Prepping Deuce for Winter Emergency Search/Rescue Assistance...NO JOKE

[wvhillbilly]

In this mountainous area of WV, Route 150 is unplowed in the winter. Many idiots do not heed the warning signs posted and venture out on this 33 mile desolate road as a shortcut (shown on GPS) to Snowshoe Ski Resort. Usually they get stranded. While they may be able to walk out to safety, the vehicle must stay there until it can be recovered. I have seen this be as long as three months!!!

I have been informally asked by the local authorities and local Search and rescue if we would be willing to provide an assist retrieving vehicles/persons on the Scenic Highway should the need arise.

I believe my M35A2 is up to the task....but I need to purchase some chains for my NDT tires. I think 4 will do the the job.

If any of my fellow SS have any thoughts to contribute, or chains for sale, please post a reply or PM me.

 

[Carl_in_NH]

I'd think about modern tires designed for snow; NDT == 'No Darn Traction' NDCC isn't much better.

Some of the folks that have singled-out will chime in, but everything I've seen indicated NDT and NDCC suck in the snow.

 

[BEASTMASTER]

i've been plowing with ndcc for5 yrs now and the only complaint i have with them is they don't like to turn corners when it's icy. when plowing i have no problem with traction. with the sprague t-case i seldom feel the front kick in to pull. and i don't even put weight on it.
.

 

[1stDeuce]

Oh what fun!!! I think the snow levels you're talking about are relatively low, and not more than 2' deep, so you can find the bottom...
My suggestions, based on having my deuce this winter at our UP winter test track to do extractions and for fun:

1. Get rid of the duals. They are NOT going to help in any way, no matter how much you air them down. No need to hub flip if you like the duals in summer, but you gotta get one tire on the ground for each position, not two.. A hub flip would be better, but not necessary unless the snow is going to be at the deep end of the range a lot. (Rears following front tracks is ideal for deep snow.)

2. If you're going to encounter ice, or above freezing temps making packy snow, you need modern tires of ANY kind... You're not going to want to be on NDT's in either of those condidions without chains on front and rear. Note that unless they're v-bar or square link chains, they are not going to add a lot of traction on glare ice, and either way your speed with chains is going to be very low. Also, chains wear FAST if you let them hit the road surface, so you'll be putting them on and off a lot, and it's not really that fun.

3. Put some weight in the bed!! A couple of thousand pounds would be ideal. Concrete, sand (handy!) or whatever you can put in there to add some traction to the back. Keep it to the rear as far as possible to even out the weight some. (a W/W deuce is WAY front heavy, with almost 3000lbs on each front tire, and something like 1700 on each rear position.)

Really the only thing to fear is ice and packy snow. My deuce was awesome in the early winter, with cold temps and some grip under the snow... Not so sweet at all on icy surfaces, or packy snow. In fact, it turns out you can get a deuce stuck in about 2" of packy snow if there is a little depression to sit in. NDT's have no biting edges for this type of snow. You could have them grooved or siped to help with this, but they're still less than ideal.

Those are my recommendations... YMMV of course!
C

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Thanks 1stDeuce for the informative contribution.

Although I doubt I'll encounter much snow here in west Texas, the education that you an other provide here is invaluable.

Experience is a GREAT teacher

 

[drgreg]

They did make a Rollagon conversion for the deuce, it would be hard to find but it would do great for your snowy conditions.

 

[comanderfritz]

In this mountainous area of WV, Route 150 is unplowed in the winter. Many idiots do not heed the warning signs posted and venture out on this 33 mile desolate road as a shortcut (shown on GPS) to Snowshoe Ski Resort. Usually they get stranded. While they may be able to walk out to safety, the vehicle must stay there until it can be recovered. I have seen this be as long as three months!!!

I have been informally asked by the local authorities and local Search and rescue if we would be willing to provide an assist retrieving vehicles/persons on the Scenic Highway should the need arise.

I believe my M35A2 is up to the task....but I need to purchase some chains for my NDT tires. I think 4 will do the the job.

If any of my fellow SS have any thoughts to contribute, or chains for sale, please post a reply or PM me.

i am one of those dumb tourists.. was using a map not a gps though. went down that road in the middle of a blizzard in almost whiteout conditions at about 2am.... made it to the lodge i was staying in.. woke up to 3-4 feet of snow. but ill never get stranded..

 

[Beerslayer]

I hate to be the Buzz Kill here, but contact your insurance carrier. Ask about what happens when you rescue.

If anything happens to any person or vehicle while you are Helping, it goes on you. You are liable.

I know it is a bummer, but that's why I stopped pulling people out a long time ago.

Nanny State.

Find people and give them a ride out

Anything happens while you are hooked up to their rig

It is all your fault.

 

[Josh]

heh beerslayer, i used to do the same, but if someone is really stuck i make the sign a release before ill hook to there truck in the dunes or something, and no im not lying i keep a stack of release forms in my deuce when i go the dunes. while i dont know if it really works or not, id hope that since they signed a release they wouldnt persue anything. but i got insurance so if something did happen i believe i am covered.


as for snow ive driven a deuce many miles in the snow, based on personal experiance i found chains on every axle is a must. and ive never had an issues with the duals(never ran singles tho). id imagine 395's with chains would be good but i havent the experiane to comment on this.

