Moving from Vegas to Northern Minnesota

[lcoff]

I have a diesel Gladiator that has never left the desert. We have decided to move to northern Minnesota and will close on a house there at the end of July. I recently put on a set Falken Wildpeak AT3W tires. These have the snow flake symbol on them and supposedly are good for snow, so hopefully I am good there.
Is there anything else that I need to do to my truck to prepare it for winter? Anything that I should be aware of?

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[Summitsearcher]

Window scraper

 

[aldo98229]

Northern Minnesota...? Brrr...! That’ll be a change!

Diesels are notoriously fickle in cold weather starts. I’d check on the need for an engine block heater. Chances are the dealers in Minnesota know how to install them.

Hope the truck already has the Cold Weather Group and the hardtop. You will want both.

This is what it will be like to drive in winter —from the movie Fargo

Good luck!

 

[aldo98229]

Window scraper

Yup. And winter windshield fluid and wipers. Something that can withstand -40F.

 

[lcoff]

Northern Minnesota...? Brrr...! That’ll be a change!

Diesels are notoriously fickle in cold weather starts. I’d check on the need for an engine block heater. Chances are the dealers in Minnesota know how to install them.

Hope the truck already has the Cold Weather Group and the hardtop. You will want both.

Good luck!

Huge change! From one extreme to another! I almost skipped the Cold Weather Group and hard top, not much need for them, very happy that I got them now. I am not 100% sure, but I thought that I had read that all Gladiators have a block heater although they only include the plug if you purchase the package.

 

[aldo98229]

Huge change! From one extreme to another! I almost skipped the Cold Weather Group and hard top, not much need for them, very happy that I got them now. I am not 100% sure, but I thought that I had read that all Gladiators have a block heater although they only include the plug if you purchase the package.

Could very well be. It shows as an inexpensive option on the Jeep.com builder app.

 

[lcoff]

Yup. And winter windshield fluid and wipers. Something that can withstand -40F.

Good point! Going to have to look into heated blades.

 

[aldo98229]

Good point! Going to have to look into heated blades.

I went to school in Northern Ontario, Canada. Is the exact same weather you are moving to in northern Minnesota.

Canadian stores are much better stocked of winter items. If the border is reopened by then, and you get the chance to drive across, you will find heavy duty wiper blades, gallons of winter windshield fluid, and a whole bunch other stuff, relatively inexpensively.

 

[lcoff]

I went to school in northern Ontario, Canada. Is the exact same weather you are moving to in northern Minnesota.

Northern Ontario, Canada.... guess that picture you posted must be pretty accurate. Definitely going to be a new experience.

 

[aldo98229]

Northern Ontario, Canada.... guess that picture you posted must be pretty accurate. Definitely going to be a new experience.

If you haven’t seen Fargo, you should watch it.

Not only it is an excellent movie, but it gives you a pretty realistic feel for what life’s like in North America’s frozen tundra.

 

[red/green hawk]

Block heater, diesel does gel up if it gets too cold. Sand bags for weight in the back. Set of good chains, tire chains that is.

 

[red/green hawk]

Oh yeah, a snow mobile too.
Decent canoe for boundary water trips. And for that matter 20lb test with steel leaders for Muskie and Northern. Lots of Deep woods OFF mosquito repelent.

 

[lcoff]

Oh yeah, a snow mobile too.
Decent canoe for boundary water trips. And for that matter 20lb test with steel leaders for Muskie and Northern. Lots of Deep woods OFF mosquito repelent.

Already have the wife convinced that we need some kayaks and working on the snowmobiles. We are visiting right now and learned all about the mosquitos today! Gonna have to learn to fish again, haven't done it since I was a kid.

 

[lcoff]

Block heater, diesel does gel up if it gets too cold. Sand bags for weight in the back. Set of good chains, tire chains that is.

Gonna shop for chains. We have a heated garage but I am still going to look more into the block heater. Thanks for the advice!

 

[aldo98229]

I’d hold off on buying tire chains until you get there.

Tire chain laws vary dramatically from state to state. In fact, they were illegal in Ontario from what I recall.

Unlike the snow we get west of the Rockies, the snow they get in the Midwest is very dry. Nine times out of 10, a good set of tires, a rear LSD and a steady foot is all you need.

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