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Old 12-25-2015, 12:03 PM   #1
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High wind driving

Will I have any problem driving in 50mph cross winds? I have a 23ft FlyingCloud with an equalizer weight distribution hitch and am pulling with a Ford F150 eco boost. Driving from Lake Havasu AZ to to Palm Springs CA. Thanks for your help. Hank
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Old 12-25-2015, 12:19 PM   #2
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Can't say I've done 50 mph winds, but I have seen a solid 40 coming across New Mexico once. Wasn't a big deal -- my trailer just kind of squatted a mite and rolled along.

Go easy,

Mike
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Old 12-25-2015, 12:37 PM   #3
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Probably not. Probably use more fuel. I would be very attentive to speed and how it felt like it was handling. And whether the road surface is slick to go with the winds?
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Old 12-25-2015, 12:38 PM   #4
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I've done it driving across South Dakota in very strong winds, and won't ever, but ever do it again. I could only go about 45 or 50 mph, had trouble staying in my lane, and white knuckles for days after. It pulled out and destroyed my awning.

No idea how strong the winds were, but I will not travel under those conditions ever again.
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Old 12-25-2015, 01:09 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by htsparks View Post
Will I have any problem driving in 50mph cross winds? I have a 23ft FlyingCloud with an equalizer weight distribution hitch and am pulling with a Ford F150 eco boost. Driving from Lake Havasu AZ to to Palm Springs CA. Thanks for your help. Hank
Hank.

Side winds can cause loss of control. The higher the wind, the greater the chance.

I am also a pilot, so I installed the following, which was a great 100 percent help when on the road, even with just the tow vehicle.

Install an "aircraft airspeed meter", in the tow vehicle.

Compared what it says with the speedometer.

If you have a "head wind", which has a negative effect on the fuel mileage, the airspeed will show a higher speed than the speedometer. The greater the difference, the more you should back off from your normal towing speed.

On the other hand, if you have a "tail wind", which adds to the fuel mileage, you can increase your towing speed.

Using that method, gives you very positive information as to what is going on with the wind, outside of the tow vehicle.

There is no way to tell what's going on with the wind currects or speeds, unless you do the above. Sure you can stop. get out amd some what guess what the wind is doing, but that is a GUESS" The way I stated, gives you absolute information, that in turn, if you adjust you towing spees accordingly, you will find a very noticeable increase in the fuel mileage.

At today's fuel prices, using anything that helps you to increase the mileage per gallon, then you are saving as many dollars as you can. Going a few hundred miles makes that savings, very noticeable.

Try it, and report back, so that others might have serious thoughts about doing the same thing.

New Airspeed indicators, available at "Aircraft Spruce" cost as low as $ 138.00 for a meter that shows 0 to 100 mph.

Then, if you really want to jazz up your towing instruments, you can add a sensitive "altimeter", which will tell you what altitude your at, but most importantly, it also tells you if your "climbing or descending, or level !! That is impossible to tell all to many times, when your on a strange highway. They cost as low as $ 129.00, from Aircraft Spruce.

Outfitting your tow vehicle with specific kinds of instruments, becomes very usefull to those owners that tow their Airstream many miles, and directly contribute to fuel savings, if you let the information from those instruments be your traveling speed guides.

They did for me, and many time made a difference of better than 20 percent.

Andy
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Old 12-25-2015, 01:43 PM   #6
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No problem towing our 34' in 45 and 50 mph "gusts" which swirled around trees, terrain, passing trains and "big" trucks.

But, you must, stay on top of it at all times!

Of course we had no sway on ours... Can't speak for your rig and setup other than as stated above.. "Go easy".

