How do strong crosswinds feel towing a fiver?

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Back2PA

Back2PA

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Motorhome guy here, considering a fiver. In the motorhome one is very aware of crosswinds, and before I encountered winds sufficient to be hazardous I would have long since pulled over since the feedback is more than sufficient to let one know it's windy.


How is it with a fiver? Are gusty crosswind forces transmitted to the TV sufficiently to alert the driver? I've seen YouTube video of fivers being blown over - did the driver ignore the obvious feedback or could they not feel the trailer being blown around?
 
I definitely felt the truck twitch in heavy wind gusts and kept a close eye on the mirrors. The trailer is relatively light by fiver standards at 5600# gross behind a 2500 ctd,  I never felt a loss of control but a heavier unit might be another story.
 
  Obviously.....the heavier the 5er, the less it is affected. Ours (20K pounds), requires a pretty darn high wind to make it feel ?nervous?!
  Having been owner/operators (truck drivers) at one time....towing a van type trailer light or empty in a cross-wind is ?not? a pleasant experience. A heavily loaded trailer....would take a severe cross-wind, to upset it!
 
On a recommendation from multiple 'in-the-know' truck users and trailer haulers, I got a dually.
Less tail wagging the dog that with a single rear wheel.
 
If you do not see the 18 wheelers on the road or see them stopped under over passes I would strongly recommend you do the same, that is what I do.

I am usually off the road long before the 18 wheelers.
 
Coming from 5th wheels to motorhomes. Our fifth wheel was not terrible we had a 38' quad slide but also had a DRW truck to pull. Had friends with us that had a smaller lighter 5thwheel with a 3/4 ton and got blown off onto shoulder so there are alot of variables to your question. Our Freightliner chassis is more stable than our 5th wheel was but our Vista we had before with Ford chassis was less stable.
 
Thanks for the input so far, but what I'm wondering is what it feels like in the truck. In a motorhome, the entire vehicle you're sitting in is being pushed to the side. Towing a fiver the wind force on the trailer is transmitted to the truck at a pivot point just inches ahead of the rear axle. Curious what a hard gust feels like. In a motorhome a hard gust predictably tries to push the nose downwind. Seems like if you pushed hard at the rear axle of the truck,  say to the right, that you might even get a nose left tendency, much like motorhomes with long overhangs being passed by a truck.
 
FWIW, we had a small lightweight 5th that we towed with a 1 ton srw diesel. I felt the cross wind on the truck, but never felt it on the trailer. The only time I knew we were in a severe crosswind, was by looking in the mirrors and seeing that the trailer was not tracking behind the truck. It was pushed over to one side.


Now we have a very heavy 30 foot travel trailer that we tow behind the same pickup. I still feel the cross wind on the truck, but not the trailer. The heavy (11k) trailer seems unperturbed.
 
Frank B said:
The only time I knew we were in a severe crosswind, was by looking in the mirrors and seeing that the trailer was not tracking behind the truck. It was pushed over to one side.
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Wow. That's exactly what I was wondering about.


I can't imagine I'd ever be out there when the wind would actually be a concern as I'm off the road well before others braver than I.  (My motorhome is probably capable of 30-40mph crosswinds but I'm done at about 20.) But that's the info I was looking for thanks.


I'm looking at fivers in the 12-15K weight range, probably closer to 12.
 
Curious why the switch back to a towable. It's a whole different world of setup and travel. I did it once, I didn't take long to switch back to a MH.
 
SargeW said:
Curious why the switch back to a towable. It's a whole different world of setup and travel. I did it once, I didn't take long to switch back to a MH.
Click to expand...


Yes I know it seems odd and most go the other way. I'm not doing the 'constant' moving type of travel I used to and so am willing to trade the setup issues for more space once I get there. Plus one less drivetrain to maintain. And traveling on my own, there's no one to go back and get me a sandwich anyway.... ?
 
I haven?t had severe wind issues with my fiver, but it can be a fooler....like pulling across I-90 east with wind behind you no prob. Soon as you turn South with wind hitting you broadside, there is no missing mamma nature and you will feel it. Continuous wind not that bad, a surprising gust catching you off guard is something else
 
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