7 Items to Make Sure Your Vehicle is Winter Ready
Colorado winters are fairly mild, but they still come with their fair share of heavy snow dumps, slick roads, and low temperatures. It’s easy to forget to make sure your vehicle is winter ready when the sun is shining, but take a few moments to consider these items to make sure that you and your vehicle are ready for winter’s harsher moments.
WeatherTech FloorLiners
Floor Liners - Floor liners are a must if you care about protecting your vehicle’s interior. WeatherTech FloorLiners are a household name for a reason, it’s not just the Super Bowl ads. WeatherTech liners offer maximum coverage, containment, and protection for your floorboards and are easily removed to shake out the build up that your boots bring in.
Lock De-Icer - While power locks on newer vehicles have decreased the issue, we still see customers struggle with frozen locks on older trucks, and accessories like tool boxes, truck caps, and hitch locks. A good de-icer, which coats and lubricates, can go a long way to prevent the frustration of fighting a frozen tool box lock in low temps.
Ice Scraper / Brush Combo
Ice Scraper / Snow Brush - This may seem like a no-brainer, but how many times have you seen the person in the grocery store parking lot scraping their windshield with a credit card? Get a decent scraper, your credit card and your fingertips will thank you. When you pick your scraper, we like a combo with a brush. Plenty of times you just need to clear your windows and a scraper alone is not a great option. Stick to something simple and sturdy that you can easily tuck under a seat when it’s not in use.
Wiper Blades - Another one that’s easy to forget when the sun is shining. Wiper blades will take a beating in winter months, so for the relatively low cost, it’s worth tossing on a fresh set regularly to ensure proper function, good visibility, and prevent damage to your glass from worn down wipers.
Low Temp Washer Fluid with De-Icer - This one is easy to miss on. Maybe you just run the same washer fluid all year and it doesn’t freeze, but it doesn’t include a de-icer. The de-icer is crucial when it’s 10 below and your wipers want to collect ice. Available everywhere, well worth it.
Traction Board or Recovery Boards in Action
Traction / Recovery Boards - While traction boards have become a popular item to see strapped to the top of JEEPs and other off-road vehicles, the truth is, it doesn’t take extreme off-roading to get your vehicle stuck in the winter months. An unplowed side street could have you floundering and a set of traction boards could be a time and frustration saving inclusion to your vehicle. You don’t have to spend $200+ for a set to bail you out in an emergency. A low cost set of traction boards in the $50-$75 area will do the trick if your wheels are spinning and you just need to get back on the move.
Emergency Pack - You don’t have to pack like your headed out for a season of Alone, but if you find yourself on the side of the road, it’s smart to be prepared. This can look like a lot of things and you can buy a preassembled kit or build it yourself. There are some items that are year round, but there are a few key things that you should have in your vehicle for winter months. Make sure you have gloves and a winter hat, a warm packable blanket, jumper cables, small first aid kit, fire starter (could be a lighter or waterproof matches), small tool kit, and a flash light. It might sound like a lot, but it shouldn’t take up more space than a backpack and it could save your bacon.
Just a few things to think about this winter to keep you and your family safe and your vehicle protected. So take a few minutes to do a quick check on your vehicle this week and ask yourself if you are really winter ready. If not, let us know how we can help, several of these items we stock in the store, and others we would be happy to order for you. You want to be prepared, because every drive is an adventure.