One of my pilot instructors would tell me..in his usual calm manner... "Don't hit anything with your airplane.... But if it is inevitable hit it as SLOW as you can."
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Old 12-25-2015, 03:25 PM   #7
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If you are driving on the flat, no problem. But if it is mountain driving I would go another day if possible. Gusts will be variable and from different directions, you may get blasted going around a steep downhill curve.
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Old 12-25-2015, 03:36 PM   #8
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We've driven in strong cross winds, head winds and tail winds, sometimes combined with rain blowing horizontally with the wind. As long as your Equal-i-zer hitch is well adjusted and you ensure the pivot points in the hitch head are properly torqued, it should not be particularly dramatic. As others have also suggested, maintain a conservative speed so that if something unexpected happens you have as much time as possible to respond to it. For example, you'll want to stay well clear of that that SOB trailer ahead of you that's wobbling madly in the gusts.
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Old 12-25-2015, 03:53 PM   #9
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Whether you survive or not, it will make you wiser and you will have a good campfire story!! Airstream on!
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Old 12-25-2015, 04:05 PM   #10
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If they are sidewinds it can be treacherous when semis pass, you won't be going very fast (safely). We couldn't do it with our Equal-I-Zer hitch comfortably, hardly noticeable with the Hensley/ProPride.
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Old 12-25-2015, 05:29 PM   #11
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I have seen a couple of wrecks where the wind caused a 100 yard long garage sale on the side of the road. A SOB trailer flipped into the ditch and disintegrated. Contents strewn all over. I have watched 18 wheelers with serious daylight under their windward tires, and some of them have flipped. I will not drive in strong winds. Early morning and late evening usually mean the wind is letting up and some distance can be made good then.
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Old 12-25-2015, 05:50 PM   #12
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We drive from Orange County to Palm Springs and the winds around Cabazon are really strong. I've towed our trailer using the Equalizer hitch without issues what so ever. I've seen others towing SOBs and are all over the road. We have a Tahoe towing our 20 Flying Cloud.
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Old 12-29-2015, 10:59 PM   #13
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Just go slowly, and if you encounter a dust or sandstorm, lights on and get off the road.
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Old 12-29-2015, 11:20 PM   #14
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Originally Posted by dkottum View Post
If they are sidewinds it can be treacherous when semis pass
No kidding! I can recall a time in the not-too-distant past when I was traveling westbound on I-12 north of Lake Pontchartrain. I was doing 60mph in the right-hand lane, and a semi with a box trailer— probably empty— passed me. A strong sideways gust hit from the south, and if I hadn't braked HARD at just the right time, that trailer would have swatted me like a bug! The semi itself wasn't affected by the wind and kept in its lane, but the arse-end of the trailer changed lanes right in front of me! Only for a moment, then when the gust was gone the trailer got back behind the semi where it belonged, and I pulled over to the shoulder of the road to wait until my case of the shakes went away… Let me tell you, there is no feeling in the world like the feeling you get when you realize you're still alive!
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Old 12-30-2015, 09:03 AM   #15
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No kidding! I can recall a time in the not-too-distant past when I was traveling westbound on I-12 north of Lake Pontchartrain. I was doing 60mph in the right-hand lane, and a semi with a box trailer— probably empty— passed me. A strong sideways gust hit from the south, and if I hadn't braked HARD at just the right time, that trailer would have swatted me like a bug! The semi itself wasn't affected by the wind and kept in its lane, but the arse-end of the trailer changed lanes right in front of me! Only for a moment, then when the gust was gone the trailer got back behind the semi where it belonged, and I pulled over to the shoulder of the road to wait until my case of the shakes went away… Let me tell you, there is no feeling in the world like the feeling you get when you realize you're still alive!
Protag, you make an excellent point. Airstreams (maybe not so much Interestates) rounded shapes makes them more resistant to crosswinds, but it does not help you when OTHER vehicles or trailers are involved!

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Old 01-01-2016, 04:37 PM   #16
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High wind driving

On an SOB, the squared sides and lack of radius in transitions from one wall to another or to roof or belly pan PLUS terrible suspension make them a wholly different experience in towing.

Pressure builds along the sidewalls per length (cannot escape) and pushes hard on tail. Suspension has almost no travel and center of gravity is higher. Susceptible to problems once steady crosswinds are present.

On the aero trailers the winds pass over (a benefit of lower ground clearance; this is by design) and in so doing "pull" at the trailer. This is a reduced order of force. Independent suspension handles this with much more grace.

Setting the WD hitch on the scale with 100% FALR is of benefit in handling crosswinds. Equalizing TW across all three scale pads is best for countering crosswind effect.

Loss of control accidents in this have to do with over correction by the driver. Slowing below 55 makes this easier to deal with.

And a VPP hitch makes it almost an unnoticed phenomenon.

With high winds (50-mph plus) I would call it a day.

Below that it would have more to do with wind direction, traffic and road quality. But my experience is not typical when I state that.

30-mph inconstant winds at 3/4's of the bow is the most tiring. Side winds the most "fun" at that speed.
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