Winter…. cold, wet, snow, sleet, freezing fog, and even some nice days. We are always ready for the nice days but what about the others?
Winter…. cold, wet, snow, sleet, freezing fog, and even some nice days. We are always ready for the nice days but what about the others? There are things we do to get ready for winter driving and there are things we must have in the truck, just in case.
Cold weather gear. Common sense tells us we will need to keep warm, so my number one item is a collection of cold weather gear.
A good jacket (not a coat). I use a jacket because it is not needed very often and it doesn’t take up as much room to store as a heavy coat. Long johns. For those unfamiliar with the term, insulated underwear. There are some very good, very thin sets available at the outdoor outfitter stores like Bass Pro Shops, Gander Mountain or Cabela’s. Years ago one may have needed a larger size pants, as the long johns were thick and bulky, and not as warm. You will only need these if you are going to be out for extended period of time, but you never know when that will be. A beanie hat that will cover your ears at least if not a ski mask that will cover your face also. Again get a good quality one; we don’t want frostbite, and you would look odd without ears or part of your nose. Gloves. What more can I say, get insulated ones that fit well that you could work in if needed. Extra blankets in the sleeper. It’s possible to need all this if you are broke down with no heat.
Anti-gel fuel conditioner. Some folks don’t realize diesel fuel will turn to jelly when temperatures get really low. This temperature can vary widely depending upon where you purchase your fuel. Truck stops treat the fuel they sell for the most extreme conditions of the area they are in, so for example the fuel bought in Florida will gel much quicker (at a higher temperature) than the fuel from Michigan or another northern state. I carry enough Power Service (in the white bottle) to treat the total capacity of my tanks if I know I’m headed into that kind of weather. I also carry Power Service 911 (in the red bottle) in case I get caught by surprise. This will un-gel the fuel if needed. These products are available at Wal-Mart at a much lower cost than the truck stops, but is available at all the truck stops I’ve ever been to.
Wiper blades. An extra set of blades can help in the case of ice buildup. Just take off the frozen ones put them on the floor where the heater will thaw them, and run the other set till they need changing. Keeping good blades on can also prevent windshield damage from scratching by old worn blades. Learn how to change them.
Jumper cables. Cold weather is very hard on batteries and when the engine is cold it is harder to start. A set of cables can get you going or you can help someone else who wasn’t as prepared as you for winter. Know how to use them.
Tire chains. Even if you don’t go to the states that require you to carry chains (mostly west) these can get you out of a bind. Once, we pulled into a truck stop that the parking area was a sheet of ice. The tires were warm from running down the road, and when we parked the tires melted the ice into the shape of the tire, a nice cup. When we were ready to leave the tires just spun in their nice self-made cups. Had we not had chains a tow truck would have had to been called as everyone else in the lot was stuck also. I didn’t install the chains; I just threw them under the tires to get traction and drove out of the spot we were in. This would also work in a dock that you could get stuck in. It won’t do you any good to have chains if you don’t know how to put them on. Get the instructions out read through them and practice installing the chains while it is not cold, wet and dark just so you know how to if or when you need to.
