Advice/tips for offroading in snow???

[Hound]

I don't know how you wheel but you camp pretty hard core. Those temps, stock truck, getting below the sleeping bag rating but using ingenuity to do so, an hour from the truck, in that area, in a pile of snow(first time doing it!):wow:.

My hat is off to ya sir..... You da man!!!! I am impressed.

One other question...... Um.... How did you change clothes in those temps besides fast???

 

[Evan B]

I don't know how you wheel but you camp pretty hard core. Those temps, stock truck, getting below the sleeping bag rating but using ingenuity to do so, an hour from the truck, in that area, in a pile of snow(first time doing it!):wow:.

My hat is off to ya sir..... You da man!!!! I am impressed.

One other question...... Um.... How did you change clothes in those temps besides fast???

Thanks. I was dreading the change too but it wasn't as bad as I expected it would be. After standing around the fire with snow gear on for a few hours it was impressive how much of the radiant heat I could feel when I wasn't protected by insulation. Even so, I think it was the single fastest change of clothes I've ever made.

 

[CAN-03runner]

So everything turned out well. 4Runner does very well in snow. So how did you end up driving it. 4hi?, 4Low?, centerlocked?

 

[canadianrunner]

yeah, Im impressed...
I dont even like camping in the rain, but snow... F that.
Glad you made it in and out safe and sound, lots of people get stuck in the cold here ( usually sledding). But you were prepared for the night which is what makes it safe... Good Job...
nice igloo...

when you mentioned 24 inches of snow I was sure you werent making it too far...

 

[Evan B]

So everything turned out well. 4Runner does very well in snow. So how did you end up driving it. 4hi?, 4Low?, centerlocked?

I was in 4low and in second gear to keep it at around 2k RPM. When we were stuck Sunday morning I engaged the center diff lock but still couldn't get it going without the shoveling and traction aids.

yeah, Im impressed...
I dont even like camping in the rain, but snow... F that.
Glad you made it in and out safe and sound, lots of people get stuck in the cold here ( usually sledding). But you were prepared for the night which is what makes it safe... Good Job...
nice igloo...

when you mentioned 24 inches of snow I was sure you werent making it too far...

You're right and I was more nervous about that possibility than anything else to do with the trip. With my current setup 24" would have been impassable for anything more than a couple feet with lots of room in front and behind for a run up and slow down.

I'm really looking forward to heading out again after the lift and tires to see how much more it can handle. One of the other guys is really curious to see if the shelter will still be standing after a month or two so I'll have another shot at the same paths, and maybe some deeper stuff depending on how it feels. I told him he's on his own dealing with whatever animals claim the shelter as their den. :AK47:

 

[canadianrunner]

2ft of snow is impassible for most set ups, so dont feel bad. You need a winter wheeling built truck for anything like that

I wouldnt even want to try to go too far in 1ft of snow, especially considering you were going solo... always risky, even without snow.
Adventerous, to say the least.

I love wheeling in the snow cause theres way less to break, but usually with 2or more rigs... preferably Toyotas!!!
With that being said, there's something very satisfying about pulling out a jacked up chevy or ford with a cocky Toyota hating attitude for a driver... I know from experience..

 

[Hound]

There are some extreme builds such as the guys from ToyTec like Dillion that I am sure could do 2 foot but I would also think that there are some milder builds like Crashmans that you might want to take a look at. He put in the wrench time and thought it out. Pretty nice and probably closer to a direction you may want to go in. A big part of snow is the friction that starts building up till your truck turns into a plow. Definitly get the lift and tires but if snow is a main goal, smoothing out the undercarriage is going to help a bunch. It will also help to get the front to push the snow down and out instead of up and over which is what it does now. Recovery gear is going to be a must if you want to keep doing it solo.

 

[hcck3d]

Awesome! Going camping this weekend, hoping it will snow but will most likely be rain... Glad you got in and out safely and most importantly, had fun doing it!