Driving in windy conditions

[RRTom]

We will be driving the motor home and pulling the car tomorrow. The forecast is calling for 16MPH winds where we will be driving. We will be on freeways/highways nearly the entire time with a speed limit of 55MPH (wink, wink). I have no after market suspension upgrades on the motor home and it actually drives pretty well in normal conditions. Are winds at that speed likely to make the drive a white knuckler?

[crawford]

RRTom wrote:

Desert Captain wrote:
"If "your rig handles badly in 16 mph there's something seriously wrong somewhere but I doubt you will have any issues,
:C

Thanks, this is what I am looking for. I can't visualize winds of different speeds. I feel better now about the trip.

He said winds will be not driving he also said he was traveling at 55 mph before with a toad or something at least that's my reading.

[FloridaRosebud]

Just a quick story....today we began our summer journey. Left Melbourne, FL, and when we got close to St. Augustine, a nasty storm blew in. Just happened to be near a rest area, and as the wind picked up and I slowed down to 50mph, we pulled in. Parked, and within minutes the heavens opened and the wind was rocking the MH. We watched folks on I-95 going about 20mph throwing up tons of water. About 4 or 5 MH pulled in as well. In about 20 minutes the storm passed, my wife and I had munched on some popcorn, and we continued. And IMHO, that's how you do it....

Al

[RRTom]

ArchHoagland wrote:
OK we need a report back from you RRTom....how was it and what would be your advice to other new members who haven't driven in wind.

We left early enough that we didn't have much wind. But even after getting here and setting up, we could tell the wind wouldn't have been much of an issue. Not able to post this earlier because of a password issue.

Thanks for all of the replies.

[Edd505]

Desert Captain wrote:

RRTom wrote:

Desert Captain wrote:
"If "your rig handles badly in 16 mph there's something seriously wrong somewhere but I doubt you will have any issues,
:C

Thanks, this is what I am looking for. I can't visualize winds of different speeds. I feel better now about the trip.

You're welcome... As a former/retired professional boat captain I used to routinely bet my life on being able to judge the weather in general and specifically wind speeds. When in doubt as to the conditions you will encounter remember this old boat Captain's mantra...

The only weather you can control is the weather you choose to leave in"

It took me three times of not following that sage advice, nearly got myself seriously dead all three times, before it finally sank in. :S

:B

Trucker quote: when weathers bad drive slow enough you can walk away when you crash.

[Bruce_Brown]

If we never drove in the wind we'd never leave the house.

It seems regardless of the trip we always get wind in one leg of the trip.

I just checked, we currently have a nice 10 mph breeze, which is very typical for us.

[doxiemom11]

We don't drive if sustained winds are above 20 as there are higher gusts that usually come with that. The wind speed shown is sustained wind, not how high a gust can be.

[ArchHoagland]

OK we need a report back from you RRTom....how was it and what would be your advice to other new members who haven't driven in wind.

[wa8yxm]

16 MPH is .. Likely not going to give you a problem.

However be aware of your surroundings.. I've seen "Wind Tunnel" locations where a 16 MPH "Breeze" can suddenly kick up to 50 MPH due to the layout of buildings and such.. IN fact I've been "Blown away" Literally when that happened. True store. I was walking on the windward sidewalk when I came out from beside the building into the "Wind Tunnel" area in Battle Creek. Suddenly I was in the middle of Capitol Ave. thankfully no cars I got blown half way across the road. (Capitol and the Michigan Ave (now a pedisterian mall, the mall is the wind tunnel).

That can surprise you if it happens. Capitol is still a vehicle road and I've driven my motor home through that intersection. But I know about the tunnel effect there.

[Bruce_Brown]

16 MPH isn't "windy", thats more like a breeze. You'll be fine.

When you get up into the 40-50 MPH stuff things get a bit more challenging.

[Lwiddis]

Winking isn't appropriate at all. Keep your speed down and IMO you will be fine.

[Janss]

I agree with others, 16 mph shouldn't be a problem. I prefer not to drive when wind reaches 25 mph, if it will be a crosswind. Size and kind of RV, and comfort level, is different for everyone.

Know what direction the wind is coming from, so you will know what to expect while driving, i.e. so you won't think anything is wrong with the motorhome.

[Bill_Satellite]

Much like aviators.....Take off is optional. Landing is mandatory! 16 MPH is easy and you should not even notice it. I, on the other hand, ignored the warnings in AZ that said something about wind and high profile vehicles. We drove right into, a new word I quickly learned, the Santa Anna's! 60 MPH broadside winds. We watched tractor-trailers ahead of us have the wheels of the trailer lifted from the ground. There was no passing anyone for fear of sudden lane changes. We hung on for dear life as there were no exits shoulders or pull-offs for many many miles.
I learned what the coach can and cannot do but I now pay much closer attention to posted warnings!

[Desert_Captain]

RRTom wrote:

Desert Captain wrote:
"If "your rig handles badly in 16 mph there's something seriously wrong somewhere but I doubt you will have any issues,
:C

Thanks, this is what I am looking for. I can't visualize winds of different speeds. I feel better now about the trip.

You're welcome... As a former/retired professional boat captain I used to routinely bet my life on being able to judge the weather in general and specifically wind speeds. When in doubt as to the conditions you will encounter remember this old boat Captain's mantra...

The only weather you can control is the weather you choose to leave in"

It took me three times of not following that sage advice, nearly got myself seriously dead all three times, before it finally sank in. :S

:B

[RRTom]

Desert Captain wrote:
"If "your rig handles badly in 16 mph there's something seriously wrong somewhere but I doubt you will have any issues,
:C

Thanks, this is what I am looking for. I can't visualize winds of different speeds. I feel better now about the trip.