Snow Chains or socks

[dg360]

 

Thanks Wanderer - great to have info from someone local.  I did season in Chamonix many moons ago.

The forecast for the area is looking a bit worrying (18c in Grenoble the day before we arrive) but it's still in the realms of long range forecasting so who knows.

https://www.metcheck.com/WEATHER/16days.asp?zipcode=grenoble&locationID=13816&lat=45.2&lon=5.7

 

[IJWS15]

On 1/24/2018 at 12:08, dg360 said:

British plates and a GB sticker may as well be a sign saying "pull me over and hassle me" :(

 

 

 

My experience is that they don't hassle UK drivers.

 

First time when the gendarme signalling fo us to pull in at a check point  on the edge of Roanne, I was pulling but when he saw the UK plates he immediately waved us out.

 

Second time it was dark (06:00 ish Sunday morning in October) and they appeared to be stopping everyone (at least they did while we were stopped) on the road out of Challons-en-Champagne to do breathalyzer checks.  They obviously didn't see the plates as guy's face was a picture when he realised that SWMBO didn't have a steering wheel!  After he walked around the car I was asked to blow into their breathalyzer - they didn't even ask if we had breathalyzers.

 

btw breathalyzers are about a euro each in the motoring sections of the big supermarkets.

[JamKart]

I've only just seen this thread after buying some snow chains for my 235/45 R18 wheels :-(

 

I know the manual says not to (pg279) but has anyone successfully used chains on this wheel size?

 

[Ootohere]

What do you mean by successfully, 

do you mean fitted easily without clearance issues, no damage to the wheels, travelled OK in snow with no clogging of the wheel wells, 

and then easy removal again?

 

Luck of the draw seeing not all Snow Chains are the same.

 

A bit like travelling in areas where the Law requires carrying Snow Chains and not having any, 

the issue is where you are stopped and told you need them on, or you do need to use them and you have none, 

or they are difficult to fit because you never tried, then never tried driving the car with them on.

[JamKart]

Yes I mean "fitted easily without clearance issues, no damage to the wheels, travelled OK in snow with no clogging of the wheel wells, 

and then easy removal again?"

 

I had a set for my Mk2 and used them successfully in heavy snow on my last ski trip.

 

I bought some...

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Polar-Easy-Fit-9mm-Snow-Chains-P120-Many-popular-sizes/263259232586?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

 

... but haven't tried them yet. If there is no hope then I'll send them back and get some socks.

 

[JamKart]

The last time I needed my chains was at the bottom of a valley, at night, in a blizzard!

I'll not risk it - socks it is.

[MikeHig]

Looking at the snow forecasts, in the Three Valleys they are expecting 10 - 20 cm in a few days' time.

More significant for driving, the 0 degree isotherm is right down so there may be snow at very low levels.

dg360 and JamKart: please tell us how your journeys go and how the Snowsocks perform if you have to use them.

 

[dg360]

Thanks Mike.  Grenoble is showing quite a few snow days between now and then so I'm assuming it will only be worse as we climb.  I'll let you know.  I have driven in about 6" of snow in the UK and they were great but then again, the roads were littered with stuck cars on summer tyres....

 

General opinion, should I practice putting the snowsocks on?  Their website shows the steps and says that it is so easy, you don't need to practice.  Basically pull it on from the top down, drive 1 m and then pull the last bit on and done.  Should I give it a go?

[100andthirty]

Dg360...I strongly recommend a practice. When I used to use mine in anger, I found it a lot harder to fit them that the instructions imply. Of necessity they are quite a tight fit and it's easy for a bit of misalignment occur......or I am incompetent!

[MikeHig]

A bit of practise with the socks can't do any harm.

Which reminds me: one more item to consider for your kit list - a bit of sturdy old carpet. If you are fitting chains/socks in slush/snow having the wheel on a bit of clear surface helps.

[dg360]

I'll give them a go at the weekend then.  Thanks chaps.

I have a set of these

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0049A7MMG?psc=1&ref=yo_pop_mb_pd

Would they do the trick Mike?

[Ootohere]

They can be useful for somethings, but unless you have someone to pick them up you need to stop get out, put them in the car, get stuck, go out put them down, 

go, stop, pick them up etc etc 

 

[JamKart]

On 1/29/2018 at 12:17, MikeHig said:

Looking at the snow forecasts, in the Three Valleys they are expecting 10 - 20 cm in a few days' time.

More significant for driving, the 0 degree isotherm is right down so there may be snow at very low levels.

dg360 and JamKart: please tell us how your journeys go and how the Snowsocks perform if you have to use them.

