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09-30-2017, 07:15 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2017
Posts: 3
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New to us.
Not sure if I'm doing this right or not but I'm a new member and wondered if anyone has experience driving down the road with a 2014 28 ft. Winnebago Vista-class A towing a 2014 Chevy Equinox-4 down. Looking to see if any one has experienced driving in the icy/snowy conditions with the MH. We are new at this and we generally leave Michigan and head south after Christmas. Sometimes the roads are icy/snow covered and sometimes not. Hopefully I'm not borrowing trouble , just wondering whether this can be done or not.
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09-30-2017, 07:46 AM
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#2
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Jun 2014
Posts: 14,455
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You need to look at the vehicle weight versus gross vehicle weight, the difference is the total weight you can carry & pull. Also need to check the hitch towing capacity, what is it rated for.
If the hitch is rated to tow the vehicle then you'll have to estimate what the total weight of the loaded coach is. You should load the vehicle and take and have it weighed, then add the weight of the tow vehicle to give you the gross weight. If it is below the specification you are probably OK.
You will also need to installed a braking system on your toad.
__________________
Jim J
2002 Monaco Windsor 38 PKD Cummins ISC 350 8.3L
2005 Jeep Grand Cherokee w/5.7 Hemi
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09-30-2017, 07:57 AM
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#3
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Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Powell River, B.C.
Posts: 31,269
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Welcome to iRV2 .
Winter driving with a coach to a snowbird destination .
I purchased my coach in Montana and on my second day driving south ( with toad ) encountered 8" of snow on the freeway going into Idaho.
Even with a summer tread tires the coach had no issues with traction or control stopping . All the weight and driving 40 mph got me through.
Every year going to/from the south I find snow on the roads some where , and when it came time to replace tires this year I installed a winter tread tire .
I needed them to be legal here in BC; ( winter tires required Oct. 1 to Mar. 31 )I'd been sneaking around that requirement for years; and I know the tires will age out before I wear off the tread.
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99DSDP 3884, Freightliner, XC, CAT 3126B, 300 HP /ALLISON 3060
2000 Caravan toad, Remco & Blue Ox.
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09-30-2017, 08:09 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Posts: 6,909
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Tomsue50-
Your question could be taken two ways:
1) Can your coach tow this car? (a capability question, answered by Jim and you, after some investigation)
2) Can you drive in snow and ice with a motorhome of this size, with a car in tow?
On this second question: Our motorhome is slightly larger, and our toad slightly smaller. The dynamics of the coach-toad combo won't be much different, unless your toad does not have its own tow-brake system. If that is the case, don't go anywhere until it does!
Our philosophy has been to avoid driving in snow, ice or freezing rain. Losing traction for more than a second or two means you have an articulated 10- to 12-ton unguided missile. If I was an experienced big-rig driver perhaps I could ease through some slightly sketchy conditions. But, I'm not. So, we look for two days of clear weather following the latest storm as our getaway window. When we get snow along the way, we stay put until the sun comes out again and the roads are clear.
That's just us, though. You can understand why some snowbirds leave earlier, like November.
One other thing to note: When you get to your destination, and as soon as is practical, rinse the undercarriages of your coach and toad, unless you've driven on salt-free surfaces the whole way. We have our coach and cars undercoated with Fluid Film, to reduce rusting, but still rinse them.
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Mark
2008 Holiday Rambler Admiral 30PDD (Ford F-53 chassis)
2009 Honda Fit Sport
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09-30-2017, 08:30 AM
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#5
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Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Olympia, Wa
Posts: 2,772
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The coach will do fine if you do your part. The coach being heavy will hold the road better than a car, but all that weight and turning on ice good speed judgement is needed and where you are from you must know how to travel on these roads. One thing I might check, and that is dependent on how the RV and Toad drive now, is the MHs alignment. Quick sudden turns are not one friend on ice. Hopefully you can minimize your exposure to these conditions by picking a weather window.
LEN
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2004 Clss C 31' Winnebgo
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09-30-2017, 08:32 AM
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#6
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Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: Lake Havasu City, AZ & Plover, WI
Posts: 6,403
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The Vista has an 18,000# GVWR and a 23,000# GCWR. Also the Equinox has a curb weight of 3800# plus the stuff you carry in it. So yes, you can tow it with your 28' Vista as long as you stay within those weights. As was previously mentioned, driving on ice is a whole other matter. Our 40' DP was much heavier than your setup and probably a little more stable on slippery roads. We used to leave WI in Jan to head south. One year we woke up to 5" of snow in IA. We waited till the sun was out and headed out at 35-40 mph towing a Grand Cherokee on a slick I-80. I thought I had it all under control until a gust of wind from my right pushed my 35,000# weight sideways into the passing lane without me turning the steering wheel. Black Ice is a scary experience in a car, but can be horrifying in a sliding motorhome. My conclusion was that you're never really in complete control in a big box rolling down a slippery road. Our solution was to leave WI in Oct and return in May. No more Black Ice for me.
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2006 Monaco Executive 44 Denali
2013 43 QGP Allegro Bus ( SOLD )
2013 Avalanche
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09-30-2017, 09:25 AM
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#7
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Senior Member/RVM #90
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Columbus, MS
Posts: 54,578
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Hi ! Welcome to IRV2! We're sure glad you joined the gang!
We southerners don't know much about ice and snow! Keep her between the ditches!
Good luck, happy trails, and God bless!
__________________
Joe & Annette
Sometimes I sits and thinks, sometimes I just sits.....
2002 Monaco Windsor 40PBT, 2013 Honda CRV AWD
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