Wind

For what? driving, sitting in an RV space? In any event pretty subjective and depends upon the driver if moving, and are the winds front, back, cross? What are you looking for?

Cross winds are dangerous but they become more so with high profile vehicles (semi's) meeting or even passing you. 10-15 cross winds get dangerous with passing traffic, passing a grain elevator or high building in the middle of Kansas can suck you across into the other lane in a second.

There is no pat answer to this question.
 
There is no really stock answer. For me, if it’s rocking enough I’m thinking about it, I’ll hook the truck up.
 
It is still going to be a question of direction. We have a weather station mounted on our NP so we can see actual wind speeds. We took a gust of 76 MPH in N Texas two years ago that hit directly on the nose and hardly moved the RV. This spring, we caught a gust from a thunderstorm of 48 MPH broadside and it shook the whole trailer to the point I was a bit worried about it lifting up. Weight plays a part too and where the weight is. Full water/grey/black tanks add a bunch of weight and lower the center of gravity.
 
I was in a downburst a number of years back (Montana), as I recall the wind speeds were around 80 mph (maybe a bit higher like a 100, there is a post with the info), hitting us on the side. Our TT rocked like a boat in gale winds. Stabilizers were down, not connected to the TV. We were in the camper. It felt like the TT was coming up off the stabilizers at time, it just rocked back an forth. No damage.
 
direction, duration, terrain...

No stock answer. If someone says "67mph" then there are conditions which would cause it to tip at 58mph.

Straightline winds came thru the St Vrain campground a few years ago. One 5th wheel was toppled, a few were twisted around, and a few were untouched.

All campers were in the same loop.
 
direction, duration, terrain...

No stock answer. If someone says "67mph" then there are conditions which would cause it to tip at 58mph.

Straightline winds came thru the St Vrain campground a few years ago. One 5th wheel was toppled, a few were twisted around, and a few were untouched.

All campers were in the same loop.

As pconroy said, no Stock Answer. I Received this link from someone, not sure who, but it shows that your question is hard to answer. This is a 51,000 lb Class A.

https://mnmgo.com/our-motorhome-was-destroyed/
 
I have a Jayco Eagle 317RLOK that survived hurricane Ian last year with winds over a hundred. A friends Everest blew over during hurricane Charlie with winds aprox. 140mph.
 
I agree with others that mention the wind direction is a huge factor. Although I haven't had to stop traveling often due to high winds, I have done so more than once for sure. What I try to do and suggest to others is check the local reports (radar, NOAA, windy.com perhaps) and try to determine the wind direction currently and forecasted and then park in an area where I can point the RV into the wind. That helps a lot. This can't easily be done when you are already setup at a campground however, when getting setup and choosing a spot at a campground, if you know high winds are coming, then you can use that knowledge in an effort to choose a site that more likely will be facing into the wind instead of it hitting your RV on the side. For example the motorhome that was blown over and shared in the above link, with such a large parking lot if they had parked into the wind then I highly doubt it would have blown over or even been damaged. ~CA
 
Last edited:
More than 20 years ago I march ordered and drove home just ahead of a tornado in north Alabama. We got hammered by wind and hail driving home and one whole side of our old aluminum sided 30’ 5th wheel got pelted and dimpled. There was a few instances where I thought the camper was going to break loose but I just kept moving forward and made it home. I’d prefer not to have to do that again in our 42’ Jayco if possible.
 
My wife has never be afraid of driving the RV. From when it was a 5th wheel pulled by a Duramax to a Greyhawk 29MVP but then she is a farm girl who pulled horse and cattle trailers, hay trailers and grain trailers with large diesel truck but the one that made me laugh a bit was her driving the Grayhawk on some Kansas roads headed to the ranch/farm with crosswinds doing 15-25 and grain semis meeting us. With every grain truck the side view mirror slammed against the door as it passed. She calmly opened the window, pushed the mirror back in to place and closed the window for the next pass.



There are those that can and those that think they can LOL.
 
Last Wednesday in San Leon, TX, a storm passed through about 3:30am. It woke me up rocking me in the bed. I'm normally a sound sleeper but almost rolling side to side woke me. Thought it would be good to get dressed. While doing No. 1, the water in the toilet was sloshing high enough to almost spill out. Glad it did not. Then, grabbed the iPad and checked the radar. Red all around. Did not get the wind speed I was too busy dealing with other items. I do know it was well past my previous 55 plus experience.
 
Last Wednesday in San Leon, TX, a storm passed through about 3:30am. It woke me up rocking me in the bed. I'm normally a sound sleeper but almost rolling side to side woke me. Thought it would be good to get dressed. While doing No. 1, the water in the toilet was sloshing high enough to almost spill out. Glad it did not. Then, grabbed the iPad and checked the radar. Red all around. Did not get the wind speed I was too busy dealing with other items. I do know it was well past my previous 55 plus experience.




Tornados love RV and trailer parks.
 

Try RV LIFE Pro Free for 7 Days

  • New Ad-Free experience on this RV LIFE Community.
  • Plan the best RV Safe travel with RV LIFE Trip Wizard.
  • Navigate with our RV Safe GPS mobile app.
  • and much more...
Try RV LIFE Pro Today
Back
Top Bottom