Wind sucks!!!!!!

[Ram4Sam]

Like the title says, wind sucks big time! Here's what happens if you are going east bound and a big wind is heading south bound. Lucky for me the hitch came apart and lrt the trailer go. Read in the newspaper later that the wind was blowing in the 80 mph range. It was quite a ride.



Sam







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[Grizzly]

That was a bad one. I'm glad your okay.

 

[Bob4x4]

Hey Sam.

Trailer may be toast but sounds like you came out fine.

I love my lil Airstream



Bob

 

[Wyomingcowboy]

Welcome to my world! I have never had a wreck like that one, but I have seen countless semis and 5th wheel campers in the median and ditches. That wasn't on I-80 in Wyo was it? When they say no high profile vehicles... . they mean it!!

 

[MMeier]

Where did this occur?

 

[catoiler]

I'm guessing from his sig he is in so cal so I would think maybe the I-15 or I-10.

 

[Ram4Sam]

It was on the 210, just east of the 15, going east, 20 minutes from home. Hell of an end to 10 days at Pismo Beach! It blew over so fast I barely had time to say"oh *****!" or even be scared. I thought the gust just moved us over onto the shoulder but when I looked in the rearview cab mirror and saw blue sky instead of trailer, it wasn't a good feeling. It slid on it's side for a bit, hit the k-rail head on and ended up in the middle of the freeway. A very surreal experience, to say the least.



Sam

 

[TRLRTRSH]

We who fly have a saying for what you did, gethomeitis, Sam glad you're ok, but what the heck you doing towing in that kind of wind??

 

[Gaylord]

Hi Sam



Glad to hear that you are OK.



I'm curious... . what part of the hitch came apart? What brand was the hitch?

Was it a sliding hitch. Did it have two sliding bars that form a circle around the pin or a sliding bar that locks the pin against a semicircle on the hitch?



I'm up the hill in Apple Valley. The wind can flat rip coming out of the Cajon Pass on I-15 or where you where further south on the new section of I-210.

 

[Ram4Sam]

We who fly have a saying for what you did, gethomeitis, Sam glad you're ok, but what the heck you doing towing in that kind of wind??

The last thing I was in was a hurry to get home. Just spent ten days at the beach with just my wife. Left the teenagers and the pets at home! Having been born and raised here, I am well aware of how windy it can be. As I was heading east, I was watching the westbound traffic. There were numerous big rigs, motorhomes, travel trailers coming from where I was heading so I figured there wasn't a lot of wind. Didn't feel much wind until the big blow. Sitting with a busted truck and trailer, two big rigs going west right across from me both blew over and one on a frontage road right next to me.



Sam

 

[MMeier]

Glad to hear you two came out of it alright. About 2 years ago there was a stretch of 3 days when I was hauling containers out of the port when I saw/ counted 26 rigs over on their sides one morning , like 16 the following, and 8 or so the 3 rd morning... all with in about a 3 mile radius of the 15/ 210 split. Was kinda surprised the wind didn't play with me more then it did.

 

[Ram4Sam]

Hi Sam



Glad to hear that you are OK.



I'm curious... . what part of the hitch came apart? What brand was the hitch?

Was it a sliding hitch. Did it have two sliding bars that form a circle around the pin or a sliding bar that locks the pin against a semicircle on the hitch?



I'm up the hill in Apple Valley. The wind can flat rip coming out of the Cajon Pass on I-15 or where you where further south on the new section of I-210.

Gaylord, my hitch is/was a RBW lil rocker. It has the single sliding bar, not a jaws type. The hitch head sits in a cradle and held in by two pins. The head pulled out, shearing the pins, which I guess is supposed to happen. The hitch head went with the trailer and stayed on the pin. While I was at the wrecking yard getting our personal stuff out of the trailer, I noticed it hanging on the pin. For fun, I gave the release lever a couple of good tugs and it actually came off.



We were on the 210 right where it goes over Cherry Ave, right where the call box was. (my trailer killed it, the call box landed down on Cherry Ave)



Sam

 

[TRLRTRSH]

Sam, My apologies from your initial post I assumed the wind was howling the entire trip. Sounds like you encountered a very localized wind condition. I’ve only driven the 210 eastbound several times with the 5er and don’t think I’ll be doing it anytime soon.

Again glad everyone is OK, kind of a bummer way to end a good time.

 

[EEdmondson]

The wind blows!



Why do all the roads in Southern California begin with "the"?

BTW, I lived my first 21 years there.

 

[Crash&Burn]

Hey Sam.

Trailer may be toast but sounds like you came out fine.

I love my lil Airstream



Bob

Are you saying a airstream with a bumper hitch would have gone thur this unscathed?

 

[MMichaels]

Re: The

The wind blows!



Why do all the roads in Southern California begin with "the"?

BTW, I lived my first 21 years there.

Reference is to "the 210 freeway," "the 101 freeway," etc.

 

[steved]

This is what makes me nervous with a walk-in bunk 5vr... and also had my senses raised driving to CO/UT with the slide-in loaded...

I've been out west and know exactly what those winds can do. I almost had a Martin truck for a hood ornament a couple years ago, coming out of CO and into KS... gust of wind had him up on the passenger side wheels only... I don't know how he got it set back down.

In a way, I'm glad we didn't get a walk-in bunk 5vr for this reason (less side wind load)...

Glad you're OK...

steved

 

[Bob4x4]

Are you saying a airstream with a bumper hitch would have gone thur this unscathed?

Well that is impossible to answer with 100 % certainty,but due to where I live and where I travel I have been in that type of wind far to often. The airstream tracks very true when the 5r's are changing lanes.



Bob

 

[Ram4Sam]

This is what makes me nervous with a walk-in bunk 5vr... and also had my senses raised driving to CO/UT with the slide-in loaded...



I've been out west and know exactly what those winds can do. I almost had a Martin truck for a hood ornament a couple years ago, coming out of CO and into KS... gust of wind had him up on the passenger side wheels only... I don't know how he got it set back down.



In a way, I'm glad we didn't get a walk-in bunk 5vr for this reason (less side wind load)...



Glad you're OK...



steved

I doubt that additional height of my fifth wheel(12-15"??) made any difference in the outcome. The side of any RV in a 80+mph wind makes a perfect sail. The CHP officer who was there told me that in his many years in the area, this is the first fifth wheel he has seen blown over. He said it has always been cab over campers and travel trailers.



Bob is just luckier than the rest of us, God knows he is a Cummins mechanic and doesn't mess with him. :-laf



Sam

 

[steved]

I doubt that additional height of my fifth wheel(12-15"??) made any difference in the outcome.



Sam

The 5vr we bought is a little short stubby thing... much shorter than a walk-in bunk... top is probably under 9 feet? A lot shorter than my slide-in on the truck by a lot!



I can see how truck campers get into trouble... ours isn't that heavy, and it is still very top heavy for a 2500...



steved