How Much Wind Can the ATC/FWC Take ?

[Dangerous Trebles]

I am looking for some help if anyone knows how much wind can the ATC/ FWC take in the up position. Mine is a ATC Panther

My winter fishing love, Pyramid Lake north of Sparks can at times reach some very serious winds and gust. This will be my first season not in a tent....... WAHOOOOOO

Thanks for reading

 

[Darryla]

From my point of view its not so much a question of how much wind the pop up can take in the up position, but opening and closing of the top during wind that you have to be careful with. I had a situation when I was camping by myself where I went around the camper and unhooked the latches, next I opened the door and unlike I normally do I slide back the "fence gate latch" as I called it on the top near the door first before pushing the top up. Well, much to my surprise a wind gust came and popped the whole roof up on its own. I was lucky as there was no damage, but it has caused me to always keep the front slider well open for airflow and be very careful when in windy conditions. I hope this little adventure helps you when operating in the wind. Personally, I avoid windy conditions with the camper the best I can, or I point the front of the camper in the direction of the wind and it seems to handle it fine. Basically, its the only down fall in my opinion of the pop up style camper.

Oh, and on a somewhat funny note. Last weekend I was up on highway 88 and as I was driving east a pop up type camper other that a 4 wheel or ATC was coming west with the top fully popped up. Its not good to say, but it did look kind of funny as it was sort of bouncing up and down. I would have tried to say something, but I was heading uphill and he was gone before I realized what I was looking at.

Have fun and be safe out there.

Darryl

 

[MarkBC]

Hmmm...I thought I remembered reading some kind of "proven to XX mph" statement on the FWC site, but I can't find it so maybe I just imagined it...wishful thinking.
I know I've told friends that my FWC Hawk can withstand 60mph winds...but it's possible I was just pulling that number out of my asx.

This isn't your question, but to add to the pop-up deployment in high winds comment:
I've had problems lowering the top in high winds, similar to the raising problem that Darryla posted. Mainly the problem was that the sides weren't pulled in by the bungees when I dropped the roof 'cause the wind was inflating the camper -- pushing the sides out. I had to manually tuck the sides in -- it was kinda like a hernia, if you can picture that.

 

[Barko1]

This last month I ran into the remnants of hurricane Igor in Newfoundland and I would guess we had 60 mph winds overnight. I hadn't positioned the truck into the wind as I but no issues, I was a clandestine camper so I wasn't thinking about positioning. Last year at the Eureka, Colorado WTW get together I would imagine the gusts were at least that high during the overnight thunderstorms, took my screen tent over a 1/2 mile away. I never had an issue raising or lowering but I would think using the the hydraulic lifts would take care of any concerns as they would prevent rapid deployment.

 

[Dughlas Stiubhart]

Darryl, Mark, and Barko all speak the truth (as always), Trebles. All of the above have happened to me, including driving a few miles with the top unlatched.

I have to admit, though, that I'll move down to the lower bed if the camper is whipping around too much in the wind for sleeping.

BTW, that little photo of my rig off to the left was taken on the shores of Pyramid Lake. No wind but it was about 15 degrees that morning.

Stew

 

[highz]

Yes, I think 60 mph can be handled, especially if you follow all the good advice above, and your lift panels are good, etc. I've experienced gusts to 60 mph in the Guadalupes. I admit that I moved from the cabover to the couch, but it turns out I didn't need to.

 

[kcowyo]

Last year at the Eureka, Colorado WTW get together I would imagine the gusts were at least that high during the overnight thunderstorms, took my screen tent over a 1/2 mile away...



That was a rough night... The thunder & lightning that evening was quite memorable too!

I've spent one night in worse winds than that, last March near Moab. We were up on Hwy 313, leading to Island in the Sky, and we probably should have used better judgement and just grabbed a room in town. But I was curious as to how the camper would do in extreme winds. We made it through the night but it was like sleeping on a water-bed on a boat at sea. Constant whipping & swaying all night. It boosted my confidence in the camper, but we hardly slept due to all of the noise & motion.

I seem to remember Tom Hanagan telling me he once accidentally left the top up on a camper and drove down the interstate at 60+mph for several miles before realizing the top was up. He said there was no damage, but he didn't recommend anyone try it.

 

[Overland Hadley]

I've experienced gusts to 60 mph in the Guadalupes.


(Off topic, but)

When I was in the Guadalupes the forecasted wind was just over 100 mph, I think it was 105 or 110.

Wish I would have taken a photo of the forecast, as you do not see that very often.

Sleeping in the rig that night the rocking felt more like a boat than a parked pickup.

 

[DirtyDog]

I've been in some bad windstorms in my FWC. No problems at all.

 

[chnlisle]

Just fire up the GenSet and ride it out.

 

[craig333]

Just fire up the GenSet and ride it out.


Troublemaker

 

[pvstoy]

When Mike Duncan was at FWC as a salesperson, that's when Ben was the owner, Mike told me that he got Ben to drive down the interstate at 60+ mph to see what would happen while mike rode in the back. It held up very well. They did not endorse that people do it. But on many occasions I would drive around short distances with it up. Just did not need to pop down then just to pop up again to dry out the canvas siding for the day.

 

[DirtyDog]

When Mike Duncan was at FWC as a salesperson, that's when Ben was the owner, Mike told me that he got Ben to drive down the interstate at 60+ mph to see what would happen while mike rode in the back. It held up very well. They did not endorse that people do it. But on many occasions I would drive around short distances with it up. Just did not need to pop down then just to pop up again to dry out the canvas siding for the day.


Pretty sure Simimike drives around LA on the freeways with his top up all the time.

 

[simimike]

That was my good friend Ike. He drove a couple of miles at 65 MPH with the top up and had no damage. These campers can take a pretty good wind with no problem.

mike