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Devoman · 08-24-2005, 05:20 AM

When i get some really strong winds hitting us,Would the Airstream be ok to sit there.Would it be good to strap it down.How much wind can the Airstream handle.Remember...I live in the hurricane state.Sometime we would get one that just breezes by us and we would get some really strong winds.I just need some advise from all you other hurricane proned areas and what do you do if the winds were in the 30+ mph range.Any help is greatly appreciated.Thanks.

Silvertwinkie · 08-24-2005, 06:16 AM

Any vehicle in a tornado or hurricane is vulnerable to damage and being taken away. A fully loaded Airstream can weigh as much as a car. Whatever you do for your car, I'd do for your Airstream in a bad weather condition.

genearnold · 08-24-2005, 08:14 AM

I now live where winds aren’t much of a problem, but I spend time in central Nebraska when I visit kids. I’ve seen some winds in excess of fifty mph with us in the trailer. I had all four stabilizers down and we fared very well.

The summer of 2004 we were in Nebraska the night Hallam, Nebraska got wiped out (not close to us but the system was spawning tornadoes over a wide area). We spent a couple of very tense hours in the restroom of Hall County Park at Grand Island as we preferred that site to the possibility of rolling to Kansas in the Airstream.

Gene

Rivetedude · 08-24-2005, 08:16 AM

To quote Ron White:

"It's not THAT the wind is blowin'...It's WHAT the wind is blowin. If you get hit with a VOLVO...It doesn't really matter how many push-ups you can do."

maxandgeorgia · 08-24-2005, 08:59 AM

This may seem trivial, but it seems to me that if you can determine the most consistent wind direction of the storm that you could make sure the Airstream was pointing into the wind rather than standing broadside to it. You, of course, should be well away in a secure location, hoping that nothing crashes onto your trailer. Good luck for the current season!

Westfalia · 08-24-2005, 10:11 AM

Devo, if a hurricane is coming, it's time to head north and go camping with the Trailer!

Westfalia · 08-24-2005, 10:20 AM

Actually, I just remembered seeing a picture titled 'hurricane tie downs' on the Project: Vintage Thunder gallery

http://www.pbase.com/airstreamlife/image/40920125

It probably won't keep it from flying away in a very high wind, but it might keep it from bouncing around in the wind.

Silvertwinkie · 08-24-2005, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Westfalia

Actually, I just remembered seeing a picture titled 'hurricane tie downs' on the Project: Vintage Thunder gallery

http://www.pbase.com/airstreamlife/image/40920125

It probably won't keep it from flying away in a very high wind, but it might keep it from bouncing around in the wind.

Neat idea. I wonder if a storm happened by if all that would be left would be the chassis?

**jcanavera** · 08-24-2005, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Silvertwinkie

Neat idea. I wonder if a storm happened by if all that would be left would be the chassis?

My guess is the straps will probably snap. The mobile homes that I've seen tied down usually have metal cables that go from the ground and then over the roof. But just as Airstreams attract hail, mobile homes attract tornados in these parts.

A few years ago we had a wind shear from a thunderstorm come up the Mississippi through downtown STL. Over on the east side riverfront area in the casino RV campground, the force of the wind against the sides of the motorhomes rolled some of these units over on their sides. These weren't the lightweights either. These were diesel pushers.

Wind plays a powerful force when hitting perpendicular surfaces. You need to install your temporary wind vane jack. The trailer lifts up off its wheels and noses in the direction of the wind!

Jack

2airishuman · 08-24-2005, 04:13 PM

hi folks

this thread reminded me to post some photos from "the wind" just a few weeks ago in iowa.

see the new thread in just a few minutes........

cheers
2air'

wahoonc · 08-24-2005, 05:19 PM

IIRC there were some pictures floating around from last years hurricane season. There was a RV park near one of the ground zero, there were a lot of SOB's that have been destroyed or rolled and a couple of airstreams....they were still upright and usable. IMHO the best thing would be to try and point one of the rounded ends into the wind and hope for the best...

Aaron

overlander63 · 08-24-2005, 05:20 PM

What seems to work best here, based on several hurricanes (nothing will work for tornadoes), is to put the stabilizers down until they take a little weight, and use the tie-downs shown in the Vintage Thunder tie-down post earlier. If possible, face the nose of the trailer into what you think will be the worst of the wind.
Of course, the best preventive measure is to take your trailer, and leave the area before the storm is expected.

