<p>Please, please…I don’t have to repeat this again. If you have a 4WD/AWD you don’t have to worry about put on chains. Rental car company will void your insurance if you put on any chains and you will pay for chain damages. For the last 20+ years driving on the snowy CA highways 100’s times and over, we have not been stopped by a police to check on “carry” chains. On a weekend, our club normally has about 10 cars running back and forth, with 4WD, we have never heard been asked for chains. If anyone wants to carry it for that million to one chance, go ahead buy it.</p>
<p>I disagree with 2 posts:</p>
<h1>166–going to Healdsburg from Squaw, you should probably cut off 80 at Vallejo (Columbus Parkway) to cut over to 101 via Sears Point.</h1>
<h1>181–we are up a ginormous hill south of Tahoe City and even with 4WD, there is no way to get up the hill in a bad snow storm without chains. Since we’re way too old to deal with that nonsense, we just don’t go up to the house if there’s bad weather. Also, Caltrans is pretty clear about even 4WD requiring chains in certain conditions. Jym, just hope for clear weather.</h1>
<p>"“Please, please…I don’t have to repeat this again. If you have a 4WD/AWD you don’t have to worry about put on chains. Rental car company will void your insurance if you put on any chains and you will pay for chain damages. For the last 20+ years driving on the snowy CA highways 100’s times and over, we have not been stopped by a police to check on “carry” chains. On a weekend, our club normally has about 10 cars running back and forth, with 4WD, we have never heard been asked for chains. If anyone wants to carry it for that million to one chance, go ahead buy it.”"</p>
<p>How is that different from what most have been saying? People who drive often to Tahoe know that AWD get routinely waved through. However, the rules DO call for cars to be equipped with the right tires and having to carry the darn chains. And, fwiw, contrary to your experience, I know that some car owners have been asked to show the chains. So a one in a million is quite the hyperbole!</p>
<p>It is obvious that Jym prefers to be safe than sorry. Spending a few bucks on chains that could be used by her son or returned sounds like a no brainer to me.</p>
<p>Exactly, xig. And I am not sure what kind of tires the rental car place at SFO puts on these cars. Can I be sure they are all weather tires?</p>
<p>That said, the males in my family all believe I over-prepare (ya think??) so will no doubt scoff at the idea of buying and returning chains. My son will do it, but I’ll get some flack for it.</p>
<p>Cathy- so you are saying I will for sure need chains? We will call the rental car place.</p>
<p>If my daughter had not brought her studded snow tires out to CA to put on in winter, she would have bought chains. She has an SUV with 4 WD. She had been told that chains would be needed but was able to bring out her snow tires to the West Coast instead.</p>
<p>jym…we were pounded with rain last night (2+ inches)…which usually translates to 2+ feet of snow in Tahoe. Resorts are doing the happy dance-finally!<br>
There’s a Living Social deal today for other activities at Squaw (tubing, aerial tram ride, ice skating). Not valid over Presidents Week, so not sure if this affects you…</p>
<p>According to their website, the lower mountain got 28" in this last storm, and the upper mountain got 32", with more on its way :D</p>
<p>Cant find a current living social deal. When I look it says the deal is over. Can you post a link, gosmom?</p>
<p>jym…try this…
[The</a> Best Daily Deals in San Francisco - Squaw Valley - One Hour of Snow Tubing for Two](<a href=“http://www.livingsocial.com/cities/15/deals/242616]The”>http://www.livingsocial.com/cities/15/deals/242616)</p>
<p>thanks, gosmom.</p>
<p>Glad they are getting more snow there! But not glad it is a snowstorm TODAY as my D has to drive in it back to Berkeley after seeing doctors in Truckee. ;-(</p>
<p>I was dancing up a storm!</p>
<p>Apparently so, shrinkrap!! Literally and figuratively!
Hope your dau makes it safe and sound, sooz.</p>
<p>Jym, I would listen to Soozie since her daughter is living in Truckee, but let’s hope it’s not snowing while you’re driving up at Tahoe. In our experience, it really depends-sometimes the 4WD is just fine, but not others. Most of our full-time neighbors at Tahoe have snow tires. However, since I screwed up one of our old cars with ill-fitting chains, I understand the rental car dilemma.</p>
<p>Manager at the rental car place says they have all weather tires and dont give chains. He also said he’d never been stopped for chains personally.</p>
<p>What am I missing here?Thousands of people travel to these ski areas each year at Tahoe and MANY are renting cars. They are going in the winter to ski. Surely there is a protocol at the car rental places for folks renting cars to drive to Tahoe.</p>
<p>Apparently it is unclear, thumper. Would be nice if we could find a clear policy statement on this.</p>
<p>We were stopped twice last season and asked to show our chains…once on the way to Kirkwood, once on the way to Northstar. The store where we bought our chains makes a point of saying they are not returnable.
Friends at Northstar last weekend said snow coverage is still not great.</p>
<p>What kind of vehicle were you driving, svm?</p>
<p>We’ve never been asked if we have chains in all the years we’ve gone skiing, but then we have always been driving a 4x4 vehicle, too. They do check for about 1/2 hour while they are getting the chains required signs up, but don’t have random stops when the road is clear and dry. Except if you go clear to Reno, then the bug station guys will ask when you go back through there at Truckee. </p>
<p>Reality for 80 and 50 is that they will make cars chain up at the drop of a flake, built in way to get morons to SLOW DOWN. If they put up chain controls, you’d better have them. If they decide that 4x4’s need chains, then they close those roads. </p>
<p>All wheel drive does not count as 4x4.
4x4’s trying to go without chains better have aggressive tread tires on.</p>
<p>There have been a few times when we chained up the 4x4 to get out of a parking lot…</p>
<p>Aghhh. I am so confused!!
We are renting (assuming they have it whn we get there) a Chevy Equinox. Is that considered a 4X4? Which need chains and which (if any) dont?</p>