Can we blow over?

Ok - please don't laugh at me since this is our first trip in our brand new North Trail.......but.......we are sitting in ""beautiful"" Rockport, Tx - about 100 feet from the Gulf sea wall and a storm is rolling through with 25 to 35 MPH winds and some 40+ MPH gusts and we are really rocking around in here........truly scary........and my vertigo doesn't make it any more fun. Have to wonder how much wind can this ultra-lite trailer withstand? and what do we do with wind warnings for later? would think we are safer to sit still than to try to move - but - again - it's our first trip and we just don't know. Was about ready to pack up and move to the Hilton at 2 am - truly!! Need any and all advice. Thanks!!
 

happykraut

Well-known member
To answer your question "Can we blow over?" Don't want to scare you any more than you understandable already are, but absolutely can you blow over. A big storm hit a few miles from home and it totally destroyed a Big Country, turned a Montana on its side and moved some rigs off their pads. Don't have the experience to give advice, but I would never drive the rig under those circumstances. We experienced the same winds all day yesterday and through night here in the Lower Rio Grand Valley. Hope all will be OK.
 

Piperflyer

Well-known member
Ok - please don't laugh at me since this is our first trip in our brand new North Trail.......but.......we are sitting in ""beautiful"" Rockport, Tx - about 100 feet from the Gulf sea wall and a storm is rolling through with 25 to 35 MPH winds and some 40+ MPH gusts and we are really rocking around in here........truly scary........and my vertigo doesn't make it any more fun. Have to wonder how much wind can this ultra-lite trailer withstand? and what do we do with wind warnings for later? would think we are safer to sit still than to try to move - but - again - it's our first trip and we just don't know. Was about ready to pack up and move to the Hilton at 2 am - truly!! Need any and all advice. Thanks!!

Did you survive the night alright?
 
Did you survive the night alright?

YES - Indeedy!!! Or is just seems better in the daylight - LOL - anyway - the wind has now turned and not coming from the SE - rather from the NW - part of the big storm rolling through Texas - anyway - now it's hitting the ""nose"" of the trailer - the sloping part - and not broadside like before - still shaking and rattling - but the trailer is not creaking like before - They say same level of wind all day and night - with gusts to 40+MPH - but tomorrow should be a calmer day - we will see.........Not sure I will get used to this - may look for RV parks down in valleys or something - LOL

BarnhartRV
 

JanAndBill

Well-known member
In answer to your question, depends on the sustained wind and the direction. Sitting on the coast last year when 60 mph straight line winds hit the campground. We were nose to the wind and were it not for the tree limbs flying past wouldn't have known much was up. Our friends across from us caught the brunt of it broadside in thier 5th wheel. They didn't go over but it lifted one side off the ground. Made a loud crash when it came back down.
 

TxCowboy

Well-known member
Barnhart, sent you a PM. :)

JanandBill posted the correct answer above. Probably not much to worry about below about 40 mph winds but, again, how the wind is hitting your RV can make a difference.

Make sure you have good chocks so that your wheels don't roll and make sure that your weight is as even as possible on the jacks and wheels.
 

MTPockets

Well-known member
Found a related question on another web site that investigators said a broadside wind of 50 - 55 MPH for 10 seconds would blow over a fifth wheel trailer.. If it's tied/anchored to a solid structure like a tree, it could handle 80 Mph... Not sure what happens over 80, but I wouldn't want to be there.
 

JohnD

Moved on to the next thing...
Make sure to pull in your awnings . . .

And if you have slide toppers you should put your slides in during strong winds.
 

jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
We have been in winds as high as 65 mph gusts and even though the trailer shook it did not blow over. It was not a full broadside wind though. It does get kind of scary though.
 

RoadJunkie

Well-known member
We have been in winds that have caused slides to push in at the top, a bit unnerving. The key may be to prevent an up-lift on the rig...once it starts to go over the up-lift would help to ensure you go all the way. I hate strong wind, too unpredictable.
 

