Does anyone drive 2wd Pick-ups to ice fishing sites?

[Morrocco_Mole]

 I need to know should I use chains and if so are they hard to put on? Also I need to know how well do they work and will they pop? I just want to slim down my chances of getting stuck or into a bad situation.

Morrocco Mole!

[fishingking]

you mean 2wd on the ice? or just to the parking lot? i have a 78 chevy  3/4 ton 2wd that i drove on the ice once  when it was 2 ft thick and had about 1/2" of ice on it  and it worked fine     i drive my truck all ove rthe place in the winter up and down small mountains  well the Catskills in NYS  and i only get stuck 1-2 times a year and its ussually  when im going up a hill and start sliding backwards


hope this helps

[TGF]

I use my 2WD pickup to get me onto the backroads and if it gets tough I put on chains. They are easy to put on and help alot. I wouldn't want to get stuck in a big mud hole though so I only drive with them on a road that I know or if I'm sure the ice in the puddles is frozen enough. When it gets real tough I drop the snowmachine or ATV out of the back and park the truck. I have never driven on lake ice with chains though.

[crappieloo]

2wd all the time. I guess your talking about (sights) going to tough locations like unplowed roads. I do a few unplowed roads and usually have no problem.It all depends on the vechicle. In very heavy snow areas in some of the western states chains are required by law. I used chains once on a car and they are good for emergency use. You cant go fast with them but they work. Emergency chains are the best. You dont ''drive''into them to put them on you slip the tag end through your wheel (must be slotted wheel) and attach it that way. They can be made real tight so they dont ''float'' of off the tire.They will push you through anything unless you get high centered in deep heavy snow. 4wd wouldnt be any help either in that situation because its a ground clearance thing.

[Morrocco_Mole]

Thanks for all the good info....

I was speaking of just getting to the lake, parking and then going home...  I don't think I will ever drive a truck on a lake.

I have a 1990 RAM 150 - 318 v8 and I can not get my power auger in the car. I would like to use the truck.

Also do you guys use any objects in the back for weight?
Mole 

[BuckShotJon]

I drive my 2wd truck all the time to my ice fishing spots. I also drive on unplowed roads alot as I live in the country. Have not got stuck yet.

I put 3 pieces of cherry tree in the back of the truck for weight. These are sections that are 6 feet long and each weighs somewhere around 50-75 lbs.

150-200 lbs in the back will help you out alot more for traction. Any home improvement store will have stand bags at a reasonable price.

My brother has a 2wd truck as well but he loads up with more like 500 lbs of sand. He drives kinda crazy and he has not been off the road once either.

Jon

[Bobman]

I have a 2WD Ram 1500 that I go everywhere in.  I live in the Buffalo, NY area so we get a lot of lake effect snow in the winter and many of the roads I drive when hunting or fishing are not plowed or infrequently plowed.  Haven't had a real problem yet.  I also have a couple hundred pounds of tube sand in the bed of the truck and a package of roofing shingles.  I built a wooden frame that fits into the bed of the truck to keep the sand centered over the rear axle and prevent it from sliding around.  Also, if I get a little stuck I can slide the roofing shingles under the tires to give me some added traction.  The big thing is to know where you are going and drive carefully.

[bigredonice]

i used to have a 91' 2wd dodge dakota, and i took that thing everywhere.  I never even got it stuck (something i can't say about the 4wd ranger i have now)  I put good tires on it (Michelin xcx/apt) got great mileage and the thing would haul my quad in the bed without a problem, and it was great in the snow and mud.

[Morrocco_Mole]

I will keep all of this in mind and go for it... Roofing shingles and Cherry Wood sound good... I was trying to find something other then sand because the bags may break with all of the loading and unloading of Ice Fishing gear. I also was going to grab some of the fast ice melt stuff like HEAT and a Little Metal shovel.
Morrocco Mole 

[Hard_H2O]

I had a rear wheel drive 318 powered Plymouth Volare, a front wheel drive Chevy Cavelier Wagon, and rear wheel drive Ford Ranger and Chevy S10. All of them took me to and from my hunting and fishing destinations including a lot of on ice travel.

