Snow adventure

Muzzle of Bees said:
Crawl also can be used in reverse.
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This is something I didn't know until someone pointed it out, and I have found it is extremely useful for backing down or out of sketchy situations. Although, taking your foot off the brake when backing down a steep / loose / slippery slope really gets the adrenaline going!
 
getting stuck

Only vaguely related but 40+ years ago I went ice climbing with a friend.

When we came down the car started fine but simply wouldn't move. No traction. Turned out we'd parked it on a hump of ice and there was almost no weight on the rear tires.

Fortunately we had ice tools with us and a few minutes hacking away chopped out enough ice that we could get going.

The line between moving and stuck is very thin.
 
Syr4RinNC said:
Advice from someone who has spent most his life in the land of snow - theres not much you could have done to not get stuck (other than avoid it). When the snow is that high and hits your undercarriage - youre stuck. the snow under your tires is gonna pack down too so you'll sink and hit the snow earlier than you think

Once your stuck its difficult. Getting towed, winch are the best options. otherwise, gentle rocking back and forth, digging out the undercarriage and trying to use something to get traction - all weather mats, cat litter, sand etc

As mentioned, don't gun it. you'll sink deeper and deeper and get more stuck.

If its not that high, its fun to drive in though! you lose traction easily
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Ditto.

1. The 4R is not a tank. It is not a snow cat.
2. The 4R does not have high ground clearance and will bog down to its undercarriage in deep snow. You will get stuck.
3. The photos look like you were in deep snow. Don’t drive off-road in deep snow.
4. All-weather tires are slippery in snow. Read tire reviews and get more aggressive tires.
5. Carry a shovel. Check out camping/mountaineering vendors for a high quality aluminum collapsible flat front show shovel. The handle is removable and will fit in your trunk. No need to carry it on your roof.
6. Carry scraps of carpet or old floor mats. They can give you extra traction if you’re stuck in snow (as well as sand).
7. Know your limitations and your truck’s limitations. Know how it behaves and handles in snow/ice conditions. Practice in a safe unplowed parking lot after a snow storm. Do doughnuts, 360s, uncontrolled slides. Get stuck and dig it out. It’s a blast!
 
ElectroBoy said:
Ditto.



1. The 4R is not a tank. It is not a snow cat.

2. The 4R does not have high ground clearance and will bog down to its undercarriage in deep snow. You will get stuck.

3. The photos look like you were in deep snow. Don’t drive off-road in deep snow.

4. All-weather tires are slippery in snow. Read tire reviews and get more aggressive tires.

5. Carry a shovel. Check out camping/mountaineering vendors for a high quality aluminum collapsible flat front show shovel. The handle is removable and will fit in your trunk. No need to carry it on your roof.

6. Carry scraps of carpet or old floor mats. They can give you extra traction if you’re stuck in snow (as well as sand).

7. Know your limitations and your truck’s limitations. Know how it behaves and handles in snow/ice conditions. Practice in a safe unplowed parking lot after a snow storm. Do doughnuts, 360s, uncontrolled slides. Get stuck and dig it out. It’s a blast!
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Good advise. I had driven it in snow one time before and played around with it then like you suggested to see how it would drive. 4x4, 2WD, transaction control on and off etc. Just to get used to it. Just got myself into deeper snow then I expected. When I tried to turn around that’s when I got stuck. I’ll be more careful in the future. I found the 4R limitations (in stock form) in my first 2 weeks of ownership.


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First of all, you should not be driving on a remote highway if the forecast is for a blizzard. Postpone the trip until conditions improve! If there is only a chance of a blizzard and you have a strong reason for traveling, you should be prepared with blankets, warm clothing, food, and water in your car. You should also bring a shovel. If the snow starts to get heavy, you should avoid driving on minor roads that may not be priorities for snow plowing. Stick to numbered highways.

If you find yourself in blizzard conditions, you should periodically clear snow away from your car door so that you can open it and you are not trapped inside your car. Otherwise, you should wait in your car, wrapped in blankets, until help arrives. It would be wise to keep your water wrapped inside your blanket with you so that it doesn’t freeze. You should not walk farther than you can see in blizzard conditions. If you wait in your car, snow plowing crews will eventually find and rescue you.
 
Well first off you need to re-evaluate your decision to be driving in a blizzard. But hopefully, you are smart enough to have some essentials with you a good thick blanket warm clothes and a way to charge your phone.

I was always taught to take a bag of kitty litter with me that way I can gain traction in snow and icy surfaces in case I do get stopped for any reason.

