you are using them in place of a winter tire around town.  We haven't been forced to use them, so they have largely been for compliance with WA/OR/ID/MT/CA/UT DOT regulations to carry chains (one of our spots is within one of the pass envelopes) - even on sunny dry days with no precip in the forecast.  If our AWD/4WD vehicles get stuck and chains are required for them to move, then it's probably a short amount of time before a semi flips/jackknifes and blocks the road anyways - so we'll find a place to stay put pretty quickly. 

Also note that for chains, most vehicles only have certain tire sizes that chains can be used with -- check your manual.  We went with the autosocks as they are smaller/lighter than carrying the minimum 3 chains for the truck and 2 chains for the trailer, and if we have to put them on and they fail, we are less concerned with them ripping things apart. 

  

[Ray and Susan Huff]

2 hours ago, WhatDa said:

I am in the "don't go if chains are required" camp and we have a fair amount of winter snowfall.  Our vehicles have Blizzak/Nokian tires on them - so if those aren't working it's probably not great to be out - and that just means we stay in the lowlands at home sometimes. We carry the autosocks, this model for the ollie and  another set for the truck.  Reports are they are effective when used for their purpose (snowed in pass) but quickly shred if you are using them in place of a winter tire around town.  We haven't been forced to use them, so they have largely been for compliance with WA/OR/ID/MT/CA/UT DOT regulations to carry chains (one of our spots is within one of the pass envelopes) - even on sunny dry days with no precip in the forecast.  If our AWD/4WD vehicles get stuck and chains are required for them to move, then it's probably a short amount of time before a semi flips/jackknifes and blocks the road anyways - so we'll find a place to stay put pretty quickly. 

Also note that for chains, most vehicles only have certain tire sizes that chains can be used with -- check your manual.  We went with the autosocks as they are smaller/lighter than carrying the minimum 3 chains for the truck and 2 chains for the trailer, and if we have to put them on and they fail, we are less concerned with them ripping things apart. 

  

We live on the Oregon coast and are isolated from some of our favorite camping spots, unless we drive where "carry chains" is a requirement - usually from mid-October through mid-May.  Our pickup is 4wd with snow tires, so it is exempt from carrying chains, unless we are towing.  We like to be able to go camping year-round, so towing is likely to happen during those 7 months.

I agree, if all vehicles are required to have chains installed, it is best to stay off the roads, unless absolutely necessary.

[WhatDa]

18 minutes ago, Susan Huff said:

 Our pickup is 4wd with snow tires, so it is exempt from carrying chains, unless we are towing.  We like to be able to go camping year-round, so towing is likely to happen during those 7 months.

Note that Oregon goes based on weight rating, not weight. If you have GVWR of 10,000lbs or under you are exempt (some older f350s do meet this). Even when not towing we need them with us as our GVWR is over 11k lbs - but haven't been hassled thus far but the passes have been clean.

[Ray and Susan Huff]

2 hours ago, WhatDa said:

Note that Oregon goes based on weight rating, not weight. If you have GVWR of 10,000lbs or under you are exempt (some older f350s do meet this). Even when not towing we need them with us as our GVWR is over 11k lbs - but haven't been hassled thus far but the passes have been clean.

Regardless of weight, exemption does not apply if the vehicle is, "towing or being towed". 

[theOrca]

On 9/23/2020 at 2:58 PM, John E Davies said:

I have two sets of heavy chains that I could use to get around in a disaster, or drive through bottomless mud, or Snowmageddon, when you have to get the gal in labor to the hospital, no matter what, through two feet of unplowed snow. With studless snow tires I have never actually had to use them on my Land Cruiser 200. But OTH I am not towing a brand new $65,000 three ton trailer over slick winter roads.

 

 

Hi John:

Skill counts for quite a bit. I watched a friend bring his 1 ton Ford towing a 15,000# toy hauler work his way down the east side of Waconda Pass into Republic on 4 to 6 inches of compact snow and ice. (A lot of ice!) West side of Waconda was snow free.  He thought he was in 4 wheel drive. Turns out his truck was lying to him. The front auto-lock did NOT lock up his front wheels. His voice was getting squeeky by the time we rolled into Republic, but he made it. I was very comfortable with my Oliver and 1/2 ton Ram in 4WD