job offer in billings (Cascade: motorhome, buy, living)

[kenuffff]

hello, i have a job offer in billings, and im flying out next week to check it out. i have a few questions/concerns. i currently live in north carolina in a rural area, so remoteness/country living is not a problem for me, however it rarely snows here, i like snow but my concern is driving in it. i have a 2wd drive car would i need to change the tires , or buy a 4x4 when moving there? any help would be appreciated..or advice. also is it hard to learn to drive in the snow?

[DontLookPhoto]

Many people in Billings get by ok with two wheel drive (that really is one wheel drive unless you have a limited slip differential or posi-traction). If you just want a car to stay on the streets, I like either front wheel drive or four wheel drive.
As far as learning to drive in the snow goes, you may want to play around in an empty snow covered large parking lot to get the feel of the traction. Snow types differ as well as the depth of the snow and then there is "driving on ice" that is a whole new bag of tricks to learn.
My wife was scared to death at the thought of having to drive in the snow when we first moved to Montana but now she drives in almost every condition just like she grew up in snow country.

A high clearance 4X4 is really nice to go traipsing about in the hills and mud etc. They are good handlers in deeper snow than a car would be, generally speaking. There may be exceptions.

Tip: Always carry traction sand and a shovel, and a CB radio and a cell phone may (?) come in handy if stuck.
It's always a good idea to carry general safety items too, such as highway flairs, a car sized fire extinguisher, first aid kit, energy bars and drinking water, blankets, etc.

[historyfan]

Tires are key to happiness. When you move here, take your car to a tire shop and buy excellent all season tires. Do not scrimp on tires. Replace them well before you have to. You will be safer in rain, snow, slush & ice. Road conditions change fast. Keep a few bags of kitty litter in your trunk for weight & to pour out for needed traction out of an icy parking space.

Billings gets less snow than most places. It does get freezing rain & freezing fog. The big thing is do not overdrive your vehicle...in other words slow down. Always have winter survival kit and check road & weather reports before venturing out. Montana has excellent highway snow removal & sanding crews. If you get out in something bad, follow a semi at a safe distance & it will break trail.

A 3/4 ton 4x4 is going to be best for nastiest conditions but lots of people get by with cars. Ski hills have parking lots full of 4x4 subaru station wagons. It depends on if you have a lot of miles to commute & where you live.

Driving a car or light truck puts you down in ground blizzard & blowing snow from passing vehicles airspace. If you have distances to travel, the heighth & stoutness of 3/4 ton pickup or suburban 4x4 is always a more desireable way to go.

[ElkHunter]

Welcome to the Montana Forum.

Lots of good advice posted here about driving. People complain about teenagers out spinning their tires, or cutting doughnuts in the parking lot, but think about this. When you learn to drive on snow and ice, you need to press the limits and exceed the limits. You need to find out exactly what capability your vehicle has. Those teenagers have a little fun, but truth be known, they now know their vehicle better than most other folks.

Some folks will tell you immediately that you just have to have a 4 wheel drive, or you will never get around. That is not necessarily true. If you take the time to learn your vehicle, and like mentioned, put a good set of tires on it, that 2 wheel drive car will do most anything you need it to do. Less than half of the population have 4 wheel drive and believe me, the other half don't sit at home every time it snows. 4 wheel drive is handy if you live out in the country and have hills and stuff to navigate, but in town, there is absolutely no reason to have 4 wheel drive. Remember this, the Montana Highway Patrol, patrol the highways, even after they are closed due to snow, ice and blowing snow. They patrol that road driving a rear wheel drive car.

Like mentioned, find a big parking lot, cut some donuts. Find out what the car will do. Try braking and acceleration. Do it several times in different kinds of conditions. Ice, snow, ice and snow, etc...

[DontLookPhoto]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

Try braking and acceleration. Do it several times in different kinds of conditions. Ice, snow, ice and snow, etc...

We actually do this while on long road trip. When we start our trips we test the traction.
As we travel and we change in elevation we periodically check the traction by slowing to a safe speed and hitting the brakes.
As it gets dark the conditions often get worse so we keep checking the traction.
Slowing to a safe speed for each "Traction Test" is very important or I wouldn't be typing this.

Before we retired, we traveled to neighboring states and all over the western half of Montana every weekend for many years and we refused to let a little old blizzard keep us from our jobs.
We also have never used chains or studs in Montana and I don't think we even own any chains that fit our current rigs.
(We have to get some, we just bought the rigs)
We need to have chains even if we don't generally use them because at times to cross over a pass during a storm the State Troopers may do a chain checkpoint and will turn you around if you don't have chains and at times they (especially in Washington, crossing the Cascade Range), They will require the chains to be put on.
I like cables instead of chains. ~♥~

[Redraven]

All season tires are great for summer driving. IMO, in the winter they are either foolish or downright dangerous! For winter driving, get a REAL traction tread Mud & Snow tire!
I even have M&S tires on the back of my Class A motorhome!
Yes, the Subaru vehicles are great. I also really liked my old AMC Eagle cars.
Now, our daily driver is a PT Cruiser Convertible. Front wheel drive. It gets me where I need to go, and brings me home. That is all that is necessary.
I also have a Jeep, with oversize M&S tires on it. It never got put in 4X4 at all this past winter.
Neither did my Dodge 4X4 pickup.
No, there is no real NEED for 4X4 to survive here. Yes, it is nice, sometimes, to have it.
Then again, almost all the slide-offs that I see on a regular basis all winter long are 4X4 pickups. I seldom see a 4X2 of any kind in the ditch!