Snow Driving

[MotherShip Captain]

Hi all!

I'm a new RV owner.  Just got a 2005 35 ft. Class A Monaco Cayman.  Love it.  I'm originally from Georgia (don't know much about driving in the snow) but we now live in Boise, Idaho.  It is starting to get cooler here and I'm a little apprehensive about taking the coach out for fear of getting caught in an early snow.  One inch on the ground is enough to give me concern! 

My question is:  How well do Class A's handle under light snow conditions?  Should I totally stay off the road until the following Spring or can I drive home if there is only an inch or so?  (If I need chains, I'll wait it out.)

Mother Ship Captain

 

[Harveyj]

Mothership captain;
First welcome to Boise.  We moved up here form S. Cal 16 years ago.  You will find most of your driving concerns unwaranted.  Although we live in the North, the "banana belt" moderates the snow fall.  Last year was a record breaking snowfall in the mountains but very little came into the area.  Boise is very good when it comes to maintaining the roads.  The weight of a MH will aid traction but, as always, drive as conditions allow.
Welcome

 

[Karl]

One inch should not be of great concern, but do remember that you're driving a big, heavy rig, so be prepared well in advance for any stops/slowdowns you may encounter. Most rv tires are all season, but that doen't mean deep snow. Just exercise more caution and drive slower than in dry conditions and you should be alright - no heavy braking or sharp turns. 

 

[Shayne]

Our Pace Arrow 460 had absolutely no problems in Tenn 2 yrs ago when they shut the highways down.  The police looked at my lisc plate (Montana) said  Heck you're used to this  7" snow storm and let us thru.  Had a whole line of vehicles that Followed.  That storm shut most of Tenn down.

 

[John From Detroit]

Well... Last winter I drove into what I think was the worst blizzard that Utah had all year.  Here is what I did.

First, I have good tires on my 2005 Class A. this is important, the single MOST important item when driving on other than clear dry pavement is your tires.  Mine are moderately aggressive, (Tires on the towed are VERY aggressive since it's my "Winter car"

And when things got a bit too white and scary for me,, I found a place to park.  in this case it was an authorized rest stop. Had dinner, went to bed, got up hours later after the storm had ended and the snow plows did their thing. had breakfast and hit the road again.  The roads were nice and clear and dry just like a hot august day.

Finally got where I was going (A large one story building with MOTOSAT clearly displayed on it's outside) and pulled into a parking lot and this was the first real snow driving I did all trip.

Key to survival, low beam headlights, SLOW DOWN and if you start to get worried pull off and rest a spell, Snow plows will do the job in most states,  The exception being Sunny California.  Which does not have proper snow removal gear (or at lest did not last time I checked)  Main roads are cleared quickly during the storm and you don't need but a place to park, Truck stop, Rest area, Wall Mart, Sears, Etc. and wait for the snow plows to do their thing.

One thing I will warn about.. Ice makers.  In my rig all the water lines are somewhat protected from freezing, I'd not wish to trust it in sub zero but down to 20 or so I should be good  EXCEPT THE LINE TO THE ICE MAKER it is only protected if I have 120 volts handy so the solenoid froze on me and caused a mel of a hess when it thawed.  Cost me about 12 bucks to fix.

 

[Jeff]

We took our kids to Colorado skiing for years without problems. As everyone here has said SLOW DOWN, stopping is the problem.

 

[Ray D]

MotherShip Captain: Welcome to Boise! My best guess is that you will love it here. The economy is booming. Taxes are relatively low. Most all neighborhoods are safe. Just about any kind of entertainment or hobby is available here. There are a lot of amenities and a very large, very nice park system. And, the weather is moderate.

There are few days, in the summer, when the temperature is above 100. A high in the low 90s is pretty ordinary in most of the summers. In the winter we spend some days below freezing. We do, now and then, go below zero, but that is rare indeed. A low in the mid 20s is fairly common in the dead of winter. Here in the Treasure Valley we generally get very little snow and ordinarily it is gone in a day or two.

Winters in the surrounding mountains can be a bit different from Boise. I have driven them year round, ages ago. I am quite a bit older, now, and not so bold. A little bit of slippery road is a little bit more than I want. That said, most of the highways are useable, year round, if you are prudent and watch the weather news. The one exception is highway 21, north of Idaho City, and particularly between Lowman and Stanley. The mountains, there, are prone to avalanche and frequently closed as an avalanche covers the road. That, I avoid, until early spring.

Keep your speed down on slippery roads. Leave plenty of room in front of you, and avoid the need to stop, suddenly. All things that you would do, ordinarily, anyway. Years ago, when I drove trucks, I used to marvel that the big heavy rigs were more sure footed on slippery roads than the automobiles. Now, even the big rigs have anti-lock brakes, and I suspect your 05 Monaco has them. My 05 Challenger does. Having said that, I am no longer as bold as my younger days. I do suspect that big rig control is good, even now.

Ray D

 

[Wendy]

Just left Black Canyon of the Gunnison, going downhill, last week with 8+ inches of snow on the road. No problem with our 28-foot Class A. Just took it nice and slow. Actually, loose snow is much nicer than areas where it's been packed down and iced up.

 

[Karl]

Just left Black Canyon of the Gunnison, going downhill, last week with 8+ inches of snow on the road.

Hope you had a nice place to stay at the bottom; going back uphill may not have been as easy!

 

[John From Detroit]

\Now, even the big rigs have anti-lock brakes, and I suspect your 05 Monaco has them. My 05 Challenger does. Having said that, I am no longer as bold as my younger days. I do suspect that big rig control is good, even now.

Ray D

Ray you said "My 'o5 challanger"  Another Damon owner eh?  (That snow driving story of mine was an Intruder 377W)

 

[Ray D]

Yes. Love the Challenger. You've helped me with it, several times.

Ray D