Heavy Wind Pop-UP Truck Camper

[trailrider]

We have an ATC Ocelot and I am happy to say we survived an extreme wind storm in Death Valley on night of Jan 16th. We had 50-60 mph winds that lasted for at least 4 hours. My wife was afraid the truck would turn over. We have a full size 1/2 ton Chevy. I was not worried about that, but I was afraid the soft side would rip. We were camping slightly above the valley floor and totally out in the open with nothing to block the wind. It was too windy to go outside and try to pop down.

I am happy to say that the soft side held up with no problems. I am sure a FWC would too.

Mike

 

[craig333]

Ask anyone who has driven down the highway with the top popped and they'll tell you they do just fine. Its a bit hard to sleep in those winds but it sure does wonders for decreasing the numbers of tent campers

 

[Casa Escarlata Robles Too]

That was a good test for your camper but maybe not your nerves.
Frank

 

[Kolockum]

Man I hope you had ear plugs. In 40 mph wind the camper sounds like a rocket ship inside a kettle drum. Can't imagine what 60 would be like. Glad everyone and everything survived.

 

[Smokecreek1]

Yep-you just joined the club and found out about the joys of owing a pop-up! That first time is always fun, now throw in some rain and lightning next time and go for the next level, but you know, these things really are built to withstand most of what nature can throw at them and still hold together !

Smoke

 

[K6ON]

I have this friend, yeah, a friend, that drove 150 miles at highway speeds with the top up while visiting Canada. He reports no damage other than his ego...

 

[Vic Harder]

I have this friend, yeah, a friend, that drove 150 miles at highway speeds with the top up while visiting Canada. He reports no damage other than his ego...

We all drive like that in Canada...

 

[Mthomas]

For the future, if you suspect high winds, point one forward corner of the vehicle into the wind. It will Decrease resistance and motion a lot.. If the wind shifts, get up and move the truck a bit. Even if not as level, you will be more confortable through the night. Finally, ALWAYS have a couple sets of foam earplugs available.

 

[kmcintyre]

We had a similar wind when we were there in our Four Wheel Camper. We were worried too but it survived. We also had another windy night in WY a few months back. That was worse so we actually go up during the night and dropped the roof. I had to sleep in the truck cab, girlfriend on the lower couch/bed.

 

[Taku]

Having had two tents shredded around me by winds, being in our camper in high winds seems pretty bombproof. Might not get too much sleep, but I don't worry about the camper. Never have (yet) driven down the highway with it up, but from what the folks with experience say, not a problem. Pointing the corner of the rig into the wind is a good idea, have not heard that one

 

[Scott81621]

We had 60+ mile a hour winds with our Fleet. I had the front corner pointed into the wind and that helped, but was still worried! I popped the front side down, so the wind flowed over the roof and that worked great. My wife slept east-west in the bed (she is smalller) and I slept on the converted dinnet. It was an inconvience but doable.
I an looking at options to lock the hinged pannel now as that was my biggest fear. Getting crushed while I sleep would not be fun!

 

[Jeff Wright]

Has anybody tried putting a tie down, bungee, or rope around the entire circumference of the soft portion of the camper? I’ve had some windy nights too and it’s the flapping that makes the most noise. It seems like adding a little tension to the whole show might make things quieter.

My loudest night wasn’t from wind but a miserable night camping on the Mcloud in Northern California in an absolute non stop downpour. Each raindrop sounded like it was a one inch ball bearing as it hit the aluminum roof skin on the Bobcat a foot and a half from my head. Earplugs didn’t help the frustration. At about 2 am I’d finally had it. I had a 12 foot tarp and folded to about the size of the cab over portion. I rolled a folding chair into each end of it (think of a scroll) and one in the middle giving some airspace between the roof and the tarp. The tarp absorbed the impact and with the airspace didn’t pass it to the aluminum.

 

[Kolockum]

Has anybody tried putting a tie down, bungee, or rope around the entire circumference of the soft portion of the camper? I’ve had some windy nights too and it’s the flapping that makes the most noise. It seems like adding a little tension to the whole show might make things quieter.

I believe several people have done this to help with fabric management while lowering the camper.

My loudest night wasn’t from wind but a miserable night camping on the Mcloud in Northern California in an absolute non stop downpour. Each raindrop sounded like it was a one inch ball bearing as it hit the aluminum roof skin on the Bobcat a foot and a half from my head. Earplugs didn’t help the frustration.

I have had that happen with a night of rain/hail before. I crammed my ear plugs as deep as I could then wrapped a pillow around my head. Was not the most pleasant night. I did think about putting a thick wool blanket on the roof, figured once it soaked up the water the mass would help quiet things down. Never tried it because I did not want to get out in the hail.

 

[camelracer]

I love the sound of the rain and the wind buffeting the camper. I just lay there and think I could be doing this in a tent right now.

 

[craig333]

Nothing like rolling over in a tent and feeling something squishy

 

[ntsqd]

Nothing like rolling over in a tent and feeling something squishy

That was me in Phillips Cyn in the Calicos a very long time ago. AND I had dug a drainage cut around the tent! Decreed after that night that one requirement of future vehicles was that I could sleep at least semi-comfortably inside them.