Community Forums

cimplexsound · 10-11-2014, 01:45 PM

Believe it or not. I have actually heard of heated tires. It's sounds like the crazy stuff of science fiction, but Yes it's true. They are a special tire with a 20 year lithium battery, temperature sensor and heating coils embedded in the rubber of the tire. They way their suppose to work is the coil turns on whenever temps fall below 39 degrees and turn off when the temps reach 45 degrees or higher. Apparently it's new technology and I don't know much about it. But I'm sure they are pretty spendy.

mahon1993 · 10-13-2014, 02:16 PM

I have driven all types of vehicles in all types of weather. I usually drive 40k miles per year for my work. The only accidents I have been in were caused by other drivers. In bad weather driving the MH I am worried about the other guy. I have seen my share of crappy drivers in the winter. I would just rather pull off the road and wait the bad weather out and not worry about the other guy doing something dumb causing me to wreck my MH.

cimplexsound · 10-13-2014, 11:38 PM

Couldn't put it better myself. It's not usually my driving I worry about it's the other guy.

OLYLEN · 10-14-2014, 07:31 AM

But doesn't everyone THINK they are the better driver!
Just ask the wife for the right answer.

LEN

mahon1993 · 10-14-2014, 08:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OLYLEN

But doesn't everyone THINK they are the better driver!
Just ask the wife for the right answer.

LEN

No mater what kind of driver a person thinks they are, there are people who are better at it than others.

johnsadventure · 10-14-2014, 08:39 AM

Number 1.......have a travel window not a travel day.
Number 2........stay put if the weather is bad and watch the weather on tv.
Number 3.........stay off the road if it is bad
Number 4..........be thankfull you have a comfy place to stay
Number 5...........when it is that bad stay off the road

Happy Travels

cimplexsound · 10-15-2014, 10:51 PM

Interesting story. I was in Utah today travel west on I-80 between Salt lake city and Tooele. It was a nice sunny day temps about 85 degrees. But the wind was horrible. Wind gusts at 60 mph. About 30 miles out there had been a crash on the freeway. The freeway was narrowed to one lane for a short distance. Looks like a flatbed tow truck was actually in the ditch in the meddion. Couldn't help the thought racing through my mind. What in the ____ is a tow truck in the ditch for?? If tow truck drivers are starting to be careless were all in trouble. I made it to a truck stop and sat it out until the high winds died down.

JFXG · 10-16-2014, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OLYLEN

But doesn't everyone THINK they are the better driver!.......LEN

Yes, and this has been documented numerous times. Studies consistently show that 80-90% of drivers believe they are above average. You do the math.

cimplexsound · 10-16-2014, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JFXG

Yes, and this has been documented numerous times. Studies consistently show that 80-90% of drivers believe they are above average. You do the math.

That particular stretch of highway can be very sketchy. The speed limit goes up to 75 mph once you are out of city limits. Then once you get west of Tooele it goes up to 80 mph until you get to Wendover Nevada. While I pride myself on being a good driver with a lot of experience I will never brag about my driving. It is dangerous and that's when accidents happen. I have learned there are certain things you don't do when driving and bragging is one of them.

Bullitt · 10-16-2014, 09:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JFXG

Yes, and this has been documented numerous times. Studies consistently show that 80-90% of drivers believe they are above average. You do the math.

Oh, yeah. Well, after being a licensed driver for the past 44 years, I can proudly say that I've NEVER been in a traffic collision while driving a motorhome!

I've never owned a motorhome...but that's beside the point.
.
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cimplexsound · 10-17-2014, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bullitt

Oh, yeah. Well, after being a licensed driver for the past 44 years, I can proudly say that I've NEVER been in a traffic collision while driving a motorhome!

I've never owned a motorhome...but that's beside the point.
.
.

Good for you. Quite the accomplishment. I have owned 3 rv's in my day. Not one of them was ever involved in a traffic accident, including my current motorhome which is a 25 footer. It's more like driving a commercial truck. But I am happy to have the driving skills and experience to drive the gas hungry beast just like a car.

Ron Burgundy · 12-06-2014, 05:55 AM

This has been an interesting thread to follow since I feel like the anomaly....

The entire reason I got into RVing in the first place was to facilitate wintertime recreation. It is my humble opinion that if you are comfortable and take a conservative approach, there are very few circumstances where a motorhome is unable to travel safely through winter conditions.

For the past 5 years I've been driving on snowy/icy roads with my Rv on a weekly basis during the winter. In that time, I have never been stranded or unable to travel due to conditions (unless of course the road was closed). My first rig was a 27' class a....currently I drive a 37' diesel pusher that weighs about 30k lbs.

If you really want to get the truth about driving large vehicles in inclement weather, RVers generally aren't going to be much of an authority. Rather, focus on the following two groups;
1) commercial bus drivers who often drive through snow/ice (my current Rv is in a bus chasis and will therefore handle very similar if not identical to a commercial bus).
2) commercial truck drivers...I'm not talking about the guy that just showed up from the Middle East last month and obtained a cdl and drives a semi... Think more along the lines of the old school trucker that can safely haul a load of logs down an icy mountain pass with double or more the gvw of most diesel pusher RV's.

I've found that both of the above groups have much more real world experience and will generally conclude that ice/snow driving is easily manageable with the right approach. I'll take their advice over the snowbird RVer who claims that every time the temp drops below 40 you must be a fool to not pull over and wait it out.

I want to be clear that I'm not advocating a reckless approach and certainly believe that if you aren't comfortable, then don't push it.... Your probably going to make it more dangerous for everyone else if you do. That said, don't limit yourself simply because the party line of most RVers is that you should always avoid driving in the snow like the plague and if you do, you'll probably die.

Just some food for thought in hopes of providing a balanced conversation.

Grey Ghost I · 12-07-2014, 06:55 AM

Ron, You remind me of me. I learned to drive in 1953 on the flat plains of northern Indiana. Common sense and practice is essential. For those that say never drive in bad weather: What do they do in Alaska and Canada in the winter? Just thinking aloud.

nothermark · 12-07-2014, 07:48 AM

One thing those of us in the snowy areas learn is that while the going is tricky it is often manageable. The biggest problem is the local who has not learned that yet. The easiest way to avoid them is to stay off the road if we can. As we say, 4 wd is not 4 wheel stop. ;-)

Given that a lot of us are older retired folks I suspect that is why you get so many of us saying just hunker down and let the weather do it's thing. We are not going out to recreate in the snow with our MH. We are going someplace else and are not in that big of a hurry to get there. When we do it will probably be someplace that does not get snow. ;-)

In a really big storm Hunker Down is also the advice because it is what the highway maintenance crews do. Most of us who have been around for a while understand that if the schools are closed the highways are probably not being plowed much and the side roads at all because it is safer and easier to sit tight and clean up after the snow stops.

FWIW that last also gives one a tip on when to drive. If it is snowing the plow crews will open the roads for the school buses. Hit the road around 9 and the bus runs are done and most of the crazies at work or in the ditch. The sun is out and the roads are at their best for the day. The plows will keep things open until after the bus runs so get off the road around 3-4 PM as the plows will mostly stop around then but the rush hour home will be ramping up and the sun going down. Weekends are less predictable and bad travel days as far as snow is concerned because there is no imperative to get folks to work or school.

That is what us snow country folks learn. ;-) That and have a snow machine in the back. ;-))