Camping trailer blown over on Ambassador Bridge

jaycojay · 03-09-2017, 06:02 AM

Windsorstar.com reported yesterday...A camping trailer crossing the Ambassador Bridge got blown over, as SW Ontario (Detroit area) had wind gusts up to 90KMPH ( 56MPH ). Would that scare the #@$^ out of you?

Jagiven · 03-09-2017, 07:39 AM

That would be scary. There are a few bridges I am aware of that are known to blow over high profile vehicles.

I suspect a wind gust greater than 100mph flipped that RV. I was reading an article a few weeks ago about what to do in high wind and how much force is required to flip an RV, and it said it was quite great. I wish I had kept the article to reference back too.

I was parked in a Montana SP a few years back and straight line winds came through the CG. I suspected the wind speeds were about 80 mph. The HTT was rocking off the stabilizers, I suspect the top of the TT, was tipped 4+ inches during the gusts.

wags999 · 03-09-2017, 08:17 AM

Wind is one reason we tend to travel earlier in the day when winds are typically less. By mid afternoon the winds pick up. Being retired were fortunate we can wait a day or two for high winds to subside before we travel.

Robbbyr · 03-09-2017, 08:24 AM

This past Christmas day a fellow forum member had his Seneca blown over by wind while traveling on an interstate. Luckily no one hurt beyond bumps and bruises.

Sure taught me a lesson to respect the wind, even in a heavy Seneca!

Tunce the traveler · 03-09-2017, 08:44 AM

Now if your parked in a campground and you get a high wind warning is it a good idea to hook up with your WDH and sit it out?

homer1959 · 03-09-2017, 09:25 AM

Personnaly i would fill all the tank to their max, that will add a lot of weight at a low center of gravity, but I would not exposed the TV to a flip over of the trailer .........

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tunce the traveler

Now if your parked in a campground and you get a high wind warning is it a good idea to hook up with your WDH and sit it out?

tomnjo · 03-09-2017, 09:43 AM

If I were in the trailer and it was close to flipping over, I would be filling the black tank.

M&A · 03-09-2017, 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomnjo

If I were in the trailer and it was close to flipping over, I would be filling the black tank.

This will have the desired effect of lowering your center of gravity.

repacs0103 · 03-09-2017, 10:13 AM

The highest gusts yesterday in the state were 68 mph measured at Detroit Metro Airport a few miles west of the Ambassador Bridge. My 9000 pound F350 was getting tossed around pretty good, so I can only imagine what it felt like up on top of the bridge.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

ttavasc · 03-09-2017, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jagiven

That would be scary. There are a few bridges I am aware of that are known to blow over high profile vehicles.

I suspect a wind gust greater than 100mph flipped that RV. I was reading an article a few weeks ago about what to do in high wind and how much force is required to flip an RV, and it said it was quite great. I wish I had kept the article to reference back too.

I was parked in a Montana SP a few years back and straight line winds came through the CG. I suspected the wind speeds were about 80 mph. The HTT was rocking off the stabilizers, I suspect the top of the TT, was tipped 4+ inches during the gusts.

Was this by chance the article you were reading --> Can High Winds Flip RVs Parked in a Campground? - RV Life

Tunce the traveler · 03-09-2017, 11:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomnjo

If I were in the trailer and it was close to flipping over, I would be filling the black tank.

Ha Ha Ha Ha !!!, just the laugh I needed to start my day.

Jagiven · 03-09-2017, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homer1959

Personnaly i would fill all the tank to their max, that will add a lot of weight at a low center of gravity, but I would not exposed the TV to a flip over of the trailer .........

The article I read did state to have the tanks full, stabilizers down and hooked up to the TV, slide-outs in.

In our case, no warning, clear skies, the winds from hell just came down out of the mountains. Absolutely no time to close awnings, or batten down the hatches, luckily for us, we did not have our awning out or anything sitting around the campsite.

homer1959 · 03-09-2017, 12:02 PM

Better choose properly your time for flushing....

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomnjo

If I were in the trailer and it was close to flipping over, I would be filling the black tank.

oldnnew · 03-09-2017, 02:06 PM

I think we had a gust of 81 mph in Rochester, NY yesterday. My car was thrown all over the road yesterday. Tractor trailers flipped over everywhere. If I was towing my TT, there is no way I would have even considered traveling with it yesterday. It would have been parked for sure.

jaycojay · 03-09-2017, 07:53 PM

Sister in law and Brother in Law were on their way home from Florida yesterday pulling their Jayflight when they got to the Ambassador Bridge mid afternoon .... had no idea why traffic was backed up. They ended up getting turned around by Bridge Officials and told they could not cross .... so they had to take the Detroit/Windsor tunnel instead. I can never remember seeing so many homes in the area with shingles blown off. 60 degree February, extremely high winds never seen before around here ....gee, what should we be expecting this summer, it's just not right!

Murff · 03-09-2017, 09:37 PM

Trailer Bow Over Video:

https://youtu.be/kwOqARlw1EI

Murff

mdeisenroth · 03-09-2017, 11:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldnnew

I think we had a gust of 81 mph in Rochester, NY yesterday. My car was thrown all over the road yesterday. Tractor trailers flipped over everywhere. If I was towing my TT, there is no way I would have even considered traveling with it yesterday. It would have been parked for sure.

Yes it was the 2nd highest recorded wind speed in Rochester. I would be willing to bet it was the same system that caused the winds in Detroit. Usually our weather follows theirs pretty closely.

sturgissteele · 08-16-2020, 09:51 PM

Hope you don't mind me bumping this thread, but some good info here about using your tank(s) to enhance the COG. We started filling the potable water tank for that very reason. I don't like that it's 500# extra, but I suppose it's better than getting flipped over, although, I understand it's not a guarantee.

Also, from another thread, an app was suggested, called Windy. You might find that handy, too.

RedHorse1 · 08-17-2020, 07:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomnjo

If I were in the trailer and it was close to flipping over, I would be filling the black tank.

Don’t stop there, fill ‘em all.
And, I agree:

Scott · 08-18-2020, 06:44 AM

Personally, I'm not so worried about the TT being flipped over at a CG in a high wind event as I am about a large tree coming down on it. I've seen a lot of big dead branches in trees at both public and private campgrounds. Of course, a tree does not have to be dead to be blown over in the wind.

My Dad had left a CG a day early last month because of strong storms predicted on what would have been his travel day. The storm pummeled the CG. His friends, who stayed, send pictures and it looked like a bomb went off. Trees several feet in diameter were snapped, including one at the site he occupied the day before! No TT were flipped, but several damaged by falling trees.

We shortened our vacation by a day last week because of severe storms predicted on our travel day last week Monday in Chicago. Glad we did. 75+mph straight line winds and 15 tornadoes in the area. Glad we were already home because we would have still been on the road when it hit if we left on schedule. It is important to stay weather aware when you are traveling.

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