I am from Minnesota. We get some great ice for driving with a moderate amount of snow. Never felt the need for chains. I always have a shovel along. I have had all of them stuck in the snow. Just shovel them out and get going.

The main thing is keeping your momentum and not trying to go too fast.

[Morrocco_Mole]

Hard_H2O :

I see a shovel is a tool to have along for this season... What type of types of weight did you use if you used any at all?
Mole

[Hard_H2O]

I ususally used those sand tubes. I think they come in 75# tubes. I never had a problem with them tearing open. I used 2 or 3 of them.

I graduated to a 4wd Jeep Cherokee and now a 4wd Dodge Durango. The first time I had the Cherokee out on a lake I was amazed at the stuff I could go through that I never could before. I still always bring a shovel with.

Hard_H2O :

I see a shovel is a tool to have along for this season... What type of types of weight did you use if you used any at all?
Mole

[bigredonice]

I still always bring a shovel with.

Definetly helps when you find those deeper drifts that suck you in, even with 4WD.

[duck doctor]

I have always owned 4wd vehicles. But I sold my pick up and bought a cherokee.  I honestly can say that I have never been stuck as much with anything else like I have been with the jeep.  I don't think twice about driving on the ice. If the ice is over 14" thick, I drive out. But the shovel is a good idea and I think I might stuff one in with my gear.

[Hard_H2O]

I went from owning vehicles with 2wd and little ground clearance to owning vehicles with 4wd and better ground clearance so I have just the opposite experience with the Cherokee. I am sure a full size 4wd pickup would have better ground clearance than a Cherokee so that may explain the difference.

I have always owned 4wd vehicles. But I sold my pick up and bought a cherokee.  I honestly can say that I have never been stuck as much with anything else like I have been with the jeep.  I don't think twice about driving on the ice. If the ice is over 14" thick, I drive out. But the shovel is a good idea and I think I might stuff one in with my gear.

[Morrocco_Mole]

I had a Ford Explorer with 4wd but I killed it and got a car with fwd. The problem with this is that the car has leather and I don't want to damage the seats. Also I can't get all of my suff in the car with it being a major pain... Mole... 

[billditrite]

i got around with my 2wd 1/2 ton chevy pickup for years.couple close calls but never got stuck with it.through the snow through the mud,and through it all .i put buckets of sand and crushed stone in the back.all good for weight,sand for traction and stone to get back on something solid.

[Morrocco_Mole]

Good info... I will look for these sand tubes and put a few of them on board the beast. I hope that I will be able to get around because I love the sport of ice fishing! I can't get enough of it... Having a cap would be nice this would save time on the load and unload process...
Mole

[crappieloo]

I also have bought a shovel at wal-mart for $5 but never used it for getting stuck. I bought it for shoveling out a path for unloading my fishing shelter when i back into snow banks at icefishing spots. Also if i get ''snowed in'' i shovel 3 or 4 hundred pounds up on the cap and plow my way out of anything. I have made a few people mad when they see me plowing my driveway or taking a shortcut off road with my 2wd truck through real deep stuff,LOL.

[trev.357]

i use 2'x2'x2'' 50lb  cement patio blocks for weight in my 2wheel truck(96f150) and chains when there is more that a foot of snow i like the blocks for weight because they lay flat and with a piece of carpet under the first one they don't slide around i use about 6 of them and with them flat it us easy to store gear on them with out much loss of room. one more nice thing about the blocks is if you do get stuck you can jack up a wheel and put one under that act as a ramp . i also use traction aid teeth ramps for when I'm to lazy to have put the chains on and got stuck. but like others have said if you push the limit of the chains and get stuck your stuck well.i like getting stuck in snow better than mud because with snow you can always dig your self out eventually.
  if you want to talk getting stuck then I'm your man if  i can drive somewhere i have gotten stuck in it .give me a situation and I'll tell you the best way to get unstuck. my wife would not let me take my little guy out winter coyote and rabbit hunting till i started coming home on time and not calling telling her I'm stuck again I'll be late.

[Jimmy The Jigger]

My truck is 4x4,but I've seen cars out on the ice ripping around,.The big reason I would be nervous if I were you is sometimes there are big snow banks/drifts at the ramps where you come on the ice,and getting through it is a b***h sometimes.

