windy

[BrooksFam]

Wow, this thread died in February 2014, then resurrected yesterday.

[Ken / Claudia]

Any ones minds changed in 7 years about wind?

[Javi]

Originally Posted by Ken / Claudia

Any ones minds changed in 7 years about wind?

Not mine... In Texas if I waited for the wind to be under 20 mph I'd only get to tow 3 days a year and probably not all day on those 3 days. I will slow down and I will plan around 40 plus...

[Life-in-Him]

Originally Posted by notanlines

Life-In-Him, "our neighbor put home made "outriggers" front & back. 2x4x36" & ratchet straps stopped it all" we have perhaps hundreds of members here who live in what would be called high wind areas. How about a picture or two and a description to help them out?
(no, I'm not talking about the 'hot air' states like Maryland and Michigan, I said HIGH WIND)

Well we've tried 2 times to upload photos & describe what we did but got blown off by the I'm not a robot. With over 60 years in brainless hardware experience (aka computers) you'd think we could do it, or at least copy it befor submittal...



Let's try just the verbal w/no pix or preview.

Call them wind-legs since the name outrigger is already used



To start, a list.

4 - 2x4x36" end cuts w/solid knots from a homedepot type store. They'll cut w/60° bevel free to save time.

2 - Ratchet straps (1k# 12' long)

4 - 9/16" eye bolts threaded to the shoulder or no more than 1" (we found 6" shank cheeper & cut them off to fit)

4 - 9/16" chromed nuts
4 - 9/16" chromed cap nuts, safety cover the ends.

8 - 9/16" x 2" chromed washers as thick as you can find

Exterior paint or Lacquer.



Make pieces:
Bevel 4" edge of each 2x4.
Double bevel 1 end.

Drill 5/8" hole thru each 2x4, 8" from the single beveled end.



Paint or Lacquer all 2x4's & extra thick coat all ends & holes.



Assembly:
Insert eye bolt & 1 washer into the board side w/shorter beveled edge.

Tighten washer & nut on other side & tighten cap nut on bolt end.



Install wind-legs:
Locate an area @ top of RV frame with a welded steel shelf like area & no wireing or other stuff. They must be equidistant from the hitch & bumper!

Place wind-legs @ each location. Eye bolts @ the ground facing each other.


Activating wind-legs:
Connect one ratchet assembly between each board pair @ each end of the RV.

To reduce wind hummmm, twist the long strap 3-5 twists.





Tighten each ratchet (do not over tighten)

We tighten till a strum is about B-flat. You might like a C-sharp.

After a day or so reset your chocks & realign the wind-legs square with the RV & retighten the straps.



T

[Life-in-Him]

Images of Wind-Legs & damaged stabilizer causing a need for high wind protection
Sorry some need rotated

Image 1 is how one corner looks installed. Rotate 90 deg right

Image 2 are end samples of each of the 4 2x4. Also shows eye bolts as installed. Standing by rig

Image 3 is one bent stabilizer, bent by WY winds lifting the unit & gtavity slamming it down. Rotate 90 deg left
Image 4 one rear wind-leg in position under rig. Rotate 90 deg right

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by Javi

Not mine... In Texas if I waited for the wind to be under 20 mph I'd only get to tow 3 days a year and probably not all day on those 3 days. I will slow down and I will plan around 40 plus...

Yep, lived in the W TX area all my life. I figure a good "wind" day is if it doesn't get above 30. Constant wind speeds of 20-40 are pretty common and 70+ gusts "just happen" when they want to....and aren't rare.

In our travels we've found that those wind speeds are unheard of in many areas and considered dangerous, to us "it just is". The biggest time it "scared" me was when I was about 10 or so, wind howling outside and decided to open up this broke down cardboard box, drape it behind me like some big wings and then step out into "the breeze" to see if I could fly or what. Don't. I opened that flap but didn't "fly" really; pulled off my feet yes; fly across my yard and into the neighbors yes; scared crapless yes; wind knocked out of me by hitting the side of the neighbor's car yes.

