Bus vs. Snow

[busdaddy]

Every time I've braved the snow in a pre rusted bus around here it worked great, but you have to give yourself lots of space to stop as the ass end is always trying to pass the front.

You need a good heater, good brakes, good lights, good tires, a light foot and lots of goop underneath like ovalbug, oh yeah and hose it off underneath and in the rockers and framerails whenever you can.

We only get 2-3 snowfalls a year around here and it's the slushy, slippery stuff. Some of the local drivers make it such a freak show it's safer to stay home until it melts.
_________________
Rust NEVER sleeps and stock never goes out of style.

Please don't PM technical questions, ask your problem in public so everyone can play along. If you think it's too stupid post it here
Stop dead photo links! Post your photos to The Samba Gallery!

Слава Україні!

[73kombi]

[Joey]

Here is a tip:

If you find yourself stuck in some snow with only one wheel spinning, lightly apply the hand/emergency brake, that will get the other wheel spinning enough to maybe get you out.

_________________
Joey

‘60 Kombi - '74 Bus - '79 Panel - '65 Beetle

[Karzapart55]

Here in metro NYC you need salt. no open ground, poor drainage. = sheets of ice, not to mention 100 cars to sq foot

[vwbdog]

Big thanks to everyone's imput... Some of the tips mentioned, I would have never thought of. If my bus and I make it through winter in one peice, I'll give an update.

Cheers,
B.C

[Emily's Owner]

Thiings I've noticed in driving my bus for years up to Mt. Hood (Oregon) to go skiing:

4 studded snow tires are better than 2.

Chains are handy, although I've only had to use them 3 times in the last 25 years, and that was in Portland on the flats.

If somebody's riding your ass coming down a steep snowy hill, let'em, speeding up in our busses is not recommended, or as soon as you start doing a lot of braking, gravity will take over and the engine wishes to go downhill first, and you will see more scenery than you wish (as it flashes past the windshield as you spin).

Don't leave the parking brake on when you're off skiing all day.
_________________
Xargaret

ITMC - OG Den Mother

What (and I cannot stress this enough) The Actual Fuck?!

1974 Transporter
2025 Subaru Outback

[twinfalls]

No frozen fuel lines after your day skying ?
I had, but with another car.
_________________
Stock 1974 US Westy, AW-A 1800cc dual carbs. Twin Falls is my favorite site on the Churchill river in Manitoba.

[jamesinkster]

Frozen fuel lines??
craggy...
how can i avoid that?

[twinfalls]

[Randy in Maine]

I think it is called "heet" and is a fuel line dryer. Somesort of alcohol as I recall.

[twinfalls]

[jered]

[danfromsyr]

just make sure you carry a TOW STRAP not a $5 cheapie either.. but a $40 decent unit that won't break when the strains of a stuck SUV you have to pull out

tow strap isn't for you, it's for the SUV latte, cell phone, screaming kid folk..

[Blaubus]

[meloveherbie53]

Most vehicles have the motor in the front so the better traction is over the front wheels giving you better steering in the snow. Now Because the Vw bus has the engine in the back it has better traction over the back tires thus giving it better traction on the driving wheels but because theres no weight in the front exept our own bodys, I put sand bags between the front seats to add extra weight to the front so that I get better steering in the snow and on the logging roads. Another good tip is to never slam your breaks on around a corner YOU WILL SLIDE IN THE DITCH. Instead approach the corner slowly. As for VW busses in the snow I think there great but like any car have to be coaxed correctly in the snow to stay in control.
_________________
Type: 73 volkswagen campmobile
name: purple people eater (till I paint it)
engine: 1700 cc twin solex carbs

[Hippie]

[spyder]

I was hitch-hiking home from work at Copper Mountain Ski Resort in '92 and was picked up by this cool (cold) ol' hippie in a late 50's bus. We pulled the up-side of Freemont Pass at 30 mph and had to scrape the frost off of the windshield with cassette tape cases. That was the safest I had ever felt in any vehicle on that road all winter (exept my '73 Beetle of course ). No chains, just good safe driving.

[Zed]

I drove a '70 westy all last winter at 8500 feet in Colorado, and only got seriously stuck once. It snows ALOT where I live, but I was very impressed with how the bay did.

I once got a ticket for driving through a snowstorm on I25 when it was closed in Colorado in a '60 Westy (wish I still had her!), she did great, I was crusin with chains when I got pulled over, the cop seemed shocked that I was rolling a split through 20 inches of snow. I made it no problem to CO Springs from Telluride, but then the clutch took a dump and I had to pull a engine in the snow and that was miserable. I think the conditions had something to do with the clutch going out, but I'm not sure.

If your going to carry chains, carry bungee cords too, they can be looped through the chains over the hub and will take up the slack. If you've never put chains on tires before, practice when it doesn't matter.

That said, I'm rolling a Nissan pickup this season, 4WD and heat are good things too.

[GeorgeL]

[twinfalls]