Extended van plus RWD plus snow = ???

[RobBob]

It has been many years since I drove a RWD vehicle, and I swore I would never buy anything without at least AWD again.  But...almost all the vans out there are RWD.  I am particularly interested in the extended length vans for the space, but assume they might be a little trickier to handle in slippery conditions.

I would hope to be where the weather is nice most of the time, but have family in Michigan and Pennsylvania, and some driving in snow is a possibility if there is a family illness (elderly parents).  Vans with AWD or 4WD are significantly more expensive, but would provide some peace of mind.  I'm trying to figure out whether that is a good trade off, as I am not made of money.

I have dug through the forum looking for opinions about RWD, specifically, driving in the snow, but haven't found much.  Given the brutal winter we just had, maybe some of you can share your driving experiences and opinions on the subject, please?

Thanks in advance!
RobBob

 

[skyl4rk]

Vans usually have a lot of weight on the rear axles, which makes RWD not too bad in snow. As long as you have good tread on the tires, you should be able to do OK. It won't be as good as FWD but it will work.

 

[Almost There]

I drove the mid Ford vans through all kinds of Ontario winters for years.

Three things helped - good snow tires, some extra weight over the year axle and a light foot on the gas.

I know some will holler loud and clear about putting weight in - but the early fords (mid engine) had a piece of steel about an inch thick by the size of the gas tank mounted above the gas tank. it had a purpose in life. We found the one in mine when we were dropping the tank for a repair...no wonder that thing didn't have a problem in snow.

My father used to throw some concrete blocks in for me in all the rest of the vans...

The absolute most important thing is the light foot on the gas pedal.

Paying the extra for the vehicle and again for repairs when needed to offer comfort in the off chance that you might have to drive in snow just doesn't do the cost/benefit thing for me. You're better off putting the extra into a special fund for airfare if you're ever needed up north in the dead of the winter.

 

[Bdog1]

The extended Econoline has a surprisingly good weight distribution, much better than a pick-up truck.

 

[masterplumber]

I owned a extended Ford van and used it for plumbing in Colorado year round. So there was always plenty of snow driving in the winter. There were a couple times when I couldn't get up hills on backroads that hadn't been plowed. But if I'd had chains I could have even made those. It definitely required a careful foot on the throttle, and planning ahead so I didn't have to make any sudden stops. I did have a lot of weight in it so that helped.
I also taught an adventure leadership class for awhile at a small private school. We would regularly take kids to the mountains and to Utah in 15 passenger vans towing cargo trailers in the winter and spring, and again, as long as we drove carefully we had no problems. I can't tell you how many times I've driven over Vail Pass in a blizzard. I would say buy a RWD van, keep good tires on it, and carry chains as a back up. a whole lot cheaper that a 4WD conversion, or even the rare AWD full size.

 

[TucsonAZ]

RWD offers more control in the snow, better traction, it's all around my first choice but, I have a lot of driving experience in extreme conditions and I used to ice race. So I would say that RWD isn't as effortless as FWD nor is it the better choice for the vast majority of people but RWD itself isn't the issue, it just has more variables which for many means more things to go wrong or have to stay on top of controlling. Kinda of like stick versus auto.

 

[ZoNiE]

"Quigley"

 

[RobBob]

Thank you all for your thoughts and suggestions!

I hadn't thought about saving up for air fare, but in an emergency, flying is much quicker than driving anyhow.

Good snow tires sound like a must, along with chains (have never tried those but remember my dad using them a few times).  Has anyone tried the Auto Sock  http://www.autosock.us/?

There is Quigley passenger van (not extended) in my area, but the price is over $16,000.  I could probably get the price down a bit because it has been there for a while, but still...ouch!

I used to do okay in the snow a long time ago before AWD, but it's been so long that I think I am letting fear get the best of me.

RobBob

 

[RobBob]

Thank you all for your thoughts and suggestions!

I hadn't thought about saving up for air fare, but in an emergency, flying is much quicker than driving anyhow.

Good snow tires sound like a must, along with chains (have never tried those but remember my dad using them a few times).  Has anyone tried the Auto Sock?  I found it online.  I tried to include the link, but my post was blocked as "spam."  

There is Quigley passenger van (not extended) in my area, but the price is over $16,000.  I could probably get the price down a bit because it has been there for a while, but still...ouch!

I used to do okay in the snow a long time ago before AWD, but it's been so long that I think I am letting fear get the best of me.

RobBob

 

[skyl4rk]

Here are some RWD driving tips for snow:

 

[mconlonx]

We just got through a wicked snowy winter, and I was surprised how well my van did. 98 Ford E350 cutaway with a Stahl utility body on the back. The utility body is way heavier than a regular cargo van rear, so there was plenty of weight over the back wheels. As long as I drove carefully, no issues at all.

Previous winter vehicles have included FWD compact and subcompact cars, and the worst possible winter vehicle, a 2wd RWD Toyota pickup. No weight over the rear tires without adding weight to the bed. After a very low speed crash because of snow over black ice in the truck, I invested in studded snow tires, and continued to do the same with any car I drive in the winter. Huge difference -- when it got icy and slippery, I could pull away from a light uphill while the AWD and 4WD vehicles are spinning tires.

I was prepared to buy studded tires for the van, but even with all the snow we got, just didn't need them. I bet once you get a cargo van built out and filled up with stuff, it would be similar. I do have tires with really decent tread, but not even snow tires. Was actually happily surprised how well it did in the snow.

 

[Gary68]

depends on what type of snow
a foot of cold dry snow is not much of a problem,an inch of packed snow that froze overnight is death
brakes are your enemy use the gears to slow and when you do lose it dont freeze up and hit the brakes,drive out of it

best advice is to find yourself a snow covered parking lot and have some fun in your rig and get used to how it handles

 

[cyndi]

Exactly what Almost There said. I drove a van in New England winters for over 20 years. As long as you don't get stuck behind some pokey idiot, on a hill, they're fine. Even with all season radials as opposed to snow tires.