Oklahoma Roads and the WIND

[Agesilaus]

We just transited OK east to west staying at several COE cg and one private park. The roads are as bad as LA. We have never done more than quick crossings of the state and thought we'd do some actual exploration and camping.



Never again. Almost all the roads including I40 that we were on (US64 for one) are thump thump THUMP for the whole rad, crossing into NM was a real relief the roads became instantly nice and smooth.



We drove the entire length of the panhandle and the wind was very strong. It dropped our mileage from a normal 10.5 or so to 6! And the residents say that the wind is normal for the area. 30 mph or so. I don't know if they mean seasonal or year round.

[SeeTheUSA]

Any time we encounter a road with the mind jarring “thump thump thump” in any state other than Oklahoma, we comment to each other that the Oklahoma highway engineers must have been loaned out for that piece of the highway.

[Steve43]

Yep. We are transitioning OK from east to west and it sure is windy! Pushing us around quite a bit. Makes for interesting driving!

[DandyDon]

At the end of this week I'll be leaving AZ. and heading east to PA. Should have been this two months ago. We're going to go 40 across N.M. to 54 and take that through small parts of TX and OK then into KS. I believe we'll pick up 70 in KS and take it east all the way through Ohio. We'll avoid the Chicago/Gary areas that was but still have to hit KC, St. Louis, and Indianapolis.
We took 10 a couple years ago and the winds in OK blew one of my air conditioning shrouds off my roof! Hardly any way to drive the western states without hitting winds!

[engine103]

Originally Posted by DandyDon

We took 10 a couple years ago and the winds in OK blew one of my air conditioning shrouds off my roof! Hardly any way to drive the western states without hitting winds!

I lost an air conditioner shroud one mile from my home due to a 65+ MPH crosswind gust. Can it get windy, yes. As you will note there are no mountains to stop the wind from New Mexico and Texas. But as you get to eastern Oklahoma the winds break up. As pilots we would say if you need crosswind landing practice then your in the right state.
If these winds bother you, apparently you have never traveled from Cheyenne to Evanston.

[twogypsies]

Hope you're not coming to Arizona.... very high winds ... and fires. :(

[Agesilaus]

If these winds bother you, apparently you have never traveled from Cheyenne to Evanston.

Well no, but Wyoming's state flag is a 40 pound anvil hanging off a logging chain....



We expect winds in WY.

[Solo_RV_Guy]

Originally Posted by engine103

I lost an air conditioner shroud one mile from my home due to a 65+ MPH crosswind gust. Can it get windy, yes. As you will note there are no mountains to stop the wind from New Mexico and Texas. But as you get to eastern Oklahoma the winds break up. As pilots we would say if you need crosswind landing practice then your in the right state.
If these winds bother you apparently you have never traveled from Cheyenne to Evanston.

Yeah, any vehicle with a profile taller than a bacteria gets some significant windage. Last time I drove that stretch my entertainment was watching, from a respectable distance, professional drivers towing 3 semi trailers. I was driving a full size cargo van (E-250) with a fair load and got blown around like spring pollen. Those drivers were snake charmers...

The road conditions in Oklahoma are the result of revenue and spending decisions by elected persons. Presumably enough Oklahomans consider their roads *adequate* for their needs or the good citizens would elect different critters to office. Note the number of toll roads in Oklahoma and that in general, they're better maintained than public highways...

[JDF83]

Originally Posted by Agesilaus

Well no, but Wyoming's state flag is a 40 pound anvil hanging off a logging chain....



We expect winds in WY.

I feel your pain, we thought we had a nice driving rig until we moved to Montana. New shocks and some swaybar upgrades later and we are better suited to our "breezy" days.

[Toby Dog]

We drove I40 east to west in May of 2018. You'd think all the casino buildings would block the wind. There was at least one at every exit. Tax them more and fix the roads.

[Xmcdog]

Try the Wreakhouse in Newfoundland.
I have had driven a semi through there with the tractor wheels on the left shoulder while the trailer wheels rode the other shoulder. That was scary.

[Solo_RV_Guy]

Originally Posted by Toby Dog

We drove I40 east to west in May of 2018. You'd think all the casino buildings would block the wind. There was at least one at every exit. Tax them more and fix the roads.

Those are Native American casinos and the land they sit on is sovereign tribal grounds or land put into a federal trust on behalf of a Tribe. Tribes that wish to have Class III facilities must enter into a "compact" with the state the land is in, and that is the only basis for taxes or levies on a tribe's gaming operation. Basically your proposal is both impossible and illegal unless such additional taxes are provided for in a tribe's compact with the state.

See: Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1988 (President Reagan signed it).

[DirtRider]

As an Okie, all I can say is....sorry, everyone. I'm dumbfounded by how bad our roads are. I've bent a half-empty trailer's axle on potholes, and had tires that had to be replaced because of a bulge in the sidewall. The tire guy was like "what did you HIT?" He was just sure I wrecked into a curb or something, but no--it's just OK. These roads have jarring joints and aren't flat the very day they're installed. I grew up in Kansas, which has far lower population density, and FAR better roads. Not sure what the excuse is.

But yeah, if you've ever wondered why I have several suspension upgrades on a small, light e450 framed class C with an excellent wheelbase ratio--this is why.

[RV735]

Talk about Wreakhouse in Newfoundland. We were there in 2016. Stopped in a RV Park after departing the ferry form NS. At 2 AM the wind started blowing 90 mph. It blew until 2 PM, 12 hours. At the time we had no idea what was going on. I did not try to open my door for fear of being sucked out. That night 2 tractor trailers blew over on the main road. The ferry form Nova Scotia to Newfoundland that departed after us was unable to dock. It is normally is a 6.5 hr trip. They were out on the water for 20 hrs.
I understand in the past they would chain the trains to the tracks when the wind blew down form the mountains to the sea.

Twillingate has the friendliest and most resourceful people we have met in our travels.

Safe Travels and THE JOY IS IN THE RIDE