Get Your Vehicle Ready for Winter: A No-Nonsense Guide from Two Brothers Who’ve Towed Everything

By Lucas & Nick, Owners of Rivers Edge Towing

Get your vehicle ready for winter with a simple, practical guide from Lucas & Nick, two brothers who tow cars for a living. Learn the top winter car prep tips, common mistakes, and how to avoid a cold-weather breakdown in Council Bluffs and Omaha.

If there’s one thing we know after years of towing cars out of ditches, parking lots, fields, drive-thrus (don’t ask), and the occasional landscaping rock island… it’s this:

Winter does not care how busy you are.
Or how “new” your tires are.
Or how “you were just about to get an oil change.”

We’re Lucas & Nick, the brothers behind Rivers Edge Towing, and every winter we see the exact same issues roll in—usually on the coldest day of the year, usually when people are running late, and usually when it could’ve been prevented with a little prep.

So today, we’re giving you the inside scoop.
The real stuff.
The things we wish everyone in Council Bluffs, Omaha, and the surrounding area would do before the first snow hits.

Not the fancy stuff. Not the car-guy jargon.

Just the basics that keep you from calling us at 2 a.m.
(We’ll come, don’t worry. But we’d rather you stay warm and safe.)

Let’s get into it.

1. Check Your Battery Before It Checks Out

If we had a dollar for every winter roadside call related to a dead battery… well, we’d probably be on a beach in Mexico right now instead of writing this blog.

Here’s the deal: Cold weather kills weak batteries.

If your battery is more than 3 years old, go get it tested. Most auto parts stores will do it for free.

Signs your battery is begging for retirement:

• Slow engine cranking

• Flickering headlights

• Clicking noise when starting

• Having to “pray” before turning the key

Pro Tip from Nick:

“If your car hesitates when it starts, that’s not personality. That’s your battery begging for help.”

Don’t wait until a snowstorm at 6 a.m. to find out you need a new one.

2. Tires: Your Car’s Winter Shoes Matter

You know how we all have that one friend who wears Crocs in December?
That’s what your car is doing if you ignore its tires.

Check These Three Things:

✔️ Tire Tread

Stick a penny in your tread head-down. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head?
It’s time for new tires.

✔️ Tire Pressure

Cold weather can drop pressure dramatically.
Low pressure = bad traction + faster wear + terrible gas mileage.

Put air in now, not after the “Low Tire Pressure” light has been haunting you for a week.

✔️ Consider Snow Tires

Are snow tires necessary for everyone? No.
Do they make winter driving in Iowa/Nebraska dramatically safer? Yes.

Lucas’s take:

“If you slide around like Bambi on ice every winter, snow tires might be cheaper than paying us to tow you out every year.”

3. Get an Oil Change (Especially If You're Overdue)

Your engine works harder in cold weather. Old oil gets sluggish, thick, and cranky—kind of like us when it’s 10 degrees and we’re crawling under a truck.

Don’t push your oil change another 3,000 miles.
Winter is the time to show your engine a little love.

4. Test Your 4WD or AWD System

If you’ve got four-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, check it now—not the first day the roads turn into a skating rink.

Find a safe place (your driveway or a parking lot) and switch it on.

If it:

• Doesn’t engage

• Makes weird noises

• Acts like it’s possessed

Go get it checked. You don’t want surprise transmissions issues when you’re trying to climb a hill in January.

5. Fix Your Wipers & Top Off Washer Fluid

Winter visibility can go from “fine” to “WHAT EVEN IS THE ROAD?” in about five seconds.

Replace your wipers if:

• They streak

• They screech

• They leave that weird snake pattern on your windshield

• They’re older than six months

And for the love of everything holy, use winter washer fluid—the kind that doesn’t freeze.

6. Check Your Heater and Defrosters

We’re not trying to ruin your day, but there is nothing—nothing—worse than a heater going out in December.

Try both your heat and defrosters before it gets cold:

• If it blows cold?