When driving in snow consistently is key do not make sudden movements do not slam on the brakes or gas and do everything you can to keep forward momentum. If you stop, that’s when you get stuck and it’s hard to get going again. Have a way to clear any snow that is blocking your path. A little kitty litter on the ground in front of your drive wheel and drive on.
 
rotorwind said:
Went playing in the snow and got stuck!

It got deep so was trying to turn around and got stuck in about a foot of snow. Luckily I was in the woods only 4 miles from my house. My wife brought out snow shovels, cat litter, boxes/rugs and an aluminum ATV ramp.

After about an hour and half we got it out! Pics don’t do it justice. Snow was up to the frame.

FYI Toyota’s road side assistance does not cover if your off road. I was maybe 50 yards off the main forest road.

The stock street tires didn’t help much! I tried CRAWL, ATRAC and locked the rear diff. None of that got me out. I had a tow strap but her car couldn’t make it to me. Lesson learned. Be prepared

What do you guys carry? Come along winch? Traction boards?



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As Detective Calahan once said: "A man has got to know his limitations":sorry:
 
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Freddie Moran said:
Well first off you need to re-evaluate your decision to be driving in a blizzard. But hopefully, you are smart enough to have some essentials with you a good thick blanket warm clothes and a way to charge your phone.



I was always taught to take a bag of kitty litter with me that way I can gain traction in snow and icy surfaces in case I do get stopped for any reason.



When driving in snow consistently is key do not make sudden movements do not slam on the brakes or gas and do everything you can to keep forward momentum. If you stop, that’s when you get stuck and it’s hard to get going again. Have a way to clear any snow that is blocking your path. A little kitty litter on the ground in front of your drive wheel and drive on.
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Who said I was driving In a blizzard? It was a clear day and I was 4 miles from my house lol. Yeah there was snow in the ground which is normal where I live. Definitely not blizzard conditions. Just deeper snow then I anticipated and didn’t know what my new 4runner could handle yet. I found out quick!


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I'd recommend putting together a recovery kit.


Snow / Tire Chains.
Folding Shovel or surplus E-Tool.
Traction Boards.
Recovery strap.
D-Ring Shackles or Soft Shackles.
Hitch pin and rear D-Ring Hitch mount.
Tire Deflator + air compressor.
If no plans to add a winch, a come-along can be helpful.

Getting stuck and self recovering is 1/2 the fun of going off road.
Having a recovery strap / rope along can be helpful if another vehicle drives by.

With this recovery gear you can self recover and help others get unstuck.
 
Drobs said:
Get a set of Maxtrax or similar traction boards. They are very handy in snow, mud, and sand.
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i understand the value of having quality tools and recovery items, but why in the hell are these 300 for two of them?

the only thing i could think of is if they're injection molded; the mold would not be cheap to produce. although 300 bones just seems like a lot for 2 sheets of glorified molded plastic.

i will eventually buy some, but its going to be a painful purchase.
 
mesooohoppy said:
i understand the value of having quality tools and recovery items, but why in the hell are these 300 for two of them?

the only thing i could think of is if they're injection molded; the mold would not be cheap to produce. although 300 bones just seems like a lot for 2 sheets of glorified molded plastic.

i will eventually buy some, but its going to be a painful purchase.
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Crazy right!

I found a set of chinese knockoffs on Ebay for $42 shipped.
Recovery Tracks Sand Snow Mud Tracks Traction Tire Off Road Ladder Black 4WD | eBay

Figure, if the break I'm not out much. I take them along if I plan on going off road. I'm not ready to mount them "permanently" to my roof rack yet.
 
Drobs said:
Crazy right!

I found a set of chinese knockoffs on Ebay for $42 shipped.
Recovery Tracks Sand Snow Mud Tracks Traction Tire Off Road Ladder Black 4WD | eBay

Figure, if the break I'm not out much. I take them along if I plan on going off road. I'm not ready to mount them "permanently" to my roof rack yet.
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interesting. that add is super confusing tho. it almost looks like youre only getting 1 at 42.85, but when you scroll down it says its a pair. so thats a pretty good deal.

i like the hi vis ones so i found the same ones but in orange. thank you for reminding me about ebay, didnt even think to look there!
 
snydmax said:
Here’s a good review/field trial of the knock offs vs maxtracks

YouTube


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perfect. thank you. they seem like a good budget option but with some trade offs.

very interesting to see how the knock offs flex to the max trax. it seems as if max trax has the thickness/flex a little more refined as opposed to the stiffer knock offs. im sure you would kill the knock offs fairly quick if you do a lot of bridging.
 
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