Chains on steer tires?

[RJ]

Forgive my ignorance.  I moved to California where I need to pass a special test to drive my 45 foot Eagle.  The booklet says they inspector will ask about chains, so I need to get some.  Did not need any in Texas.  From what I can tell from older posts, chains on the outer duals are a necessity.  My question is, do people also put chains on the steer tires or tags?

One other bit of help......is there a particular type of chain that can be stored compactly and not too hard to put on?

Basil -

First:  You're applying for a NON-COMMERCIAL Class B license for you to drive your 45-footer.  Make sure EVERYONE at the DMV counter understands that request.  If you get a technician who doesn't, ask them to ask for help.  The procedures and requirements are slightly different, and it's not that common a request, so don't be surprised if you get funny looks.  Same goes for the pre-trip and skills test examiner, when you get to that point.  (Understand, too, that if you fail the pre-trip inspection part of your skills test, you have to start all over again - and that includes paying the fees!)  Your written exams, btw, will also cover items in the RV handbook the DMV publishes: http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/dl648/dl648.pdf

Second:  "The booklet says they inspector will ask about chains, so I need to get some."  HOLD ON A MINUTE!!  Re-read what it says in the commercial handbook, in the pre-trip inspection section on page 116.  Tire chains are considered "Optional Emergency Equipment".  The key word here is optional.  If you don't live in an area of CA where there's snow on a regular basis, you don't need to have them on board.  If you live in Shasta or Truckee, well, that's a different story, and you should have them.  (http://www.dmv.ca.gov/pubs/comlhdbk/comlhdbk.pdf) 

Third:  You only have to chain the outside drive axle tire on a bus in CA.  Why?  Because it is virtually impossible, with the limited body clearance, to hang chains over/around/on the inside dual.  CalTrans and the CHP intelligently (for a change!) recognize this, so that's all the chain control folk will look for.  You do not have to chain the steer and/or tag axle.

Fourth:  As somebody else already mentioned, it's far easier to practice hanging chains on your vehicle in a dry parking lot on a nice day than at Oh Dark Thirty when it's 20^o outside with blowing snow.  BTDT!  Back in the day, I could hang chains on a bus faster than I could hang them on my car (under 10 minutes) - but it took practice beforehand to learn how to do it efficiently.

Fifth:  If you insist on spending $$$ to have a set of chains for your coach, you will not find them at your local AutoZone.  You'll have to get them from NAPA or another outfit that specializes in chains for the big rig guys.  They are NOT cheap - expect to pay over $100 or so for a set.  The best, IMHO, are the V-bar style with cams - cable chains are a PITA on a bus.  Do a google search for "truck tire chains with cams".  The benefit to cam-style is that they are easy to install, easy to tighten down, and easy to bungee in such a way that the cams don't come loose.  Your pretty bus won't look that way for long if a chain comes loose or a cross-bar breaks!

Sixth:  Storing these critters boils down into two categories - for seasonal use, and for off-season.  They are big, so compact storage is sort of an oxymoron in this case.  For off-season, unless you're full-timing, keep 'em in the garage or storage unit.  For seasonal use, keep them "ready to hang" - one on each side in the rear baggage bin, along with that side's bungees.  "Ready to Hang" means that you've taken the time, where it's dry, to lay the chain out alongside your coach, made sure all the kinks are out of the entire length, that the cross-links are on the correct side for draping, and that the cams face outward.  Once you've got them all sorted out, you gather them up neatly by stretching your arms out as far as possible, then, with thumbs above and fingers below the cross-links, bring your arms together, bunching the chain up into a neat pile and setting it carefully into a Rubbermaid or similar plastic tub, one that's about the same size you use for washing dishes.  (You'll need two tubs - one per side.)  Now, when you get to the chain control, all you have to do is carefully pick up the bunched chain and drape it over the tire, hook it loosely on the front side first, then the back side, take the slack out of the front hook, tighten down the cams, bungee them closed, and away you go.  When you can pull the chains off, dump them & the bungees back into the tub, so the melting snow won't get all over everything.  At your earliest convenience, pull them out of the tubs, let them all dry, prep and re-bunch for the next time.

Seventh:  The main reason CalTrans and the CHP require chains is not necessarily because of the snow on the ground, or the road conditions - it's to SLOW DOWN the pesky four-wheelers who've only driven in the flatlands and coastal climates, and have NO CLUE how to drive under these conditions.  TIP:  Drive like you've got a raw egg strapped to the bottom of your right shoe - and DON'T BREAK THE EGG!!!

Eighth:  Whatever your decision about chains, I'd also suggest that you park it for the duration, until the roads are cleared and the chain controls are lifted.

FWIW & HTH. . .

[buswarrior]

My chains live carefully draped into 5 gallon Home Depot buckets. The buckets will fit under the bunk in a Freightliner, and anywhere I like in the MC8.

Chains are your best friend when caught in the snow covered off camber parking lot, the soft lawn after a snow fall, when some other nitwits force you to stop on a grade you wouldn't have done so voluntarily.

Or you decide to use the bus mid winter and have to get it through the uncleared yard...see avatar...

As noted earlier, the biggest threat out there is not our equipment, skill or decision making, it's the witless others and their attempts at driving.

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[jr6715]

I do not think it is a good ideal to put chains on you bus but if I lived in a state that I needed them they make auto chains that all you have to do is flip a switch and they work very well and yes they make them for a bus cost is 1700.00 but one broken link you will loose more than that for body work on your bus

[RJ]

I do not think it is a good ideal to put chains on you bus but if I lived in a state that I needed them they make auto chains that all you have to do is flip a switch and they work very well and yes they make them for a bus cost is 1700.00 but one broken link you will loose more than that for body work on your bus

JR -

The auto chains you're talking about are not recommended for buses with air suspension.  90% of the applications on buses that I've seen have been on front engined, dog-nosed skoolies, where there is really no weight on the drivers (compared to a pusher), and there is tons of ground clearance, compared to a highway coach.  But they do work. . .

FWIW & HTH. . .