Driving in Windy Conditions

I think you will probably know when to get off the road. Having driven a great deal in windy weather in the SW, I can offer a couple of tips that have worked for me: First, do as much of your driving as possible early in the morning. The wind usually picks up in the afternoon. Second, keep your water tank (and maybe even your holding tanks) full. It will help with stability.

High wind warnings are issued at 45 mph........

When I feel the wind start affecting the handling I'm looking for a safe spot to pull off and hunker down....preferably an exit down and off the road away from traffic flow.

Be on the look out for dust storms.......get off and away from traffic ASAP.

Good topic.
I can remember driving on Hwy 1 along the coast in CA.
The winds off the ocean where really strong and gusty.
I made it thru, but on hindsight maybe I should have pulled over.
Worst winds I have ever been thru.

I was thinking my anti sway bars, both front and rear should have a larger diameter and more heavy duty.

It's blowing pretty good right now in AZ. Arizona and New Mexico have wind warning signs all along I-10 that caution you of reduced visibility from time to time. Sometimes, these winds can come up very quickly. Due to blowing dust, you literally can not see the front of your vehicle.

Everybody driving in Arizona needs to know what to do during a dust storm. Here is a link to travel safety tips from the Department of Public Safety (Highway Patrol)

Driving safety in Arizona

Moved from Forum Technical Support

I have a 35 mph direct cross wind maximum that I will drive in. Tail or head winds do not affect my driving.

The tag axle gives great stability. I used to shut down at about 40 mph now it is about 55 mph but if I slow down to 55 I can still go till I can find a safe place. In the Born free I look for a place to pull over at about 35.

The give away is when you or even the others around you can not hold their lane.

Some rigs do better than others and some drivers do better than others. Pro drivers generally don't get off the road in high winds but they are making a living where we are not. My rig handles terrible in high winds so I have learned to just get off the road. I am 40' and maybe 27K lbs soaking wet and the wind tosses me about like a paper cup. 40 mph gusts get me thinking about getting off the road. 40 mph sustained and I am done for the day.

When you or your DW feel unsafe.

Pathfinder RV wrote:
We are planning a trip through California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Texas this spring. During past similar trips, the winds were very strong, making driving difficult at times. At what wind speed should we not drive our 27 foot class A motorhome?

First of all this is a very "rig specific" question. When I had a TT, it was 20-30 mph. When I had my FW, 25-35 mph would make me nervous. Now that I have a DP, I have been in 40-50 mph and only noticed that I get pushed into the other lane with big gusts. I mean 40+ gusts.....but they are not as white knuckled as with trailers, just moves you. I have heard the lighter/shorter Class As are a lot like TTs. You will need to make up your mind. I have been in some REAL windy conditions and I always say "if the semis are still out in it, we RVers should be safe. Watch the rigs, if they are stopping it is a good idea you stop.

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