Tips for Driving in Snow / Slick Roads?

[ScenicView]

I'm a new Silverado 2018 2500 owner (6.0L, Z1, standard bed) with towing mirrors and this is my first pickup ever.   I love it.   I live in a hilly area of New England and I got the truck for towing a travel trailer.  It came with Firestone Transforce AT tires.

 

Any tips for driving a truck in the snow?  I'm especially concerned about the slick downhills and the weight of the truck.  I was planning to shift it into L and manually adjust the gears from there.  Also, because the truck doesn't have an Auto 4WD option, what do you do for those roads that are partially slick / snowy and partially clear?

 

 

[Paintor]

Enable-disable downgrade shifting by holding the 'tow' button 5 seconds.

 

Stop worrying....people drive hilly new England with rear wheel drives and no problem.

 

Cut some 2x4's and place in bed grooves to hold a few sand bags over the rear axle...the weight in your bed...u won't need 4wd this year unless a big storm hits.

[SkiDooNick700]

Dont over think it. 4Hi n fly.  Put the phone down,  both hands on the wheel,  scan the road far ahead so you maximize your available reaction time.

 

?

[Sierra706]

Personally I turn off traction control as it kills engine power pulling away from a stop. I’d rather have tire slip I can feel and control rather than the unpredictability of what the computer will do


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[Donstar]

Does your truck just not have 4 Auto but has 4wd?

[ScenicView]

5 minutes ago, Donstar said:

Does your truck just not have 4 Auto but has 4wd?

That's exactly it.  I have 4H and 4L, but no Auto.

[RyanbabZ71]

9 minutes ago, Donstar said:

Does your truck just not have 4 Auto but has 4wd?

 

2500 trucks dont have autotrac

 

In snow I typically drive offensively, not aggressive just anitcipating what will happen next.  Seems people who drive "scared" in snow or bad weather tend to be worse off IMO.  If you have driven in snow you will be fine with the truck.  Like stated above you can add some weight (sand in a tube) to the bed.  It will help.

[Logan Lanfear]

Not the best idea to downshift if you're inexperienced in the snow.  The truck has a good ABS on it that will take care of slowing you down.  Downshifting just reduces wheel speed using the engine and trans.  If you downshift too much in low traction areas, your tires can break loose and you can loose control.  Let the ABS do its thing and take it easy out there.  

[Donstar]

6 minutes ago, ScenicView said:

That's exactly it.  I have 4H and 4L, but no Auto.

.  First of all. welcome to this forum!  You will find a lot of good information here.   You will also find similar threads on driving in snow etc.  Your 4 wd and Transforce tires will do great.  Read your manual on when and how to use 4 wd.  You are already getting some good tips!

[ScenicView]

27 minutes ago, Donstar said:

.  First of all. welcome to this forum!  You will find a lot of good information here.   You will also find similar threads on driving in snow etc.  Your 4 wd and Transforce tires will do great.  Read your manual on when and how to use 4 wd.  You are already getting some good tips!

Thanks for the welcome!  I am learning a lot from this forum. 

 

The truck has a lot of nice features.  It sounds like between normal grade braking, ABS and traction control I should do fine going downhill.

 

I've read a GM site showing the Sierra that said you could use 4H in any conditions - it's just a matter of efficiency.  Everyone else seems to say only when you have some slip or else you're going to need to replace the system.

[ScenicView]

36 minutes ago, Logan Lanfear said:

Not the best idea to downshift if you're inexperienced in the snow.  The truck has a good ABS on it that will take care of slowing you down.  Downshifting just reduces wheel speed using the engine and trans.  If you downshift too much in low traction areas, your tires can break loose and you can loose control.  Let the ABS do its thing and take it easy out there.  

For better or for worse I've driven in New England my whole life, but this is the first time I've driven something this heavy.  My snow driving is usually in southern New England and we don't usually get the snow that you get in VT.  I drove up to Stowe last year in a really bad snow storm in a Sienna with tractor trailers jack knifed left and right.  It took me 6 hours from MA (!) and I remember cars zipping by that 1) always had a VT plate and 2) were usually Subarus!

[ScenicView]

4 hours ago, Paintor said:

Enable-disable downgrade shifting by holding the 'tow' button 5 seconds.

 

Stop worrying....people drive hilly new England with rear wheel drives and no problem.

 

Cut some 2x4's and place in bed grooves to hold a few sand bags over the rear axle...the weight in your bed...u won't need 4wd this year unless a big storm hits.

Do you find the downgrade shifting helps or causes some loss of traction when it happens?

[redwngr]

Remember that 4wd does not improve your ability to stop in slick conditions.

 

 

[truckguy82]

14 minutes ago, ScenicView said:

Thanks for the welcome!  I am learning a lot from this forum. 

 

The truck has a lot of nice features.  It sounds like between normal grade braking, ABS and traction control I should do fine going downhill.

 

I've read a GM site showing the Sierra that said you could use 4H in any conditions - it's just a matter of efficiency.  Everyone else seems to say only when you have some slip or else you're going to need to replace the system.

No way, you can’t turn in 4wd hi

 

VT is my second home

 

No problems ever with a regular 4wd system. Just used the 4wd for unplowed dirt roads, then back to 2wd. They use so much salt on the roads 2wd is fine. 4wd just gets you unstuck.

 

i had a ‘97 tahoe for most of my trips up there. I’ve put nearly every manufacturers 4wd drivetrain to the test through taking various cars of friends. My house has a long and steep driveway that you can’t take a 2wd car down.

 

name a car, I’ve put it to the test. Subaru, mercedes 4matic, vw 4motion, honda crv, acura sh-awd, anything. Nothing did better than my ‘97 tahoe, nothing. You’re 2500 will only do better. Weight on the contact patch and ground clearance is everything. I’ve driven through a whopping 36” of fresh snow with no problems. Just goes right through it.

 

don’t sweat it

[sdeeter19555]

If you can drop tire pressure that will help...changing to a snow tire will make even more difference...

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