makaira Report post Posted August 31, 2018 As we where driving on I-40 westbound from Gallup to Winslow AZ we encountered heavy cross winds about 30 mph head on coming from the SW...probably some gust winds of 50 MPH,, but then we drove over a patch on the road that only the right tires rod over it, maybe 10 ft long,,, right there we got some shear wind that vertically lifted the front part of rig right into the left lane..thank God it was no traffic coming behind us because it would have hit us... thank God i had the air brake engaged.. as i lost total control of the vehicle for a space of 2 seconds or three i didn’t panic with over correcting and kept the steering whell on a straight position, although our chase car had a tremendous sway, but it stay on line behind us. This incident hard to comprehend due to the wind conditions coming from the SW we got sudenly hit buy a gust wind on the oposite direction and violently pushed a 30000 lbs rig like a piece of paper.. while at the same time big rigs where passing us over 70 MPH. My speed was about 50/55. Our rig is a Winnebago Journey 36M , Maxum Chassis XCL, tires Michelin, Tire pressure 100lbs. basically everthing in standard condittion and regulations. Suspension Air bags with a straight frontal axle. My question to the forum, have anyone ever experienced anything close to this? And what recomendations you have for us? After this horrible experience any bit of cross winds even at 10mph are terrifying for us to drive. Actions taken meanwhile... talked to Michelin about tire pressure gave them my last cat scale weight and they recomended to lower the pressure to 90 to front and 97 to rear axle... we have noticed a smother right after that. We called as well Freigtliner about ad ons to prevent ad well rolling side to side on turns and any little imperfection on the road or passing trucks and they were of not help. We have been reading about MCU units from Henderson that may help to the rolling motion and also installing an steering aid? Are these ad ons really work? Any advise will be very helpfull. Thank you and my apologies for this very long posting.... Makaira Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted August 31, 2018 Makaira. Welcome to the Forum! Safe-T-Plus for front. Have alignment checked first, front and back, before install. Used it on a 40 foot DP, with solid front axle & it made a huge difference. You probably will not encounter a wind shear again. I have had a couple of sustained 60+ winds and in excess of 70+ gusts, but at twice your weight and 20/30 mph, looking for a exit or pull out, I have no issue with it. You should have been going half your speed in those conditions....if the 18 wheel trucks was going 70 mph, there would not be any of the conditions you described. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaypsmith Report post Posted August 31, 2018 9 hours ago, manholt said: ....if the 18 wheel trucks was going 70 mph, there would not be any of the conditions you described. Maybe they were flatbeds carrying flat plate steel? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
makaira Report post Posted August 31, 2018 Sorry, guys but according to the weather chanel around Gallup the wind was sustained from 25 to 30. Sadly to tell you that ongoing heavy traffic was on the 70,s Been on the road over 50 years... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted August 31, 2018 Yea, me too. First class A, 1967 WB in 1967...current coach is number 17.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
obedb Report post Posted August 31, 2018 Kay/ I like that . The only thing better would be a double drop with the steel plate in the cradle. Invincible!😎 Over 46 years in trucking. Have been across I-40 east and westbound in that area, I could not estimate the number of times.The typical van today would be 53 feet long and 13' 6"" high. I can guarantee that in winds the OP has described, I would be running much slower that 70. Depending on my gross, might have even pulled off of the interstate.. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted September 1, 2018 Byron. Same happens on I-40, between Amarillo and Santa Rosa, NM. I-10, between Las Cruzes, NM & Lordsburg, NM, everybody doing 15/20mph...Deming exit is your friend. All it takes is 30/40mph winds and the Interstate is shut down! 😟 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted September 1, 2018 Last year on the way to Chandler, we left Demming NM and got pasts Lordsburg just before they shut down I-10. Three different couples we know got in the shut down and were diverted around the area, 100 miles out of the way. We were lucky to have gotten through when we did. I would not have wanted to have been in a fifth wheel or Travel trailer in that kind of wind. It was hard enough in a 40,000 lb. MH. Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
obedb Report post Posted September 1, 2018 Have been east and west on I-10 and I-40 a ton of times. Guess that I have been lucky on I-40 between Armadillo (trucker talk) and Santa Rosa. I-10 has been a problem over the years though. When I had been on the road awhile I pulled into Wilcox and called it a day. My experience on 10,40, and 70 is to get going early. Right about dawn, to avoid the solar wind machine. That was in my 18 wheeler and my RV. No setting around the park drinking coffee and waiting on Mother Nature . Get going. But there was one day when I was all dressed and no where to go. Good nights rest in Tucson in my 18 wheeler. Great breakfast after a big sleep in. From just plain tired to charged up and ready to go. Then underway, local AM and CB talk indicated from maybe San Simon past Lordsburg I-10 was shut down because of high winds. Pulled off of the interstate at Benson to consider my options. Taking a nap was not gonna work. Had driven about 40 miles. The dust storm would probably settle down well after dark but I would have been wide awake all afternoon and evening. Instead, I headed south on AZ 90 through FT. Huachuca. Chuck Yeager graduated from flight training there during WWII so I read. Anyway on east took me through Bisbee AZ to join AZ 80 and on to Douglas Az. Missed a turn in Douglas and wound up on a local road literally following along the nearby border fence. It was a sturdy fence even back then. I came upon three Border Patrol vehicles. One was actually armored. I was greeted with "what in the world are you doing in this ....hole." I explained and they were all smiling when I left with good directions out of Douglas east bound. Knowing something about the area I headed east on NM 9 to Columbus NM. General Black Jack Pershing and Pancho Villa had a meeting there . Had loaded salad spinach nearby a few times over the years (the Johnson Ranch) and had been told that a dirt road between Columbus and El Paso was being paved . Rather than spending time running north to Deming I headed east. Things got windy and dusty. I had a large compass mounted top center of the windshield and it started a dance that was really something confusing to see. Out of a cloud of dust, I was confronted with multiple Border Patrol vehicles and many agents. Kinda unnerving. Rolled down the window, told the officer my story, and was motioned on. Seemed too easy. Must have known what they wanted when I pulled into the stop. I will wonder what caused the compass dance and the quick wave through for the rest of my days. Would I have run that way in my RV? Probably, but I would not have missed that turn in Douglas🙄. That is my story and I am sticking to it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
elkhartjim Report post Posted September 1, 2018 Sounds like more of an adventure than a story. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted September 1, 2018 You need to tell that to Joe's DW...she's still looking for green people in UFO's! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
obedb Report post Posted September 2, 2018 "That's my story and I am sticking to it " is from a country song that is not all that old. After all, I am a trucker and country music on well placed 50,000 watt stations kept a lot of us awake at night instead of in the ditch. Would I do it all over for a better outcome if God gave me another chance. I would probably respectfully decline. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Afordeck Report post Posted September 4, 2018 Been there, done that. Last April ran 40 towards AZ, darn near got blown off the road. Laid up 4 days extra in Williams to let the weather settle before heading back east. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
