Snow Socks

GMJ

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Snow Socks

Does anyone have these? If so could you recommend a make/brand?

Thanks

Graham
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I've got some for a VW T5, used a couple of times in anger and very pleased. Very easy to put on and off, but AFAIK don't last very long on tarmac or pure ice. If I get a chance I'll look tomorrow at the make, but they came from www.roofbox.co.uk

Malcolm
 
I've got a pair in both my motorhome and car - and have used them on the motorhome. Pros - inexpensive and dead easy to use. Cons - don't drive far on them! We used them to get off a snowy campsite and onto a main road after a dump of snow - they did the trick fine. BUT I'd only use them for short distance runs - for anything more serious, they aren't a substitute for chains.
 
I have been shot down in flames so many times on this subject. So here goes nothing.
we live in Andorra and know snow pretty well. We also take our MH to the alps every year. OH is from Bavaria so knows his snow well for a looooong time.

socks are great. They are fantastic on snow. They come in all sizes and qualities. We only buy the best for our bus ( for a truck essentially, although they fit our 5.5t sprinter base ). We also carry very good quality chains. If there is hard packed ice then chains are your only hope.
up here in the mountains we drive 4x4s. ( disco and merc glk). We have socks for both as they give better grip than the best winter tyres...but even this week you were buggered without chains. Our neighbour overturned her Merc ML ...

so. If you just want to do a few kms safely and get on and off a pitch, then get some socks. If you will be in winter conditions frequently then get the best quality socks for your vehicle along with chains. Socks are better on snow...we would not use chains unkess there was ice. In general , with winter tyres ( we drive the bus all year in winters ) we rarely need help.
 
I think I will be going for the Autosocks ones...£25 on Fleabay! Bargain!!

Its my birthday in January whilst we are away in Spain so I have suggested to my lad that IF he wants to get some for us then he can wrap them (well..I expect his mther will do that bit!) and then we can carry them with us as we travel down through France. They can stay wrapped unless there is an urgent and pressing need for them to be deployed...then it will be an early birthday present
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Graham
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Use on Fresh snow if your having problems and remove as soon as you get back onto tarmac and keep speed down

Donot use when slush has turned to ice as it will ruin the socks

I have used them in 6inchs of fresh wet snow when i was stuck in my car they were absolutely fantastic Next day used chains as the slush had frozen

only ever used Autosocks We have got all our kids them for their cars as an emergency


they are also great when driving upto ski resorts when snow is repeatedly only on small sections of the road eg hairpin bends as they are so quick to put on and take off
 
We have the Autosock ones and have been very happy with them. Probably will buy the same make again.
 
Ginebrosa;n9546 said:
I have been shot down in flames so many times on this subject. So here goes nothing.
we live in Andorra and know snow pretty well. We also take our MH to the alps every year. OH is from Bavaria so knows his snow well for a looooong time.

socks are great. They are fantastic on snow. They come in all sizes and qualities. We only buy the best for our bus ( for a truck essentially, although they fit our 5.5t sprinter base ). We also carry very good quality chains. If there is hard packed ice then chains are your only hope.
up here in the mountains we drive 4x4s. ( disco and merc glk). We have socks for both as they give better grip than the best winter tyres...but even this week you were buggered without chains. Our neighbour overturned her Merc ML ...

so. If you just want to do a few kms safely and get on and off a pitch, then get some socks. If you will be in winter conditions frequently then get the best quality socks for your vehicle along with chains. Socks are better on snow...we would not use chains unkess there was ice. In general , with winter tyres ( we drive the bus all year in winters ) we rarely need help.

Any chance of links to the good quality socks and chains? (or brand names)
 
Autosock.co.uk
roofbox.co.uk

If you need snow chains for your camper i would suggest Konig T2 As they are heavy duty ( I have 3 different pairs of these T2’s )




 
Rockburner;n9664 said:
Any chance of links to the good quality socks and chains? (or brand names)

For the bus we have Isse super socks ( the white ones ) and for the cars we have the classic ( red ones ). They are a Spanish brand.
The autosocks are very similar but I am not sure they do them for heavier vehicles. We have the Isse as they fit our vehicles and are relatively cheap here.
 
