Towing and wind

**AppleOaksNY** · 08-01-2020, 10:32 PM

We are leaving Tuesday for a 5 day trip through parts of New England, and sure as snot tropical storm Isaias is scheduled to blow through New Hampshire the middle of the week. Being new to towing a big fifth-wheel my question is this: at what wind speed do you decide to stay-put and wait for things to calm down? We have all seen pics of flipped semis from tornadoes/storms, but what about a 13'-6 tall RV that's close to 40' long? At what point do you hunker down and wait for things to blow through?

**Go Dawgs** · 08-02-2020, 06:41 AM

It depends on how strong the winds are and is there rain to go with it. I have a 32' 5er and a dually. I have pulled in 35 mph with no problems. I also have pulled in 15 mph wind that made the day completely unenjoyable. If you don't feel safe then don't travel, or if you can leave earlier and get to your destination and relax.

**el Rojo** · 08-02-2020, 07:01 AM

About 30 MPH winds I try to stay put. But I'm retired.

**traveldawg** · 08-02-2020, 07:32 AM

I never pulled in any really strong winds - that I know of. Most times, especially out west where it is always windy, we can't tell how bad it is until we stop. It tows great.

I'm sitting here at the FL Space Coast now - at home. I don't think you're going to get much wind from Isaias, we aren't. At least not yet, maybe nearer to 5pm. We dodge another "bullet" here, it is now only a tropical storm with winds well off-shore.

**JCR GD** · 08-02-2020, 07:55 AM

Constant wind is not so bad as gusty winds. I would hesitate to put a hard wind speed number on it because it depends on the direction, trailer/truck weight, traffic etc.

Obviously if there are actually wind warnings for winds/gusts above about 30, it's time to think hard about your setup and if it's worth going. If you do get on the road and the wind picks up you will know when it's time to pull over (white knuckle feeling) and find a spot to park were you can ride it out (ideally try to face into the wind for a more comfortable wait.)

**D2Reid** · 08-02-2020, 10:27 AM

You didn't say what RV you have or if you are towing with a dually. Mostly you won't have any trouble with wind with a 5th wheel, they are very stable. Travel trailers can sometimes get the tail wagging the dog, but sway control bars help a lot.

Just keep your travel plans flexible enough that if you do have to hold up for a day you can.

**Second Chance** · 08-02-2020, 12:16 PM

Originally Posted by D2Reid

You didn't say what RV you have or if you are towing with a dually. Mostly you won't have any trouble with wind with a 5th wheel, they are very stable. Travel trailers can sometimes get the tail wagging the dog, but sway control bars help a lot.

Just keep your travel plans flexible enough that if you do have to hold up for a day you can.

I'll second this. We pulled our Reflection 337 with a dual rear wheel truck in the southwest with winds 35 - 45 MPH sustained and gusting to 60. If the winds are abeam, I'll slow down to 55 - 60 (I usually tow at 65 if speed limits and conditions permit) just for added safety. If high winds were forecast for a travel day, I would make sure the fresh water tank was full. That was an extra 580 lbs. of ballast down low right over the trailer axles. The rig was always very stable and easy to keep in a straight line - though I observed class A motorhomes and truck campers struggling to stay in their lane during those times. We haven't had the Solitude out west yet, but at a similar size and 1,000 lbs. heavier, I expect the same behaviors. There's a reason semis are a fifth wheel setup - they're just more stable. I will add here that both of our fifth wheels have had the MORryde independent suspension which has a lot of travel and a shock absorber on each wheel which probably makes the rig more stable, too. I had different parameters for winds when we had a travel trailer.

As far as upcoming weather and the mention of overturned 18-wheelers, keep in mind that, at a minimum, an F1 tornado has 73 MPH winds and a category 1 hurricane 74 MPH sustained winds (usually at the eye wall). We are currently located at the top end of the Chesapeake in northeastern Maryland. The forecast for Tuesday as of this moment is calling for lots of rain, but only 18 MPH sustained winds - and the storm is unlikely to strengthen between here and New England. In those conditions, I would be more concerned about hydroplaning than winds.

Rob

**TheLexx** · 08-02-2020, 04:16 PM

Here's my wind story. We were heading back to CA from Salt Lake City on I-80. It got very windy - not sure what the windspeed was but the semis were being moved over a 1/3 of a lane at times and the big vans were moved over 1/2 a lane at times. I started to worry so I slowed down. At one point we saw a bunch of dust devils off in the distance. Then they got closer. All of a sudden I felt a sharp jolt. It felt like a giant hand had slapped us. However our truck/trailer never moved out of our lane. What I think happened was we went right through one of those dust devils. It was a scary experience. I was really happy to be driving a dually that day!

**AppleOaksNY** · 08-02-2020, 06:30 PM

Thanks to all for the advice. Sorry I didn't mention our setup, we're pulling a 2020 Momentum 351M with a 2019 F350 SRW long bed crew cab. Had to go with the SRW vs DRW because it is also a semi-daily driver and parking a dually can be an issue. Second Chance, I like the idea of adding some ballast by filling the fresh tank, similar to what makes a Harley a stable bike, weight is down low.

I have been watching the weather pretty close and I think we are going to miss the worst of it based on our itinerary, but we will have the step-daughter and 3 grandkids with us so are staying flexible. Now we just have to figure out how to entertain 3 teenagers on the 100% chance of rain days

**AppleOaksNY** · 08-10-2020, 11:44 PM

Just to put closure on this thread...thanks to everyone for the advice. We had some gusty winds and heavy rain the first day as we caught the edges of the remnants of Isaias , and then some gusty winds heading into New Hampshire on day 2 but the Momentum and F350 gave us no problems wind wise. We did travel with our fresh tank a little over 2/3 full (thanks for the idea Second Chance).