Sizing jack stands for wind load?

Naio wrote:
I often camp in windy places.

In my current, small van, I sometimes have to lift the tires off the ground to get stability. I use jack stands that are each rated for my whole gvw, to allow for the increased load with wind gusts. 45 mph gusts are common. (When they reached 60mph this winter I went to a motel for 2 nights, but my cat hated that. I thought my little van might blow off the jack stands!)

I guess my current ones will be ok for the front of my new van, but I will need a stronger pair for the rear.

Is gvw a good guide? Or how SHOULD I estimate wind forces and strength?


Are HF stands ok?

Thanks, always.

Your problem is similar to what a ship-of-the-line had-- to keep the lower gun ports aimed at the dastardly French ship downwind of her. (The good guys--us--always had the windward gauge)

(Think camping neighbour with outside speakers, playing Hip-Hop.)

A "topsail wind" is 2 lb per sq ft, so your van will heel 7 degrees. This puts that much extra pressure on the jacks to keep it level, so your lower gun ports are not pointing at the ground next to your van, and you want to use them to add to your fire on that annoying French guy down wind in the next camp site.

So now it is all math-- how much extra weight is on the "down" vector from your van NOT heeling 7 degrees in a topsail wind? (The simple solution is left to the student.)