 

Hope I don't need them! But I'll let you know

[MikeHig]

dg360: those look fine as a clean, firm base for the wheel - much better than inches of dirty snow/slush!

[dg360]

20 hours ago, AwaoffSki said:

They can be useful for somethings, but unless you have someone to pick them up you need to stop get out, put them in the car, get stuck, go out put them down, 

go, stop, pick them up etc etc 

 

It was more as a platform to pull onto whilst I put on the snow socks as per Mike's carpet suggestion.  I agree that they could be a pain.  I think the use case would be: oh no stuck, shovel as required, pull myself onto those and then put the socks on.

Edited 30 January, 2018 by dg360
typo

[Ootohere]

Never found the socks putting on to be troublesome when loads of fresh snow to kneel down on, 

as to when there is ice / slush and all sorts of horribleness, a Thermal Camping Mat / Exercise Mat is dead handy to have.

No snow sticks to it either so not loads of snow going into the boot or car when you chuck it in.

[dg360]

Roof box fitted. Going for a: If "Jon Olssen was poor" look.

 

 

Edited 3 February, 2018 by dg360

[dg360]

My preparations seem to have been wise...

 

[MikeHig]

We had similar falls over Christmas/NY. Some folk dug out their cars only for it to do the same the next night. One chap got his car open and started it, prior to clearing the snow, and his young son punched the button to open the sunroof - not a cheerful chappy!

Mind you, that's a modest fall compared to what some resorts have experienced. My son was in Val d'Isere last month. On the second night the whole village was put under a curfew from 10 pm and it dumped nearly 2m. The trick the next day was just to find what was snow and what was car.

 

Did you have to use your snowsocks - if so, how did it go?

[JamKart]

Didn't need the snow sock in the end but saw this in Val d'isere. The snow was frozen solid so the car wasn't going anywhere soon!

[IJWS15]

19 hours ago, JamKart said:

Didn't need the snow sock in the end but saw this in Val d'isere. The snow was frozen solid so the car wasn't going anywhere soon!

Thant is several falls, probably over a season - you can see the drity lines between each fall.

[IJWS15]

On 1/26/2018 at 13:26, JamKart said:

Yes I mean "fitted easily without clearance issues, no damage to the wheels, travelled OK in snow with no clogging of the wheel wells, 

and then easy removal again?"

 

I had a set for my Mk2 and used them successfully in heavy snow on my last ski trip.

 

I bought some...

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Polar-Easy-Fit-9mm-Snow-Chains-P120-Many-popular-sizes/263259232586?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649

 

... but haven't tried them yet. If there is no hope then I'll send them back and get some socks.

 

 

If they go around the back of the wheel you may have problems - it might take out the brake lines or something similarly critical.

 

I had the issue with a '12 Passat company car with 7.5" wheels where the manual says you can't use chains on that width wheel and VW Customer Service say you need a set of narrower winter wheels to fit chains.

 

I got a second hand set of these https://snowchains.co.uk/snowchains/Weissenfels+Quattro/, might evenhave been from them.  Did 20 feet in them as a test run on the drive where we were staying in the Alps.  Maker says use only if car maker allows, car maker doesn't allow . . .took the chance.  

 

Sadly they don't fit the Superb which has bigger tyres so considering what to do.

[dg360]

Didn't use a single item in my extensive emergency kit.  Only the crossclimate tyres on the way up.  Some old snow and ice on the road up the mountain and snow in the car park.  No problem at all.  I parked the car and left it.  It snowed early in the week (yay) and warmed up a lot on the last day and rained heavily which handily washed all of the snow off for me.  Drove out on 4c wet roads without issue.

 

On a separate note, French speed limits + roofbox = lousy fuel economy.  We made great progress across France on the autoroutes at ahem the speed limit of 130km/h.  We did about 34 MPG over the journey.  A month back I drove around 300 miles fully loaded up with family and luggage and did 42 MPG.

Going back to driving at 70 was a struggle!

[IJWS15]

It is not the speed limit that is the big difference with France but the lack of traffic on the autoroutes.  You can set cruise at 135 kph and (toll booths apart) not slow down for hours - where can you do 75 mph for an hour in the UK without having to lift off for a slower vehicle?

 

I often travel 600 miles in a day in France but would never try that in the UK.

[Ootohere]

^^^ 

Heading north from the New Forth Crossing to Friarton Bridge Perth if no road captain decides they want the outside lane when the inside lane is empty.

You are exceeding the NSL obviously.