Rockburner;n9664 said:
Any chance of links to the good quality socks and chains? (or brand names)

Can't vouch for them having never had to use them in anger but the one's we have are on offer.
https://www.roofbox.co.uk/scripts/rb...k9tt%7Dehc.BbU

Another link - https://www.snowchainstore.co.uk/sno...he-one-4x4-118

We chose these (several years ago - probably a wider choice out there now) because of the claims to be easier to fit and tension, and their kindness to alloys.

The man who practices fitting them each year before we go away says they are easy. We've never needed to put them on so far. Have used the snow socks twice - once to get up a steep incline (melted snow frozen into a sheet of ice) on a campsite, and the other time, a steep slope up to an aire whilst heavy snow fell.
On the first instance we tried and failed to get up without them (it was dark and didn't realise how icy it was) and the second we probably could have made it without but we were newbies and being cautious (again it was dark - nowadays we try to arrive in daylight).
 
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I'm interested in learning how many people (skiers?) who drive to the wintery mountains have actually had to use their chains. We never have - have we just been lucky so far? We do tend to stay on campsites and not drive around once we're there. Roads to the "resorts" have been snow free although that could be down to our choices - our thinking is if the buses get there safely so can we. We carry a generator so if the weather is so bad that the road requires chains we'd be looking to pull over in a safe spot and wait for the ploughs to sort it out.
Any thoughts from more experienced snowhounds?

 
I'm interested in learning how many people (skiers?) who drive to the wintery mountains have actually had to use their chains. We never have - have we just been lucky so far? We do tend to stay on campsites and not drive around once we're there. Roads to the "resorts" have been snow free although that could be down to our choices - our thinking is if the buses get there safely so can we. We carry a generator so if the weather is so bad that the road requires chains we'd be looking to pull over in a safe spot and wait for the ploughs to sort it out.
Any thoughts from more experienced snowhounds?

I've been going skiing in the motorhome for about 12 years or so and until last year had never used my chains - and only the socks once. Depending on the amount of snow, you can get away with just good tread M+S winter tyres rather than a need to use additional traction. But last year we were on a campsite after a lot of heavy snow, and although I think I could have exited without chains, decided to use them for the 1st time and carried on up the main road for a while until I could find a spot to de-chain.. No problems at all and all worked well. I have a set of Spikes Spiders - http://www.spikes-spiders.com/ - which are easy to fit in snow, if you have the plate already attached to the wheel (I do this before leaving home).
 
fatwelshbuddha;n9847 said:
I've been going skiing in the motorhome for about 12 years or so and until last year had never used my chains - and only the socks once. Depending on the amount of snow, you can get away with just good tread M+S winter tyres rather than a need to use additional traction. But last year we were on a campsite after a lot of heavy snow, and although I think I could have exited without chains, decided to use them for the 1st time and carried on up the main road for a while until I could find a spot to de-chain.. No problems at all and all worked well. I have a set of Spikes Spiders - http://www.spikes-spiders.com/ - which are easy to fit in snow, if you have the plate already attached to the wheel (I do this before leaving home).

Came across those, and also the Thule easy fit ones whilst internetting yesterday - big jump in price from the sub £100 ones. Your 1 in 12 scenario is interesting and kind of fits in with my thoughts... on one hand, why bother paying for top-end stuff if you may never use it; on the other hand, £300 over 12 years isn't so much and you then have the security of knowing it'll do it's job easily and possibly better the the cheaper option.
 
Not much different for us. To the Alps in Decmeber and January/feb for the last 7 years. Have used socks once, chains never.
we drive all year on winter tyres and the weight of bus helps in snow .
If you are going to the mountains, be prepared. It may never happen...but if it does happen, it does so bloody quickly !

we laugh every year up here with the Spanish. They come to ski then are shocked when it snows ? Copious fines for being wallys and have to pay to be taken back down the mountain.

 
I have had to fit chains on my previous iveco motorhome which was over 4tonne and twin RWD

happened driving up to LaPlange it was ok on the straight but the diff started to slip a bit on the top couple of hairpin bends due to the amount of snow on road so thought it wise to fit chains at the next chainaire

drove in and it was chaos with French drivers all over the place trying to fit their chains

mine were on in seconds , made especially easy by driving the inner wheels up on to chocs

anyway just about to drive off when a couple of the other drivers approached me for help so i selected the nearest car showed the group watching how to fit the chains on the first wheel watched and assisted the owner do the other side the left them all scurry back to do their own

 
Ps. My friends in their Ducatos have needed them dozens of times (chains and socks)

RWD and winter tyres much less so :)
 

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