Buying the best snow chains for 3500kg motorhome and getting the right size

[MEANDHEROUTDOORS]

With a trip in our motorhome coming up that might involve ice and snow we want to get some decent snow chains. Does anyone have any recommendations from experience that might help us make a good choice? Our van is 3500kg on a 2019 Fiat Ducato chassis and has alloy wheels. Sizing also seems to be complicated, our wheels are 225x 75x 16 but looking at a Konig chart it looks as if we need a 245 set of chains ? I don’t want to have to return them because I’ve ordered to wrong size. Any advice appreciated. 

[laimeduck]

I have a set of RUD Matic 4x4 chains that might fit your vehicle and I am selling them as I've just bought some snow socks.

We bought the chains 2nd hand to fit our Jeep Cherokee when we used to tow a caravan for Alpine skiing, and I found that they were the right size for my Ducato Benimar motorhome. They are top of the range chains originally in the £100's and seemingly never used. I certainly have never used them.

Where in the UK are you? If you are interested I'd be happy for you to come and trial fit the chains?

I am on Romney Marsh in Kent

Jeremy

EDIT - I've just looked up the price of Konig chains! £400? Blimey!

If the RUDMatics fit I'd save you 75% of that including having then shipped to you!

 

[peterjl]

Hi.

our Moho, now a year old, has the same size wheels as yours soooooo I am going to have to buy yet another set of chains ( I have a collection, a different set for every Moho).

I have purchased from Roofbox in the past, they have a set of Koenig at just over £100
 

i have had to use chains in anger a few times but never for that great a distance, maybe 5 or 6 miles to get out of a ski resort sooooo, in my view, no point in getting top of range set that I may only use a few times any one trip.

 

also, with that size wheel ltd space in wheel arch and Fiat manual suggests max thickness of 16mm if I remember correctly.

what I would recommend is practice putting them on and off. Lots of practice before you travel cos you can guarantee you will be putting them on in horrendous weather conditions and poor light.

Have a great trip

 

peter 

[witzend]

Don't think these'll fit yours but maybe usefull to someone else and they've been for sale for some time so I'd try a offer  https://tinyurl.com/2p9h4mwc

[Keithl]

As an alternative to chains have you considered Auto Socks? https://www.autosock.co.uk/

[witzend]

9 minutes ago, Keithl said:

As an alternative to chains have you considered Auto Socks? https://www.autosock.co.uk/

But would they meet the New French requirements ?

[Keithl]

3 minutes ago, witzend said:

But would they meet the New French requirements ?

"AutoSock are approved as a snowchain alternative, in Switzerland and across the EU (except Austria)"

[MEANDHEROUTDOORS]

Hi, Thankyou for your useful comments , we have just ordered some snow socks. A combination of high price for chains , possibility they’ll never be used and other user experience has helped us make up our minds. Great help.

[spirou]

The thing is... When you get to the point that you need them, it doesn't help that you got socks instead of chains. That said, there's hardly a winter when I didn't have to back away from an unclimbable pass/destination even with chains on (Zauchensee, Turracher Hohe, Heidialm etc.) A heavy van just wasn't designed for steep climbs (15%+) out of slow corners in deepish snow or ice. Sometimes you just need to wait for the snow plows to get where you're going.

[witzend]

Took a couple of days to find a link but I got 6 of these had them several yrs  easiest fitting chains I found 3 0n each wheel 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B6DVB8XD/?coliid=IKF1GEHE6LBSM&colid=21DMNB2SOZOO0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it&th=1

[derek500]

We'll be doing our annual Somport Tunnel crossing in January.   Don't expect to need chains as we always check the weather and road conditions on the French/Spanish government websites before deciding whether to avoid and stay on the Atlantic coast until Irun.  

But if we are stopped in non-snow conditions, what are the cheapest and lightest legal chains, to avoid a fine?

Or is this just another French law like the breathalyser one?

[Keithl]

19 minutes ago, derek500 said:

But if we are stopped in non-snow conditions, what are the cheapest and lightest legal chains, to avoid a fine?

Snow Auto Socks, link above...

[witzend]

2 hours ago, derek500 said:

We'll be doing our annual Somport Tunnel crossing in January. But if we are stopped in non-snow conditions, what are the cheapest and lightest legal chains, to avoid a fine?

Or is this just another French law like the breathalyser one?

My choice is the Amazon link above can't be any Questions then they are Chains Very easily fitted don't even had to move the van when fitting. Never having used socks I can't comment on their effectiveness but these chains do bite in and work.

[webby1]

I like those Amazon chains and they look really easy to fit.

[derek500]

Thanks for all your help.   I never intend to use them and am getting them for the sole purpose of not being fined if spot checked when driving through one of the zones.

I decided on these.  £19.99 inc p&p.

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/193815757917?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=wdtYPdPTQPS&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=YOGNpREuT7y&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

[mtravel]

On 12/10/2022 at 9:28 PM, Keithl said:

As an alternative to chains have you considered Auto Socks? https://www.autosock.co.uk/

It can often happen that there is not enough snow and the tarmac is easily accessible.

I'd be curious how many hundreds of meters they can travel on it before tearing.

 

[witzend]

23 hours ago, webby1 said:

I like those Amazon chains and they look really easy to fit.

When I've used them the wife treads them thru the wheels I just tighten them up done in  minutes

[GandJP]

A friend bought snow chains in a supermarket in France for 50 euro's a couple of weeks ago as he was going down through France to Spain.