Driving to rain/snow

[Maddawg46]

This Bay Star is our first motorhome. We live in California so weather is not an issue most of the time. Wanted to go to the Oregon coast next week. Rains are scheduled. Possible snow over the pass when we come home in a couple of weeks.
So, do you MH guys avoid driving in rain? And snow, I don't have chains. My view is if it's snowing I'm probably not going to drive in it. Last year towing a trailer across the country we had a blizzard in Flagstaff Arizona. It was pretty alarming even though my truck has 4x4. I only had to drive in it about 20 miles to the RV park we were going to stay at.

[BPoland]

Originally Posted by Maddawg46

This Bay Star is our first motorhome. We live in California so weather is not an issue most of the time. Wanted to go to the Oregon coast next week. Rains are scheduled. Possible snow over the pass when we come home in a couple of weeks.
So, do you MH guys avoid driving in rain? And snow, I don't have chains. My view is if it's snowing I'm probably not going to drive in it. Last year towing a trailer across the country we had a blizzard in Flagstaff Arizona. It was pretty alarming even though my truck has 4x4. I only had to drive in it about 20 miles to the RV park we were going to stay at.

Rain, though not my favorite to drive in, is not a problem. Snow on the other hand would be a deal breaker. I wouldn't drive in it, and I wouldn't want the coach subjected to the road salt they would use to melt it. They may do it differently out there, than they do in the Northeast. I love playing in the snow in an empty parking lot. That being said, I can't even imagine what would happen if the coach started swapping ends . The laundry bill alone would be HUGE! Not my idea of a fun time.

[Bigd9]

During the winter we often take our coach to snow ski resorts and to campgrounds that will stay open all winter for skiers. Driving in snow takes care, just like it does in a car/pickup. We bought our coach to have fun, and it rarely stays home no matter what the weather. We are not alone, there are usually a half dozen RV's there with us!

This was last year at Canaan Valley State Park in West Virginia

[nothermark]

You theoretically have a nice warm, dry environment to sit an look out at the sky falling. Why drive in it? When it blows over the road clears and it's a lot safer to proceed.

If you must move avoid all sudden moves. The key is smooth control with minor corrections, slower speed, and ample stopping distance. As we say around here 4 wheel drive means 4 wheel go not 4 wheel stop.

It's always interesting to watch drivers when the first snow fall hits. All summer they run up to stop lights and signs and depend on a lot of braking. After the first or second snowfall most are coasting into the stops at a lot lower speed and with a lot more control. ;-)

[JohnBoyToo]

But we still have 4 wheel drive... they are just on one axle

Rain - snow - not an issue - now ICE !?! it's pucker time...

I recall once I was STOPPED at a red light in a rental car in a Denver suburb and noticed my rear end was sliding to the right

[OLYLEN]

In Or. I believe if you are in snow county you are required to carry chains. For your adventure driving in rain, I just drove for 3 hours in the rain, while not fun just give a little more following distance and make sure your wipers are in shape. Replace them if a year old. As far as the pass wait till midmorning and you will be fine. If it's still storming watch the weather and wait it out. I use Seven Feathers Casino RV for my staging area to cross the pass every Jan. and never a problem.


LEN

[wackymac]

This Bay Star is our first motorhome. We live in California so weather is not an issue most of the time. Wanted to go to the Oregon coast next week. Rains are scheduled. Possible snow over the pass when we come home in a couple of weeks.

We've driven 101 from Santa Cruz to Portland several times in the winter. The chances of you running into snow is fairly slim. If you do, just pull over for a while. We were going south one year and the Siskiyou summit was closed so we went 101 south. Rain but no snow.

[Maddawg46]

I just can't see buying chains for my MH. 22.5 tires would be pretty pricy. I had the same feeling as some of you. Wait until the road is cleared of snow. I did get caught in Flagstaff that once, but now I think I would just exit and wait it out.

["007"]

Rv WINTER DRIVING & Winter camping --Traveling South in Winter

[jleamo1]

We got stuck in an ice storm December 2013 in Van Horn TX, on our way home from CA to PA. One of those times you wish you were home. At the time we had a 31' class C, I had no problems stopping or starting on I-10 in the mountains. It was everyone else that was the problem, passing us at 70+ mph. A little father down the highway it looked like a scene from a horror movie. We only crawled until I could find a safe place to pull over and wait it out. I actually found an off ramp with a DOT gravel storage yard at the top of the ramp to the right, parked there for a few hours. We live in the NE so snow/ice driving is a normal occurrence for us, in a motorhome I would only do it in the event you have to.

[Rambeau]

Originally Posted by Maddawg46

I just can't see buying chains for my MH. 22.5 tires would be pretty pricy. I had the same feeling as some of you. Wait until the road is cleared of snow. I did get caught in Flagstaff that once, but now I think I would just exit and wait it out.

A set of cable chains will cost around $200.00 If you are towing I would not even try it...just disconnect. Trying to avoid rain here in Oregon is impossible unless you travel east of the Cascades. Why not cross over to the coast in California and go up US-101. It almost never snows on the coast. By the way...last night the winds on the coast were over 80 mph.

[bluepill]

My experience in rain is that the weight of a MH makes traction better than a car, suv, or light truck. Example: My rig weighs 30,000 lbs. That is carried by 6 tires. That is a 5,000 lb. load on each tire "Patch" (point of road contact). That compares to 800 to 1200 lbs per tire on the average vehicle. Much less chance of hydroplane skids with five times the pressure on the patch.

Snow? Pull of the road and park until the roads are cleared. The great thing about a MH is that you are home anywhere you stop. Rest stops, shopping centers, larger gas stations or truck stops, Walmart, etc. Even a solid road shoulder as a last resort. Two friends recently got stuck in the middle of nowhere in Utah when a hail storm came through. They just waited on the shoulder until it cleared and melted.

[NC25T]

Rain isn't a issue, as stated heavy vehicle with a narrow tire its difficult to hydroplane. Just slow down and keep a nice distance between you and whatever is in front of you.

I actually want it to rain hard in every trip, preferably just before I would arrive at the destination and also once back home. A good hard rain at highway speeds removes all those dead bugs on the front. A nice coat of wax helps

With snow/ice/salt I am one of those people who likes to use whatever I buy. We use to take the RV to Michigan snow skiing every winter, just have to slow down. If I lived in a area or frequently traveled to a area where there are Mtn passes or chances of getting caught it deep snow, chains would be a necessity.

Always hate it when people have money to buy a Ferrari, lambs etc and it just sits in their garage.

[kgchampagne]

I think it depends on where you live. I drive my motorhome in the snow, but I have the right tires for it, and I do carry chains. Of course it is more difficult, slower and I avoid anything off-camber. I worry about what is under the snow more than how deep the snow is (ice vs pavement). When there are cars stuck in my neighborhood, the fedex trucks and the UPS trucks just drive around them. I went through an ice storm in Dallas driving my buddies new DP. I think it was December of '14. Never again.