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Winter tires or snow chains for motorhomes? We put new shoes on Kucavana!
We arrive at the end of autumn, the first snow falls and doubts assail us, how do we equip our vehicle, motorhome, 7,5 meters and close to 3500 kg to make our trips to the mountain safely? Snow chains for motorhomes made of metal, fabric, winter tires, for all seasons? On two or on all four wheels? You start asking questions, documenting yourself and looking at forums ... you end up making a mess ...
Let's start: winter motorhome tires or snow chains for motorhomes? IT DEPENDS!
The most important thing is to consider the use and analyze the area in which we live, in Barcelona or near the climate we have, we do not need winter tires unless we are going to go up every weekend to cold areas or at risk of snowfall If we plan to go skiing a couple of times a year with AC, we should look at the weather forecast and go up only if there are no alerts, therefore with snow chains for motorhomes to get out of an unexpected we would have enough.
If we live in areas where it is normal to be below 7 degrees, the best option is winter tires, below that temperature a winter tire is more effective than a normal one even when dry, when we talk about effectiveness we We mean that we brake in less than one meter.
If we decided on the snow chains for motorhome, the most effective are metallic lifelong.
But they need a bit of practice to put them on quickly and they weigh quite a bit> 10kg. The cloth ones can get us out of a hurry but they last little and their effectiveness is less and then we have a mixed one such as snow chains for motorhomes of Michelin Esay Grip, ease of assembly like those of fabric but with metallic links but since it is not gold all that shines at a European level are only approved in France and Italy, that is to say that in case we find the sign of specific equipment for snow in Germany it does not We could use.
By the way it is recommended to mount them on the 4 wheels the snow chains for motorhomes due to the size and weight of the motorhome !!!
Here you can see how easy it is to remove them:
It is also necessary to take into account which countries we are going to visit and consult the legislation of each country, for example in Austria the use of winter tires is mandatory from November 1 to April 15 for vehicles up to 3,5 tons, in Italy in certain regions is also, Germany ...
We want winter tires !!! Outside snow chains for motorhome And now which one do we choose?
First of all we find the Spanish legislation that considers winter tires as a valid alternative to snow chains, as stated in the General Vehicle Regulation, based on Royal Decree 2822/1998 of December 23:
«When the use of chains or other authorized anti-slip devices is compulsory or recommended, either the chains or anti-slip devices must be placed on at least one drive wheel on each side of the vehicle, or special tires should be used, […] If the tires nails, such as those used on pavement with ice, have rounded edges and will not protrude from the surface more than two millimeters.
If special snow tires are used, they will be marked with the inscription M + S, MS or M & S, and must have a speed capacity, either equal to or greater than the maximum speed provided for the vehicle, or not less than 160 Km / h if the maximum speed of the vehicle is higher than this. "
MS or M + S, winter, all season, 3PMSF, what a mess!
Not all M + S tires are winter tires, some 4 × 4 tires and the truck tires on the differential axles also have this marking and are not snow tires, at a visual level we would have this:
With which we must look for a tire with the brand M + S (Mud and snow) and 3PMSF or what is the same the symbol of a mountain with a snowflake
3PMSF (Three Peak Mountain Snow Flake) guarantees that the tire has undergone an homologation process according to the ETRTO (European Tire and Rim Technical Organization) certification method in which the performance of the tire is tested in winter conditions. Since 2017 the legislation of some countries, such as Germany, Luxembourgo and the Baltic Republics, no longer allow circulation with M + S tires in winter, considering that only genuine winter tires bear the 3PMSF symbol.
As a curiosity there are studded tires (M + SE) but their use is limited and restricted to certain countries and areas where a bonus is needed, due to weather conditions
Now yes, M + S tires with 3PMSF
We will not debate which brand or model is better, we opted for Goodyear Cargo UltraGrip 2 by brand / price ratio but with the 3PMSF symbol we guarantee that whatever our choice we will be right.
And if you do not ask, despite carrying the 4 winter tires and being substitutes for the chains, we continue to carry the chains, we can always find some very icy road where its use can get us out of a hurry, for us safety is what First.
Finally and for us very important, plan the route a bit, especially in winter, check weather forecasts, road conditions, country regulations and common sense!
P.S. The objective of this article is not to conclude which is the best option, but to summarize the information collected and the reasons that have led us to make the decision.
