What's good Roadside Assistance Service for Colorado drivers?

[smihaila]

Originally Posted by COcheesehead

It holds a charge, enough for 20 jumps, for months. The ones we have also can be used to charge cell phones and it has a flashlight.
Jumper cables are useless without another car and sometimes that isn’t an option or you can’t get it nose to nose. I threw mine out after I bought the jumper box.
We have NOCO GB 70’s

So where do you store the NOCO GB 70? Can it be stored in the car's trunk safely, and without its internal li-ion battery expanding / degrading in Colorado summer weather?
You also probably have to check its current charge on a monthly basis or so?

There is a whole plethora of jump starters being tested for real, on the "Project Farm" youtube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMXyoIBJyJA

Both Noco and Gooloo seem to hold strong in the tests.

It seems that beginning with 2023, battery-less (capacitor-based?) jump starters are en vogue now (brands like "autowitt)? And was wondering whether a weakened car battery could pre-charge a battery-less/capacitor-based jumpstarter...

Thanks.

[COcheesehead]

Originally Posted by smihaila

So where do you store the NOCO GB 70? Can it be stored in the car's trunk safely, and without its internal li-ion battery expanding / degrading in Colorado summer weather?
You also probably have to check its current charge on a monthly basis or so?

There is a whole plethora of jump starters being tested for real, on the "Project Farm" youtube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMXyoIBJyJA

Both Noco and Gooloo seem to hold strong in the tests.

It seems that beginning with 2023, battery-less (capacitor-based?) jump starters are en vogue now (brands like "autowitt)? And was wondering whether a weakened car battery could pre-charge a battery-less/capacitor-based jumpstarter...

Thanks.

We store it in the trunk. It’s the size of a book.

[interloper1138]

Originally Posted by smihaila

Trailhead examples - most are along the I-70 to West, or can be around Lyons:
- Deer Creek Canyon (Grizzly Dr)
- Reynolds Park (S Foxton Rd)
- Genesee Park (Golden)
- Alennspark or the free trails network close to Estes Park
- Corwina Park
- Three Sisters park near Evergreen
- Maxwell Falls in Evergreen
- Golden Gate canyon and other State parks (sometimes, mostly on the day when they have free entrance )
- Maryland Hidden Treasure, near Black Hawk
- Sometimes those reachable by dirt roads: Hessie Trailhead near Nederland, Moffat Tunnel in Rollinsville, or between Boulder and Nederland on Magnolia Rd, etc.
- And many others. We rotate between a large set, so that we don't get bored


I don't use winter tires, nor tire chains. I typically stick to reasonable all-season tire brands like Hankook Kinergy PT (was a "believer", but the last batch is really bad, and no longer recommended - already have 2 out of 4 tires punctured and patched).


The car we use for those weekly Saturday outgoings is a 2014 Mazda3.
We also have a 2012 Honda CR-V EX-LN (with 17'' wheels and "AWD"), but we use this one exclusively for daily-commuting 2 kids to schools. Because it's a gas guzzler (23-26 MPG and that's only in city and on flat surface) and it already reached 100k miles on it. So we kind of wish to preserve it's "value" more.
The Mazda3 has only 70k miles and it can easily average 35-37 in city and 30-33 in the mountains, on big inclines. And honestly, the Honda CR-V's "AWD" capabilities did not impress me. At all (hence the use of quotes).


The subject of snow chains is foreign to me, and kind of scares me . Are they safe to mount on sedans? The 2014 Mazda3 is not a very low profile.

Based on all of this, I would agree that your sedan should be more than capable for most of your adventure destinations. I would absolutely look into better tires, though. All-seasons will never be as tough all-terrains, but you should be able to find something a bit less prone to puncture. Admittedly I have always kept a 4WD vehicle running all-terrains due to where I like to recreate, so I've never worried about punctured tires.

Just browsing Tire Rack to see what's available for the stock 2014 Mazda 3 wheels (I picked the iSport trim), these tires look promising.

And if you really want to step it up, apparently there is an all-terrain that will fit your Mazda! Wildpeaks are solid. I ran them on my old Xterra and never had any trouble - and I did some downright stupid things running those... Might look a bit silly on a sedan, but hey, you won't have to worry about punctures or snow anymore.

Regarding snow chains, yes you can absolutely run them on sedans. If they're not mounted properly, they can and will scratch your wheels, though..(ask me how I know...). If you'd like to carry something less likely to hurt your wheels but still give you dramatically improved traction in winter conditions, I've heard very good things about the autosock.

[smihaila]

Originally Posted by interloper1138

All-seasons will never be as tough all-terrains, but you should be able to find something a bit less prone to puncture. Admittedly I have always kept a 4WD vehicle running all-terrains due to where I like to recreate, so I've never worried about punctured tires.

Just browsing Tire Rack to see what's available for the stock 2014 Mazda 3 wheels (I picked the iSport trim), these tires look promising.

And if you really want to step it up, apparently there is an all-terrain that will fit your Mazda! Wildpeaks are solid.