Just some thoughts on wind.

[Badbart56]

Originally Posted by sourdough

Yep, lived in the W TX area all my life. I figure a good "wind" day is if it doesn't get above 30. Constant wind speeds of 20-40 are pretty common and 70+ gusts "just happen" when they want to....and aren't rare.

In our travels we've found that those wind speeds are unheard of in many areas and considered dangerous, to us "it just is". The biggest time it "scared" me was when I was about 10 or so, wind howling outside and decided to open up this broke down cardboard box, drape it behind me like some big wings and then step out into "the breeze" to see if I could fly or what. Don't. I opened that flap but didn't "fly" really; pulled off my feet yes; fly across my yard and into the neighbors yes; scared crapless yes; wind knocked out of me by hitting the side of the neighbor's car yes.

Just some thoughts on wind.

Good to know I'm not the only one that survived childhood in spite of myself. When I was 10 or 11 me and my cousin would take turns, one of us would climb a tall pine tree (seemed like 40 feet high, probably was closer to 20) and the other one would chop it down with an axe. It seemed like a lot of fun riding those trees to the ground and we never really got hurt.

[jfk69]

Originally Posted by sourdough

Yep, lived in the W TX area all my life. I figure a good "wind" day is if it doesn't get above 30. Constant wind speeds of 20-40 are pretty common and 70+ gusts "just happen" when they want to....and aren't rare.

In our travels we've found that those wind speeds are unheard of in many areas and considered dangerous, to us "it just is". The biggest time it "scared" me was when I was about 10 or so, wind howling outside and decided to open up this broke down cardboard box, drape it behind me like some big wings and then step out into "the breeze" to see if I could fly or what. Don't. I opened that flap but didn't "fly" really; pulled off my feet yes; fly across my yard and into the neighbors yes; scared crapless yes; wind knocked out of me by hitting the side of the neighbor's car yes.

Just some thoughts on wind.

School of hard knocks. Literally lol.

[Hankster]

We did something similar to this when we lived in ours permanently for 5 months. Put 3 of them in it helped to stabilize so one wouldn't be woke up when the other made a potty break at 3 am havent used them since, but would be easy to store the legs in the storage area for when needed. To save weight a hole could be drilled big enough to get a nylon strap(lumber banding) through and make a round loop to hook the ratchet strap to.

[notanlines]

I have learned in towing all over these United States and Canada that when traveling I-40 through north Texas, I-80 through eastern Nebraska and I-90 through the entire state of South Dakota you will NEVER, EVER have a tailwind. Do you people who live there arrange for this to happen?

[flybouy]

Reminds me of when I was a kid. One uncle in WV would visit every year. He said when he crossed the Alleghany mountian he would stop at a barn on the top of the mountain and place his hat on the west side of the barn and the wind would hold it there "'till he came back on the way home". Sure do miss him.

[Life-in-Him]

As dad talked about

eastern Colo winds I'd remind him: there are only 283 strands of barb wire between the homeplace & the Canadian border to slow the wind down.
🤔
Last Dec he grinned @ those words just before c-19 took him home @ 97.



Wind? It comes & goes from & to where we don't know since it's just a moving breath touching us which we can't touch.

[sourdough]

Originally Posted by notanlines

I have learned in towing all over these United States and Canada that when traveling I-40 through north Texas, I-80 through eastern Nebraska and I-90 through the entire state of South Dakota you will NEVER, EVER have a tailwind. Do you people who live there arrange for this to happen?

We have observed, yes marveled, at the fact that no matter which way the wind has been blowing for days when we take off with the RV it is always a headwind. How does that happen??? The previous 2 posts were nice.

[Life-in-Him]

Here on the shore of lake Mead, had to put the Wind-Legs out early.

Wind has blown the fancy lci wind safe doors closed or against the unit 1-2 times every hour since 1pm. It's letting up a little now, almost 9pm, but will need to prep to move in the am.