ok there are a bunch of numbers floating around out there about the 'safe' ice thickness for a quarter-ton truck. Heck, the DNR says 8-12" okay? so is that 3/4 foot or a foot? lol. So, anyone have some 'official' numbers before i risk losing my baby due to and estimate of numbers lol. possibly sticky on this one zach

 

Yea id say no less than 7 or 8 inches. Dont want to chance anything.

 

Amen to that. This is not a subject you want to "cut close"

 

Yea. I would hate seeing my truck sink to the bottom.

 

my ranger has been out on 6 inches of ice before...i DEFINITELY would not go any lower than that though...I've had my fourwheeler (520lbs) with me (200lbs) out on a little over 2 inches of ice with no problems

 

This is a 4000lb vehicle we are talkign about here, hah.. i woudnt personally go less then 10 myself to put that extra safe factor into it.

 

Ice road truckers drive on 6" of ice I think.... (correct me if I'm wrong)

I wouldn't go more than 10" though if it were me.

 

I doubt a semi could drive over 6 inches without it falling through.

 

my dad and i took our jeep wrangler out on about 8 inches with no problem

i'd say bare minimum is 6 inches .....any less, you're risking it

but it also depends on the truck..

lifts, camper shells and bigger tires add extra weight
and a 4.0 will weigh more than a 2.3

 

well also, with 18 wheels, the weight is distributed more, rather than 4. its still pushing it though, ive seen the show.

 

It's all about how solid the ice is. Ice could be 2 foot thick but if there are bubbles and/or other stuff in the ice then its not as strong. If that makes sense.

 

Yea that makes sense. Also, newer ice is stronger than old ice.

 

yes, and theres the factor of how they can only go so fast. Becuase a certain speed creates a wave underwater, and it it gets too big, its busts through.

 

8-10 inches for cars, small-mid size
10-12 light trucks, large cars,suv's
12-14 larger trucks,bigger suv's
15+ all other vehicles
this is the numbers from MNDNR. safety is paramount

 

THis guy is the one i would trust.

look where he lives... Minnesota, The state is known as the "Land of 10000 Lakes"

 

Lmao

 

Yea we know our s*** when it comes to lakes.

 

No ice is Safe. I put a four wheeler under in over ten inches of ice. That being said what edgeholic put is a fair risk assessment. I drive on the Ice every year, but I know that I am risking my truck and my life everytime I do it.



^ that's my truck in the middle of Forest Lake last week on 16" of ice.

 

I think I'd just keep my truck on the shore and take the quad or snowmobile out...I'd rather risk losing a toy than my main transportation should such a situation arise.

Just this week alone, we had a quad and a snowmobile go through the ice on Lake Simcoe. It's just not thick enough yet.

 

It would have to be at least 12 in thick in my book.

Ice freaks me out.

 

Is that lake in Forest Lake, or is it in South Dakota? I was on Lake Chisago last week, pretty close to Forest Lake.

 

Saw a news item on TV up here warning that people shouldn't venture out on ice less than 4" thick.

So you figure that to be on the conservative side that's about a 200 lb man.

Extrapolating from that, if it were my truck, I wouldn't take it out on anything less than a foot thick, and even then I'd be very wary - movement of weight equivalent to a truck can cause undulations in ice anywhere near open water. On a closed bay, or completely frozen lake, maybe different.

But I agree with one thing - no such thing as totally safe when you venture out on ice; there are simply too many variables to consider. Even watching some one else go on ahead of you with a heavier vehicle is no guarantee - they may weaken the ice enough so that when it's your turn, you'll go through.

The lighter the better, and don't go out any further than you have to.

 

Why do you need to drive on a lake?

Take a bicycle with you and just ride on it.

Or better yet, SKI!

My boss drove a Gradall from one side of the lake to the other. He said it was the scariest thing he has ever done in his life. He heard the ice cracking over the loud *** exhaust of the machine.

 

I was on 8 - 10 inches last week (depending on what area of the bay I was on). Fished for a bit. Left. Watched the news later in the day, a guy went through right where I was.






Next time I'll walk until I see 12".

 

Why do you feel the need to drive on ice? see above pics!!! thats enought to convince me that it aint worth it, I can walk!