How should I drive a 03 Tacoma in the snow?

October 20, 2008 9:31 PM

Driving in snowy conditions and getting tire chains on a 2003 Toyota Tacoma (5 speed manual, basic model), possible or not? Also, should I get snow tires as well as tire chains?

I plan to spend some time up in Tahoe this year, snowboarding and such, but I plan on driving myself up using my truck. Is this advised, possible, any tips or suggestions? Being a rear wheel drive truck with no weight in the back I am concerned about traction having never driven this truck in the snow.

posted by sir_rubixalot to travel & transportation (14 comments total)

Put some weight in the back? That is the first thing that I would do--but, driving a rear wheel drive truck in the snow, I have found, is no fun. I'd avoid this if you could...or just get into town--then make your friends drive, if possible.
posted by fieldtrip at 9:36 PM on October 20, 2008

Totally possible, especially if you stay on main roads and don't do anything foolish like driving 80mph just because everyone else is or going somewhere that hasn't been plowed. They do a good job of maintaining 80 and the roads around the resorts and if conditions are really bad they will make chains mandatory and you'll be doing 30mph in bumper to bumper traffic anyways. Your inexperience driving in snow is a bigger deal though. Putting some weight in the back will help your handling a bit but take it really slow.

The main problem will be if you park it and it snows a lot, you might not be able to get out so plan ahead and bring a shovel and kitty litter or old pieces of carpet for traction.

Studded tires aren't legal in CA and I wouldn't bother with un-studded tires unless your current tires are really awful.
posted by fshgrl at 9:45 PM on October 20, 2008

ETA- going to Tahoe usually involves very little actual driving on snow. Unless you get lucky and it dumps in which case you will be stuck in your side street until they plow, which is usually pretty fast.

The one exception could be going the back-route to Kirkwood on 88. That is a long windy road with a lot of potential to be stuck driving in un-plowed snow, alone, at night, miles from anywhere. Don't go that way in your truck. Stick to 80 or 50 and check the weather and you'll be fine.
posted by fshgrl at 9:51 PM on October 20, 2008

Fieldtrip, that was my original thought, since I am staying with plenty of people I may end up bumming a ride as often as I kind.

Thanks for the tips fshgrl! I'll make sure I bring proper gear and I know they are pretty good about plowing the roads, but I want to be as prepared as I can.
posted by sir_rubixalot at 10:27 PM on October 20, 2008

I have a 2003 Tacoma that I got chains for and totally headed up to Tahoe with a few years ago -- but I do have four wheel drive. I ended up not hitting any snow whatsoever, so I can't offer any advice from experience. Putting some weight in the back should help, though.

In my experience others are generally correct on the road conditions around Tahoe. I've been up numerous times in the winter, going up from the west on 50 and the east on the little tiny road that climbs up out of Gardnerville, Nevada. The only time we ever had any kind of issue was pretty much in the middle of a heavy snowstorm -- they closed the road, but my mom and I were through before they shut it down, so we kind of gently fishtailed our way down the 50 to Sacramento in her old Mazda.
posted by LionIndex at 10:30 PM on October 20, 2008

Always carry a sleeping bag and a shovel. Drive like there is an egg between your foot and the accelerator.
posted by JackFlash at 10:32 PM on October 20, 2008

I have a 2000 Tacoma (2wd automatic) and I've had to chain up numerous times over the last few years going to Mammoth and (less frequently) Tahoe. Getting M+S tires a few years ago made a difference, but I wouldnt say a huge one. After chaining up, even in massive almost white-out storms I havent had many traction issues (knock on wood for this year!), but I drive VERY VERY carefully and slowly in those conditions. Its really the ice in the morning that's scary -- leaving a hotel with a steep driveway for example.

I was recommended real heavy-duty chains (not cables) and they're a real pain to put on in the snow. Practice first, and have proper light in case its dark. I have waterproof kayaking bags that I throw all my stuff in and strap it down in the back of the bed, hoping that helps with the weight over the rear wheels. Sandbags or something would be better but Im sure it would hurt the gas mileage coming up.
posted by Spurious Packets at 10:57 PM on October 20, 2008

Snow tires are better than summer tires or all-seasons, but they may not be worth purchasing if you will only use them this once, and especially if there's a good chance you won't hit any snow like was mentioned earlier.
posted by C17H19NO3 at 3:29 AM on October 21, 2008

Agree with all the suggestions here, and also strongly suggest that you always pay close attention to weather advisories. Snow in the mountains is dangerous business, you can get life-threateningly caught in no time.

