I've got a Texson(Northstar)T1000 on my Fuso FG. We were camped on the rim of the Purgatoire River last week with very high winds, probably 60-70mph gusts. The whole truck was being buffeted by the winds, it was like being in a boat on the high seas. It raised my curiosity about the durability of pop-ups in those kinds of conditions and what kind of tactics people use to protect their camper in such winds. I figured the biggest problems would arise if the wind got under the roof so you wouldn't want to open the door directly into the wind or open a window so the wind could enter. Apart from that, any other hints? I did have a couple of very long heavy duty ratchet straps with me and thought that if the wind got worse, running them over the top of the camper and attaching them to the truck couldn't do any harm.
Pop-ups and wind
- Thread starter kerry
- Start date
D
Deleted member 9101
Guest
I knwo when I set up my jumping jack I try to set it up behind a wind break or with the sides (smallest surface area) facing the wind if I can.
When we've been in our FWC in the wind we've found the rocking of the vehicle more annoying that concerns about the actual camper. In those situations we've sometimes opted to drop the top to minimize the exposed profile and slept on the lower bed to reduce our center of gravity.
Regcabguy
Oil eater.
My wife was in an accident and I got the call while cleaning our Northstar. I dropped the top but in haste failed to latch the top down before entering the freeway. I must have gone a mile before the top sprang open . I was going 65-70 mph. It survived probably several hundred yards @ freeway speed without an issue.
Haste makes waste.
The Northstar survived my lunacy.
I remove my jacks locally,but may just reinstall them before the next long trip for stability.
Haste makes waste.
The Northstar survived my lunacy.
I remove my jacks locally,but may just reinstall them before the next long trip for stability.
Northern Explorer
Explorer
When we were at Cape Spear Newfoundland we popped the top up to make breakfast. The moment it went up I knew it was a mistake. I don't know what the wind speed was but the camper was rockin'. It handled the wind while up ok but lowering it was a bit dicey. You have to have the door open on a FWC in order for the air to escape while the top is going down. The problem with this is the air was blowing in with such force that the top would just not go down. I would get one side down and go to lower the other side and the wind would blow in and lift the roof up again. I finally got the idea, after many failed attempts, to shut the door and turn my Fan Tastic Vent on high to suck the air out as I pulled down from the inside as hard as I could. My wife who was standing outside then ran around and hooked the roof latches shut before it had a chance to blow up again. If I didn't have a Fan Tastic Vent I don't know what I would have done.
zidaro
Explorer
so far, i have not "worried" about the camper at all in winds. I have had some sketchy drives and been thankful i was sporting a popup instead of 3' higher camper. the direction of the door swing is a serious consideration, awnings deployed are trouble, lower the jacks to stabilize/stop the swaying, the roof vent likes to be closed or bounces around a bit, Northstar "wind flapping" is not too bad.
windsock
Adventurer
Just as a matter of interest... an approximation of the power in the wind for those interested... 
The power (W) in the wind incident on a surface is a function of the density [rho] of the air (kg/m^3), area [A] of the surface (m^2), and the wind speed [m/s] cubed (V^3).
P(W)=0.5 x rho x A x V^3 the '0.5' is emprical and I won't go into details.
For you imperial measure folks still using (appreciating) horse power (HP) multiply the W by 0.00134.
What does this mean for a camper? Well, find out the area exposed to the wind in square metres and estimate the wind speed based on evidence (see beaufort scale) and do the calculation leaving air density at 1kg/m^2. If you want to calculate the air density then are are ways and means of doing it but on the scale of relativity it has little impact on power. What is important to note is that small increases in wind speed equals large increases in the power incident on the surface being calculated for.
This calculation assumes a non-porous surface perpendicular to the wind direction. YMMV... enjoy figuring it all out next time the camper wobbles.
PS, it'd be good to hear from engineers able to calculate how much power would be required to tip a camper over...
The power (W) in the wind incident on a surface is a function of the density [rho] of the air (kg/m^3), area [A] of the surface (m^2), and the wind speed [m/s] cubed (V^3).
P(W)=0.5 x rho x A x V^3 the '0.5' is emprical and I won't go into details.
For you imperial measure folks still using (appreciating) horse power (HP) multiply the W by 0.00134.
What does this mean for a camper? Well, find out the area exposed to the wind in square metres and estimate the wind speed based on evidence (see beaufort scale) and do the calculation leaving air density at 1kg/m^2. If you want to calculate the air density then are are ways and means of doing it but on the scale of relativity it has little impact on power. What is important to note is that small increases in wind speed equals large increases in the power incident on the surface being calculated for.
This calculation assumes a non-porous surface perpendicular to the wind direction. YMMV... enjoy figuring it all out next time the camper wobbles.
PS, it'd be good to hear from engineers able to calculate how much power would be required to tip a camper over...
Don't forget to add in figuring out if you'll slide sideways for tip first based on the tire friction factor.
