When it rains it SNOWS

[jcarr]

If any one cares we are having a white christmas here in Oklahoma for the first time in at least 5 yrs. I'm attaching a pic of the squirrel mobile in what most people here in okieland would call a blizzard. Well ok it was heavy blowing snow and from 5pm to 10pm it dumped about 6-8 inches on us and its still snowing.

The fambily and I left around 3pm this after noon to go to the wife's grandpa's about 35 miles away. When we left it was spitting a little sleet and that was about it. We left grandpa's about 10 til 9pm and arrived home about 10pm. Blowing snow was the worst I've seen it in Oklahoma.

Anyway about a mile and a half from the house the the rearend of the truck started sliding to the right and no matter how hard I tried it wouldn't straighten out. Got the beast stopped, crossways in the road, and went to try to restart and get myself straightened out, wasn't happening. I was still on the pavement, covered in packed snow, but due to the banking of the road i could not move more than a couple of feet. A guy pulls up in a 1500 4x4 and pulls me out straight and I'm back in business. Wife points out: At least it was a dodge and a gasser that came to the rescue not some dirtymax cheby.

This was the least of the problems of the night. My wipers slowed way down and would even trip the CB and stop. Once the CB reset they'd start back up, not to big of a deal, but i think the motor is needing replaced. I also lost all speeds on the blower motor except high and the bearings in the blower motor have started making more noise.

Well all in all I can't complain to much I made the approx 70 mile round trip safely and without any major damage, just more little things to fix. But then I guess thats just part of owning a 17 yr old truck that has been setting behind the neighbors barn for the last 2-3 yrs.

 

[jhnlennon]

A dually can be a trick to drive in snow huh. Thats why I wouldnt even consider having one unless it was a 4wd. I bought a 2wd dually IDI about a year and a half ago and promptly sold it as soon as the snow was flying. Got sick of getting stuck in the driveway. Glad your trip went well and safely though.

 

[ocnorb]

Weird.. The dually CC I just bought is 2wd and it seems to do pretty good in the snow. Could it be that a limited slip makes quite a difference?

(not sure if its limited slip or not, but I only had trouble on one steep hill that had a stop sign in the middle of it; even then it made it without too much slip-sliding.)

 

[punkmechanic]

good tires and weight make all the difference in snow. My srw cc was all over in the snow last year in 4x4 or not. then I put better tires on the rear and loaded about 1k of scrap from work in the bed and it would go anywhere.

the old plow truck gasser cheby at the farm had 4x4, a plow up front and 1500 lbs of salt in the bed box. that never got stuck (until the weak axles break then your screwed).

punk

 

[RLDSL]

Wow 6-8 inches, Send some of that next door. The young'uns would love it! We're just getiing a little dusting over here in Arkansas and it's not hardly sticking on the ground yet, just on the cars and porches, even though it's about 27 out.

My dually does pretty good on snow, but I' have a set of big nasty mudders on the back and a Western Hauler bed that;s made out of real heavy plate steel . Only time I have trouble is when it turns to ice , then it's chain time I don't care who you are if you don't have studs or chains. 4 wheel drive isn't going to help you on ice if you don't have studs or chains and it won't really gain you much over a 2 wheel drive with studs or chains. When it gets icy, we take the rwd car with the studs and then we have to poke around waiting for all the guys with 4x4s who think that they can drive on ice to spin out and go in the ditch or flip over so we can get on our way

 

[Fordsandguns]

We got what they say is four inches here in Eastland but I think it's more than that.
It's pretty nasty out there right now.
They closed I-20 from Abilene to DFW.

 

[oldmisterbill]

For the first time since i moved to Oklahoma,I wish i had a small snow plow or had covered the seat on my old Case with a loader. Good part is I don't have to be anyhere any time for a few days. It should melt by then.

 

[franklin2]

Just wait till you get your 2wd dually stuck in wet grass. That's when you get disgusted.

 

[jcarr]

I'm sure wieght in the bed would help. Got a pretty agressive mud tire on the rear, but i think the problem was that the road was banked and going into a curve where i had problems.

OMB I know the feeling i could use a tractor right now my self. got home about 10 last night and my tracks I cut through the snow are filled in and theres more snow piled on top of the filled in tracks.

I really chose a poor time to drop the insurance on the jeep and park it.

Here is a couple of pics from this morning.

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[kas83]

My 4wd dually really sucks in snow when I run around in 2 wheel. Got stuck on some wet leaves/grass at the hunting land in 2 wheel drive on a slight incline, that's an idea of how it does in the snow. Have had 2400 lbs of wood pellets for a stove in it, rode nice and did ok on the unplowed back roads. Pulled the outside tires off during our last storm, and was able to drive almost anywhere I wanted in 2wd, with only an 8hp walk behind snowblower in the bed. Those 2 extra tires take a lot of weight off the contact patch, immensely reducing traction.

 

[George_7.3IDI]

Ha ha... good to hear you are getting some snow but only 6-8 inches that's childs play... In a place called Thompson Pass near Valdez, AK they got 7ft in 36 hours this year.

 

[RLDSL]

Just wait till you get your 2wd dually stuck in wet grass. That's when you get disgusted.

That's why I got the big honkin' mudders I got stuck out back for a week one time.... Only one time, and that was it, then it was off to the tire shop for 4 bighorn mudders for the tail end. They eat a bit of fuel , and are noisy as all get out, but I haven't been stuck since I tore the **** out of my sisters field pulling the 5er around in it when it was kind of squishy , but I never got stuck

 

[argve]

I missed the E when the snow started flying when I bought the Dodge - both where 2wds.... the E had limited slip and the dodge was a peg leg kicker. The Dodge I always said if you put two snow flakes together it cringed in fear it was a like a fish flopping at the end of the pier. I always ran all seasons on both trucks (basically a really good wet weather designed tread) but the E would go just about anywhere for me but not the Dodge... Had to install a locker in the Dodge to get it to move around in the snow here but still was a pain even with weight in the bed. The E did really well after I installed the big tank in her = 1000 lbs of fuel on board.... She was great then I never wished for a 4wd after that little mod.... but I didn't get off paved surfaces either so I'm sure she would have been totally different in those situations....

 

[jcarr]

Ha ha... good to hear you are getting some snow but only 6-8 inches that's childs play... In a place called Thompson Pass near Valdez, AK they got 7ft in 36 hours this year.

george i'll give you the childs play at 6-8 inches. but that alot of times is our snow fall for the year now just a 5-8 hour span. down the road an hour and a half in oklahoma city the got 14 inches and pics on the news were showing full size pickup buried in the snow drifts.

i been in the mountians and experienced 6-8 inches of snow fall in a hour or two but this has really taken oklahoma by storm, pardon the pun. with the storm blowing in on christmas eve and most everyone being scheduled off for christmas it put the state behind the eight ball for getting the snow plows rolling.

this afternoon i took the squirrel mobile for about a 100 mile road trip around the metro tulsa area and had little trouble getting around, but then i shoveled a bed full of snow into it for weight. just got back home and I-44 was clear for the most part but US 169 and most of the side roads are barely plowed enough to clear away the snow leaving the ice exposed making the roads worse.

 

[nyteshades]

I'd be happy if some of you plow drivers from up north would come down to Tulsa and school these boys on how to clear a road. They epically fail at snow removal here.