RV camping in high winds is scary. The winds woke me up because I could feel my camper moving and swaying and this was not a safe feeling. I was really concerned the winds might flip my small camper over. And I didn’t know what to do.
I had pulled up my weather app and it told me there could be wind gusts on up 50 MPH. But knowing this did not help me understand if I was in danger of my camper flipping. Would I be safe? So, the next day, I researched to find an answer. I want to share what I discovered with you so if you find yourself in a dangerously windy situation you know what to expect and what you can do to help prevent your RV from overturning. Because not knowing is scary when it happens.
There are two things for certain:
- Weather can be unpredictable
- High winds in an RV can be dangerous
How Much Wind Can a Camper Trailer Withstand?
This is what I discovered.
Can high winds flip over an RV? The answer is yes.
What wind speeds could flip an RV over?
And that answer is… it depends.
It will depend on your:
- RV length
- RV weight
- RV weight distribution
- RV shape
- And other factors
It is important to know, RVs are far more vulnerable to tipping over in high winds when they are moving, as opposed to when they are parked.
How to Safely Drive an RV in High Winds
In general, when driving down the road wind speeds of 30-50 MPH could flip an RV. In addition to the factors above these other factors will contribute to overturning an RV:
- your tow vehicle
- the type of pavement
- if the road is wet
- your driving
Personally, I have felt the impact of winds at 20 to 30 MPH when towing my small camper. If it is really windy, always listen to weather reports, or have an app that will tell you the current and forecasted wind speeds along your route.
And just because a weather report might suggest the winds are “fine” to drive in, if you are feeling uncomfortable, trust your instinct and pull over. Always put your safety first.
What Wind Speed Can Tip Over a Parked RV?
I found a wind study that references minimum wind speeds for overturning stationary RVs.
Interestingly…
“They reported minimum overturning wind speeds (perpendicular to the vehicle) of 24 m/s (53 mi/hr) for a 5.5 m (18 foot) travel trailer, 29 m/s (65 mi/hr) for a 9 m (29.5 foot) motor home, 33 m/s (73 mi/hr) for a 13,600 kg semi-trailer, and 45 m/s (101 mi/hr) for a 5 m (16.5 foot) camper van.
There are more factors than just the length of your RV and wind speed that will determine if your RV can be overturned but these numbers are a good point of reference.
The good news is RVs rarely are overturned by wind.
Wind Speed Study reference: https://www.alabamawx.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Schmidlin-Paper1.pdf
RV High Wind Safety Tips
Next, are important safety measures you should take in high wind situations to help prevent your RV from flipping over and keep yourself safe. If you know high winds are coming ahead of time, these are essential steps you can take to help keep yourself and your loved ones safe.
- Know where to go if you need to leave your RV such as a close by bathhouse
- Park your RV so it points into the wind – this is the way it is designed to travel against wind down the road)
- Deploy your stabilizers, as they provide additional points of contact between your RV and the ground
- Hookup your tow vehicle to your camper trailer – Extra contact with a heavy object will help you feel more stable inside the RV
- Close all vents and windows to encourage airflow to wrap around your RV
- Make sure everything on your RV is secured – storage space doors etc.
- Put awning in
- Put outdoor things away because flying objects can cause damage
- Fill tanks with water to give you more weight to prevent it from flipping over
- Make sure there are no trees that can fall on your RV – move your RV out from under any overhanging trees. Ultimately, your RV is at greater risk of wind damage from falling tree limbs than from the wind itself
- Have a weather alert radio that uses batteries
Wind Monitoring App with Windy.com
Windy.com is a wind app you can access on both your desktop computer or via your IOS or Android phone.
It has a lot of functionality but what I like about it is how visually stunning it is to use.
- Visually view wind speeds and wind directions
You instantly know the wind speeds around you and the direction of the wind. When you press the play button it will show forecasted details, so you know what to expect.
- Save favorite locations
This feature allows you to save the places you visit often or plan to visit for easy access to wind conditions.
- Set wind notification alerts
Getting wind alerts will help you plan and be better prepared
This wind app is easy to use and in addition to being a great wind monitoring app, it is also packed full of fantastic weather features.
Why an NOAA Weather Radio is Important
I believe an NOAA weather radio is a must-have for all RVers. You can learn about the one I purchased on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3ly5Ae3
Here is another scenario I want you to consider. What if suddenly you find yourself in bad weather and your electric power goes out and your phone’s battery is low or dead. Or you are boondocking and have a poor or no good cell signal and you need to know what weather is coming your way. There are situations when we cannot rely on our phones to access real-time weather data.
That’s why I also just purchased an NOAA weather radio.
An NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR) is a nationwide network of radio stations broadcasting continuous weather information directly from your nearest National Weather Service office. NWR broadcasts official Weather Service warnings, watches, forecasts, and other bad weather information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. It will sound an alert to notify you of bad weather in your area.
Not only does an NOAA weather radio provide real-time weather data and keep you informed of severe weather without a cell signal but it will run off of batteries, so no power is needed. The one I bought also provides an emergency hand crank in case your batteries are dead.
Here’s the thing. I never thought about knowing what to do in high winds or other bad weather scenarios until I found myself in this scary high wind situation. It is interesting how we don’t think about these things until we find ourselves in a situation that we wish we had been better prepared for. Bad weather in an RV is stressful enough but having the knowledge and tools to be better prepared is something I don’t take for granted anymore.
➡️ Buy my NOAA weather radio on my Amazon affiliate link here: https://amzn.to/3BF9KGx
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Randi’s Adventures, All Rights Reserved
DISCLAIMER: My videos are for entertainment purposes only. I am not a travel or RV expert. It is important to do your own research to find what works best for you. Some of my links are affiliate links. I make a small commission if you use these links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
