 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi
Visiting Tahoe (sqauw) for the first time next weekend as I am in the San Francisco area (live London), obviously been looking at the snow reports etc and very pleased with what I see so far!
However driving from San Francisco and the hire firm inform me that there are no snow chains and they dont do them full stop.
Are the conditions as such where its a must to have a large 4 x 4 or snow chains? I have looked online and it suggests you do but wondering if anyone has any first hand experience or tips?
Dont fancy dropping a couple of hundred bucks on chains that I will only use once?
Thanks in advance.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Where did you get the idea chains cost hundreds of dollars?
Hire the car, go to a department store (Kmart, Walmart, Sears etc) and buy a chain suited for that car. It only cost ~$50, give or take. Assuming you've driven with chains and knows what NOT to do, there's no reason the hiring company could figure out you've used chains on their tires.
If you don't need to use chain, you can return it when you got back to SF.
You're REQUIRED to have chains in your car if you don't have AWD with all-terrain tires, for very valid reason. Whether you need to actually use it or not is a different matter. I had, indeed driven up to Tahoe once (between storms) WITHOUT the chain, I really can't recommend it as a sound advice.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Hire a 4x4 and you won't need chains. Last year we drove from SFO to Squaw in the middle of the night in a raging blizzard. 4x4s were being let through but nothing else. Several big snow plough trucks were out but in spite of their best efforts there were several centimetres of snow lying on the motorway  . I'm pretty sure the road would have been closed if it had got any worse, instead of chains being made compulsory.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Many thanks for all the replies, I am due an upgrade so will insist on a 4 x 4, a quick call to Hertz (from the UK to the Irish call centre) was met with disbelief when I asked for snow chains from a Californian depot!
Mind you I may well need them to get to Heathrow on tues....
Thanks again all advice very much appreciated
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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1) make sure the hire car is a 4wd, (ideally with a snow flake symbol on the tires), which will be let through by police under most circumstances.
2. check http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi before setting of, which will give you the latest info on road closure and chain requirements etc. You will likely be driving the 50 from Sacramento to Sout Lake Tahoe. Under most snow circumstances, the requirement will be: "CHAINS ARE REQUIRED ON ALL VEHICLES EXCEPT 4-WHEEL-DRIVE VEHICLES WITH SNOW TIRES ON ALL 4 WHEELS ". Conditions worse than this and CalTrans will close the road.
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Thanks for all the replies, happy to say the roads were clear (took the 80 as we were in Napa) as well as a quick upgrade to a 4x4 just to be on the safe side.
Roll on tomorrow!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Just Squaw, words cannot describe how much fun I am having this week! And its empty!
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