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Vans (vehicle not trainers) and snow, do they suffer from the same issues as estate cars or do commercial tyres cut through snow/ice better?
Can you fit (i know the answer is probably yes) snow/winter tyres to vans?
Do front wheel drive vans perform as well/better than similar sized front wheel drive cars?
My van just drives the same, but then it has theamed driver as thecar, Me.
Its how you drive the thing that matters.
[i]Can you fit (i know the answer is probably yes) snow/winter tyres to vans?[/i]
Well I've got winter tyres on my T5 if that answers your question.
We have winter tyre on all our minibuses (Transit short and LWB), and we also have snow chains on a couple.
Got mud and snow (not winter specific tyres) on my RWD van, its loaded to around 3 tons and its pretty good. Struggles on proper ice but with careful use of the go pedal I can still parallel park on an icy hill whilst most cars are struggling just to get up the hill, let along park.
As above though, your driving style makes a huge difference. The number of drivers who seem to think giving it a bit of welly and sawing the steering wheel from side to side is the only method is amazing, either they like being stuck or they forget they can roll back 30 metres onto clear tarmac, get a small run up and then feather the throttle to prevent wheelspin and get up with no dramas. A lot seem to turn into the road and just floor it without even trying to find out how much grip there is.
And out of a street of maybe 70 houses, I appear to be only one of about three drivers who thought about reversing their car up the street, meaning more grip plus you can then parallel park without stopping and sliding back down the hill.
I have a Kangoo and it was rubbish in the snow, the back end doesn't grip well unladen, although I guess that could be tires. Last year on some advice that sounded crazy but worth a try I put heavy stuff in the back over the wheels (a years supply of bottles for the recycling and some bags of cat litter). Seemed to help.
And I drive like a granny, I like a big gap to the car in front even in good conditions, so not driving like a numpty.
our street is quite steep, and lots of cars get stuck in the snow every year, including our golf. my t4 van managed it quite well this year though, i think probably because of the relatively narrow tyres (195) and reasonably agressive tread pattern.
Had a caddy (until it was downgraded to a Berlingo last week by my boss, gutted) and it was always poor in the snow and ice. I put it down to the harder tyres (rubber and construction) and torquey engine.
Normal new shape transit here and it's poo in the snow! Abs over sensitive and the ESP thingy is pointless!!!
As with anything it's all about the tyres, the tyres on my T4 are horrendous in the snow, I end up getting most places in the end tho with a bit of momentum! Altho it was fairly embarrassing having to dig the thing out of the snow on Thursday while my brothers transit just drove round me....
Rear wheel drive SWB sprinter for me - shocking in the snow when its empty - all the weight is forward of the front wheels and nothing over the back - if the snow is still fluffy so your front wheels have to push through it you're finished. The slightest gradient will finish you if you stop on it, at times I've struggled to get up the camber of the road at a T junction. Better when you're loaded, but not by a lot. I expect snow tyres would help, but when its empty I wonder to how great an extent.
Transits are a mixed bag as some are FWD and some are RWD, with 50-odd variants of each. I've found big RWD transit lutons to be pretty capable, but then you've got 300kg of tail lift hang a metre or so behind the rear axel. Very sketchy trying to stop though
hels - MemberI have a Kangoo and it was rubbish in the snow,
That's funny - drove a Kangoo van all last winter and it was brilliant in the snow. Big heavy engine and narrow tyres got loads of grip.
It's FWD so weighting the rear doesn't matter too much.
Got a new shape Despatch now and it's pretty pants so far but still driveable.
Having written off my estate car on Friday (which was ace in the snow), I'm currently using the works van, a Vauxhall Vivaro.
It's crap in the snow. 🙁
Thats the advantage of a sprinter - if you can't get moving its impossible to crash it 🙂
Having some weight over the back axle makes a huge difference. I stood in the back of my mate's transit in Friday while he escaped from the icy car park. Worked a treat.
He's going strap-down his mx bike in there for the rest of the winter.
He's going strap-down his mx bike in there for the rest of the winter.
A few paving slabs might be better........... 😉
I stood in the back of my mate's transit
Don't just stand there - jump up and down
My Berlingo is useless in the snow.
No problems at all with Sprinter here well a moded sprinter automatic or manual.
[i]No problems at all with Sprinter here well a moded sprinter automatic or manual. [/i]
A very heavily modded one with flashy blue lights and everything!
"Don't just stand there - jump up and down"
Yeah I was wondering about trying that if he was still struggling to get out!
Transit connect with Continental Winter Contacts- absolutely brilliant!
rear wheel drive lwb vw lt35.... rubbish in the snow, you get stuck nearly everywhere snow tyres may help but seeing how rubbish it is i dont think it would make much differance
Ive had a berlingo car, and now van and they are probably the best vehicles ive had for snow. Ive not bothered with snow tyres, but they are reasonably new, maybe check your tread chorlton?
I've got a long wheelbase, high roof relay/boxer/ducato. Usually have around a ton in the back. Front drive, no abs or traction etc, it's got pretty chunky Hankook tyres on it, they're not much good really, but letting them down from 65 to 25 psi makes a huge difference.
I tried to buy some winter tyres earlier this week but couldn't get any at any price. Best I could come up with were some kumho all terrain things that look the same as i've got now
I have a 2005 Berlingo 2.0HDi with snow tyres on. It is virtually unstoppable in the snow. Deep snow where it grounds out will stop it, but I used it to tow our 3.5T motorhome onto the drive on Sunday, then back off on Friday.
Mine has been great, Vauxhall Combo 1.7d, not got enough power to pull the skin off a rice pudding, which probably helps. Big thing is probably if the van is either front or rear wheel drive and if its got enough weight on the driven wheels to get through the snow. mud/snow tyres will help massively on any car/van though.