[icy mike]

I usually keep my truck in 2WD until I need the 4WD.  You may want to consider carrying a come-along and a post the same thickness as you auger.  If you get stuck auger a hole for the post and winch yourself out.  It may be tedious, but it works.

Icy Mike

[Thriller]

My manager bought a 2wd Ford this summer and was asking me a week or so ago about the weight I have in my truck...6 or 7 bundles of shingles (I have used a couple times as traction aid as well), the cap has some weight, a couple sandbags, a chunk or two of concrete, and a few other odds and ends that don't weigh much.  I've had some difficulties, so I think I am going to switch to a 4wd pickup soon.  I'm doing better this winter with new tires on the back too.

The biggest thing I've had issues with fishing is inclines...if you are going onto the ice down a boat ramp or the road into the lake is a fair downhill, you need to do some thinking about how you are going to get out.

[indeeptreble]

The only difference between getting a two wheel drive vs. a four wheel drive stuck is that most of the time you can shovel a two wheel drive out when the four wheel drive needs a tug or way too much shoveling

[FishDeepCreek]

I drive an old Jeep Cherokee4x4 4.0 here in there winter,and for hauling my shanty down  to the lake. I had problems with the 4x4, the engagement servo, which locks the front axles to put in 4 wheel drive, had a vacuum leak. That thing would not go anywhere in snow in 2 wheel drive! It was way too torquey at the rear wheels. I finally fixed the problem, In 4 wheel drive it does very well. Up here in Garrett County, you almost have to have 4x4. We get so much snow, and alot of wind drifting because of the winds through the mountains.Plus we have hilly roads because of the mountains. What was cleared roads, can be covered in a short time during snow. Ive seen 4x4's get stuck around the lake, it really matters whats under the snow as well. My work vehicle is a frontwheel drive van with studded tires. Studded tires are legal in PA (vehicle is PA registered). A tow strap or rope is always great to keep in your trunk,sometimes if your in a bind, someone can give you a pull out, weve helped a few anglers that got stuck like that.

[big walleye]

Everyone here has made some great points. A 2wd with chains and weight in the back will go just as far as a 4x4. If you however want to play hrough snowbanks yes you risk getting stuck. my brother-in-law uses chains on his and has no problems breaking trail or following me on the lake. Again the key is having weight in the back of the truck. I personally use my ice portable ice shack as weight. Grumpy can verify that this thing has enough weight to it.

[backatit]

Always had a 2WD until last year when my last one started to shake, but it was expected it had 285,000 on it and the first one had 190,000. Drove it back and forth to work everyday and out hunting and never got stuck.  I always said the main thing to remember was that a 4WD is to get you OUT of trouble not get you into trouble.  I used to see more 4WD in the ditch stuck and I mean stuck!! These are the guys that flew past me earlier with the hubs locked thinking they were invincible   Didn't always work though.  Just take it easy and you'll go wherever you want.

[crappieloo]

Always had a 2WD until last year when my last one started to shake, but it was expected it had 285,000 on it and the first one had 190,000. Drove it back and forth to work everyday and out hunting and never got stuck.  I always said the main thing to remember was that a 4WD is to get you OUT of trouble not get you into trouble.  I used to see more 4WD in the ditch stuck and I mean stuck!! These are the guys that flew past me earlier with the hubs locked thinking they were invincible   Didn't always work though.  Just take it easy and you'll go wherever you want.

backatit,you said that perfect.We see them buried here quite often and its allways caused by the loose nut behind the steering wheel.

[edfalc]

i have a 2wd 1992 ford explorer that i bought for $160 right before i moved from Dallas to Eagle River,WI
i figured i'd be lucky to make it up here towing the u-haul full of stuff , but as it is , 3 years later , i've only had to put on a new set of tires (first snowfall) and a fuel pump
i drove it on the ice all last year & only got stuck once
been stuck once this year already so i just bought a set of chains.........we'll see

[Tombo]

Biggest thing to worry about--when you stop make sure it doesn't roll into someone's old ice fishing hole......with 2WD you're there