My old truck's heater gave out in a snowstorm on I-80 last winter

I was about 20 miles east of Rock Springs, Wyoming, driving my '98 Ford Ranger to the jobsite. The temperature dropped fast and the snow started coming down hard. My heater, which had been making a weird noise, just blew cold air all of a sudden. My hands were getting stiff on the wheel. I pulled off at the next exit, which was just a gas station and a closed diner. I remembered an old wool blanket I kept under the seat for my dog. I wrapped that around my legs, turned the defrost on full blast just to keep the window clear, and drove the rest of the way going about 40 miles per hour with my hazards on. It took me over an hour to go 30 miles. What do you guys do to stay warm if your car heater dies in the cold?

3 comments

3 Comments

patricialee2d ago

Oh man, that's brutal! I used to just tough it out, but after a close call like yours, I keep a sleeping bag in the trunk now.

seanjackson2d ago

That's a solid move, keeping a sleeping bag ready. I got caught in a white-out on I-80 a few years back and had to just sit there for hours with the heat on, watching the gas gauge drop. It was a real wake-up call. Now I've got one of those foil emergency blankets and some granola bars stuffed in the glove box. Makes you feel a bit less helpless when the weather turns nasty.

the_sam2d ago

Got a power bank for your phone too?