Winter towing and tire chains (tow vehicle AND trailer?)

[Darron]

Looking to tow travel trailer (2 axles, 8,000 lbs, 30' length) with 2500 6.7L Cummins 4WD to winter mountain locations. Not looking for bad driving conditions but want to be prepared.

Advice on traction device? Chains vs cables? (had to sign notice to ONLY use cables at vehicle purchase, but that doesn't seem widely accepted)

Advice on which axles to chain up? For the tow vehicle, every resource says REAR AXLE ONLY. What about the trailer? What is the highest priority axle to chain IF you were only going to do one.

Would it be reasonable to chain the tow vehicle rear axle AND one of the travel trailer braking axles (not sure if brakes are equipped on both axles)?

 

[Daw14]

Call your r-v dealer regarding trailer chains

 

[Wickenburg Geezer]

Your question finally prompted me to join the forum. I'm a 45 year veteran of towing trailers, bumper pull RVs , fivers and other stuff. Towing anything in the white stuff where you need chains on your truck is a recipe for disaster. Believe me I learned the hard way. You might get lucky and get there, but it might be spring before you get your rig out. I haven't made that mistake, but I've seen other's mistakes.

 

[Darron]

I somehow knew I'd get responses that weren't exactly answers to my question, but rather responses to the different question of "is it advisable to tow in the snow?" Assume for argument's sake that I'm just gunna. In reality, I'm probably not going to need to but I'm mitigating risk with preparedness.

 

[Marley]

We've chained many tractor trailer's and always just the rear drive tires.

I'd put your truck in 4WD and use low gearing before relying on trailer brakes in extreme conditions.

 

[BWL]

Chain up just the rear drives. In certain circumstances I see trucks chain up a front to act as a steer chain, but I only see that off highway on resource roads. Just like the heavy trucks on the mountain passes driving will be slow knowing that scrubbing speed on big hills is near impossible in the snow. You have to start the hill slow and just maintain that down the hill. Your best bet is to wait for the plows and sand trucks vs trying to have a go in fresh snowfall. Also a lot of travel trailers have tires really only for summer roads so they may need changing to something more suited. No such thing as winter trailer tires as far as I know, but something with a more commercial type tread is a better choice for the driving you speak of.

 

[sandawilliams]

I've been in situations, coming home from hunting trips, in the mountains of Colorado. Steep downhill grades need chains on the trailer tires to assist braking. The trailer can jack knife on really slick roads.

 

[star_deceiver]

So is this I-80 to Truckee in a storm or narrow mountain backroad 75 miles from the nearest pavement?

Also, snowmobile trailer? 3 axle dumper? 30’ rv?

It’s not uncommon for people to run studded Ipikes on their snowmobile trailers around here. They’re cheap and seem to meet the weight rating.

For the truck, studded hakka’s do the trick... probably overkill for California, though



From my buddy who runs a mountain trapline in the winter “chain the rear going up, front coming down”. Chains vs. Cables.... which ones will clear without hitting things?

 

[Quyonmob]

Chain the drive axle only, or chain the drive and steer axle for maximum results.

I haven’t seen chains braked trailers here. Not saying it isn’t a good idea, but haven’t seen it.