Driving when windy

Thirty miles per hour on a diesel pusher should be no problem. Now if it was a gasoline motor home, then I would not even attempt it. I had on my first coach which was a gasoline motor home the four air bags which some poster said helped. It does stiffen the ride, but the weight of a gasoline motor home is a lot lighter then the diesel and that is why they are all over the rode with cross winds.

Thirty mile per hour wind should not be bad for your coach. Now forty mile per hour cross wind you will start feeling the buffing of the wind and it is best to avoid it. High winds tend to rip up the awning gears at times and when they come lose, they can do a lot of damage to the coach.

Thirty mph is about when the wind becomes noticeable and fuel mileage becomes noticeably worse. At 40 or 50 it is best to stay put.

You can tell when the wind gets to around 30 because a flag will be flying straight out. Dust just starts to get blown around. It becomes a judgement call, and depends a lot on the wind direction, and how badly you want to get somewhere.

wtmtnhiker wrote:

Effy wrote:
Most of the replies were how difficult it can be and to stay put if you can. OP decided to go anyway, sometimes I wonder if folks don't ask questions and end up hearing what they want to hear anyway regardless of the advice.

:h

Well you don't know what you don't know but make judgemens anyway. They downgraded the wind prediction from 32 mph gusts to 25 with sustained winds of 12. We rethought our route and cut our mileage back by 100 and landed safe and sound. Thanks to all for the good advice.

Don't know what we aren't told so assumptions get made based on information provided. If it changed good for you. I don't recall reading that though. Glad it worked out.

Effy wrote:
Most of the replies were how difficult it can be and to stay put if you can. OP decided to go anyway, sometimes I wonder if folks don't ask questions and end up hearing what they want to hear anyway regardless of the advice.

:h

Well you don't know what you don't know but make judgemens anyway. They downgraded the wind prediction from 32 mph gusts to 25 with sustained winds of 12. We rethought our route and cut our mileage back by 100 and landed safe and sound. Thanks to all for the good advice.

Thoughts Travel early in day. Cross wind at 30-35 is time to find a place to stay. As most highways are not straight, headwinds will not be constant. Whirlwinds, dust devils without dust are invisible, hold the steering wheel with both hands. I got stuck at a state park in nw texas for 5 days due to high winds and even rotated the rv parked direction to face into the wind on day 2 and 4. Side winds can get under awnings and slide toppers and unroll them with lots of noise, secure well.

Most of the replies were how difficult it can be and to stay put if you can. OP decided to go anyway, sometimes I wonder if folks don't ask questions and end up hearing what they want to hear anyway regardless of the advice.

:h

I learnt my lesson last winter - crossing the Annapolis Bridge in a heavy crosswind...... white knuckles the whole way and change of underwear on the other side !!!. Won't do that again - I should have found a place to park and waited for the wind to subside.

A tailwind on the other hand - that's fun.

Well today is the day so I'll let you all know how it went. Thanks for all the replies, it has helped allot in my decision to go ahead and try it.

I tow in the wind alot, and I feel worn out when we get to camp. I'm so into driving, and the constant correction that it wears you down. But it does make you a better driver, every time.

My guideline is when I feel that I am no longer in control of the vehicle. That usually applies to crosswinds. If I want to get somewhere, I'll drop down a gear to drive into a 30 mph headwind (it is like climbing a mountain pass, unavoidable if you want to get there) and don't mind tailwinds at all. Gusty crosswinds, tornadic storms, I'll stop and wait them out. Not just in the RV, in the car as well, if the weather says I am no longer in control or can't see where I am going.