Winter Traction Aid - ShurTrax

Winter is coming on and we all know that pickups are light in the ass meaning traction on the rear wheels is easily compromised.

Who adds "weight" in their truck bed?
What do you use? Sand bags, cement blocks, firewood, dead bodies?

I've come across a water bladder made by ShurTrax on Amazon. It holds roughly 300 lbs of water or the big bag holds about 400 lbs. The bag can be strapped to the bed with tie downs. Freezing is not an issue. Claim is to fill with water, allow to freeze, thaws in Spring, drain water, store bag. Loads can be place on top of the bag per the claim.

Anyone with experience using a ShurTrax water bladder for added weight to help with winter traction?

 

Neat idea but most people use sand bags due to cost and strap them down.

I used to use patio blocks that laid flat in the bed and strapped them down.

Whatever you use, make sure to favor the right of the bed, as the gas tank is on the left.

 

I use 1 paver block 24”x30”. Cut in half makes getting it in and out much better than manhandling the whole thing. Also was running KO2’s normally at 40lbs air (spring, summer, fall)pressure but during snow season and if going out for road side rescue work during a heavy snow fall will air down to 28-30lbs. One paver block and air down, not getting stuck at all.

 

Sand bags and they are under the tonneau so if needed can be opened to get sand.
I’ve also stopped running AT tires and run dedicated snows.

 

Just use $3 sandbags.. patio blocks etc can become projectiles in an accident so I really don't recommend them.

 

3 of these right over the rear axle. Bed mat keeps them in place. Cut one open and use sand as traction if needed.

 

2 100lb International Harvester tractor weights

 

Thanks. I did sand bags once upon a time ago in my full size GMCs.

They always had a tendency to spill sand, difficult to store during off-season, heavy to manhandle about.

One year, I took a bottle of stupid pills. Tried 80 lb bags of QuicKrete. Big mistake.

My thoughts with the water bladder. Place bag in bed, fill, strap it in position, let it freeze. Spring time arrives, open the fill port, let it thaw and drain. When empty, pull it out store it. Heaviest thing I handle is a garden hose. Storage could be a simple pair of hooks on the garage wall during off-season.

The small bag would put about 300 lbs in the bed over the axle.

 

All fine and dandy till you need to remove the bag to use your bed when its one solid block of ice.

Id go sand bags for the reasons listed above and the multi use factor

 

I had a surtrax for a few years. It was fine, but eventually they start to leak if you fold them up when you're not using them. I've gone to sandbags now.

 

You can load on top of a block of ice. No problem.

Bag is about 3" thick.

 

This is what I use for a fraction aid. I don't feel it's necessary to haul around hundreds of pounds of extra weight if I don't have to. I don't like spending money on gas that much. I run 235/85-16 Firestone Destination XTs. 10 ply. 40psi. All year long.
When roads get snowy or icy and traction is reduced, I just spin the dial. I feel I burn the same amount of gas in 4 wheel drive, as I do hauling around 300lbs of bagged dirt.
Take your time, slow down, down overthink things. That's the best way to handle slippery roads.

 

Main roads my truck stays in 4WD, parking lots I shift to 2WD. And I usually just let the snow accumulate in the bed of the truck for any "traction aid" as I'm too lazy to shovel it out.

 

I love it

 

C'mon. I learned to drive in Iowa winters with rear wheel drive. Been driving on ice, black ice, snow, snowpack, blizzards, white outs......any winter road condition you can think up. I'm still driving in Iowa winters nearly 45 years. Don't need lessons about driving in winter.

My question is about experience using a ShurTrax water bladder.

I didn't ask about how to drive in snow or ice or how to use 4WD. Thanks for all the winter driving tips.

 

Lol, I grew up in Iowa too. We had some nasty winters back in the day. I always keep a flat shovel in the back of my truck. When we would get a decent snow, I'd shovel the back full of snow and stomp it down. It added a few hundred pounds and would melt away pretty quickly when it warmed back up.
Years ago, a buddy of mine and I were out shooting and screwing around after a good snow storm, in one of my dad's work trucks. I got it high centered in a BIG snow drift. We got out and started digging. In about 10 minutes, we just drove away.
I always keep a shovel in the back during the winter months now.
I've never used a water bag but anything that will give you some extra weight, should help considerably. Keep in mind, a frozen bag of sand can be a hell of a projectile too.

 

FYI you'll need about 800 lb extra weight on the rear axle just to bring the truck to a roughly 50/50 weight distribution. That's extra 800 lb that would need to be brought to a stop when you brake. It'll also push the truck over the GVWR in some cases. Having driven Tacomas north of the wall for the past decade, I just click over to 4hi when there's any accumulation on the ground.

 

Best to strap it down if you go this way

 

This is real.
Flipped my last taco on black ice this past January.
Had 500lbs of cinder blocks snugged in a wooden bracket I made out of 2x4’s, to give me some weight over the winter. One of those blocks just managed to avoid going through the back window, drivers side. Could tell from the massive ding in the cab just above the window lol.
Have a tonneau now but would still go the sand bag route.

 

A little weight sure helps. I've always had a cap on my trucks, That is enough weight to do the job. I wouldn't buy anything. For the few times in when I didn't have a cap I've thrown a little firewood in the back when snow was predicted.