Thank you so much for the Bridgestone and Falken tire recommendations.
My 2014 Mazda3 trim is iTouring with 16'' wheels, but you got the tire sizes right.
About the Wildpeaks which is an all-terrain: Can they be used on normal paved roads, including at highway speed? Would there be a significant loss of fuel efficiency?
I never used all-terrain - are they considered a middle-ground between all-season and winter season?
The Wildpeaks are also priced very competitively, wow.

Originally Posted by interloper1138

I ran them on my old Xterra and never had any trouble - and I did some downright stupid things running those... Might look a bit silly on a sedan, but hey, you won't have to worry about punctures or snow anymore.

Very interesting.

Originally Posted by interloper1138

Regarding snow chains, yes you can absolutely run them on sedans.

Btw, where does one typically buy tire snow chains? Are they commonly available at the usual online or brick-and-mortar tire stores?
Would you be able to recommend a certain model / brand?

Originally Posted by interloper1138

If they're not mounted properly, they can and will scratch your wheels, though..(ask me how I know...).

Some tips on how to minimize wheels contact / scratching?
Oh, and stupid question: When used on paved roads and less snowy-icy (or no snow or ice at all), can tire chains produce car damage, or to the road itself (and hence may get pulled over by police)? I know nothing about tire chains...

Originally Posted by interloper1138

If you'd like to carry something less likely to hurt your wheels but still give you dramatically improved traction in winter conditions, I've heard very good things about the autosock.

The AutoSock is an interesting concept. It's curious how it can survive wear-and-tear. Probably one has to mount them only right before the place of use.

Thanks again for the spot-on advice!

[interloper1138]

Originally Posted by smihaila

Thank you so much for the Bridgestone and Falken tire recommendations.
My 2014 Mazda3 trim is iTouring with 16'' wheels, but you got the tire sizes right.
About the Wildpeaks which is an all-terrain: Can they be used on normal paved roads, including at highway speed? Would there be a significant loss of fuel efficiency?
I never used all-terrain - are they considered a middle-ground between all-season and winter season?
The Wildpeaks are also priced very competitively, wow.

Very interesting.

Btw, where does one typically buy tire snow chains? Are they commonly available at the usual online or brick-and-mortar tire stores?
Would you be able to recommend a certain model / brand?

Some tips on how to minimize wheels contact / scratching?
Oh, and stupid question: When used on paved roads and less snowy-icy (or no snow or ice at all), can tire chains produce car damage, or to the road itself (and hence may get pulled over by police)? I know nothing about tire chains...

The AutoSock is an interesting concept. It's curious how it can survive wear-and-tear. Probably one has to mount them only right before the place of use.

Thanks again for the spot-on advice!

All-Terrains are designed for any type of driving condition, including pavement at highway/interstate speeds. They are the only types of tires I buy for my adventure vehicles and I've never had a puncture or a need for snow chains in the 9 years I've been running them. They do reduce fuel economy compared to all-seasons, but by how much depends on what you're comparing them to and what vehicle you have. I would expect somewhere between 3-6 mpg fuel economy loss.

I've only used snow chains once and that was during an extreme blizzard in 2019 on I-80 between Auburn, CA and Truckee, CA over Donner Pass. I was driving a tiny 1st-gen Honda Insight. They blew out somewhere near the last 10 miles before Truckee and scratched the wheels all to hell but I couldn't stop to take them off because I never would have been able to keep moving if I did. I had just bought the car a few hours earlier and was driving it back to Colorado. My guess is that the chains I picked up were meant for larger tires than what the Insight had (limited options that day) and so they worked themselves loose and got partially pulled off part-way through the drive and started slapping against the wheels while I was driving.

Like the autosock, you certainly only want to run chains for as little as you actually need them in an emergency. They're not meant to be kept on all season or for extended drives. I'm sure you've noticed the chain stations on the shoulders of I-70. You basically stop, put them on, make it until the next chain station, then take them off (conditions permitting).

[smihaila]

Thank you for the additional info.

[McGowdog]

Originally Posted by smihaila

So where do you store the NOCO GB 70? Can it be stored in the car's trunk safely, and without its internal li-ion battery expanding / degrading in Colorado summer weather?
You also probably have to check its current charge on a monthly basis or so?

There is a whole plethora of jump starters being tested for real, on the "Project Farm" youtube channel:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMXyoIBJyJA

Both Noco and Gooloo seem to hold strong in the tests.

It seems that beginning with 2023, battery-less (capacitor-based?) jump starters are en vogue now (brands like "autowitt)? And was wondering whether a weakened car battery could pre-charge a battery-less/capacitor-based jumpstarter...

Thanks.

I like the guy's ratings.

But I like the O'Reilly Super Starter 1200 at $170 for serious business.


https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c...ter/ss02/51200

[smihaila]

Originally Posted by McGowdog

I like the guy's ratings.
But I like the O'Reilly Super Starter 1200 at $170 for serious business.
https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c...ter/ss02/51200

Thanks for the suggestion. Considering the bulkiness, it has an internal lead-acid battery, I presume?

[gemstone1]

Good Sam Roadside Assistance might be worth investigating.