...the lurker comes out from behind the trees.....

I've got a '04 Tacoma 4x4V6 stock pickemup and I'm getting ready for the winter season. I work at the local ski area and I live in town, about 60 miles away from the ski area. I go back and forth from the office to the area all the time and as needed sometimes twice a day to maintain computers and network and shtuff.

So I've got this idea that my truck will be a great vehicle for this but I want to be ready. I drive home in the dark a lot when nobody is left on the road. And there are lots of deer. What should I do to my truck first?

I'm trying to nail down a priority list And here's what I've come up with.

1) Tires - I've searched a bit through the site and see big props for the Bridgestone Winter Duelers or Blizzaks (same?) This is a big one for me I like traction and I drive on snow and ice a LOT.

2) Protection up front - From dear or other cars or trees. If I get hit or hit something I don't want to be stuck with a screwed up truck. So I was thinking maybe one of those BIG 'Ol BUMPERS, TJM or ARB? What do you think?

3) Escape plan - I'm thinking a winch would be nice in the event that I went off or I came across someone else that has(which I've seen a lot) a winch could help me or someone else get out of a bad situation. Couldn't it???

4) Lights - Oh maybe this should be a bit higher but maybe the bumper,winch,light combo could all be one thing? I need Fog and Driving lights. I'm thinking PIAA 959 for the Fogs and ??? for the driving?

You can see probably that I don't know what I'm talking about yet. But that's why I'm asking. Hopefully if you have experience you can drop a pearl of wisdom down and share it with me and others that may be in a similar situation.

THANKS!

 

Hella ralley 4k's for driving lights....they're kinda pricey...otherwise get the hella 500's and swap in 100 watt bulbs...if you can afford HID's then snag those

 

You have the right idea with TJM or ARB bumper. They are designed by Austrailians for the purpose of protecting the radiator from Kangaroos while 200 miles away from anything in the Outback.

 

Locker

Tires

Front end protection

Removeable winch

Huge lights

Emergency gear if you have to spend the night in the cold.

Good luck - it was 77' this morning driving to work so I could be way off!

 

Have a look at Nokian tires. They are pretty awesome. I've got PIAA fogs and they work great in the snow when mounted as low as possible. Also, how about chains (if they are allowed in your area)?

 

Winter Duelers are Blizzaks in truck sizes. Great tire for winter driving. I would get a second set of wheels to mount them on to only use when needed. They don't last long on dry pavement.

 

What others said, but here's some cheaper things:

Drive slower.
CB Radio to call for help.
Food that doesn't have to cooked
Water
Warm clothes + blankets + sleeping bag
A flashlight / head lamp
A book.
A plastic bin to hold all that stuff.

p.s. All this stuff easily fits into a small bin in my ext cab, behind the driver's seat.

 

What ski resort do you work at?

I highly recommend studded snow tires over Blizzaks. Get a set of 4 and carry a set of chains with you. I also recommend that you carry road flares, GPS, CB, Cell phone, extra set of warm clothes, hand and feet warmer, spare water, food, a nice set of driving lights (Hella or Piaa), a hand held spot light, jumper cables, ARB or TJM with winch.

 

I work at Mt Baker Ski Area. It's pretty damn remote at night. My cell phone works for ˟˟˟˟˟ most places on the highway. The highway ends at the ski area so if I'm working late or driving up late at night for an emergency fix there's not really much traffic.

Yeah sure the food, water, book, stuff is all great and fine. I carry that stuff in a backpack with extra warm clothes. But what I'm really after is making the vehicle as capable as possible.

What bumper/winch should I get? What lights are good? Fog are important probably more so then driving as they cut through snow and fog where the driving lights just reflect in those conditions making them useless.

rock on

 

If you get a locker, you'd probably want a selectable. Supposedly the auto-lockers act scary in the snow and ice. I dunno though; I live in Oklahoma and hardly ever see ice, much less snow.

 

Save yourself a ton of money on tires and get a good set of chains all the way around. Don't get tire cables, get CHAINS. You can have bald tires and still have more traction with chains than any Blizzak tire. You also won't need a locker if you have chains. Learn to drive your truck without the locker. You'll be better off in the long run. DON'T AIR DOWN YOUR TIRES! Especially if you install chains. They'll rip apart. Your tires were designed for street pressure. They will perform the best on street pressure. Unless, of course, you have Intercos or a pure off-road tire.

Another point to consider...
Depending on where you live, State Patrol can restrict your travel unless you have chains. You can be sporting Blizzaks all you want, but State Patrol won't let you move unless you have chains.


As for lights, get a good set of ion yellow fog lights. Anything more than 65W on the white light scale will be a hinderance. Mount them low and seperate from the headlights. I can't tell you how many times my regular headlights have nearly blinded me from snowfall and my yellow fogs have saved my rear.

