High wind and the truck camper

The jacks are more stable (wider stance) than blocks by quite a bit. But they aren't strong enough to stand up to the sheer forces - not designed for that. Once a jack begins to bend, it's tip very quickly. That's why I suggest (and most manuals do to) keeping the weight on stands, but keeping the jacks touching the ground. The stands keep the sideways load off the jacks, the jacks keep it from tipping over.

To the OP, you’d be pretty hard pressed to tip the camper in any conditions if it’s parked in the truck bed and jacks are down. Sleep peacefully unless you hear a tornado siren!

Dave fwiw, it’s less stable to tipping forces on any sort of blocks or frame than on the jacks, unless you actually collapsed or sunk a jack. Jacks have a wider footprint than anything placed under the camper body.

Dave... Ouch!.

I guess from the data we are looking at 70-80mph as the caution zone.

Better than blocks, try helical screws into the ground and tie ropes around this TC if you expect winds like that again while in storage. We do that with lightweight catamarans all the time when out of the water.

80 mph winds did this camper was at the lowest it could go just on jacks no a frames now I put it on blocks and use the jacks just touching the ground



Dave

Looking at your profile you have the Bigfoot on a RAM 2500. You may be pushing the limits of the truck, wind or no wind. I'm not condemning you for that, I've been there. I had a cabover of unknown weight on a light duty F250 back in the 1980's. When driving on 2 lane roads in high winds and the oncoming traffic was pulling off the road, I knew I had problems. It will take quite a wind to blow you over.
If your profile is correct it may be time to look for a different truck or considerable modifications.

Impressive, I think I remember calculations regarding signs when I attended a building codes class on very long time back. Thanks for the info.

Don't even think about it except for driving.

I took my Arctic Fox (on a single rear wheel truck) into a category 1 hurricane. I had to save my boat and all the flights were cancelled.

It was scary feeling the way it rocked but even in 60+ mph winds it wasn't close to tipping.

So definitely don't get nervous about 30-40mph

Rest easy. It takes a lot more than that to tip them.

Back of the envelope calculation would be: side area of camper/truck about 20 x 10, center of effort about 6 feet high, dynamic pressure at 70 mph is about 12.5 psi, call the coefficient of drag 1, so you have 20 x 10 x 6 x 12.5 or 15,000 ft lbs overturning force. In my case, truck + camper are 13000+, track of dually at least 6.5', so to pick up one side would require 13,000 x 6.5 / 2 or 42,000 ft lbs. At 100 mph, dynamic pressure is twice as high and I'd be worried. Or turn into the wind.

On the jacks, the camper weighs a lot less than the truck + camper so it would go over in a lot less.

Thanks so much, I really was worried about it over turning, It is on the truck. I new to this so any advice is welcome.