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I supported Toymods
Toymods Club Secretary
Location:
Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Mon, 08 July 2002 02:01
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Hi All,
As the title suggests... I'm driving down to the snow this weekend, and wouldn't mind a few tips from people who've done that sort of driving before.. eg. any special measures i should take with the car before i leave, and anything else to watch out for (besides ice on the road etc..  )
So yeah,
any help would be much appreciated 
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Location:
Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Mon, 08 July 2002 02:12
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I don't know. I've never driven in the snow before, but, this is what I'd try:
Pretend you are driving through heavy rain. Slow down and take corners easy.
Or you could just floor it and try some aquaplaning action.  (Don't do that).
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I supported Toymods
Toymods Club Secretary
Location:
Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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 Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Mon, 08 July 2002 02:23
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hehheh... thanks. wasn't really planning on trying that though
obviously I'll be driving to suit the conditions, but can anyone recommend things like optimum tyre pressures, where/when to use chains, things like that?
also, would it be necessary to get any special anti-freeze agent for the coolant?
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I supported Toymods
Banned User
Location:
Brisbane
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Mon, 08 July 2002 02:31
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I reccommend not taking your own car! If thats out of the question, make sure stay off the salted roads! They will screw your car real quick!
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Location:
Sydney, Australia
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Mon, 08 July 2002 03:21
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CHAINS! you have to carry chains for your car, and they HAVE to fit... it you get asked to put them on, and they don't fit, or you don't have any, you can cop a fairly hefty fine...
You can hire them of course, make sure they tell you how to fit them properly, I saw a corolla once chew it's guards up cause they were loose.
rgrds
sam
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I supported Toymods
Toymods Club Secretary
Location:
Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Mon, 08 July 2002 08:14
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ugh! that was something that had me a bit worried.. My car isn't too low, but i have no idea what tyre chains are like, and i've had nasty visions of big chunky lumps of metal that would pound out my front guards... 
any idea where's the best sort of place to hire chains? do i get them up here before i leave, or wait until i get a bit closer down to the white stuff?
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Location:
sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Mon, 08 July 2002 08:34
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Lucid,
If you are just driving to Jindabyne then you wont have to worry about ice on the road. You can hire chains from there. I was up on the weekend and the snow is unreal. If you are planning to ski and stay at one of the resorts in Thredbo then you will more than likely have to fit chains just past the entrance to the national park. If your just staying in Jindabyne then dont worry bout chains as you can just catch the skitube to Perisher. Driving up there is quite good especially when you reach the roads just outside of Cooma. Nice twisties up the mountain  I would suggest filling up before you hit the highway in Liverpool as this would give you a straight drive up to Canberra. You can fill up from the Caltex servo just at the entrance of canberra and this should last till you get to Jinbayne. The trip usually takes 5 hours including the fuel stops. Oh and keep a look out for the driver reviver at Canberra as they have coffee, kitkats and snags
cheers
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Mon, 08 July 2002 09:49
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Just don't try to be hero driving down or in the snow. If you are tired. Stop. Stretch your legs and maybe check out how great your car looks with all the bugs on the headlights.
If you can, try to find some higher profile tyres or stuff you won't mind scratching coz chains will (I've been told) scratch the rims.
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Mon, 08 July 2002 10:09
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Oh, and if you are travelling at night, don't let the interior get too warm (and comfy) coz once you hit a mass of cold air, your windscreen will freeze in a second (literally). Using the washer jets makes it worse as it will also freeze up (and maybe the water won't come out).
Carry a CB and listen to channel 40 for the truckie channel.
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Northern Beaches
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Mon, 08 July 2002 11:44
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with a rwd car do u need to have chains on all 4 wheels?
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Location:
Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Mon, 08 July 2002 12:18
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FWD - Front wheels
RWD - Rear wheels
4WD - Front wheels
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Perth WA
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Mon, 08 July 2002 12:20
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You only need chains on all four wheels if you want to accelerate, and steer at the same time.
