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Serious Snow Traversing/Removal

amy1009

amy1009

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Hi guys,
Been awhile, I hope you've all been doing great and had a wonderful Christmas!) I've been trying to find a day off work and time to restore my latest 1009. Here's my latest problem...I've got a place up north waaaay off the main road, like 3' of fresh snow on the ground (until the rain today) want to know if a wrecker or a deuce can bust through serious snow? Can it take me a mile back through 3.5' of snow that has some minor steep MI hills and is nothing but sand underneath...any advice on the proper military if any military vessel to handle this task would be most appreciated. I'm not going to say that I'm looking for an excuse to excuse the ridiculous expense of what a wrecker goes for today...but if it would do the job...well...if it wouldn't...well I'd rather know now and consider my bulldozer options...
Many thanks!
Amy
 
maritimer

maritimer

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well i think that is a matter of driver ability the m35 and wrecker has the ground clearence to minimize plowing effect so your not trying to push the whole truck though the 3.5' just the drivetrain so i think if in low with the diffs locked shouldnt be a problem i know in my m1009 i can do 2' in 4 low
 
Recovry4x4

Recovry4x4

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My opinion is that a wrecker with chains would do the job IF... the ground is frozen. If it's sloppy underneath you will have to call Jaques Cousteau to recover it. A deuce has less gound pressure but again, what if the ground is soft. I'd venture to say a deuce, singled out with tire chains would be your best choice besides a Tucker Sno Cat or the like.
 
amy1009

amy1009

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Well - Recovry4x4 you are just the person I seem to be looking for!) that's my quandry? would the weight of a deuce mean it can go over the snow and move 3-4' of it without hesitation? Or would the weight simply mean I can have fun for a few minutes and then come back and retrieve it in the spring at the first thaw as it - like my snowmobile yesterday will simply bury itself beyond recovery? I know you can mount a k/a plow to it - I'm guessing if it got stuck the winch could help it get unstuck...but are we talking like every ten feet? Or can it just move snow/sand like I hope it can? Thanks for the reply! You are quite right - that the sand that makes up Kalkaska county might'swell be in the ocean for Jaques himself...but would 5 tons laugh at the sand? Or would the sand laugh at the 5-ton and say 'Sweet! I've always wanted chains for Christmas?"
 
Recovry4x4

Recovry4x4

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OK, the deuce will do the job if set up correctly. If one were to buy a pallet of sand or sod or something heavy like that and leave it on the arse of the bed, it will push through just about anything. Weight in the back on all those tires will really help equal footprint PSI for the deuce.
 
amy1009

amy1009

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Dear maritimer, perhaps my M1009 is as tired as I feel at 8am...but it seems it is all she can do to go uphill in the snow/ice as-is...don't get me wrong, I love her to death, she's pushing 89...k-miles that is!) Since she doesn't seem to want to move much in 5" of lower MI muck...I'm concerned a plow on her means a truck in back to pull her out every 10 mins, and then I plow the next 20'...truck behind me pulls me out and so on...I know that I'm in need of a newer/tighter 6.2L, but I'm just not confident she can plow through (pun intended) as is. I've got some new Thornbird TSL's on her, but stiill need the 4" lift, and that is my fault.. . Meantime, my desire for a wrecker is overcoming my common sense (if I ever had any) and boy, if a wrecker can make it through a max 40' trough that is total 90 degrees, so down 45 and up 45. And can do that in some serious sand, now we're talking!)
 
houdel

houdel

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1. IMHO, NDCCs suck in the snow.

2. I don't think ANY vehicle (except for maybe some sort of extra high ground clearance vehicle) is going to bust through 3-1/2' of snow. That snow is going to be up to the TOP of a Deuce tire! And the drifts are going to be even deeper. There will be too much drag from all the truck parts trying to plow through the snow. Take a look at my avatar, and then picture snow up to the bottom of the directional signals or higher! Anything much deeper than the axles and you will be packing snow underneath the truck until you high center it and the tires lose ground pressure.

