thankyou! tired of people bagging on the re92's, truth is, ITS A 13YEAR OLD tired design, best of its day. STILL GOOD TODAY, just that with the advancements in technology there are better tires now.

 

make sure you still have a lot of meat on your tires because chain control will usually wave us subys thru without checking the tires

 

stay in gear, shift before the turn, don't shift while turning. and brake early

 

becareful when u make lane changes.

 

Pull the E-Brake every chance you get. That's what I do, gets your heart pumping, keeps your passengers on their toes.

 

Tows?

 

Buy some winter rated windshield wiper fluid as soon as you start gaining altitude east of Sacramento at a gas station, and top off your tank while you're at it. If you've got a full tank of the wiper fluid they sell in the Bay Area, consider getting rid of most of it prior to your trip by squirting a bunch on your windshield, siphoning it out or removing the reservoir and dumping most of it. If you don't, you will likely have frozen fluid, which will mean you can't see out your windshield due to all the stuff they put on the roads to increase snow traction. Also, keep some water, snacks and warm clothes accessible in the vehicle in case you are stopped on the road for a long period of time.

And since no one else mentioned it...
go slow in the snow!

 

Don't be afraid, drive in a decise, predictable, logic manner, dont' let the other have to guess what you will do, signal for the car you didn't see.

Use your rearview mirror, Use RainX on the windshield, visibility is crucial.

Check the windshield sweepers,having them break under a stor is NOT fun (I know for experience)

Pull them up when you park so they wont freeze against the glass overnight.

Keep distance ahead and behind you, I try always to stay in front, better than reliying on someone else. Careful about that big SUV behind you, heavy veichles take longer to stop.

Avoid driving too tired and late after a full snowboarding day. Take breaks...

 

Keeping your wipers up doesn't do anything. I lol at the people that do this. I've been living in PA for 5 years now, never once have I put my wipers up, and never once have they froze to the glass.

 

Im sorry but this sounds like a scam lol. MOST wiper fluid is a large percentage of alcohol and we all know that alcohol doesnt freeze at any temperature that you will see in Tahoe

Havn't had any issues with standard wiper fluid for the past couple years

 

I do something like this every time I go on a drive. Hit the brakes hard and see how long it takes to stop at the very least. Also, always prepare for hidden ice if you're traveling back roads.

RE92s are M+S (mud and snow) rated and will be better than summer tires, but they're not real snow tires. Blizzaks are legendary snow tires and you can rallycross on them!

Also, might not be appropriate for your trip now, but consider a personal locator beacon. http://www.rei.com/gear/feature/cate...=ld*ld3*beacon

 

oh yea, put a good layer of wax on your car to protect the paint and also wash the car once you get back because of the salt on the road...

 

Hey thanks everyone for your help. I think I should be prepared enough to make it a safe trip. I really appreciate everyone's input...See you in the snow!

 

It's not a scam. In Santa Clara county it's illegal to sell fluid with wood alcohol in it because of environmental concerns. I've been in a vehicle running the stuff they sell in the bay area who had the fluid freeze on I80. This was three years ago.

edit:
http://www.superclean.com/pdf/Splash_Wash_4.pdf
this MSDS link above indicates that their +32 formula is <1% methyl alcohol whereas their -20 formula is 31%. As far as snowy climates are concerned, Tahoe is usually very balmy, hence the term "Sierra Cement". However, it's been cold by Tahoe standards for several days, and it's forecast to stay cold for a while.

 

For true, most everywhere in the greater bay area will only stock washer fluid rated to 32 degrees F.

"VOC emissions" I think is the CARB mandated reason, but real stuff is easily obtained at higher elevations, and it is crucial to survival in winter driving, believe me having done the Alcan winter rally twice- once with frozen washers for the first 3 days, I know what I'm talking about....