TV Tire Chains Needed?

[Longwell]

I just finished a Trailer Life article on towing preparedness and they recommended tire chains for towing use when needed, particularly in sand.
Do you carry/use tire chains?
Would you have used them if you had them?
Do you know anyone who uses them for other than snow situations?
Thanks for any help.
Larry

[stiles watson]

Don't have them. Never considered them. Sort of like a left-handed monkey wrench. You only need it if you have a left-handed monkey. I have road service through Coach-Net to come get me out of situations.

[Montana Sky]

I chose 4 wheel drive in place of chains.

[richfaa]

I did not think they still made them for cars or pickups. I have seen them hanging on 18 wheelers.

[bigmurf]

Have carried a set for 35 years now. Living in Colorado for 30 years accounts for this.

[Trailer Trash 2]

I was thinking the same as you longwell, I guess it's like having an insurance policy it will be there when you need it, I looked up some nice snow chains on this web site www.tirechains.com I have been looking at the dubble wide chains for the rear and a set for the front. if I get a good set and leave them in the truck I will never have to worry about having to use them because once you buy them they usually never get used, but dont have them and guess what..........

[firetrucker]

I always carry chains for both the truck and the Montana. I upgraded the drive tires on the truck to Michelin M+S, which takes care of the simple problems, but with so little weight on the rear, even they don't get me out of every situation.

I'm with Don, they're a good investment and good insurance.

[indy roadrunner]

Wait a minute firetrucker, why would you put chains on a Montana? If those things come loose you have tore up a lot of stuff before you can stop.
I went with 4 wheel drive and it saved my bacon in sand once down at St Andrews State Park in Panama City.

[ARJ]

quote:Originally posted by bigmurf

Have carried a set for 35 years now. Living in Colorado for 30 years accounts for this.

Ditto! Especially if you do stupid things like trying to drive through snow banks in the mountains. Even 4 wheel drive may not be enough.

[rlwhit]

When we left to go south this past winter the county road we live on was covered with ice. I have four wheel drive. Without hooking up tried to drive on it and had a heck of a time, so put chains on the truck hooked up and very slowly proceeded to get away from the ice. Three miles. Did not put chains on the trailer. If I was in a condition that would require braking or faster travel around curves I would have. One time I was chatting with a highway patrolman and he said that if you are driving and chains are required (as they are sometimes in this part of the world) they must be on both TV and one axle of the trailer. You do not want that 5th wheel going sideways on you. Big rigs chain up that way. So don't think that 4WD will always save your behind.

[indy roadrunner]

Yep, so true about being able to stop monty. So I now have a new line of thinking on that subject. Main thing for me - don't ever put yourself in that situation, head south before chains are neede.

[Glenn and Lorraine]

Dead on indy roadrunner. Iffn it gets close to freezin I'm heading further south.

For sand, mud and wet grass I do have 4WD and that 4WD has saved my butt way to many times to ever be without it. I have also used that same 4WD to pull a couple of 2WDs out of situations.

[richfaa]

Having pulled a 5th wheel one time in snow and ice(not my 5th) I will never do it again nor will we get into a position were we may need chains. We are not moving from Florida till all chance for snow is over in any State on the way to Northern, Ohio. Retirement and no commitments is great.

[firetrucker]

Indy, I've had the trailer break loose on wet, leafy asphalt (during a major thunderstorm), and it's scary, even with a TV that weighs a lot more than the Montana. If I'm forced to chain up, which means I'm unlucky enough to be caught before I've made it to warmer climes, my speed is down, but my safety factor is up. Sharon already knows, though, that we'll pull off the road before I'll take a chance with other drivers, no matter how safe I feel.

Bob

[bsmeaton]

quote:Originally posted by indy roadrunner

Wait a minute firetrucker, why would you put chains on a Montana? If those things come loose you have tore up a lot of stuff before you can stop.

In Colorado when they say "chain up" for all vehicles, that includes one braking wheel on the trailer. On those days, they even make you chain up 4X4, but its rare. What isn't that rare is seeing it snow on I-70 in July here. I remember wearing shorts and sandles towing the boat and having to reach out and lock in to 4X4 because of ice on Monarch Pass. Gotta love it.

As far as off-road - chains are good for mud, but they don't do much for sand. In fact, they just ensure you are going to end up buried to the rear view mirrors. If you were to carry anything, you're steps ahead with a tow chain or even a winch. Maybe it's just my age, but I don't carry any of it anymore. After years of it rusting to the floorboards under the seat, I've just learned to steer clear of areas that would get me in trouble. (when I was 30, I steered towards it! - you weren't a MAN unless you had to wipe the mud off the bowtie in the front when you got home).

[TLightning]

I don't carry chains. If the roads are bad enough to require chains, I'm not going.

[Longwell]

Once again, the MOC comes through.
Thanks to all for the inputs.
I now have some thinking to do (ouch).
Larry

[ols1932]

The only time you REALLY need them is when traveling in the mountains and the Highway Patrol tells you that you must put them on. Then it's only on the tow vehicle, not the trailer.

Orv

[bsmeaton]

The trailer gets em here too Orv. One braking wheel.

[Bob Pasternak]

In 40+ years driveing truck I've never "hung iron" on anything I've driven, Put them on for other people but never mine. I subscribe to the notion that 'if I need chains to get there, I don't need to be there.'