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When your in sand what do you do when it slips? Mash the gas and crank the wheel side to side?
Assuming you are asking about the motorcycle in sand here.
The goal for sand riding on a motorcycle in general is to get on top of the sand and stay there (similar to water skiing), and that takes speed. With a paddle tire it's relatively easy as there is so much traction with the paddles. The bike will come up on top easily.
With knobby or trials tires the answer is horsepower, more horsepower, then a little extra horsepower just to be sure. It takes high rpm's, high torque, and a light front wheel to float on top with a trials tire, but that's what I ride.
You are correct in that the front tire is going to wander side to side. The best response for me is to keep the wheel as straight as possible and just let it wander. By weighting the rest of the bike properly control and steering will be maintained.
Even during our heavy snow years about the only time I have chained up my truck is when I (need to) have the 5th wheel chained. I am having a hard time imagining myself towing heavy with the 5th wheel chained and cables on the truck.
Here in MN, I have never chained, except to practice.
Why would you ever need to chain up a fifth wheel? They are not drive wheels.
Here in MN, I have never chained, except to practice.
Why would you ever need to chain up a fifth wheel? They are not drive wheels.
Chaining the 5th wheel is required here in CA when the highway is under chain restrictions, see below. Chains are required on the trailer if the trailer has brakes, the tow vehicle must also have chains on one drive axle, even if 4WD with snow tires.
The reason for the trailer being chained as I understand it is for braking situations and makes sense to me. All snow burdened highways in our area are curvy and sloped. Braking a fifth wheel on snow with no chains could potentially allow the trailer to come up along side the truck. It's never good to see the trailer coming alongside in the mirrors.
Overall California drivers are horrible drivers in snow, another good reason for strong chain restrictions. Just above where I am here is Donner Summit on Hwy 80 and that area, along with the Lake Tahoe Basin just beyond, the is loaded with very nice ski resorts.
When the ski season is on and Hwy 80 is under chain controls it is absolute mayhem out there. I am fortunate to not have to drive 80 on weekends but anytime I am out there under chain control I spend more time watching the mirrors than ahead.
The advent of all wheel drive SUVs has left our inexperienced drivers with the impression they can do more with their vehicles than is physically possible, the lessons to be learned are sometimes very costly.
I have been driving snow for nearly 50 yrs but can not match my skill level with those of you living in real snow areas. The opportunities to gain experience here is limited.
Just before my 2 sons got their drivers licenses (20 yrs ago) I took them up to the Soda Springs Ski Resort parking lot up on the summit one winter night at midnight. There was about 3 inches of fresh snow on the lot. I spent a couple of hours teaching them about traction control, power sliding, braking, and spin control. We were in a GMC Yukon at the time. A perfect teaching opportunity, we had a blast. They learned very quickly but sitting in the passenger position was a little hard for me.
There are Three Levels of Chain Requirements in California:
Requirement 1 (R-1): Chains are required on all vehicles except passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks under 6,000 pounds gross weight and equipped with snow tires1 on at least two drive wheels. Chains must be carried by vehicles using snow tires. All vehicles towing trailers must have chains on one drive axle. Trailers with brakes must have chains on at least one axle.
Requirement 2 (R2): Chains or traction devices2 are required on all vehicles except four wheel/ all wheel drive vehicles with snow-tread tires on all four wheels.
NOTE: (Four wheel/all wheel drive vehicles must carry traction devices in chain control areas.)
Requirement 3 (R3): Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles, no exceptions.
f350ktm, that's a nice summary you put together. Braking and sliding are why I would chain up the trailer. I've been in my 1/2 ton truck stuck in bumper to bumper traffic -
without a trailer - and had the truck start to slide sideways in the lane. That's a horrible feeling because there is almost nothing you can do about it at the time.
I pulled a dual axle, enclosed trailer for the Boy Scout Troop to Steamboat Springs, CO for a campout a few years back. It snowed and I was in 4x4 for probably 50 miles. I took it slow and reduced the brake controller's setting so that the trailer tires were less likely to lock up.
The added tongue weight makes a big difference in rear axle traction.