Devoman · 08-24-2005, 06:54 PM

Overlander63...
I guess you are in the same situation as i am.We are watching this new storm approaching and dont know where it is going to land once it gets in the gulf.If it is coming this way like it is showing i will be the first to evacuate being that i live on the beach.This is normal though and you get used to it.Great thing is i now have a brand new Airstream to evacuate in.No more going to parents house and looking for hotels.
It is really hard to just turn my Airstream into the wind.The way hurricanes work is that the winds will come from the south then east then to the north and last to the west with the same strength slowly decreasing in strength and all of this can be done within a matter of a day or night.Hurricanes suck but i guess that is the price you pay when you live in places like this.
Those staps look like you can get them in your local Walmart.It seems he just latched them to the axel.

overlander63 · 08-24-2005, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devoman

Overlander63...
I guess you are in the same situation as i am.We are watching this new storm approaching and dont know where it is going to land once it gets in the gulf. Hurricanes suck but i guess that is the price you pay when you live in places like this.
Those staps look like you can get them in your local Walmart.It seems he just latched them to the axel.

Yes, Hurricanes suck, er, blow

. The only good news is usually you get a little warning about one headed for you. This newest one is traveling directly over my primary evacuation/staging area on the East coast. Hopefully by the time it gets here it will be nothing more than a lot of rain (like we need more of that here) and strong gusty winds. At least you can go North to get away from it. If it unexpectedly strengthens, I will probably head South, as far South as the road goes. There will be nowhere to go other than that. The wind here is projected to be out of the North, shifting to the west. Unfortunately my trailer sits in storage at a Northeast/Southwest orientation, and I am not thrilled about parking in my driveway. One of the trees that was damaged by Charlie is directly over the driveway.
Those straps are easily obtainable from either Home Depot or Wal-Mart, and yes, they were attached to a part of the axle.

Pick · 08-24-2005, 07:21 PM

I believe during last years hurricane season, Andy from Inland RV stated that an Airstream can be pulled up to 115 MPH. I wouldn't try it though. But, that being said, it is safe to say that you could possibly hook up your tow vehicle and face it into the wind. That is what I did during Frances and Jeanne and had no problems.

85MH325 · 08-24-2005, 07:25 PM

Best advice: Leave ahead of the storm. Your trailer may not blow away, but a 2x4 travelling through the air at 50-60 mph will probably go right through your trailer. Much of the damage from storms isn't from wind, it's from flying debris. I've been through seven typhoons in the South Pacific, and right near (closer than I'd liked) several tornadoes over the years. Neither are worth sticking around for.

Roger

thenewkid64 · 08-24-2005, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Westfalia

Actually, I just remembered seeing a picture titled 'hurricane tie downs' on the Project: Vintage Thunder gallery

http://www.pbase.com/airstreamlife/image/40920125

It probably won't keep it from flying away in a very high wind, but it might keep it from bouncing around in the wind.

The strap was a standard 10000 LB tow strap. The VT Project trailer was parked next to my house, with another house 10 feet away. The issue I was most concerned about was that the trailer was sitting on top of a retaining wall with a 16-20 inch drop off at the rear. I knew the wall would be fine since it normally was holding up my 12000 LB motorhome. What I did not want to happen was to have the wind push the trailer back off the wall. I put down all 3 working stabilizers, chocked the wheels on the other side from the strap and strapped it down. The strap ran behind the backing plates that are behind the wheels and I wrapped it around one axle.

When we had the 3 in a row I also waited until the last reasonable time and pointed my MH into the wind and snuggled it up to the house. I figured getting the smallest cross section into the wind was as good as I could do. Besides if the power failed, or I needed a hot shower post storm I had all I could ask for in the MH.

I know sneakingup got the screw in type used for a mobile home and strapped his down across the A frame in front and the rear bumper in back using metal straps.

overlander63 · 08-26-2005, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Devoman

Overlander63...
I guess you are in the same situation as i am.We are watching this new storm approaching and dont know where it is going to land once it gets in the gulf.If it is coming this way like it is showing i will be the first to evacuate being that i live on the beach.This is normal though and you get used to it.Great thing is i now have a brand new Airstream to evacuate in.No more going to parents house and looking for hotels.

RUN. NOW.
We don't want your new baby washed out to sea...

n2916s · 08-26-2005, 07:00 PM

Greetings from Cutler Ridge, South Dade County Florida, visited just last night by Ms. Katrina and her winds and rain!

1. My 31' Sovereign never budged. No dings, no dents.

2. However, did get water past the A/C gasket and had a puddle underneah about 24" in circumference.

3. Had the reefer fired up and the A/C going (I have a 30A outlet on the outside of my garage) just in case the house power went down -- can run the whole trailer on 2 EU2000i's (especially with the reefer on propane) not so the stick house. Turned out we didn't need it but it looks like we wil be taking it over to the mother-in-law's tomorrow and planting it in her front yard -- she has no power or fresh water.

Mike

Devoman · 08-26-2005, 07:17 PM

With the way everything is going.I will have to evacuate.If what they are saying about it becoming a cat 4 hurricane,We will get cat 1 winds and the bridge will be closed down.That is the only way for us to get off the beach where i live unless we want to drive towards the hurricane to leave.(Yea right.)Mabey this will give you an idea of where i live and the trouble i always face when we have something like this.Here is my neigborhood.
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=30.15...0050&t=h&hl=en