Winter in a truck

by Majyk Stella
(Plymouth, Washington)

One year my husband and I were having a tire changed in Butte, Montana. Our truck was in the shop, and he had gone outside to check on it. As he walked by the fuel island they were trying to change the water (to wash the road grime off the windows), and he heard a loud SNAP. Of course he turned his head to see if he was in danger and needed to move, only to find that the guy was throwing the water in the air, and it was freezing before it could hit the ground.

Surviving the cold in a truck has it's own special requirements. As a full time traveler we have learned to prepare for winter in different ways than one does in a house. Some things we do are making sure there is food on the truck, blankets, and water in case we get trapped somewhere in cold weather. These are things all travelers should consider when driving in the wintertime.

In addition we had to treat the diesel with anti-gel additive. Else it would thicken and cost us in excess of $1,000 to unfreeze the system.

Being a weather junkie can be useful in deciding how to travel, when to travel, and what items are essential to have with you, and this is especially true in the winter time.

Barry's Response As you might know, Majyk, Butte is only about 150 miles from Canada, straight south of Lethbridge. Also I wonder if that water were partially frozen to begin with. Probably. That's why it needed changing.

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