Don't understand

If wind is blowing very hard or forecast for wind warnings, we just park. Held up in a little town in west Texas for 3 days once. Held up in a Walmart lot for 1/2 day and night. When retired we take it as easy as possible. Besides don’t like to have to drive in wind if you don’t have too

Johno02 wrote:
Dear Daughter (OTR Semi Driver) called to ask me what part of "CLOSED to High Profile, light-weight vehicles" do RVers not understand?? So far today she has seen four RVs rolled off the road (I-80 in Nebraska) today.

Most do not understand the meaning of " High Profile " as it relates to vehicles and wind. Even my little melon is High Profile when the wind catches the broadside of the body. No matter where my weight distribution or center of gravity or anything else is located, in strong and high winds, it can be toppled over or blown sideways.

pnichols wrote:
"RV'ers" is a pretty broad category - with towables being a whole different ball game than some motorhomes.

We have traveled in very high sidewinds in our motorhome and felt stable - but unlike a towable, our 101 inch wide and short coach RV is built on a truck chassis (Ford E450) with it's very wide stance duals in the rear -> about the dually tire width of a big rig semi. However, unlike both a towable RV's heavy components and the heavy cargo sitting on the floor in a big rig's trailer (that sits above it's tires), our motorhome coach's heaviest components are mounted right down beside the frame's siderails - actually below the top of the tires - in addition to the low down and heavy engine, transmission, and drivetrain helping to anchor the coach down.

Our coach's built-in generator, propane tank, 55 gallon fuel tank, black water tank, grey water tank, large twin batteries, and almost all exterior storage cabinets are about at frame rail height. This makes for a reasonably low and stable center of gravity for the RV.

However, some modern motorhome RV's are still kindof tall, but built on the new narrower track width delivery truck chassis like the Sprinter van and new Ford van. These I would be concerned with in high sidewinds - right along with TT's and 5th wheels.

But I have four wheel drive so am okay.....


Gray Haupt

We stay sitting when it's windy and sometimes that is pretty bad let alone trying to drive in it. We do know someone towing a trailer in winds ( had to get there you know) who ended up being rolled over from winds, truck and trailer and wife seriously injured, dog killed. Some just don't understand.

Johno02 wrote:
Dear Daughter (OTR Semi Driver) called to ask me what part of "CLOSED to High Profile, light-weight vehicles" do RVers not understand?? So far today she has seen four RVs rolled off the road (I-80 in Nebraska) today.

My truck and trailer generally roll at very close to GVWR. What part of "light-weight" is confusing.

Johno02 wrote:
We were parked in a protected place during one wind storm. I felt one side lift off the jacks, then come back down with a bang. We rode it out, but am still scared of winds.

X2. You'll find religion real quick in high winds

colliehauler wrote:
Use to seeing the same thing on I-70 as well, although most of the blow-overs are semi's.

That's what I've seen also.

Sounds like a blow hard trying to show how much more they know because they are a "professional" truck driver.

valhalla360 wrote:

colliehauler wrote:
Use to seeing the same thing on I-70 as well, although most of the blow-overs are semi's.

That's what I've seen also.

Sounds like a blow hard trying to show how much more they know because they are a "professional" truck driver.

I think it has more to do with truck drivers have to be at a destination at a certain time and push the limits and the number of trucks on the road compared to RV'S.

I know I've had a heck of a scare one time on I-80 in Wyoming. A large gust pushed the truck and trailer as one unit from the outside lane to the inside lane and there was nothing I could do about it.

If I need to travel in high wind conditions I will fill my fresh water tank, grey tank and black tank as ballast like a boat. Fresh 120 gallons black and grey are each 40 gallons along with 25 gallons of fuel giving a additional 1600 pounds to lower the center of gravity.

This will also work when parked in extreme winds.

garyhaupt wrote:
But I have four wheel drive so am okay.....

Yep, I've seen that theory in action many times.

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Bet they understand NOW.......

Nope, I bet they don't. I bet a lot of people will say things like "not enough truck" or "tail wagging the dog" with no real idea of what happened or why...