Need some advice on how much weight I should add to my 03 1500 ram van, in some pretty heavy winter conditions. I am finding the back sliding out even on a straight line on the highway, way to scary **** for me. Will adding weight help out and if so how much.
Thankd

 

Skinnier tires and better load rating works best. Add the weight just before the axles.

 

Check your tires for the correct recommended pressure and DO NOT let air out of your tires for Winter. This is a myth that lots of people seem to believe but it is absolutely untrue. See your van owner's manual for more information regarding recommended pressures for your front and rear tires.

As far as weight goes you should experiment but I'd say start with at least 200 Lbs (just ahead of the rear axle as Stev says) in order to see any difference in rear traction and tracking.

I'm a BIG fan of running snow tires on all four corners if you can afford it. This makes an incredible difference in traction, tracking and steering.

 

Tires make a huge difference, as will weight over them.

Once, in a lightweight Nissan Van in NewZealand, I found myself at the bottom of a grassy hill when a strong storm rolled out of the southern ocean and large waves began coming too close for comfort to my chosen campsite. I could not get enough traction to drive up the slight slope, so I backed up to a large pile of boulders and piled a few in and tried again, better, but not enough. 3 is the charm and it equaled about 350 pounds of boulders before I could drive up the hill.

Bags of sand are nice as they stack well, and you can open them and spread some sand around if you find yourself stuck.

 

chains are really your best bet... tried and true, regardless of what tires you're running