Texas Two Steppers wrote: My fiver weighs around 14K and the most noticable cross wind effects occur when a rig passes and changes the wind pattern while it is passing. My thoughts are the lighter the better. The heavier the rig the more impact it has on the pulling vehicle if things get really squirrelly. Lighter next time for me.
I agree with Texas Two Steppers, my 5vers all have been under 28', no noticeable wind buffeting effects from big rigs passing me!
2008 Fleetwood Prowler 235RLS
2005 Dodge Ram 2500 4x2 5.9L Diesel 3.73Limited slip 6speed manual
Pullin' 5ers since 1988....Have a nice day
My current rig is 30' 10K#.
I have yet to feel a crosswind. Sometimes I look in the mirror and see the FW rocking back and forth but I do not feel it in the cab. I do feel a high profile truck just as it begins to pass me... but I only feel it - it does not push me around.
Dave Lindemulder
Tammy, Mark & Kirsten
04 Dodge 2500 4x4 SLT QC/SB
HO-CTD/48RE - Graphite: Raptor SS nerfs, Prodigy, Reese 16K Kwik-slide, BD X-Monitor, PML Trans pan, PML Diff cover, Firestone Airbags
09 Heartland Cylcone 3210
Don't know if weight/size makes much of a difference. But if you get to the point where you feel cross winds are a problem, time to find a place to park.
2006 F350 V10 4X4 SC SB SRW 4.30 22,500 GCWR
Keystone Sprinter 33'9" 12,500 GVWR
Pullrite Super Glide 18K
Super Duty, Super Cab, SuperGlide
Last fall heading to Denver, we got caught in a nasty little storm cell with probably gusts to 50mph flat sideways to us. I knew it had to be leaning our 5er, but couldn't feel it. The only thing I felt was the wind buffeting the TV.
Puller: '04 HD2500 4x4 SB,EC Duramax/Allison. Airaid intake, 4in. exhaust turbo back, ORU leveler.
Pullee: '02 Keystone Cougar 276EFS Reese 16k w/ slider.
(map is for current 5er only)
Vulcaneer wrote: Don't know if weight/size makes much of a difference. But if you get to the point where you feel cross winds are a problem, time to find a place to park.
I agree, all you have to do to find out how stable everything is take a little trip with a big 5ver from Cheyeene to Evanston Wyoming when the wind is blowing, which is most of the time, and you see the semi's pulled over, might be a good idea to do the same. I went thru there last November with a cross wind, and was told at a truck stop it was blowing trailers over the day before. I was getting tossed around a bit, nothing I guess like what was happening the day before.The semi's were still rolling so I figured I would be okay, which I was,but you definitely knew there was a cross wind.
I don't believe you will notice a big difference between the two. As everyone says 5ers are stable. I have been in winds where at 55-65 mph I was being pushed and did a lot of swaying like our trailer. When I dropped to 40 mph I gained control again. But those were the gusty winds of the So. Calif. desert. They can be very nasty. If I had been in my trailer I would have stopped.
Mike & Dava
2007 Sierra Classic 2500 HD Duramax/Allison 4X4 Crewcab
2005 Carriage Compass 30RLS, MOR/ryde suspension & Pinbox, Onan 3600LP
Huskey 16K EZ Roller, DigiTrac
Rather than the overall weight of the trailer, it's side profile will affect the stability in crosswinds to agreater degree. Also, the relatively tall profile of LT tires have some effect with sidewall flex as well. It would be interesting to hear from someone who has towed the same trailer with two types of truck, SRW & DRW in comparable crosswinds. I went from a SRW 2500HD CC LB Duramax to my sig truck but the footprint of my current truck is nowhere near the same to be able to judge the effects of crosswinds and narrow it to the H rated duals versus the single rear LT tires.
Today is just the tomorrow you worried about yesterday!
'04' International 4400 LoPro 310Hp/950FtLbs 10Spd Harley/RV Toter
'05' Mobile Suites 38RL3
'01' Harley Ultra in the bike barn.
Just because it can't be felt doesn't mean things are okay. The opposite is true. I remember passing through southern Wyoming one afternoon with a low height load on the flatbed and noticing a lot of chatter on the CB about the wind. Seems some of the drivers had their box trailers start to tip over (rear tandems starting to leave the ground) and the drivers couldn't feel it at the steering wheel. That's a HECK of a lot of force and torsional twist on the trailer structure! WInd is nothing to fool around with.
Most fifth wheels and travel trailers only have a few inches of suspension travel, and if the wind is loading one side heavily (on a non-aerodynamic rig the wind literally gets trapped and starts pushing the rig over), then the ability of the rig to survive an emergency lane change is dramatically dropped.
Slow down, way down. Every imbalance of weight, side-to-side and front-to-rear is going to be working against you.
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