Snow in 2wd w/ No Chains?

I don't think Big Bear has any snow right now. They had one decent storm back in mid-November but nothing since. It should all be melted by now.

 

Way to go! Finally, a picture--thank you! This really boosts my confidence!

 

Even higher in the mountains? Wait. Big Bear is already in the mountains . . .

 

La Nina is a b#tch. This winter will be mostly dry for Southern California.

 

You want a pair of gloves you can abuse, textured, rubber coated for the win. I keep a pair in the truck for just that, dealing with unloading snowmobiles off of trailers, putting on chains, fueling the truck.

 

Yep

Mr. SoCal is setting himself up for a surprise with that ignorance + over confidence. Pass plenty of spun out/wrecked CA plated trucks each winter on Highway 50 & 80 where someone thinks because "its a truck" it will magically make them great at driving on ice/snow.

I use just 4x2 during the winter in some conditions (flat land) but eventually you will hit that spot in the mountains where 2 wheel drive only will make you the CA guy in sandals and shorts trying to dig is "rig" (complete with low profile "mudders") out of the snow with a floor mat.

 

i feel attacked

 

I'll take good snow tires over 400lbs of sand in the bed all day, I ran blizzaks on my taco last winter and it was way better empty than all seasons and tube sand.

The weight helps you get traction to get going in 2wd but then you have that much more working against you trying to turn and stop.

 

dont be that guy stuck in the parking lot ha ha ha

 

The people like OP that are not living or going to regularly head into the snow are probably not going to drop $ on dedicated snow tires.

 

Oh absolutely, snow tires are not a good choice if it regularly gets above 60° in winter where you live. Some chains and practice using them are the ticket for OP's situation.

 

+1

OP, you can also rent chains in some areas in the Tahoe/Sierra area. Not sure about if they have them in your area too OP.

 

@ Big Bear / Mammoth there is about a 1% chance that you will actually need chains and or 4WD. Even a Toyota coral should be ok the vast majority of the time (even if CHP claims chains are required). HOWEVER, this all depends on one very important thing---if the roads are clear of other dummies! Empty highway 330/30/395/203 with even 1 foot of fresh powder should be ok for most cars without chains and/or AWD. If the road becomes too steep you might struggle a bit for uphill traction but keep at it nice and slow, you'll be ok. If traffic is involved then you are 100% totally screwed, as the other clowns try to make it up the mtn. I have even seen a Land Cruiser stuck because the owner was so out of it he did not know how to operate his own vehicle (we drove it out for him, quite humiliating as his family was standing by).

I usually leave at around 7pm the night before and drive through the night because most people don't even think this is within the realm of possibility. Most ppl will only drive up during the daytime because their primate brain thinks that this is somehow better...quite foolish...clear road no distractions is best. Perhaps the elderly or people with compromised vision can't do this. With headlights and normal skills this should be ok.

Arrive late at night and pick up your air bnb key in the lock box or setup your winter camp site.

 

Also don't be that guy rolling around in his Subaru Outback chopping up the dry asphalt with all 4 of his chain tires (this is much more common lol)

 

wow thats crazy i live in breck and never seen subie with chains but plenty of vehicles stuck in stupid spots

 

Maybe handy IF they never get wet and then freeze. Tried them one season and left them in the bed. Then the one time I coulda used the sand I found them to be heavy, solid, one piece battering rams. In addition, the cheezy packaging is very UV sensitive and will disintegrate in short order from sunlight. Better to empty them into a SEALABLE 5 gallon bucket and strap them in the bed.

Best approach: A properly equipped vehicle with winter tires, chains at the ready, supplies for when/if you get stranded in your vehicle OR, perhaps the wisest, stay home until the roads are clear.

 

But once you get them, practice at least once putting them on. AND, after driving a few miles with them, stop, get out, and check to see if they need tightening. They will loosen up a bit after a few revs of the tires.

 

2wd on snow/winter tires will greatly outperform AWD/4x4 on summer/street tires.

 

Having grown up in the midwest and owning multiple 2wd and 4wd cars and trucks, I can assure you that an unloaded 2wd pickup with street tires is the worst or among the worst things to drive in snow. There's just not enough weight on the rear axle. That said, with some weight in the back, good tires, and lots of practice you can get many places. TRAC/VSC do help a bit too, but I tend to disable them because I like to drift corners when it's safe to do so.

 

Variable changes a lot. I air down to the single digits when I'm snow wheeling since you're trying to float rather than dig down and find traction.