RV verses wind question

[dragonfly1113]

We have been in our 29 foot camper for a little over a week. My husband insulated underneath and put up under pinning. What he didnt think of was anchors and straps. I became concerned when we had some gusts of wind the other day and it was shaking the camper. He laughed it off and said it would not blow over. We have a super slide on this thing too. I am terrified of wind. (with good reason) Tomorrow, it is forcasted that we will have wind gusts of 30 to 40 miles per hour. I am scared to death already. DH says it is not going to blow over but he also told me that a tree wouldnt fall on our house and it ended up doing just that. So what do you all think?
Susie

[StaceyS]

I have seen a trailer flipped over on it's top before. It was just being stored at the time, not lived in. Your's may weigh quite a bit more.

[Jim-mi]

To make you feel better DH could\should install some tie downs.
Not difficult.........

[Windy in Kansas]

Shaking the camper and rocking it are two different things. I assume that you have stabilizers under it so shaking would be correct instead of rocking it. If it were rocking with stabilizers under it I also would be concerned. With just shaking, no.

[halfpint]

If you don't have stabilizers or jacks under your slideout, I would strongly recommend them. They will help stop most of the shaking from walking around in the trailer, and also some from the wind. We got the jacks for our slideout at an auto supply store, and they were about 1/4th the price that the camper supply stores were selling and better quality.

Another thing that can help prevent the rocking back and forth is the tire wheel locks like these:
http://www.campingworld.com/shopping...ock-lock/31694

Tie downs would not be a bad idea either.

[sarhound]

Yes, they do blow over.

I was at a campground on a search and rescue training exercise; it got hit by a bad storm. The winds were in excess of 70 mph. We wound up doing the real thing--checking to see if anyone was hurt in the multiple units that had been blown all over the place.

I've also seen 5th wheelers blown over on the highway while being towed. I thought I was going to lose my 29 foot motorhome on the same stretch of highway-- I felt the wheels coming up off the ground. The winds were only in the high 40's that day, but it was West Texas. Everything blows around out there...

[CJ]

Last Spring here in Arkansas, when those nasty tornados went through, we were in our RV still and at the campground the winds were straight line 50mph.

I watched the entire front porch get ripped off the guest house, and our 5th wheel (a 40 foot quadruple slide unit, not lightweight!) was rocking like crazy, first time I'd ever been scared in it, enough so that I paged hubby at work and told him to come get me and the dogs!

It didn't tip however, but I sure wouldn't want to repeat the experience. If you're talking about just gusts at 40mph, you'll be fine. Straight line winds however, you are not safe.

[Jim S.]

Stabilizers and jacks that came with it are good for its intended use -- as a temporary shelter at a campground. They should be used. If you are living in it, then you need to also get some screw-in anchors and tie downs and affix it to the ground securely. As you know, winter winds gust pretty good in most of KY! A more stable RV will let you sleep better, too.

Reminds me of being in SD in a doublewide out on the prairie. About 20 people sitting around in it, and the thing was rocking back and forth in those 30-50 mph winter prairie winds. You could feel it when it finally took up all the slack in the anchor cables. Nobody else paid it any mind, but I sure did!

[Gary in ohio]

If your staying for a long time in one location I would look at hurricane straps to hold things down. some newer campers already have strap locations.