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Topic: Driving a 45' CC in High Wind (Read 580 times) previous topic - next topic
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Driving a 45' CC in High Wind

Yahoo Message Number: 76741
Could anyone share how their tandum axle 45' coaches handle in high wind situations? During the last Santa Ana bout here in S. CA we had a number of 18-wheelers thrown on their sides while on the freeway.
With a lower center of gravity and much more weight located lower, do you need to alter course when "high wind warnings" are posted for high profile vehicles?

Thanks for sharing!
Mark

Re: Driving a 45' CC in High Wind

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 76750
Most people who travel know about the high winds we experience in southern Arizona, New Mexico, and West Texas. We were coming back from Phoenix to El Paso and the winds were gusting to 45 mph with a steady 25 appox. one afternoon cruising about 70 with that tail wind heading east. Once you pass Lords burg I-10 makes a right 90 degree turn and for the next 30 minutes or so I was driving 62 mph my normal speed with the crosswind. We used to own a 36' Allure with a single rear axle and the difference is quite remarkable. There's a little more wind noise and you have to turn the steering wheel into the wind a bit as before, but except for the buffeting caused by the difference of the peak wind to the constant wind, the coach is very stable, not so with the Allure. The Intrigue is Even more stable than the Odyssey mini van we tow solo and much more so than the Standard Ford Econoline Vans I used at work and to pull My Airstream travel trailer. I found the most annoying about the Allure was a 3/4 trailing wind could steer the coach at its pleasure, which caused for strenuous and unpleasant steering experiences. That issue is gone with the tag axle. I would never recommend driving into that strong head wind, because of noise, windshield damage issues, and fuel milage loss. 2 mpg at 55 mph. Buffeting by 18 wheelers is almost just a small annoyance as long as your speed is with in 10 mph of the passing truck. But if your doing 55 mph and they are doing 75, you are going to feel them suck the rear end of the coach toward the center and then push the coach away only to pull the front of the coach again toward the centerline as they pass. I use the road from Suisun, Calif, over to I15 to check for awning failures and adjustments to prevent billowing. Its two lane so you are limited to 50 mph, but the crosswinds are even more dynamic, as our some of the winds in eastern Montana when a Squall line comes thru, and the coach handles very well. But I wouldn't push things. I much prefer to sit back and watch the weather go by at a nice RV park, rather than be on the road. I do travel with my water tank full and fuel tank above 1/2, and with my Michelins up front at 115, the duals 110 and the tags at 115 to 120. Michelin side walls have more flex that Toyos and its important to me for handling reasons to have the tires over in- flated by 5 lbs. I've traveled the Grape vine during High Winds safely, but when I hear ahead of time anything over 40 mph, and I have a choice, I camp an additional day. TWI 2004 42' 10" Intrigue Ovation 11731

Re: Driving a 45' CC in High Wind

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 76762
We went on a trip in late Sept through mid October from California to New Orleans and back. I never had any problem with the wind and neither did a couple of the other coaches that we were running with, but a few did. There were 7 of us running together and two started complaining over the CB's after leaving Albequergue NM and again after El Paso and we all dropped speed. One of the complainers was a 42' Fleetwood Allegiance with a tag axle, the other was a 39' single axle that I don't remember the brand. We were down to about 53 MPH from 70.
I know that I have been pushed over by big gusts a few times coming from Vegas and also out by Mojave and Tehachapi, but those were pretty windy days and it seemed to be moving cars, vans and trucks around more than me.
A couple of times, I thought the front windshield was going to popout and you could see the window on the drivers side moving a couple of inches because I had my GPS stuck to it.

07 Intrigue 530 45' tag axle
C13 Cat Allison
06 Rubicon LJ