(I know I'm being a smartarse)
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I supported Toymods
Location:
south of the big smoke
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Mon, 08 July 2002 12:40
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try and get some stockers so ya dont damage ya rims if ya got some
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Location:
Sydney, Australia
Registered:
May 2002
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I supported Toymods
Toymods Club Secretary
Location:
Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Tue, 09 July 2002 00:28
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Excellent, thanks for all the words of advice guys, this is the sorta stuff i was after!!  Thanks for finding that brochure Sam, at least now i've got a bit of an idea of what snow chains look like! 
damn - might have to try and find some corolla stockies within the next couple of days.. I've managed to go more than 6 months so far without getting a single scratch on my rims, (and i don't want to start now!) 
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Registered:
May 2002
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Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Tue, 09 July 2002 04:01
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With regards to the actual drive to Cooma...
DRIVE SLOWLY !!
especially into and just out of small towns...... i should know, got a speeding fine before...
just remember, there is no hurry to get there.. the snow will not dissapear before you get there 
Also, careful when driving back that if your legs have a tendency to cramp up, make sure u drink heaps of powerade and things like that to keep up ur salt levels and prevent the cramps
Dr Les (PhD)
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Toymods Board Member
Location:
Sydney
Registered:
September 2002
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Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Tue, 09 July 2002 04:07
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Antifreeze would be a good idea.. Nothing worse than melting your engine because your radiator has frozen!!!
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Location:
sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Tue, 09 July 2002 05:46
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lucid,
where do u plan to ski? If your not going to thredbo, then dont worry about chains.
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I supported Toymods
Toymods Club Secretary
Location:
Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Location:
sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Tue, 09 July 2002 06:15
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lucid,
No worries You may as well get chains as a precaution as its pretty cheap to hire anyway. But as the other guys have mentioned, you should get some stockies to put them on. The trip from west sydney to snows is about 500kms so it should be shorter if you already live in Liverpool I suppose you could prolly make it all the way to cooma before filling up but the petrol at the snows is kinda expensive. If you fill up either at Canberra or cooma, you wont need to fill up again till you leave the snows From memory, their are only 2 servos at Jindabyne ( a BP and an AMPOL) and these get pretty packed at times.
cheers
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I supported Toymods
Toymods Club Secretary
Location:
Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Tue, 09 July 2002 06:27
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Sweet, thanks for that buddy.
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I supported Toymods
Location:
Epping, Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Tue, 09 July 2002 06:27
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check the anti-freeze you get... make sure it's proofed to -15, or whatever you expect the temps to get down to
nothing worse than ocming back to a cracked radiator
the petrol in jindy is fine, and chances are you will need to fill up (depends on how many people/how much gear you're taking)
and just a work of warning... watch out for FOG!
last time I went down, heading into canberra on the 110 zone freeway, we hit a fog bank. Were stuck going 40km/hr (and scared at that speed) even tho both cars in the convoy had driving lights ... as everyone has said, dont be a hero, drive slower than a grandma
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Location:
Brisbane - Chapel Hill
Registered:
June 2002
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Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Wed, 10 July 2002 02:33
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and wind the boost down a bit too hey 
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I supported Toymods
Toymods Club Secretary
Location:
Sydney
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Wed, 10 July 2002 03:13
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lol.. no boost for me to contend with luckily(?)
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Location:
Melbourne
Registered:
May 2002
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Re: First time driving to the snow.. Any pointers?
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Wed, 10 July 2002 08:42
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yep get a set of stock steel wheels with a lower profile tire that will allow room for the chains make shure there TIGHT on the wheel or the tire can spin in the chain, in the 4wd we used to lower the tire pressures aswell that lessens the THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD-THUD as you drive along, i really suggest if its a "nice" car leave it at home and hire one as its too easy to slide off and bump something you have seen those crazy yanks on the hiways on the ice slideing into each other... like watching lawn-bowls!
Allan
(used to use chains when REALLY boged and the tree was just too far away to winch, somewhere around lake eldon theres a wheel chain hanging in a tree  )
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