High winds

[gravesyt]

The idea was to have a long wk end in north Wales starting to day But with winds up to 70 mph on the A55 I Don't think I'll be going today but if things look better my be tomorrow. But it got me thinking what is a acceptable wind speed to safely travel with a caravan in tow I know the is a lot of variable's to take in to account . size, towcar, experience, route etc But in general what is considered the max wind speed that is safe to travel.
I know it's one of them questions how long is a peace of string .but it might help someone one day

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

It's not the constant wind speed that's the problem, it's the unexpected gusts.

 

[gravesyt]

come on woodlandscamper 70mph winds in any direction is a no as for unexpected gusts they can come at anytime even on a good day what I am trying to get to is at what point when you see a weather report saying Xmph winds on your route were do you draw the line and say to your self its not safe and wait for it improve

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

To ensure absolute safety from winds (because of gaps in hedges, bridges, streetside furniture, etc causing gusts from constant wind) then it is best to travel when there is no wind at all. :silly:

 

[gravesyt]

That's the missus way of thinking wets her finger holds it up and says mmm it feel a bit windy :woohoo: . if that was the case we would never get any where on this island of ours ,,,,,, even in doors poor dear still lover to bits :lol:

 

[Mel]

Hi Gravesy I am typing this from a site in North Wales up a hill about 10 minutes from the A55. It is windy with the occasional gust rocking the pitched van a little, but we are high up and not sheltered. We have a seasonal pitch here so didn't have to tow B)

We have been out along the A55 today and there are some strong gusts but the wind is not consistently at 70mph. Didn't feel it on the car at all, but we weren't towing. It would be the odd gust that would be the problem today and you only need one bad one for it all to go horribly wrong.

Hope we both have better weather tomorrow as it is hell sitting in this alde heated van with a glass of wine and bar of chocolate looking out at the welsh hills.
mel

 

[gravesyt]

so so jealous Mel looks ok for tomorrow it doesn't matter what's the weather is like when I am there its just getting there , one of the reasons for doing a long wk/end is to check out 8 site for a season pitch :cheer: and the A55 is not the best road to pull a caravan on a windy day

 

[Mel]

We are really pleased to have |"gone seasonal"; at least for this part of our lives when we are still working and have family demands. It makes a huge difference not towing. We are 2 and a bit hours from our house so even a very short break (i.e. saturday to sunday). is worth doing.
Just checked out the met office forecast and it is better tomorrow although there may be some snow tomorrow night!
safe journey
mel

 

[Craigyoung]

Whatever the weather good luck , just take your time , we were going along the A66 sometime last year in strong winds and it's all open so you get hit with wind all the way and I kept at 4o ish which I thought was good enough until I seen another van on its side and the tow cars rear wheels off the ground so I slowed even more !
good luck on your travels .

 

[gravesyt]

cheers Craig seen the same last year on the A30 near Bodmin (warning given out on the radio) I parked up he must of had different ideas but each to their own Mel I only live 45mins from Conway so the missus/Boss wants somewhere close because the girls dance every wk end in north wales and I want to go away every wk end so a compromise was reached but will still be spending 4-6 by newquay and a quite a few other places

 

[Hutch]

RUral Milton Keynes area, today, Went up to the van to check battery voltage, and the wind were blowing my Sante Fe around. Sad but glad , we are not out this week.

 

[colin-yorkshire]

come on woodlandscamper 70mph winds in any direction is a no as for unexpected gusts they can come at anytime even on a good day what I am trying to get to is at what point when you see a weather report saying Xmph winds on your route were do you draw the line and say to your self its not safe and wait for it improve

"draw the line" there is no line, only experience, what is too windy for one is a breeze to someone else, you find your own limits, I know where WC is coming from, and in few years so will you, a constant wind flow isn't the problem, it is the tunnel effect between gaps that catch you out, try following a car transporter for a bit the vortex's keep changing every few minutes, throws the van all over the place, same thing towing along beside a hedge row the wind hits the van at every gap, wind never stopped me towing in over 40 years, just took more breaks, went slower, if it was really bad like a force 9 gale changed the route a bit,

as an aside, I can just imagine the bosses attitude at being told you are extending your holiday by as long as it takes for the wind to drop. :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: as you dont want to tow the van home.

so to answer your question, when is the wind too strong, Never.

