wind proofing trailer

[ninklink]

I'm not sure this topic has come up. With the rounded shape of our FG egg campers you would think they would allow the wind to flow over them smoothly. I'm wondering about anchoring them down. If we had to ride out a severe windstorm or hurricane what are some ideas out there for preparing your trailer? We have a 21' bigfoot. Let's hear from you but especially those who have been through this experience in your trailer!

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by ninklink

I'm not sure this topic has come up. With the rounded shape of our FG egg campers you would think they would allow the wind to flow over them smoothly. I'm wondering about anchoring them down. If we had to ride out a severe windstorm or hurricane what are some ideas out there for preparing your trailer? We have a 21' bigfoot. Let's hear from you but especially those who have been through this experience in your trailer!

I'm going to build a trailer port on a concrete slab this winter with dead man anchors in the corners to chain the egg down. I can/do get 50-100 mph desert winds that come up like you're flipping a light switch and you never see them coming.

[ninklink]

I have a covered car port that I store my camper under over the winter but I'm pretty sure it will not survive a 100mph wind. I have asphalt as a base. I might have to drill tapcons into concrete base on both side of my carport to anchor trailer down. In hurricane force winds (I'm on the west coast so typhoon for us) my aluminum carport will I blow away but I do want my bigfoot to stay put.

[Jon in AZ]

Some information and discussion here:
http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ler-78779.html

[Tom 72]

I would look into obtaining cargo tie down web straps like truckers use on flat bed semi trailers to secure loads. You need a way to ratchet them, as they use ones built into the flatbed trailer. Easy, not too tight.

Plan B, get some narrower web straps someplace like Harbor freight. They can come with a built in ratchet.

Try these, 30' long:
http://www.uscargocontrol.com/Ratche...Double-J-Hook?

[Byron Kinnaman]

There seems to be some sort of disconnect going on with threads like this. You think nothing of pulling the trailer down the road a 80mph into a 20mph head wind but, worry about a tropical storm with less than 80mph winds. HMMMM.

[Tom 72]

Byron you make a valid point. Still I've heard of and seen plenty of semi trailers blown over by high winds. I expect it is cross winds, and not head winds, due to an empty trailer being hitched to a heavy tractor. I expect fiberglass eggs would exhibit some of the same tendencies, depending on weight vs surface area.

[Mike_L]

Cross winds, hitting the trailer sideways, are the ones to be concerned about. We were camping a few years back and these severe winds came up in the afternoon. Trailer was rocking badly and starting to tip. I was concerned it would go over so I hooked it up to my 3/4 Diesel and headed both into the wind. No problem!
I was visiting a trailer park in Edmonton when they had their tornado. The wind picked up these big park models and tossed them around like toys so a travel trailer could simply blow away.
My only experience with high winds.

[TomK]

Originally Posted by Borrego Dave

I'm going to build a trailer port on a concrete slab this winter with dead man anchors in the corners to chain the egg down. I can/do get 50-100 mph desert winds that come up like you're flipping a light switch and you never see them coming.

Dave, when I read this and saw where you were from, it reminded me of Ft Irwin in the Mojave desert, near Barstow and South of Death Valley. I spent some time there in '05 and loved the place. The wind storms were like rogue waves. They just came out of nowhere, and for no apparent reason. Am I close?

Tom

[Wayne Collins]

Thanks for raising this issue.
Our Parkliner sits on a slab beside the garage. No tie downs,... yet!
We had a big wind/rain storm a couple months ago that did serious damage to trees, but the PL never moved. The MaxxFan was open though, and the rain blew in, got the bedding wet.

Anyway, I had thought about having a length of steel pipe buried in the concrete to take a post with a hitch ball so the trailer hitch could be locked onto it.
But, from the above notes, I like the idea of anchor rings bolted to the slab, and tiedown straps front and back. That way, the position of the trailer is more flexible. Just recently bought myself a hammer drill for another project. So, I have the tools, just need to get the rings and bolts. .... and the straps ... and the ambition to do it!

[Tom 72]

If you go with straps, you won't have to worry about clearing the steel post and hitch ball.

[Wayne Collins]

Originally Posted by Tom 72

If you go with straps, you won't have to worry about clearing the steel post and hitch ball.

The post would be removable for pulling the trailer out, and backing it in.

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by TomK

Dave, when I read this and saw where you were from, it reminded me of Ft Irwin in the Mojave desert, near Barstow and South of Death Valley. I spent some time there in '05 and loved the place. The wind storms were like rogue waves. They just came out of nowhere, and for no apparent reason. Am I close? Tom

Yup, around here anything under 30 mpg is just a breeze .

[Borrego Dave]

Originally Posted by Wayne Collins

But, from the above notes, I like the idea of anchor rings bolted to the slab, and tiedown straps front and back. That way, the position of the trailer is more flexible. Just recently bought myself a hammer drill for another project. So, I have the tools, just need to get the rings and bolts. .... and the straps ... and the ambition to do it!

Wayne, in my post I used chain as a generic term and should have said ratchet straps as they have some give to them. Being attached to the 4 corners and not drum tight to allow a little bit of movement to the TT to lessen the stresses on the frame and shell bolts. I only want to keep it from being blown off the slab or rolling over.....moving around a few inches is good with me .

[wellduh326]

Hi Tony. I guess I'll toss in my 2 cents. Last January while camping outside Big Bend Natl. Park, we went through 2 wind storms that came out of nowhere. Winds were 50 - 60 mph each time and I was rockin' and rollin'. I didn't become overly concerned until I felt that little tickle in the pit of my stomach you feel when you suddenly lift and drop. I left my Casita and went to the club house. A couple months later while having a couple mods done, I was told by the gentleman doing them (and was there also) that he had filled all of his tanks with water... 25 gal fresh, black and gray to help hold it stable. Neat idea, but too late. I had him add a set of BAL stabilizers to the front of my trailer and I'm about to have a set put on the back to replace the stock stabilizers that came on it.
Also, I live on the windy gulf coast in South Texas and had a 12 foot cover installed which is wind certified and anchored in concrete. So far, so good.