 

[Earth]

Chains will make the difference, not tires. Yes you have to put them on and its a big big pain. And they wear on the hard top. But chains will get you through mud and snow over what tires you have on any day. I have never heard loggers converse much as to what tires go on the skidders, but you can hear plenty of arguments about what chains.

Also, things with wheels don't do well in 2 or 3 feet of snow. It's just a fact of life. I can pretty much climb a wall with my log skidder, but I can also spin all 4 wheel in deep snow. I drive manure out every day in the winter in a JD6615 with 38 rears and 28 fronts. Ag lug tires. No chains means no go in the deep snow. You put on chains and you get the job done. Most of the time. Last winter, when the snow pack got 3 or 4 feet deep we used the dozer to open things up. If you want to drive around on snowy roads near civilization then perhaps a discussion on exspensive rubber is in order. However, if you want to venture off into the woods, then its chains you want.

 

[zb39]

I hope we don't get 2 or 3 feet. I don't neede the extra work......

 

[cattlerepairman]

I have been informally asked by the local authorities and local Search and rescue if we would be willing to provide an assist retrieving vehicles/persons on the Scenic Highway should the need arise.

I think that this is cool (no pun intended) and your Deuce would provide valuable help. Many people are driving that could not withstand a sustained period of walking in inclement weather or have much resistance to cold (and misery). Thumbs up for providing help to them.

I urge you to sit down with the local authority that is asking you and clearly hash out the terms of your involvement. You may not want to "be on your own", i.e. YOU helping a particluar person and thereby engaging into a contractual relationship with them, but YOU working for the AUTHORITY who takes responsibility for helping some other person. You should have an arrangement under which you are contracted (even if it is without reimbursement) and insurance cover is extended to you or the authority agrees to carry your risk/liability as if you were one of them. what if you go out to help on the authority's request and YOU get stuck/your truck gets damaged? Will you be the one paying?

Without the authority protecting your back, short of being a commercial tow company, bonded and insured, you will lose in the longer run.

Your situation is not a matter of happening upon an unlucky soul in a stuck vehicle where you take the chance, once or twice a winter. If you winch out idiots often enough, you will have one retard who thinks he can make a few bucks by stabbing you in the back or you will have the one situation where you sc**** up. Just a matter of doing it often enough.

I am not even mentioning a situation where you venture out to help someone and get hurt yourself. Who is going to eat that one?

I have been a firefighter for 20 plus years. Take what I say with a grain of salt, if you must,.....but take it.

 

[badgmc56]

Is the snow or ice any different now than it was 40 or so years ago when our trucks were new? Chains got the military where they wanted to go then , so what is different now except for ridiculously priced modern tires. I would stick with the chains and NDT's.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Is the snow or ice any different now than it was 40 or so years ago when our trucks were new? Chains got the military where they wanted to go then , so what is different now except for ridiculously priced modern tires. I would stick with the chains and NDT's.

Hmmm Do we have proof here that the Snow and Ice have morphed

OMG - It must be GLOBAL WARMING

 

[jesusgatos]

I hate to be the Buzz Kill here, but contact your insurance carrier. Ask about what happens when you rescue.

If anything happens to any person or vehicle while you are Helping, it goes on you. You are liable.

I know it is a bummer, but that's why I stopped pulling people out a long time ago.

Nanny State.

Find people and give them a ride out

Anything happens while you are hooked up to their rig

It is all your fault.

Happened to my Grandpa. Years ago, someone had run off the road, and the guy asked my Grandpa to push him out. Then he sued my Grandpa for denting his bumper. Seriously. What an *******, huh?

I urge you to sit down with the local authority that is asking you and clearly hash out the terms of your involvement. You may not want to "be on your own", i.e. YOU helping a particluar person and thereby engaging into a contractual relationship with them, but YOU working for the AUTHORITY who takes responsibility for helping some other person. You should have an arrangement under which you are contracted (even if it is without reimbursement) and insurance cover is extended to you or the authority agrees to carry your risk/liability as if you were one of them. what if you go out to help on the authority's request and YOU get stuck/your truck gets damaged? Will you be the one paying?

Without the authority protecting your back, short of being a commercial tow company, bonded and insured, you will lose in the longer run.

Your situation is not a matter of happening upon an unlucky soul in a stuck vehicle where you take the chance, once or twice a winter. If you winch out idiots often enough, you will have one retard who thinks he can make a few bucks by stabbing you in the back or you will have the one situation where you sc**** up. Just a matter of doing it often enough.

I am not even mentioning a situation where you venture out to help someone and get hurt yourself. Who is going to eat that one?

I have been a firefighter for 20 plus years. Take what I say with a grain of salt, if you must,.....but take it.

That's good advice. Ask them to INDEMNIFY you.