With weight in the back and a good tire chain on the rear you would be surprised just how far off road you can get a freighted truck in deep snow. Our work tundras had to run year round in north central utah and off road at that. Now, keeping in mind it was light utah snow bumper plowing height was normal, over the hood in some of the drifts worked if you kept moving and had weight in the back ( on flat roads)
Here is how I look at chains, if you need them, you really need them so get something good. On my tacoma I can only mount them on the rear ties. No clearance on the front. I carry two types of chains year round in the truck. A heavy duty set of v bar ladder chains for off road, or onroad if it is bad. I run weight in the back, have 4x4, and quality studded, skinny winter tires. I also use sound judgement with when I go out. I have yet to find an on road situation where I would need to put on my rear chains. If I do... I have zero issues running the v bars on the road if that means I get home safe, because odds are I got caught with my pants down by a fast moving winter dumping or things have gone fairly wrong and I Have to get where I am going. We average about 300 inches of snow here where I live above 5,000 feet my drive way is 1/4 mile 9 percent grade and dirt, and they dont even fire up the plow trucks till there is 4 inches on the road unless there is a steep hill on a school bus route. I figure if you have to put them on, you might as well have the best traction you can get from those two tires. I also carry 2 sets or 4 total " track grabber" devices. There are big rubber blocks that fit through the rim holes on a ratchet strap and lash on the tire. the blocks have big groves on them. the idea is low speed, get unstuck by lifting the truck up and then spinning the tire. you caqn put two or more per tire based on where you have traction ( damn open diffs) or one per tire. Unless you are high centered they work well for snow and mud. im into the whole set up less than 300 bucks short of needing a winch it will get me out of most tricky spots involving reasonable amounts of mud or snow on or off road.
the rubber bungee things that come with the chains are total crap. You can buy better ones fairly cheaply that have decent hooks and are made of thicker rubber. The ones they design for tractor or skidsteer tires are nice. I also make sure to have 20-30 feet of 550 para cord with the chains. you can do the same action as the bungee with the para cord by tying on to one link then criss crossing back and forth around the tires with the cord. cheap, durable, easy on and off. I use this on my quad all winter for plowing, have never actually use it on the truck. Not sure how long it would last on a truck vs ATV but it is fast easy and cheap so if I only get one use out of it then im ok with it. Pliers, old sleeping pad or yoga mat and some wodden blocks to drive up onto are all nice for making the action of putting chains on and taking them off easy and fast. oh and for keepiung you dry in the process. dont forget the gloves.
best of luck.
