Very windy conditions. Leave stabilizers down?

[jbarringer]

I have a 36 ft class A. Just wondering what you would do under very windy conditions while camping.  I’ve heard various options. 

[wayne77590]

I leave mine down (levelers). They are called "stabilizers." Real high winds I'll bring the slides in but that hasn't happened to often.

Consider in the old 5th wheels that didn't have the auto levelers. Tow little jack struts on the back and two landing gears on the front. What would a person do? In my 5er I left everything down.

[jbarringer]

8 hours ago, wayne77590 said:

I leave mine down (levelers). They are called "stabilizers." Real high winds I'll bring the slides in but that hasn't happened to often.

Consider in the old 5th wheels that didn't have the auto levelers. Tow little jack struts on the back and two landing gears on the front. What would a person do? In my 5er I left everything down.

Thanks Wayne 

[manholt]

Very windy?  If it gets over 40 mph (Tropical Storm Winds), I'll move and try to get coach nose into it.   Otherwise I do  as Wayne!  Takes a lot to move a 61,000 pound coach. 

[five]

If very windy, I worry more about the slide toppers than anything else.

[wildebill308]

If the winds/gust are over 40 like Carl said  I would leave the jacks down but bring in the slides to protect the slide toppers. This also depends on how bad the wind is affecting the slide toppers.

Bill

[jleamont]

1 hour ago, five said:

If very windy, I worry more about the slide toppers than anything else.

YUP, that's about all I would be concerned with in a Motorhome.

In that situation I would consider bringing the slides in to keep the toppers protected. 

[wayne77590]

In Corpus Christi, one year when we were there, the winds blew constantly at 40 or so.  I purchased a wide burlap strap about 5" wide, folded a triangle at the ends and installed grommets. The strap protruded about 2 feet down each side of the topper.  Used a rope on both ends anchored to the ground with a spring tension rod.  Worked well.  A wide strap is necessary to keep a rope from cutting the topper.  Think about a piece of paper folder in half and a thread pulled through the fold. Tears easily.

We were going to be there for a while and did not want to pull the slides in and extend them whenever the winds picked up. Pulling the slides in is a much simpler solution for a short term.

[jbarringer]

9 hours ago, manholt said:

Very windy?  If it gets over 40 mph (Tropical Storm Winds), I'll move and try to get coach nose into it.   Otherwise I do  as Wayne!  Takes a lot to move a 61,000 pound coach. 

👍

5 hours ago, jleamont said:

YUP, that's about all I would be concerned with in a Motorhome.

In that situation I would consider bringing the slides in to keep the toppers protected. 

👍

5 hours ago, jleamont said:

YUP, that's about all I would be concerned with in a Motorhome.

In that situation I would consider bringing the slides in to keep the toppers protected. 

👍

[jbarringer]

5 hours ago, jleamont said:

YUP, that's about all I would be concerned with in a Motorhome.

In that situation I would consider bringing the slides in to keep the toppers protected. 

👍

5 hours ago, wildebill308 said:

If the winds/gust are over 40 like Carl said  I would leave the jacks down but bring in the slides to protect the slide toppers. This also depends on how bad the wind is affecting the slide toppers.

Bill

👍

3 hours ago, wayne77590 said:

In Corpus Christi, one year when we were there, the winds blew constantly at 40 or so.  I purchased a wide burlap strap about 5" wide, folded a triangle at the ends and installed grommets. The strap protruded about 2 feet down each side of the topper.  Used a rope on both ends anchored to the ground with a spring tension rod.  Worked well.  A wide strap is necessary to keep a rope from cutting the topper.  Think about a piece of paper folder in half and a thread pulled through the fold. Tears easily.

We were going to be there for a while and did not want to pull the slides in and extend them whenever the winds picked up. Pulling the slides in is a much simpler solution for a short term.

👍

[rayin]

Many years ago a irv2 member calculated the wind load necessary to blow over his 5er. For his specific unit the straight-line wind load was 80 MPH. I remember seeing his spread-sheet for the calculations involved, he even had the weight, height from frame to micrrowave-both directions listed, along with everything else that weighed over 50 lbs.

Edited April 14, 2021 by rayin

[wildebill308]

1 hour ago, rayin said:

Many years ago a irv2 member calculated the wind load necessary to blow over his 5er. For his specific unit the straight-line wind load was 80 MPH. I remember seeing his spread-sheet for the calculations involved, he even had the weight, height from frame to micrrowave-both directions listed, along with everything else that weighed over 50 lbs.

I will bet it would take a bit more to blow a RV over like yours or mine. Unlike a 5er or a tow behind we have a lot more mass low down on the frame. I can picture that in realey strong winds the front might move sidewise but it would take a bunch to push it over.

Bill

[rayin]

44 minutes ago, wildebill308 said:

I will bet it would take a bit more to blow a RV over like yours or mine. Unlike a 5er or a tow behind we have a lot more mass low down on the frame. I can picture that in realey strong winds the front might move sidewise but it would take a bunch to push it over.

Bill

Agreed. I could not do the necessary calculations for any RV, that's above my pay grade. I'll leave that for the math experts.

Edited April 14, 2021 by rayin

[manholt]

"Straight line wind is constant.  Micro burst of 80, would put any of us on another site or our side!  Also depends on where the SL wind is getting you, front, back or broad side!  80+ mph is a CAT one Hurricane, almost CAT 2.....Not buying into that math, after spending 27 years on Galveston Isl, TX.

[jleamont]

There was an EF1 with winds from 86 to 110 MPH that hit a campground we go to in VA on the water a few years back. Tossed the trailers around like toys that were in its path, all of the motorhomes looked unharmed in its path, unless something fell onto them. 

One trailer was standing straight up a tree, the only thing holding it was the 50 amp cord, which remained connected. We had reservations for the following weekend. 

Here's the article;

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/07/24/virginia-tornado/13087325/

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/25/us/tornado-virginia-campground.html

I think if it were me I'd bring the jacks up. The foot print of the wheels is wider than the jacks. In a mild storm I would leave them down. 

 

 

Edited April 14, 2021 by jleamont

[txiceman]

39 minutes ago, jleamont said:

Tossed the trailers around like toys that were in its path, all of the motorhomes looked unharmed in its path, unless something fell onto them. 

 

 

 

The one thing you are not considering is that the trailer weigh 1/2 or much less than a motorhome.  Our 5er is heavy at 19,000# and most of the class A motorhomes are well north of 25000#.  Thus it is easier to blow over a light weight trailer than a heavy motorhome.  It takes more wind to blow over a heavy motorhome than a light weight trailer.

Whether you have the jacks or stabilizer down make little difference.

Ken

[rayin]

2 hours ago, manholt said:

"Straight line wind is constant.  Micro burst of 80, would put any of us on another site or our side!  Also depends on where the SL wind is getting you, front, back or broad side!  80+ mph is a CAT one Hurricane, almost CAT 2.....Not buying into that math, after spending 27 years on Galveston Isl, TX.

I remember his calculations assumed his 5er was broadside to the wind. I also remember one summer in Cody, WY when the wind became so strong our 32' 5er was rocking  side to side, that wind was reported as gusting near 50 MPH. I retracted the big slide which reduced the rocking a lot.

[wayne77590]

Jacks down, they are only for stabilization. Wheels are still on the ground so one would have the benefit of wheels plus jacks.