Vehicle Choice In Wyoming (home, college, live)

[Desert Dave]

I have always been a Cargo Van person for over 40 years. Would a Ford E-250, two wheel, rear drive cargo van work in Wyoming as well as a 4 wheel drive as a second vehicle?

[Hawknest]

Yes

[bawha]

Only because it's a Ford

[sunsprit]

Yes,

I drive Subie OBW's for transportation cars, and a

Dodge 3500 based RWD RV for my business travels around the region. Have not had any difficulties depending upon the van, although I'm careful when out and about in inclement conditions to slow down appropriately and use common sense about where I'll drive it. But I've never been stuck with it, not once anywhere ....

[Wm Jas]

I come from a region [northern Maine] that has much more severe winters than Wyoming and studded snow tires are standard issue. They are fantastic. Put-em on at first snow - take-em off in the spring. It is illegal to run them in the summer/fall.

I notice that there are instances where chains are required here in Wyoming. As far as road vehicles are concerned in Maine chains went the way of buggy whips more than 40 years ago.

I suspect than many, if not most of the fender-benders here in Wyoming that occur on snow or ice covered roads, when chains would not normally be used, could be prevented if studded snow tires were in use.

What is the feeling about studded snow tires in Wyoming?

[Goin'toasquarestate]

I imagine that any AWD outfit would work well most anyplace? When I college'd in Pocatello FWD's were great, and set of cable chains to go on if need to get severe.

Funny, the ice/fresh dry snow in well below zero conditions...........crisp, kinda' gave traction in some respect it seemed. Not the snow you get in my area at all, if lucky to get snow it's wet, sloppy......causes more problems cause folks can't drive in it-screws em' all up. I pray to keep snow in the mountains here because of the crappy driving it instigates

You folks really go it well with the high elevations, just know the limitations of man & your machine before venturing out and stranded.

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by Wm Jas

(snip)

What is the feeling about studded snow tires in Wyoming?

very rarely seen in use around here

I see way more off-highway or off-road excursions than I see fender-benders in the adverse conditions.

[paintersspouse]

I use studded snows on my little Versa. We live up a forest service road and my studs are often the difference between getting up or down the hill when the hard packed snow turns to ice. The neighbors four wheel drives have more trouble than my studded front wheel drive.

[Wm Jas]

paintersspouse observation is correct. Regardless of terrain [flat or hilly], when road conditions are "slippery" then a front wheel drive vehicle with studded snow tires is far superior to a 4WD vehicle with just snow tires.

Now add 4 studded snow tires on a 4WD vehicle and "slippery" conditions no longer exist.

Driving in deep snow is something else again. Because I've used only studs I can't compare them to chains, at least on a regular road vehicle. I do know that we always put chains on the tractors we used for snow removal.

[sunsprit]

Originally Posted by Wm Jas

paintersspouse observation is correct. Regardless of terrain [flat or hilly], when road conditions are "slippery" then a front wheel drive vehicle with studded snow tires is far superior to a 4WD vehicle with just snow tires.

Now add 4 studded snow tires on a 4WD vehicle and "slippery" conditions no longer exist.
Driving in deep snow is something else again. Because I've used only studs I can't compare them to chains, at least on a regular road vehicle. I do know that we always put chains on the tractors we used for snow removal.

We get to disagree on this. Even in our flatland area here in SE WY, I've had several times in recent years when new neighbors from Wisconsin with 4x4 pick-up trucks who kept a second set of wheels mounted with studded snow tires for their 4x4 vehicles and put them on every Fall ...

got stuck or off the road excursion on some of our little hills around here where there's a draw that accumulates drifts which get beaten down and re-frozen as ice.

I got their phone call to come help ... and went over with my JD 4020 to pull them out.

On one of those excursions, they had the whole family (Grandma and their 2 kids) in the truck and were panic'ed over getting them home. I drove over to them with my Subie OBW Limited which only has All-Season Bridgestone tires on it, "rescued" Mom and the rest of the family, and took them home over the very slick roads. Came back after that with the tractor and pulled Dad out of the barditch he'd gotten stuck in.

They commented how amazed they were that the Subie went through where their GMC 4x4 crew cab didn't. It didn't even register with them that our local Rural Postal Delivery contract has been done for years with a Subie RHD AWD wagon ... and she uses all season tires, not studded.