It’s snowplow season: What you need to know

From an NTEA member We are an upfitter that regularly installs snowplows. Many customers believe four-wheel drive trucks are always factory-prepped for plow attachment, but we know that isn’t always true. How can we educate our customers to select the correct chassis for the job? You are correct — not all four-wheel drive trucks are factory-prepped for snowplow installation. As you indicate, it’s important to follow a robust procedure when spec’ing snowplow vehicles. 1. Determine if the selected vehicle is properly equipped to support a snowplow. Chassis manufacturers offer snowplow preparation (prep) packages on specific four-wheel drive pickup trucks within their portfolio. Their vehicle offerings and required equipment guidelines are based on multiple factors, including the ability to meet specific Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) when equipped with a snowplow. As the final-stage manufacturer or alterer, you have an obligation to ensure the vehicle equipped with a snowplow continues to meet the required FMVSS. 2. Understand chassis manufacturer guidelines and limitations. Since snowplows and their mounting hardware add both weight and structure to the front of the vehicle, crash compliance, airbag deployment, braking, ride/handling, engine cooling, lighting and other vehicle performance areas can be affected. Vehicle offerings and guidelines chassis OEMs provide take into account performance requirements and options, so staying within chassis manufacturer limits is a large part of meeting your certification requirements. Whether a customer begins specification development with a particular pickup model or with the plow, these guidelines can be used to help determine a suitable pickup model/plow combination. Plow guidelines typically list minimum option content for front gross axle weight rating (FGAWR), suspension, tires and other features key to the truck’s ability to accommodate plows up to a certain weight. 3. Make sure the vehicle with its installed snowplow will meet safety standards. Some, but not all, applicable FMVSS standards are FMVSS 105/135: Braking, FMVSS 208: Occupant Crash Protection, and FMVSS 301: Fuel System Integrity. Many of these safety standards require extensive and complicated testing to ensure the plow vehicle will still meet safety standards after snowplow installation. Trucks with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 10,000 pounds or less must meet complicated safety standards which result in detailed, specific snowplow application guidance you will need to consider when choosing a vehicle for snowplow installation. Additionally, many pickup manufacturers recommend ballast to help balance occupant weight in the cab and the snowplow positioned in front of the vehicle, which prevents the truck from exceeding its FGAWR. Specific requirements for options, axle ratings and other limitations can typically be found in each OEM’s body builder information. Ford, GM and RAM body builder materials have sections dedicated to snowplow installation guidelines and limitations. Additionally, many snowplow manufacturers have plow application guides. It’s important to check the chassis OEM’s recommendations against the plow manufacturer’s. If there is a discrepancy, contact the plow manufacturer and ask about safety standard testing for the vehicles that are not on the chassis OEM’s approved list. Plow manufacturers’ application guides typically contain guidelines for the amount and use of ballast weight and are part of many snowplow application requirements. Guidelines should be used in conjunction with meeting all other FMVSS, vehicle and plow manufacturer requirements. OEM braking guidance for FMVSS 105/135 will likely include a limit for the allowable amount of weight on the front axle — shown as a percentage of the total vehicle weight. Ballast is normally used to address additional weight of the removable plow, which may overload FGAWR. Assisting customers with selecting the proper truck for their snowplow prior to purchase will help manage the disappointment of discovering they do not have the correct vehicle for their needs. Consulting chassis and plow manufacturer guidelines will aid in identifying the proper truck for the job. After all, we know choosing the right snowplow vehicle is more complicated than just needing four-wheel drive. If it was all that was needed for a snowplow installation, you might see a four-wheel drive passenger car with a snowplow passing you on the road — which would be an unusual sight!

It’s snowplow season: What you need to know

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