6 tips for towing in snow

You've planned a great fall/winter trip and everything has been going well so far. But the most recent check of your weather app shows a winter storm is heading in your direction. What steps should you take? 

First, realize that whether a newbie or experienced, no RVer enjoys towing in snowy or icy conditions. Slippery roads and reduced visibility are hard enough when driving a car. Towing a trailer makes things much harder to deal with.

For that reason, if someone asks me what they should do in snowy conditions, my first recommendation  is: Don't do it. If you're able to change your route or stay put for a few hours (or even a few days) to get dry, clear roads, it's a much safer choice.

That said, I'm also a realist. Snow happens. Often when you're on an epic trip. So what's the best way to handle it and be safe?

Here are 6 recommendations: 

1. Be certain your weight-distributing hitch is setup correctly.

Many trailer owners, especially newbies, aren't fully educated about the importance of weight distribution or how to hook up a weight-distributing hitch properly. Without being too dramatic, understanding this topic could literally save your life.

You might be able to get away with a less-than-optimal hitch setup in the summer on dry roads with no wind, but it's a much different story in tough weather conditions.  

In winter you're dealing with gusty winds, potholes, and uneven braking due to ice patches. Any of these things can induce a sway or a loss-of-control accident if the weight-distributing hitch isn't set up correctly.

If you're not sure whether your hitch is properly weight-distributed, contact a dealer or get an expert to review it. I've outlined how to adjust the hitch yourself in the "Loading" chapter of The (Nearly) Complete Guide to Airstream Maintenance, 2nd edition.

2. Prepare for steep downhill grades by practicing advanced towing skills.

One of the toughest driving situations is going down a steep (5% or more) grade with a trailer pushing you on a slippery road. This situation will raise the blood pressure of even the most experienced driver. 

When it's slippery, do your best to avoid this situation, especially at highway speeds. But if you find yourself on a 5%+ grade in snow, you'll need to rely on some advanced towing skills and a well-adjusted brake controller. Make sure you have both.

First, learn how to manually activate the trailer brakes. This typically involves pressing a button or pulling a lever on the brake controller unit itself. Practice the technique so you can do it without locking the brakes, even under stress. (Like I said, this is an advanced technique.) 

Being able to activate the trailer brakes without pressing the brake pedal means you can stop a sway in progress, or get the trailer to brake earlier than the truck so that it isn't shoving you around if the worst happens and you find yourself in imminent danger of losing control.

And at the very least, always increase your following distance considerably when towing in snow on the highway. Your braking distance is going to increase by a huge factor if there's any slipperiness on the road.

If none of this sounds like fun to you, turn your travel day into an additional day in the campground. Find an alternative activity, and try again when the weather is better. 

3. Plan for shorter towing days.

If it's snowing, it's wintertime—and that means scant daylight. Don't tow after dark when it's snowy. Those conditions just compound the chance that you'll get into a tough situation. 

Instead, plan shorter days on the road. Get yourself to the campground well before sunset so there's time to get parked before it gets hard to see obstacles near the campsite, like rocks and tree branches. 

Likewise, temperatures will obviously drop after dark, and at that point you'll want to be set up in your campsite with the furnace running.

4. Once you've arrived at your destination, rinse off road salt immediately.

Road salt is bad news for an Airstream. It will speed up corrosion everywhere, even on painted steel parts (like the A-frame and battery box up front) and clearcoated aluminum parts (the body). 

The reason is that invisible pinholes in the paint or clearcoat will admit tiny particles of salt, and then you'll quickly see spots of rust (on steel parts), or white on aluminum parts—which indicates filiform corrosion. Once the damage is done it's hard to rectify. 

If you think there's a possibility that road salt has gotten on your Airstream, find a truck wash and get the trailer cleaned up ASAP. The damage that road salt can do in a short time is shocking. 

5. Inspect your hitch components regularly.

Depending on what brand of hitch you have, there may be hitch parts that require grease, or that need to be cleaned of ice in order to move properly. After towing in snowy conditions, take a moment to check the hitch for icy build-up or frozen slush and remove any that you find. Also, take a good look at areas of rust and make a note to clean up and/or re-paint those spots when the weather is warm again.

Lubrication is critical in very cold weather. Be sure to follow the hitch manufacturer's recommendations for lubricants, so you use the right stuff in the right places.

6. Tow with a 4WD or All-Wheel Drive vehicle, if possible.

A 2-wheel drive truck that drives perfectly fine on dry highways is no match for an icy or snowy campsite, especially if that site is sloping. In such cases, you'll need 4WD or All-Wheel-Drive. It's not impossible to have a good day of towing on mostly clear roads, and then get stuck in snow or ice on the last 40 feet of your trip. 

Or, you might get into a situation like I had in Chatfield State Park in Colorado. It was a lovely spring day in the 70s with nothing but sunshine when I arrived. The next day I woke up to the scene in the photo on the top of this page. This time it wasn't a problem because the snow hadn't yet accumulated on the concrete pad. But if it had, the only thing that could pull out 7,500 pounds of Airstream would be All-Wheel Drive.