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Jeeps are a must in Maine. Ice, snow, slush, rain, it’s all here!
Getting around can be a filthy mess, but Jeep is your Queen or King of the driving during the winter season.
Whether you are driving under a bridge, on an icy road, through freshly snowed on roads, Jeeps get you there!
Fresh snow and Maine are 2 things that happen every year and that’s almost a guarantee.
Driving in those conditions does take some talent, but living there gives you the training!
Here are some tips for winter Jeep driving in Maine!
Fresh Snow 101 – Winter Jeep Driving in Maine
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My aunt lives in Maine, her stories are wild.
I can’t believe how different snow in one place is from another.
She has filled my ear with what I am about to share.
Her son, daughter, and her grandkids keep her moving and all have tales too.
If you think you know snow and driving, you don’t until you have experience Maine Snow and winter driving!
Whether you own a Jeep Wrangler, a Jeep Gladiator, or a Jeep Renegade or any other Jeep, making sure you can control it in the snow is most important!
Here are a few Jeep driving tips to use every year with the lovely Maine snow that blankets us each winter season.
Donuts are your friend & Winter Jeep Driving In Maine
Tip number one may seem ridiculous but if you have tempered the beastie called snow, it’s almost a refresher course each year.
When that first snow comes and I mean about 2+ inches are more, go do a donut!
My aunt first took her son out to drive and it’s the first thing they did together.
She’s tough as nails, I could never sit through this. LOL!
You gotta get control of your new road conditions and since summer has you spoiled, a little donut won’t hurt.
Head to a parking lot (where there are no other cars) and practice stopping.
Let the car spin a bit and recover from that doozy of a donut.
Could you do this and sit in the seat with your kids as they train to drive?
I know I could not but my aunt did and still does!
If you can’t there you can’t on the road either. Get it together and make your Jeep work and recover for you.
Stopping Is Possible – Pump It Up
Next, you want to try pumping your brakes if you can.
Pumping means you are not slamming on those Jeep brakes which work the front brakes by 80%.
I learned about this trying it.
Don’t pump trust me it is messy and messier in Maine on the roads!
Pump, and pump, and don’t PRESS or you will spin like crazy.
Keep in mind, a parking lot is still a premium driving condition because you may know what is underneath.
So, do consider that pumping brakes on the highway may be very different as you don’t know if black ice, is underneath.
Don’t jam on the brakes, pump and don’t forget neutral can be your friend in these situations.
Slamming brakes creates fishtailing, and if other cars are around, it’s about to become dicey with accidents from fishtailing.
Slow your road and pump!
Slick Slush, Ice and fresh Snow –
When the slippery and punishing ice falls, or the slush starts to give way through the snow, use 4-hi or the LSD.
Once stuck in a driveway, the owner, ‘kick it into 4-hi Dana!’ Got it!
Yes, you learn.
Use this functionality when starting to accelerate from a stop sign or red light in those aforementioned conditions.
Always drive steady, slow and with about 3 vehicles between you during ice, sleet, and slush, you’ll thank me later!
You don’t want to roll that Jeep into a ditch or slide like you are on skis off the road!
Again, remember as mentioned before, Neutral in an Automatic Jeep is your best buddy.
Use it when you are going over those treacherous bypasses, over bridges, etc. where the pavement underneath is getting abused by the cold!
Keep These Things In your Jeep for Winter
Keep a shovel inside of your Jeep always!
Windshield snow cover to help shield your window from the snow.
Make sure to keep your spare tire covered, with a tire cover.
Tires Matter
Always have tread on those tires. Bald tires are smooth as a baby’s butt and slide.
You need to properly maintain your Jeep tires.
Stop by your local Jeep Dealer anywhere in Maine to take care of this ahead of the snowstorms.
Hopefully, these tips for Winter Jeep Driving in Maine help you!