David-and-Cheryl

Well-known member
BarnhartRV, I was wondering the same thing last night! We are on Matagorda Island, right where the Colorado River meets the Gulf of Mexico. Since the front came through yesterday, we've had sustained 30 mph winds with frequent gusts to 40. Unfortunately the wind is hitting us more or less broadside. But although it was loud all night and shook the trailer quite a bit, it never felt unstable. For us it probably sounded worse than it actually was.

I should mention that our rig is a 41' Landmark, so it's probably heavier than yours if you're in a lightweight trailer. I'm sure the weight makes a huge difference.

By the way, if the winds had gotten much higher, I was planning to fill all our water tanks. I figured that would give us another 1,200 lbs or so of ballast, and would also lower our center of gravity. I don't know if it would have helped, though.

Anyway, glad you're safe!


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BudnDonna

Member
David and Cheryl. .. I don't know if it would work either but it sounds like a smart idea.

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jmgratz

Original Owners Club Member
One of my buddies would always hook up to the truck when he was expecting high winds. His reasoning was it would be harder to blow over. hmmmm
 

busted2341

Well-known member
All this wind talk begs for the question from Heartland or any manufacturer. Has any Manufacture done any wind tunnel tests? I would imagine there have been some tests run somewhere but I can't find any documented on the web.

Heartland Run any wind tunnel testing on what sustainable wind would move rigs?
 

TravelTiger

Founding Texas-West Chapter Leaders-Retired
Back in 2011, our trailer was in storage (slides in) when it experienced straight-line winds broadside, we think in excess of 60 MPH, maybe even EF-0 (65-85mph) tornadic winds. It knocked the 5ver front legs off the 6" blocks they were sitting on, and the force bent one of the landing gear. No other stabilizers were down at the time. Since we did not see it happen it's hard to say what exactly occurred.

IMG_5261.jpg
 

donr827

Well-known member
I was told by a fellow camper that if you are expecting high winds while at a cg you can fill all of the tanks with water. It makes sense more weight lower should help. Never needed to try it thank goodness.
Don
 

travelin2

Pennsylvania Chapter Leaders-retired
I would "guess", since we've never been in probably more than 40+/- mph winds in our BH, that regardless what precautions one takes if a tornado is forecast to pass through, screw the camper and seek shelter!


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Thanks to everyone for taking the time to reply - I was really - truly - afraid!!! The trailer was rocking and shaking and I was just plain scared!!! The winds have calmed - although the rainy weather still is not nice - but - at least the winds are calmer and I feel more secure - LOL. Don't even think about suggesting that with all this rain I need to worry about floods - ok????? LOL

Thanks so much for all your kind - and patient responses - Happy New Year to you all and happy RV'ing!!! the Barnharts
 

RoadJunkie

Well-known member
Trailer/RV parks, as we have seen on news brodcasts, are tornado magnets. The trick is to know when to abandon ship and seek a more solid structure to ride out the storm. It is difficult to leave your possessions and one just doesn't know how severe a wind storm might get. We once abandoned ship because of wind, but mostly because we were in a forest of pine trees that I thought might blow over onto us. Gotta know when to fold'em.
 
BarnhartRV, I was wondering the same thing last night! We are on Matagorda Island, right where the Colorado River meets the Gulf of Mexico. Since the front came through yesterday, we've had sustained 30 mph winds with frequent gusts to 40. Unfortunately the wind is hitting us more or less broadside. But although it was loud all night and shook the trailer quite a bit, it never felt unstable. For us it probably sounded worse than it actually was.

I should mention that our rig is a 41' Landmark, so it's probably heavier than yours if you're in a lightweight trailer. I'm sure the weight makes a huge difference.

By the way, if the winds had gotten much higher, I was planning to fill all our water tanks. I figured that would give us another 1,200 lbs or so of ballast, and would also lower our center of gravity. I don't know if it would have helped, though.

Anyway, glad you're safe!


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we are lightweights compared to ya'll............lol..........yes and the wind has picked up a little today - maybe only 25 mph or so but some gusts are pretty huffy - good luck - we are headed back to north Tx on Monday - I think it's warmer up there - LOL
 
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