Community Forums

CamJam1 · 11-20-2021, 07:51 AM

Driving through an area tomorrow where we expect 35+ mph gusts for 100 miles or so. My thought is to fill all the tanks, but our 100 gallon fresh water tank is at the very back of the coach as is the black water tank. Not sure whether taking that much weight off the front is a good idea or not. If it gets too bad we'll stay put, but that will make a mess of our reservations, so I'd like to push through this one windy 100 mile stretch if we can.

My chassis is a W22 Workhorse gasser.

wolfe10 · 11-20-2021, 07:53 AM

No, do not fill if tank is behind the rear axle. Weight further forward would help.

Best advice is either wait or slow down.

CamJam1 · 11-20-2021, 08:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolfe10

No, do not fill if tank is behind the rear axle. Weight further forward would help.

Best advice is either wait or slow down.

The other option is to leave late. What's unusual is that the winds are supposed to be worst before noon due to a passing front several hundred miles north of us.

wolfe10 · 11-20-2021, 08:08 AM

A good site for wind and wind gust forecasts is:

https://www.ventusky.com/?p=30.9;-10...=20211121/1500

Zero in on the area you will be transiting and forward hour to hour.

Tell us where you are/where you are going and perhaps there will be some first hand information.

Most dangerous winds are cross winds with occasional wind breaks/18 wheelers that occasionally block the wind.

Bigd9 · 11-20-2021, 08:11 AM

Just looked at a picture of your coach, and with the tail end overhang it has, I will agree with Wolfe10.

In our coach I always travel with full water tank as the tank is about center in the coach. 35MPH wind gust are more than I would attempt, not because I can't handle it, but my copilot of 48 years would go absolutely nuts.

She hates wind!

CamJam1 · 11-20-2021, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wolfe10

A good site for wind and wind gust forecasts is:

https://www.ventusky.com/?p=30.9;-10...=20211121/1500

Zero in on the area you will be transiting and forward hour to hour.

Tell us where you are/where you are going and perhaps there will be some first hand information.

Most dangerous winds are cross winds with occasional wind breaks/18 wheelers that occasionally block the wind.

Thanks. Will check it out. I've been using Windy.com.

This is I-40 west of Needles, CA. After Barstow it diminishes and becomes a tail wind, but that 100 mile or so stretch west of Needles is not looking good tomorrow, and it will be a side wind too.

Fiesta48 · 11-20-2021, 08:33 AM

Windy and Windfinder are great Apps to check up coming Winds. We've delayed or started out early using these. Won't go if over over 20 mph except for tail winds.

Ray,IN · 11-20-2021, 08:41 AM

Many years ago I drove that stretch of highway, with a cross-wind, in a 1976 Allegro Class A on a dodge chassis.
I could drive in the wind, but suddenly the wind turned into a sand-storm too. I slowed and found the nearest exit, took the exit and parked behind a building until the storm passed.

TXiceman · 11-20-2021, 09:55 AM

Adding a few hundred pounds of water in the proper location can help the handling. But if you handle fine under normal conditions, I would not bother.

If you are worried about the wind conditions, it is best to be off the road for a day or two. We have changed plans more than once due to weather conditions.

Ken

wolfe10 · 11-20-2021, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TXiceman

Adding a few hundred pounds of water in the proper location can help the handling.

Ken

Agree.

But OP stated their tank is behind the rear axle. Not a "proper location to improve handling".

CamJam1 · 11-20-2021, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TXiceman

Adding a few hundred pounds of water in the proper location can help the handling. But if you handle fine under normal conditions, I would not bother.

If you are worried about the wind conditions, it is best to be off the road for a day or two. We have changed plans more than once due to weather conditions.

Ken

We stayed put in Fillmore, UT earlier this year for 2 days because of wind. Here the worst of it is only expected to be for 100 miles or so, so we'll give it a try unless we wake up tomorrow to a real gale.

SuperGewl · 11-20-2021, 12:41 PM

Personally, the fresh water tank should be full when traveling anyway. As far as the black and grey tank they only need about 5 gallons each. If yo know the weather conditions are really going to be that bad, then ask yourself, Is it a life or death situation that I have to be driving during that time in that area? IF the answer is NO then DON'T do it. Park it and watch TV or some thing, take a nap, cook a big old juicy steak and potato. Most truck drivers will park it and they can weigh 80k lbs. It's just not worth it.
But hey that's what I would do

**pasdad1** · 11-20-2021, 12:56 PM

Leave your campground right at checkout time (as late as possible) see if there is a rest area, pull off, truck stop, or Walmart close by, then drive to it and park for several hours.

Better to lose one night fee at a campground than to do property damage or worse.

If wind never gets less, then spend the night where you are.

As others have said, out west the wind can whip up a sandstorm, and then you are in brown-out conditions. Can’t see, and even worse your paint is being sand blasted !!!

BCam · 11-20-2021, 01:00 PM

There's an old adage in sailing that goes something like this: "If you're wondering if you should reef or not, reef." In other words, if you're wondering if the wind is bad enough to reduce the size of your sails, you should.

Translating to RV-speak: "If you're wondering if the winds will be too bad to drive, you should wait them out." I feel the same about other storm-related things.