3. If you MUST try this, at least take the outside duals off to increase ground pressure on the rear tires. A hub flip to get all tires in the same track would be very nice also.

4. Plan ahead on how to get the truck extricated after you get stuck.

5. A snow plow on the Deuce would probably get you through.

The snow hit up here before the ground froze, and it is still soft under the snow, so that is going to make this task even more difficult!

BTW, the snow got so deep up here that the weight of it broke the rearmost bow on my truck!
 
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offroaddiesel

offroaddiesel

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well living in snow country i can answer that , first ,tires ,whats on ther , ,depends on the snow also any hill ,big curves. i drive my duece on my road thru 3 ft at time with ice under the snow. also depends on your driving skill in snow. if i was ther i would drive it in ,if you are in doubt find some one who is comfortable driving in snow.ther is a road not far from me that never gets plowed and it is always filled with trucks that cant make it thru ,they end up there until the spring.here is a pic of my road.depending on the condition of the road and ice thickness i always use chains. just remember if you get stuck who coming in to help you.good lick steve from western maine
 

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joec

joec

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That is a different animal altogether here. We don't get snow like we use to. The guy's who live in that climate know what they are talking about. The Deuce is limited as Houdel said. When you have that much to deal with. Listen to them they deal with it every year. Plus you have to worry about fluids freezing and such. Whole different animal. Good Luck..!!
 
Chevytruck

Chevytruck

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davidkroberts said:
Im kinda new at this whole Military Vehicle thing myself and I know you "can" use a deuce or 5 ton as a snowplow, but why not use a M29C weasel and just drive it on top instead of digging through? Wouldnt that save allot of trouble?

Dave
Click to expand...

i haven't seen anyone use a 5 ton as a snowplow?

anyone got pics of that?
 
LanceRobson

LanceRobson

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Pinnacle, Stokes County, NC
Interesting thread...

As stated, tire choice is big. Under the right conditions (or wrong conditions) NDCCs will get stuck on wet grass, let alone snow. They can get you off a hard surface road and out into deep snow but will likely not get you moving again. Old worn tires gaurentee that you'll get stuck.

Of all the deuces here on the farm, the M35A2 with single 11.00R20 XLs and the hubs flipped, is the "go to" snow truck. A savvy operator can push dry snow with the bumper. However, wet snow or grainy wind blown snow is a lot tougher. Unfortunately, until you stick one a few times, you never really know wht the limits are.

I keep about 2 face cord of 20" beech and maple in it for traction weight. It can season in there as well as out on the ground. Another option would be to go the the local gravel yard and have them tip a ton or so into the back of the deuce. Total cost will be around $10 and it's availble for traction use

Read the TMs for your trucks, with particular care for e the "operations in other than usual conditions" chapters. Carry a couple of air hoses (they freeze up in cold temps) and keep them in the cab. "air down" the tires, per the TM, for the snow (or sand) and you'll be surprised at the difference it makes. Change the regular air chuck, on the hose, for a clamping style. It can talk 45 minutes to "air up" 10 tire. That's a long time to be squatting or laying in the snow. (don't ask)

Chains bring a major improvement to any wet or cold weather off road task. Read the TM before using them.

Make sure you have a recovery plan before starting out. If it's a remote area, take all the clothing, equipment, food and water you need to an overnight stay prior to leaving the road. Don't assume the vehicle is going to run or make heat.

If you've got an airshift transfer case, engage it before leaving the road. If it's a spag, make sure it works.

Drive under control and if you mire down, back out NOW! Not at light speed, but now. Every moment you sit in a wet spot or in a very loose traction spot works against you're getting out.

Be sure you are comfortable leaving the truck and load behind. It may be a while before you can recover it.

Use the old GI trick of parking on a bunch of tree branches, preferable evergeens, when stopped for a while. It'll make getting going again a whole lot easier and keep the tires from freezeing into the ground.

Good luck and please keep us "in the loop"

Lance

Lance
 
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