How do motorhomes generally handle driving in snow?

[Jim Godward]

Billwild brought up a good point, there is no way to make a quick move on snow or ice.  There is an improvement in directional stability with speed above 40 mph but at the cost of the ability to either stop or turn quickly.  Knowledge and experience in driving on snow and ice is imperative. 

My suggestion is that if you have never experienced trying to control a vehcle on them, take a car into a large paved area twith hard paacked snow and have fun.  do some power spins, get to a reasonable speed of about 20mh and spin the car and learn to stop it and /or control it so that it goes where you want it.  Learn all you can there and it will help on the road.

After you have done these in a car take the RV and go to the same area and just get it to wiggle a little, no full slides or donuts, just enough to feel when it starts to break away and I think you will have a better feel for snow and ice driving.  You don't have to fear it but you do have to respect those conditions and know what and how to drive them.

If you do try this be sure to be in an area where you can do no damage to your vehcle or anything else.

I did all these things and more while growing up in MT and it does make a difference.  In addition, I spent 3 years commuting to college over a 6,000' pass between Livingston and Bozeman and never missed a day because of the roads.  Many days we were ahead of the plows in the morning and in the evening the roads were slick from people driving and/or the ice freezing before we started for home about 5:30pm.

 

[ArdraF]

My suggestion is that if you have never experienced trying to control a vehcle on them, take a car into a large paved area twith hard paacked snow and have fun.  do some power spins, get to a reasonable speed of about 20mh and spin the car and learn to stop it and /or control it so that it goes where you want it.  Learn all you can there and it will help on the road.

Jim,

You brought back some memories!  When we were dating in Detroit, Jerry used to do things like this and my parents thought he was totally crazy.  But, he explained why he was doing it and wanted me to feel it too.  Because of those experiences I understand what vehicles do and what it feels like.  So, you gave some good advice.

ArdraF

 

[Jim Godward]

Ardra,

Thanks, most people think I am crazy with instructions on how to drive in the snow until they try it.  Glad to hear it brought back memories and it sounds like pleasant ones. 

 

[bigskymt]

Jim: you brought back fond memories of growing up in MN. Before getting our license we practiced on a frozen lake before the snow pack with our Dads car. Studded tires were just being introduced.

  On a good day we came off the lake with excellent knowledge in "steering into the skid".
  On a bad day we came in with a profound distaste for swimming in ice water.

Thanks, terry

 

[Jim Godward]

The good thing about practicing in Livingston, was that there is no or very little water frozen over that you can get a car onto, i.e., Sacajawea(SP) park lagoon has high banks except on one area and that was where the flow was so the ice was particularly thin there - we usually couldn't even skate there!  

I remember going ice fishing in MN with my dad when I was small, also a lttle ice boating! 

 

[1joester2]

My advice would be to try this occasionally when NOBODY else is on the road anywhere near you, and I do this often when road conditions look unfavorable.

First, accelerate with full throttle to see if the wheels lose traction. Only for a second or two. didn't lose traction? GREAT. Now alert the passengers, and test the brakes.

Sometimes you get surprised at the traction you have, and other times the traction you wish you had.

Naturally, this should only be done when you know you have room/time to recover any slips.

NEVER SLAM ON THE BRAKES. Gently apply and test. Locking up all the wheels will immediately lose your control and soil your clothing.

Joe

 

[ArdraF]

Glad to hear it brought back memories and it sounds like pleasant ones.

Jim, I married him anyway so they must have been pleasant ones! 

ArdraF

 

[Jim Godward]

Ardra,

I figured that you married him to straighten him out and make him drive right!!! 

 

[Just Lou]

Just be careful doing Jim's spins and slides in a parking lot.  Stay very near the center of the open areas.  Nothing is as immovable as a curb when hit by a sliding vehicle.  The weight and momentum of a sliding vehicle is enough to snap an axle or spindle at even very slow speeds when hit at just the right angle. 

 

[ArdraF]

If you've been watching the weather news from the midwest this week (12/09), the answer to the original question should be clear.  Just look at all the semis and such that have ended up in the ditch rolled over.  They're certainly much heavier than a motorhome but that hasn't helped them very much!

ArdraF

 

[billwild]

Not mentioned so far is that a lot of modern motorhomes now have stability control and traction control. These will really help out when spinning out of control.

Bill

 

[jjhoneck]

Just yesterday I retrieved my motor home from its icy cocoon, tucked away in a machine shed on a farm 20 miles south of town.  As some of you may have heard, we just had a blizzard here...

The main roads were fine, and the gravel roads were okay, but the guy who was supposed to plow from the machine shed to the main drive did not show up.  My son and I had to beat down and shovel an 80' path through hip-deep snow drifts, up a little hill, to get to the main drive.

When it came time to give it a shot, it turned out to be a non-issue.  All that torque, going to four big wheels in back (and an empty motor home) meant that it just powered right through and up.  I didn't even precisely "hit" the path we had shoveled, but it made no difference.  Since we're planning on driving this MH 1,200 miles next week -- and we'll probably hit a few storms, with our luck -- I'm now MUCH more confident about driving it in the snow.

 

[carson]

One thing that hasn't been mentioned here is the temperature at the time outside.

   Snow at near 32? ?  will always be wet and very slippery. Now lower the temperature to near 0? F the snow becomes like sand.

   I remember driving up north at 10-20 below 0 on small roads (non-sanded nor salted) at 40mh, as did everyone else, even on curves.
The slip factor is almost gone unless you make a panic stop. Then all bets are off but even then your chances of stopping in one piece are greatly improved.

   Just the same, always consider the worst case scenario and don't press your luck.

  Happy sliding,  carson