High Winds and RVs

Above, The Beast at Los Banos KOA. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Last June, I took a little trip to Marin County to attend a book signing and talk by former Secret Service Agent Clint Hill.

On the way up and on the way back, I stayed midway at the Los Banos KOA for an overnight rest stop. Both nights, high winds buffeted The Beast. Although the winds were nowhere any intensity that would or could overturn the RV, the thought did briefly occur to me. The winds made a lot of noise, making it hard to sleep.

This is more of a concern while driving in an area with strong crosswinds (the Mojave Desert is a prime example).

RV Life has an article on just this question: "Can High Winds Flip RVs? (Sometimes)"

This is more of a concern while driving in an area with strong cross-winds (the Mojave Desert is a prime example).

The article begins with:

Each time you drive down the highway your RV is battered by high winds. As that moving air meets the front of your RV, it creates a high pressure that’s turns it into a force. The intensity of that force is known as “wind load” and all RVs can withstand a certain amount of it. 

You need to do the math to calculate wind load on RVs, but you can drive in a straight line knowing that RV bodies can withstand head winds at highway speeds. Wind is more of a problem when it blows sideways against a vehicle in motion, which causes trailer sway. 

When RVs are stationary, cross-winds also wreak havoc but for a different reason. Sideways winds can destroy awnings, ruin slide-out toppers and toss patio furniture. 

To read more, go here.