Carry lots of weight in the back to aid rear wheel traction. Make that weight bags of gravel or kitty litter, and salt, so if you get stuck, you can use that material to get yourself unstuck.
posted by gjc at 6:58 AM on October 21, 2008

I drove Donner Pass in a blizzard in a '98 base Tacoma with Las Vegas style street tires. Had to use cable chains on all four tires, but it worked out okay. Just make sure you don't get into a situation that allows the differential to spin and you'll be okay. And have some weight in the back. A couple sandbags should work.
posted by krisak at 8:37 AM on October 21, 2008

On the offchance that you need new tires anyway, I recommend searching out a set of Nokian tires. I have a set on my AWD car (which cannot use chains or cables for clearance reasons), and they have been awesome on snowy drives up to Mammoth. I got the WRs, which are all-season AND snow-rated. I have not been able to find any other tires which are snow rated and suitable for regular driving. They are a little noisier than regular tires on non-snowy roads, so I leave them on year-round.

Note that snow tires and chains don't really help you stop in the event that you go into a skid, they just give you traction to help you get moving. This is a common misconception which I also used to believe, and this is why you need to drive carefully in snow. Agree on throwing some sacks of sand/kitty litter etc in the back of the truck. I've never driven to Tahoe, just Mammoth from LA, so I don't know how likely it is to get snowy on your route.
posted by Joh at 10:08 AM on October 21, 2008

Hmm, now I look at the Nokian specs they don't seem to have a snow-rating anymore, which is weird, just M&S. Disregard my claim, either they changed the specs or I am remembering wrong. Anyway, I still highly recommend them, especially if you are able to augment them with chains.
posted by Joh at 10:16 AM on October 21, 2008

A late posting for future searchers:

As I've looked at information on winter tires recently, in order to decide whether/which tires to buy, I've become completely convinced that people shouldn't be driving without them in the winter, and I think that some advice in this thread, while well-intentioned, would put you at risk, especially in a RWD truck.

The thing I didn't appreciate until this year was that all-season tires are really designed to be for all seasons in the major tire markets - southern California, Texas, Florida - but for areas that experience winter, calling them all seasons is really just a marketing gimmick, and only reflects that 30 years ago summer tires were even worse in winter. All seasons begin to lose their flexibility when the temperature drops below 44 degrees Fahrenheit, and in freezing temperatures the rubber becomes quite stiff, which means it can't grip the road to stop even when the road is clear. And the biggest danger by far is black ice, which you can't see, so can't prepare for. (This is why I think everyone should call them winter tires, not snow tires, and why I disagree with fshgrl's advice that because going to Tahoe doesn't involve driving on snow, you don't need winter tires.) Every car rides on only four little patches of rubber about the size of the palm of your hand that are making contact with the road at any one time, so it's easy to lose traction if you don't have the right tires. And all seasons aren't built to stop on ice or to cut through snow or to grip cold pavement.

All of this is to say that while you might be able to get away with going up without winter tires, why take the risk? Especially when you're going up into the mountains. It costs money to buy the tires, but it costs even more to be in an accident. And it changes the driving experience from one of trepidation (am I going to slide off that cliff or into that car?) into one of confidence (I can go around that corner and stop just fine). I've done some research recently on the best winter tires, so my unsolicited advice is that the best winter tires for your truck, by a significant margin, are the Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072.

The American website is here...
http://www.yokohamatire.com/tires/geolandar_GO72.aspx

...though the Canadian website and a review from the Toronto Star have better writeups of what the tire is all about:
http://www.yokohama.ca/en/tires/tire-page.php?tire_name=geolandar_it_g072
http://www.wheels.ca/reviews/article/33060

The Yokohama has the most advanced multicell compound to ensure good braking on ice and good tire life. (Another advantage of fitting winter tires is extending the life of your all-seasons.) But any winter tire will be better in the cold than the best all-season. If you do end up buying tires, consider buying a set of steel winter wheels, too - they pay for themselves after two years because you don't have to pay for the tire installation twice a year, just the balancing.
posted by Dasein at 5:57 PM on November 12, 2008

At the risk of being ridiculous, an even later follow-up to say that the Bridgestone Blizzak DM-Z3 is an equally good choice for a winter tire for light trucks or SUVs as the Yokohama Geolandar I/T G072.

If anyone is reading this in future for advice on car tires, the passenger car equivalents - the Bridgestone Blizzak WS-60 and the Yokohama Ice Guard IG20 - along with the Michelin X-Ice Xi2 are the best winter tires on the market right now.
posted by Dasein at 2:37 PM on December 3, 2008