These will serve no purpose unless they are yellow.

If it's your first time driving in snow, find an open parking lot the first chance you get when it snows or ices up. Get used to how your truck handles. Nine out of 10 accidents in bad weather occur because of inexperienced drivers who don't know how to deal with inclimate weather.

 

Mt Baker is cool, but that road can be treacherous like you said. I was up there back in the day when they had so much snow they had to close the lifts!

These guys have all gave good advice, I would combine most of it for a really killer package. You living in Bellingham?

 

These worked great!

 

BFG AT/KO work great for me, add some chains when it gets hairy and you'll be fine.

If you do get a locker, get an ARB or E-Locker, I had detroits and when they unload in the snow

Justin

 

I'd avoid a locker altogether. They really hurt more than help in snow and ice, especially to someone inexperienced with them. A good limited-slip or two can be a lifesaver though.

I'd also use a TJM or ARB as the basis for a decent bumper and then add to it. I've never yet seen a bumper I feel offers adequate protection to the upper corners where the headlights are. Some good reinforced tubework welded to the bumper can fill in this weak spot. If I were in deer country, I would also try and angle things outward to the front up top (like a stinger). This would help keep a deer from going over the top and into the windshield. Keep it down low where there's no bodywork or glass.

 

If you do get a locker get it for the front and convert to manual locking hubs. and if you do get a locker for the rear get a free floater kit so you have control of 4 wheel, 3 wheel front or 3 wheel rear or 2 wheel or 2 wheel 1 front 1 rear. I second the winch. tire wise anything a/t or with a proven track for self cleaning type of tread is also helpful. Also a shovel.. Snow can be your friend as in fill the back of the truck up with snow for weight traction.. Also dual batteries it eases the stress (drain) when using a winch or the extra lights.

 

Nice! Great tips guys. I guess I should clarify a bit more. I am no noobie at driving in the snow. I've done it for 15 years (in the winter at least). I grew up in Eastern Washington where we got much more snow then they do over here. Also I've been working at the mountain for the last 3 years so I'm familiar with the road and conditions, but I was driving an AWD Subaru Outback which is much different in the snow then a pickemup truck.

So that said.
I'm all over the chains thing. I already have them.
I'm working on some tires.

But what about the bumper/winch? How much should I pay for a nice ARB? What model of winch should I get?

This is turning into a great thread.

lol

 

The ARB vs TJM question has been debated on and on, that is up to you to decide which is best suited to your needs. Either way in my opinion you can't go wrong. As for a winch most here agree that the Warn M8000 is fully suited for your purposes. Cost's are inbetween $600-$700 + shipping for a bumper, and around $500 + shipping for the winch. Realize as well you will need other recovery equipment as well, a snatch block, some d-rings, a tree strap, a recovery strap can't hurt either. Plus maybe switching that winch to synthetic cable for safety. There are lots of posts with good examples of good equipment to carry.

I think your on the ball with lights.

I've never had a problem with my BFG AT/KO's in any snow conditions, even when I've driven past a suv littered Interstate 91 on my way up to VT. A dedicated snow tire would probably beat them though. Chains you know are a must in certain conditions.

Sounds like you have a good handle on your needs so far.

 

I second the idea of studded tires over traditional snow tires. I've driven many miles of snow in a Subie with both types. The studs work better. You're golden with the chains. Mike @ XtremeOff-Road will get you a great deal on a bumper. clicky TJM T15 might be a good bet for you. It's all about personal tastes. I have the ARB Sahara Bar. A Warn M8000 winch will fit nicely. Do you really need it?

Think practical, a locker won't help you driving in the snow. It will however, help out of of the ditch you might get yourself into. Try to keep extra weight in the bed (sandbags, etc) as it helps A LOT!

HaveBlue is right about the lights. In snow, you'll want the yellow beam. Try the Lightforce 170's with the Yellow Lenses.

In a perfect world, I'd go back to the Subie. But since a Yota is so much more fun...Here's what I'd do.

• Studded Tires-Properly Inflated
• Lightforce 170's with yellow beams
• A good battery- VERY critical
• ARB Taco Bumper
• Warn M8000
• 100lbs of sand in the back
• Lots of food, water, and warm clothes
• PVC? Rainsuit so you can chain up without getting wet
• Gloves
• Flares..etc
• Open diffs-MAYBE an LSD

EDIT:A lot of this is repeated now..lol

 

So I emailed Mike through his profile and he hasn't responded in two days. Does anyone have any other suggestions on where to pick up a nice ARB bumper? I'm still thinking about the winch. Maybe I'll just get a nice come along .

What about 4X4 Connection?

Cheers!