Last weekend I drove 280 miles roundtrip to look at one of the new Flagstaff T12DD hard side campers only to find out when I got there that it had been torn up during a storm the day before. It was at an rv dealer, when asked how that happened they had no real comment except they actually tried to blame it on customers probably unlatching the latches and leaving them.
That made me think, is it safe to set-up or take-down the Rockwood or Flagstaff hard side folding campers in windy, gusty conditions? I’m sure that fully up and latched or down and latched they are ok, but what about being in the process?
Thanks for your comment,
Brad
The short answer is NO. It is not safe to set-up or take down in windy conditions. We seriously looked at buying one. If you go over to the A-frame forum (aka A-liners) you will see lots of posts about things to do to prevent wind issues. Which says to me that there ARE significant wind issues.
That was one of the reasons we decided not to get one. We got a better built, roomier, sturdier, more comfortable conventional bumper-pull trailer, for less money.
2006 Toyota Sienna
Single empty-nester in Middle TN
I started out with a nice travel trailer and swithced to a pop-up for gas price reasons. At 62 i'm looking for somthing easer to put up and stay with the low profile towing. If you baught that gulfstream for less than 10k you did good.
On the A-Frame Hard Side, it clearly states to use caution when setting up or taking down in windy conditions. A statement that everyone should use for safty reasons. At one time, I owned a P/U and putting it up or down in windy conditions was a chore. Last year when camping, a storm rolled in and flipped several 5vers and TT's on their sides and tore up the canvas on a couple of PUPs because of the high winds, so if the winds are bad enopugh, anything can happen. Again, use caution when setting up or taking down any camper. All I have said here is from my experienances only.
I've had my Aliner since 2002 and have never had a situation where I couldn't put it up or down. Mine sets up year round and the only time I worry about it is when their calling for severe gusting winds, then I'll throw a strap over the top and snug it down. Maybe 4 times since 2002.
2006 Toyota Tundra V8 4x4 AccessCab
1990 Toyota XtraCab V6 4X4 130,000 miles
99 Aliner SofaBed/OffRoad
coolmom42 wrote: The short answer is NO. It is not safe to set-up or take down in windy conditions. We seriously looked at buying one. If you go over to the A-frame forum (aka A-liners) you will see lots of posts about things to do to prevent wind issues. Which says to me that there ARE significant wind issues.
That was one of the reasons we decided not to get one. We got a better built, roomier, sturdier, more comfortable conventional bumper-pull trailer, for less money.
Yes, but how many TTs can you tow with a 4cyl car (and get 22-25mpg towing) like I do mine? Ahh, let me see, none. If you would need to buy, insure, feed and maintain a separate TV, like I would, then their high initial cost is a real value in comparison. Add to this the storage costs of a conventional TT, compared to parking your A-frame in your garage for free.
Once they are up, there's no problem with wind. It's just putting them up in high wind, where the wind may catch a side and break a hinge - not cool. If you camp in the open desert or on windy beaches then it may be an issue, but where I camp (on mountains and in forests) I've never had a problem with wind. Basically, if the wind is low enough to erect a small tent, then there will be no problem with your A-frame. If you wouldn't want to put up a tent, then don't set-up your A-frame - which only takes a 30 second gap between gusts BTW. Just wait a bit till the wind subsides or tow it to a wind break (behind some trees or a building), pop it up there, and tow it to your site (at low speeds.)
FWIW...I was camping in the high desert near Mojave a couple weeks ago and there were some pretty high winds! There were two A-frame trailers camped down the road. During the night I thought of them and wondered if they'd still be standing in the morning. Sure enough, they looked no worse for wear! They are supposed to be pointed hitch into the wind. There are wind kits available that keep the roof panels in place and secure as they are raised in the wind. It's like metal arms that keep the roof pieces from flying open and breaking the hinges. Looks good to me!
I stepped into the new Fleetwood A-frame today for a peak. Nice, but WoW! They are heavy. It had a dry weight of 2038lbs.!
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