2008 toyota tundra first time in real snow/cold

Howdy y'all, i'm going on a trip to Ouray, Colorado during Christmas break, and it'll be the first time my truck has seen temps below 25*F. the truck has lived in Texas its whole life(312k miles), so the most snow its seen is about an inch(big snowstorm that killed lots of folks last year). i currently run 50/50 antifreeze, it has a slight lift and 35s on it, and i use rainX all season windshield washer fluid. I'm very mechanically inclined just clueless when it comes to cold. it has brand new oil, front and rear diff fluid was changed 40k miles ago. what all do i need to do to be ready for the cold? thanks y'all!

 

My first thought is making sure the oil is good for those temperatures? It probably is, as I think recommended oil has pretty wide temperature range support. But maybe you're using something outside the normal?

 

I run a 2007 pretty much stock all the way around in Maine in all 4 seasons with no issues. I don't know how that truck will handle as set up if you encounter slippery roads. Your antifreeze mix should be fine. Cold weather will expose a mediocre battery.

 

Are you going to be driving through snow? If you are you might want to double check the thread of the tires, trust me you will be sliding all over the place even in 4x4 if your tires don't grip.

 

Yep.

Tire tread, and make sure 4x4 is in working order...

Also, not much snow to speak of so far, so plan to bring some with you.

Just toured the area over Thanksgiving with my wife, and we had to be on passes which should have been closed to find any real snow and use for 4wd... Tundra did exceptionally well in snow deep enough to be making a diff trail behind us.

Make sure to get food in Ridgway as I dont think you can go wrong. Tacos, thai, pizza, bar/grill, brewery... Yall should enjoy yourselves.

 

Live in Minnesota. Check the age/life of your battery. Have good tires. Run -30* windshield fluid year round. Check your tire pressures as it gets colder. Use the "1 psi per 10*" rule to help gauge how much psi will fluctuate.

Also, have an "oh crap" bag of tools, gloves, lights. Tire inflator. Battery jump pack.

 

Make sure your truck engages 4wd properly. I'd hate to find out there's an issue in a bad spot when I needed it.

 

Load test the battery, and be sure connections are clean, bright, and tight.

Make sure the cab air filter is clean, a plugged up one means the heat and defrost suffer.

Those Toyo R/T’s aren’t exactly a snow / ice tire. I’m not saying you need to go buy winter tires for one trip, but I’d certainly exercise caution on anything compact or icy. Lots of following distance, lots of room to stop, smooth inputs…

 

Texas boy who moved to CT here. Get a snow brush/ice scraper! Trucks drive bad in snow and ice in my experience thanks to being so front-heavy. Put some weight in the back and leave extra room for braking especially going downhill when your front tires will be doing all the work. Switch to 4WD early (before you get to the bottom of a hill). But it'll be fine, they have plows in CO.

 

Weight in the back, like 4 of those 60 pound sand tubes from Lowes. Place in the bed over wheels. Don’t be afraid to use 4hi in snowy or icy conditions, but remember driving a moderate speed for the conditions is your best strategy. Good luck from Alaska.

 

Moderate speed is not something I've really run into in Texas.

 

Make sure your windshield washer fluid can withstand the cold. If just been running water, siphon, replace with cold weather mix and pump it thru the system

Greg