Anyone driven to the Alps this season in their RRS?

I'm off to La Tania in two weeks and not sure what to do about chains. Never had to use them in the past so have just wasted ££ hiring but I know if I turn up without them they won't let me up the mountain

They're not cheap in 20" and I'm worried about using them on those wheels to be honest!! Old enough to know better,
Young enough not to care!!!
___________________________
55 Plate RRS HSE TDV6, Dynamic Pack, Java Black, Black leather, Privacy glass, S-Charged grills/vents, Black badges
& 04 Plate Mitsubishi EVO VIII FQ-340 with Endless stoppers

What about getting a set of those 'socks' instead. Being fabric, they wont damage the alloys and are easier to store in the boot.
See them at http://www.autosock.co.uk/ or http://www.roofbox.co.uk Matt
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RRS ownership for 1 yr, then D3 for 2 yrs. Then cut back to old bangers and working my way back up through two Peugeots in 6 months. Now got Saab 9-5 2.3t and enjoying the performance!

They look fantastic, never seen those before.

We were in the Alps in Austria for 6 weeks this year (we have a place there) and needed winter tyres. The snow was so heavy that I saw a Porsche Cayenne with all four tyres sporting snow-chains and a number of BMW X5s with snow chains on the front end. We had no trouble at all with winter tyres on. It was not much fun with the continentals on in the snow but it was manageable so long as you used snow and grass mode and drove slowly. Heavy slush on the main roads is the problem if you dont have winter tyres.
Enjoy your skiing!! (and be prepared for loads of people to stare, point and come up and ask you about your car!!)

The Autosock is brilliant, but I don't think they make them yet for big tyres?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was led to beleive by LR that you can't use snow chains with 20" wheels. Is that the case or not? TDV6 - gone
TDV8 - gone
Audi Q5 3.0 Tdi Sline wef 6/11/10

Just came back this weekend from Samoens (France). The wife was driving up to meet us at the end of the days skiing and it had been snowing for a couple of hours and started settling on the road. She subsequently ran the RR S/C into a ditch!!! Got out OK in snow mode but experienced a 4 wheel slide at 5mph. Verry scary. I have driven on snow many times and never experienced this before, Suggest you seriously look at alternative tyres or spiders/socks as mentioned by others. Took a photo and will post soon.
Be carefull. 4.2 SC, Metallic Welly Green, Drop Plate Tow Bar, Dealer Tints & Roof Bar System. Traded in RR 4.4 Vogue.

Auto sock - No good for Supercharged as they dont fit 20" wheels  
" WITH MORE EXTRAS THAN A HOLLYWOOD EPIC "

MDP wrote:

Auto sock - No good for Supercharged as they dont fit 20" wheels

Have a look at http://www.snowchains.com
They have chains to fit 20" (or larger) wheels and they also do hiring too. Matt
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RRS ownership for 1 yr, then D3 for 2 yrs. Then cut back to old bangers and working my way back up through two Peugeots in 6 months. Now got Saab 9-5 2.3t and enjoying the performance!

It was more the clearance issue in the wheel arch with 20" wheels and snowchains that I was worried about.
So has anyone tried driving with 20" and snowchains? TDV6 - gone
TDV8 - gone
Audi Q5 3.0 Tdi Sline wef 6/11/10

Nope, but judging by the wintry scenes outside of my study window at the moment I might be needing them soon! Anybody else got snow (at least anybody that doesn't expect to have snow today!)? 

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Its trying TDV6 - gone
TDV8 - gone
Audi Q5 3.0 Tdi Sline wef 6/11/10

mpwox11 wrote:

What about getting a set of those 'socks' instead. Being fabric, they wont damage the alloys and are easier to store in the boot.
See them at http://www.autosock.co.uk/ or http://www.roofbox.co.uk

I did look at those but as mentioned, they don't sell in 20" Can't seem to find a UK importer of "snow claws" either.

canaryman wrote:

We were in the Alps in Austria for 6 weeks this year (we have a place there) and needed winter tyres. The snow was so heavy that I saw a Porsche Cayenne with all four tyres sporting snow-chains and a number of BMW X5s with snow chains on the front end. We had no trouble at all with winter tyres on. It was not much fun with the continentals on in the snow but it was manageable so long as you used snow and grass mode and drove slowly. Heavy slush on the main roads is the problem if you dont have winter tyres.
Enjoy your skiing!! (and be prepared for loads of people to stare, point and come up and ask you about your car!!)

Heir Loss wrote:

Just came back this weekend from Samoens (France). The wife was driving up to meet us at the end of the days skiing and it had been snowing for a couple of hours and started settling on the road. She subsequently ran the RR S/C into a ditch!!! Got out OK in snow mode but experienced a 4 wheel slide at 5mph. Verry scary. I have driven on snow many times and never experienced this before, Suggest you seriously look at alternative tyres or spiders/socks as mentioned by others. Took a photo and will post soon.
Be carefull.

I think you'll be faced with putting up with current tyres or getting snow/winter tyres for your journey. Most cars with low profile tyres have issues with snow chains I have found. L319 D4 HSE

1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF

1982 Series 3 SWB

"roofbox" sell snow claws, and that looks like the only option right now. TDV6 - gone
TDV8 - gone
Audi Q5 3.0 Tdi Sline wef 6/11/10