Going through the Cascades with truck and trailer

[gary_lucas]

I've familiarized myself with the routes, the various places you can get information on current conditions.

Tripcheck, wsdot, etc.

We're leaving Vancouver BC and heading to Las vegas via one of:

South to Seattle and then east on I-90 (snoqualmie pass)
South to Portland and then East on I-84 (Blue Mountain Pass)
South to Bakersfield and then East bypassing any mountain passes.


Ideally we want to head through one of the passes, we want to visit La Grande, Oregon (Northwood mfg factory tour). Right now I'm favoring the I-84 as it's one less pass to go through.

But if there's severe winter weather warnings we'll have to bypass.

Currently I've got one set of chains for the truck, I'm planning on acquiring an additional set of cables or similiar for the trailer, it's my understanding that they are a requirement.

However, the truck doesn't REQUIRE additional chains to what I've already got, and when I read the manual it says to NOT install chains on the front tires.

This strikes me as weird, I'm wondering if it's a) safe and b) desirable to get a set of lighter cables to put on the front.

We're leaving next week so there's still a reasonable chance of really bad weather.

Thanks much.

Gary

[DmaxMaverick]

NEVER use chains/cables on the front wheels, for any highway use. That's reserved for extreme OFF HIGHWAY use, and only when there's no other option, and very few other exceptions. Trailers may be required, but rarely, and only on one braking axle for less than 26K GCWR. That shouldn't be an issue.

"South to Bakersfield and then East bypassing any mountain passes."
Are you sure about that? You'll have pass after pass, just about the whole way, except through central/south CA, until you turn east.

South to Bakersfield won't be any better than the other routes, except for maybe the weather. You'll still have Siskiyou in Northern CA, then Tehachapi out of Bakersfield (US 58, long and steep, but better than the I-5 Grapevine), and a couple other similar desert passes. No weather to speak of until late next week, but shouldn't be much to worry about. This time of year usually begins our desert trips, which takes us on that route every couple weeks. Wind is always a bigger issue than precipitation.

[gary_lucas]

Ok, that's clear as day.

No front chains, I won't bother buying any as I'm only on the highway.

I'll take the chains with me for the rear wheels and get a pair of chains for the trailer (Their cheap anyways). With any luck I won't need them.

I'm not understanding the 'no chains on the front'. Is it because they might loosen up and cause havok?

Thanks for the info, it sounds like our best option is going to be I-84...


South to Bakersfield won't be any better than the other routes, except for maybe the weather. You'll still have Siskiyou in Northern CA, then Tehachapi out of Bakersfield (US 58, long and steep, but better than the I-5 Grapevine), and a couple other similar desert passes. No weather to speak of until late next week, but shouldn't be much to worry about. This time of year usually begins our desert trips, which takes us on that route every couple weeks. Wind is always a bigger issue than precipitation.

The only concern I have is the weather, if I can avoid a major winter storm than I'm probably fine. In terms of wind we have a light, low (lower than the truck, but only by a couple of inches) trailer (folding a-frame) no problems with wind so far... Next year we're planning to upgrade to a 'small' fifth wheel... I'm hoping that is good in the wind too...

I have only driven as far as just East of Portland, and then it was October and the roads we're in perfect condition, so I don't know the territory as well as I ought to.

We have also driven over the snoqualmie pass, but it was the middle of summer that time.

Thanks very much for your input :) It's appreciated.

Gary

[DickWells]

Just stay off Rt 140, going SE out of Oregon! It's a bit far to the East for you, anyway, but JFWIW. I wouldn't take that road again, while towing, for any amount of money. It's (only) a 13 mile stretch up the face of an escarpment, but about 8 miles of that thing was enough to leave my right foot shaking and my toes and finger tips all prickly. Thought I was gonna have an anxiety attack all the way up. Jean was oblivious. Taking video out the right-side window, and saying things like, "Wow, look at the view." :D
Got that route permanently burned into my noggin!

Oh, and I wouldn't even take a sled down that thing, even in the Summer-time.

[gary_lucas]

This http://goo.gl/maps/rYBqP ?

Good to know, my wife often tries to get creative when navigating us... I'll make sure this isn't part of the plan.

Thanks,

Gary


Just stay off Rt 140, going SE out of Oregon! It's a bit far to the East for you, anyway, but JFWIW. I wouldn't take that road again, while towing, for any amount of money. It's (only) a 13 mile stretch up the face of an escarpment, but about 8 miles of that thing was enough to leave my right foot shaking and my toes and finger tips all prickly. Thought I was gonna have an anxiety attack all the way up. Jean was oblivious. Taking video out the right-side window, and saying things like, "Wow, look at the view." :D
Got that route permanently burned into my noggin!

Oh, and I wouldn't even take a sled down that thing, even in the Summer-time.

[DickWells]

That's it, that's it!! Looks pretty tame from this angle, doesn't it? Well, just factor in that narrow apron, and no guard rails, and the next turn to the left that you can't see, that's a couple-hundred feet higher, and the fact that this old bird doesn't like heights.

I've often wondered about the poor fool we met at the top, going north. Was a small one-ton U-Haul, with a great long Lincoln limo in tow on a stiff hitch. I sure hope he had the brakes on the Lincoln hooked up, cuzz he had 13 miles of hold-back waiting for him. Just a thought, but maybe no-one has ever heard from him again. ?????:D

[gary_lucas]

Yah, I know what your getting at.

When I drove around Cape Breton Island my wife was oohing and ahhing over the scenery... In places I was just praying to god there wasn't a tractor trailer around the next blind corner.

[DickWells]

Ah, Cape Breton! My mother's father was born and raised in Nova Scotia, and I've been up there five times in my life, yet never gone up into Cape Breton. Been to P E I twice, too. I've sworn to make our next trip to Canada be one specifically to C B. Think maybe I'll talk to Jean about taking a week this Summer and driving up around there with the Malibu, and do the motel thing. We have a friend (Blueberry John) in Antiginish, NS, and I was up there 3 years ago on the Spyder. He sent me a video, last Summer of a trip he took around C B. Really need to get that done, with, or without the Spyder before I'm too dang old.

[gary_lucas]

We got here in once piece, ended up taking snoqualmie pass, it was dry as a bone :)

No issues at all on the drive down. Unfortunately I managed to pick up either a stomach flu or norovirus when I got to Las Vegas, so spent most of the time recuperating.

:(

G

[gimpyhauler]

Just moved from Sacramento CA area to Klamath Falls Oregon.

For what it's worth, little worry about weather. Even if the passes were closed due to snow, they're never closed for long. Smooth sailing. Just watch your speed in CA. They need the money.

[gary_lucas]

DickWells

Check this out: http://goo.gl/maps/6DK7C

We ended up on that highway on the way from Las Vegas to the California coast.

Drove that whole thing in the dark, with my wife coming down with the stomach flu I had gotten in Las Vegas.

Not a soul in site for 2-3 hours...

G