 

[Craigyoung]

Colin , I must agree with you because when we were going down the A19 last week down to York BeechWood Grange it was rather windy I just took my time and like you said in your post getting stuck behind a car transporter is terrible it chucks the van the all over the place and is just as bad when you try to overtake it but steady and sensible driving will get you there in the long run . No wind is to strong , it's how you drive in it .

 

[Mel]

I wish I shared your faith and optimism. About 10 years ago we were coming back from Northumberland, not towing thank goodness. We saw 18 high sided lorries that had turned over in the wind. At one point we were behind a lorry (not a huge one ) and the offside wheels were lifting off the ground as the wind was so strong. The driver tucked himself into a layby to wait it out. The journey took us 8 hours not 4 due to the carnage.

Now it may well be the case that high sided vehicles are more vulnerable to the wind than caravans but I would argue that none of us are invulnerable to extremes of weather and to imagine that ones driving skill makes you so could cause someone to come horribly unstuck.
mel

 

[Raywood]

This is a very difficult question and I doubt there is a specific point at which you should stay at home. If you find the wind causing problems give up and go home or if it is some distance from home try to find somewhere safe to stop.
I know the problem with the A66. Lat year when we needed to get back to Glasgow we avoided that by using the A1 up to Edinburgh as a far more sheltered route although far longer. On another ocassion on the M6 we gave up near Carlisle and had an extra night away at Englethwaite Hall.

 

[gravesyt]

So knowing your limits is the answer ?

 

[colin-yorkshire]

So knowing your limits is the answer ?

Exactly, to cover Mel's point yes at times it can be prudent to change the route, and it will take longer, BUT it can be done, if you have to be home on that day you have no choice. secondly how many times as one been on site with the wind that strong all the awning come down, and the tenters leave. and then think how many vans were turned over, bet the answer is none, caravans are more stable than one thinks.

 

[Hutch]

If the winds are stronger then expected, enough to turn ,lorries and vans over, stay wherever you are pitched. If you are having to go to work Pay a dead pitch fee and collect your van at another time.

 

[ProfJohnL]

There is no simple answer to this point, and you must be prepared to slow down at the slightest hint of trouble even if you have managed in these conditions previously.

Wind pressure follows a square rule so if the wind doubles (x 2) its speed, the pressure or force it produces goes up by a factor of 4. So for any given conditions where the caravan is a bit jumpy, the wind speed would only need to go up a bit to really unsettle the caravan. Thats one reason why gusts are so disruptive.

As roads meander the direction of the outfit will change and present a different alignment to the wind. There may be a particular angle of incidence that is has the greatest effect on an outfit.

Even in what is described by the met office as constant wind speeds the actual wind at any place can vary quite a lot, due to the geography of the location. for example a bridge over a river gorge, the shape of the gorge will tend to funnel the wing and accelerate it as it the gorge gets narrower. Bridges tend to get built at the narrowest points so are subject to higher wind speeds than surrounding areas.

As others have pointed out buildings and trees may provide shelter along some parts of a road, but when you reach a gap you may feel the full force of the wind. Again there can be funneling of the wind, and similar effects can be produced but other road vehicles. It really is how long is a piece of string? but in all these scenarios slowing down will usually make things safer.

 

[Gafferbill]

Rule 1........don't travel unless you have to or someone is paying you to.
Rule 2 .......Slow down.
Rule 3........NO!! ...Really slow down hmy: hmy:

 

[Craigyoung]

Just take your time , don't rush , slow down like GB' says , and you'll be ok , if you rush you'll become a statistic !!

Carefull caravaning ..

Enjoy .