• If it smells weird?

• If it sounds like a tiny animal is living in your vents?

Get that checked before winter really kicks in.

7. Keep Your Gas Tank at Least Half Full

Yes, we know—gas prices aren’t fun.
But you know what’s less fun?

Running out of gas in 10-degree weather.
Or having your fuel lines freeze.

Keeping your tank at ½ or more prevents both.

Think of it as winter insurance.

8. Build (or Refresh) Your Winter Emergency Kit

Every car needs a basic winter kit. Not a “doomsday bunker” level kit. Just enough to keep you safe if you slide off the road or get stuck waiting for us.

What we recommend:

• Warm blanket

• Gloves

• Flashlight

• Water

• Non-perishable snack

• Ice scraper

• A small shovel

• Phone charger

• Jumper cables

• A bag of kitty litter (seriously—traction magic)

Lucas’s note:

“Listen, kitty litter is the cheap hero of winter driving. Don’t question it.”

9. Check Your Lights (All of Them)

Early sunsets + snow + fog = you need every light working.
Do a quick walk-around and check:

• Headlights

• Brake lights

• Turn signals

• Reverse lights

• Hazard lights

Replace anything dim, flickering, or dead.

If one headlight is out, replace both. The second one isn’t far behind.

10. Make Sure Your Brakes Are in Good Shape

Winter is not the season to rely on “they should be fine.”

If your brakes:

• Squeal

• Grind

• Vibrate

• Smell like burning

PLEASE get them checked.

Stopping distance is longer in winter. Give yourself—and everyone else on the road—a fighting chance.

11. Don’t Rely on Luck (Or Last Year’s Prep)

We hear it all the time:

“I made it through last winter fine.”

Cool.
Winter doesn’t care.

Cars change. Road conditions change. Weather changes.
Being ready now means you’re not stranded later.

12. The Most Common Winter Mistakes We See (Please Avoid These)

If you don’t read anything else… read this.
These are the top “oops” moments that lead to our tow trucks rolling.

❌ Driving with almost no tread

“Bald tires” + “icy road” = a call to us

❌ Ignoring weird noises

Your car is talking. It’s not flirting.

❌ Letting the gas tank hit empty

It freezes. You get stuck. You call us. Repeat cycle.

❌ Leaving the same wipers on for 2+ years

They are not family heirlooms. Replace them.

❌ Not brushing snow off the roof

That snow will slide down your windshield mid-drive and give you a horror-movie moment.

13. Why Winter Prep Matters (From Two Guys Who See the Worst)

Look, we’re in the towing business.
We make money when things go wrong.

But honestly?
We’d rather see fewer accidents and fewer people freezing on the side of I-80.

Winter prep keeps you:

• Safe

• Warm

• Out of the ditch

• Out of expensive repairs

• And yes… off our tow truck

We’ll always be here when you need us—but we’d rather you not need us every week.

14. When to Call Us (Because Things Still Happen)

Even with the best prep, Iowa and Nebraska winters can be unpredictable.

Call us if:

• Your car won’t start

• You slid off the road

• Your battery died

• Your tire blew

• Your engine quit

• You just need help and don’t know who else to call

We’re 24/7, fast, and local, serving:

• Council Bluffs

• Omaha

• Crescent

• Underwood

• And all surrounding areas

We take pride in showing up quickly and treating people the way we hope someone would treat our family.

Final Thoughts from Lucas & Nick

Winter isn’t the enemy.
Being unprepared is.

Give your car a little attention now and you’ll save yourself stress, time, money, and maybe a little embarrassment when we show up to tow you out of a parking lot snow pile.

If you ever need help, advice, a tow, or you just want to hear two brothers argue about whose truck is faster… we’re here.

Stay safe, stay warm, and get that winter prep done before the first flurry hits.

Need a Tow? Call Rivers Edge Towing Anytime.

📞 24/7 Emergency Towing & Roadside Assistance
Fast • Reliable • Local