FWAAA

Agreed.

An article last winter in the LA Times discussed how the proliferation of 4-wheel drive SUVs has cut into the income of these chain-jockeys - many skiiers headed to Tahoe just don't need chains like they used to.

On the bright side, semi-trucks still need them, and that's where the real money is - for them, it's more like $100 on and $50 off.

jasons2e

I had a very hard time finding chains out here, nobody uses them. I live in the middle of BFE and can't leave home after much snow without them or I end up stuck somewhere. Once I get to a main road I take them off though.

SkiAdcock

My sister's a park ranger at Sequoia Natl Park, & it's 4WD/snow tires or chains - and sometimes both. And they DO check on those days when it's one or the other or both. You don't have them you're heading back down the mountain.

When I visit her at Xmas I leave my car at hdqrtrs & she picks me up since I told her I'm not buying chains just for the single time I come up in winter (we don't have too much snow at the beach in LA), and besides she'd have to come halfway down the mountain to put them on/take them off anyway, since I don't know how & there aren't too many roadside 'entrepreneurs' along the side of the mountain.

When she was stationed in the Cascades, I had a rental car & due to a blizzard had to buy a pair (at highly inflated prices) & then shamelessly beg on the mountain pass for someone to put them on/take them off.

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Sharon

Duckman

I'll be flying into Reno for a Tahoe ski trip. I've checked with Avis, and a couple rental places and they dont provide chains.

What do y'all do for your Tahoe ski trips? Rent a 4WD and cross your fingers that there isn't chain controls that week? Are there any RNO rental places that do provide chains?

Brattflyer

This summer we flew into Christchurch, NZ and rented from Hertz. They had their first measurable snowfall in 14 years and Hertz insisted we have chains (it turned out we didn't need them). They took the time to show us how to use them. The chains were in a small round plastic container and went on very easily. My memory of chains is they were a struggle to put on. Times have changed.

FWAAA

If you need them, there will be chain jockeys at the chain-on area; you can buy them there ($20 or so) and pay these guys to install them as well (they know what they are doing - well worth the money).

So for about $40 you will get chains if you need them.

Or you could just rent a 4 wheel drive SUV (like a Blazer, perhaps) and you won't need them.

Duckman

SUVs are about $40 per day more than an economy car at RNO (at least for my dates). So I'm tempted to roll the dice that there won't be a snowstorm!

rmiller774

I don't know about Reno, but on October 18 I tried to enter Yosemite in a mid-size rental car and it began to snow a few miles before I got to the south entrance station. The Park people turned me back because I didn't have chains in the car -it wasn't so bad that chains were required to be mounted on the tires. I went back to Oakhurst and learned that I could "buy" chains at the Raley's supermarket and that if I didn't open the container they came in, I could get 100% money back. If there is a Raley's in the Reno vicinity you might explore this possibility. But they would cost far more than the $20 mentioned below if you have to use them.

restlessinRNO

OK folks, I visited my local Wal-Mart here in Reno (there are 3), and "WinterTrac" brand cables start at $24.64 for 2, depending on tire size. "WinterTrac" brand chains start at $30.23 for 2, again depending on tire size. I'm told chains may be more challenging to put on than cables. So Duckman why don't you just buy a pair before heading into the mountains.

Road conditions are available at:
http://www.nevadadot.com/traveler/roads/winter/

Duckman

restlessinRNO-

You truly have gone above & beyond! Truly the FT spirit! Thank You very much, Walmart for chains sounds like a good & cheap plan.

Everyone-

One car I drive (a Ford Focus) won't accept chains due to not enough clearance between the tire and wheel well. Since one never really knows what the car rental gods are going to provide, are there any common rental cars that are (or are not) suitable for chain usage?