Everyone appreciates a nice breeze while sitting by the camper, but strong gusts and steady winds can mean a world of damage when it comes to pop-up campers. For those who live in windy states like Kansas, the wind is a big factor when camping in general but for a popup camper, when is it too windy to camp.
Here is my latest adventure and story.
Last Monday, I decided to book a Friday thru Sunday site a well-known reservoir in Kansas. I choose the site because it is only 10 minutes from my house and the weather was going to be great. But in true Kansas form, it turned mid-week and we had chances for rain on Friday evening. By Thursday, they were forecasting severe thunderstorms, damaging winds, hail, and tornado threats. EEK!
However, I still planned to camp and decided that if there were any problems, we could leave the campsite and head home. Throughout the day on Friday, the meteorologist, keep repeating that the storm was to arrive at a certain time and that time had passed. I decided to head over with my daughter at tow and set up the camper.
By the time we set up the camper and started to make the beds. I received a phone message from the National Weather Service, stating that “a tornado warning was in effect for my area and a tornado had been spotted 3 miles from me.” EEK!
Locking the camper door, we took off towards our house. Taking note that the wind a severally picked up around 60 to 70 MPH. We were in a line of 40 or more cars trying to get out of the campgrounds as quickly as possible. By the time we hit our town we heard sirens going off. We received another notice on our phone that another tornado had been spotted south of town.
As everything settled and we were safe in our basement, we choose to still camp that night knowing all the storms have passed but we were very worried about our PUP. Not know if she was still standing and or flipped over. Which has happened before with previously owned PUPs.
All was well when we went to the campsite! Thank goodness! After inspecting the camper, we found that one of the bunk-end bars was bent, over the largest bunk-end and rubbed a hole in the ceiling of the canvas. This was fixable!
After hearing from the park ranger that the winds in that area got up to 90+ MPH! Scary! We were shocked she was still standing. The very next day we had 45+ MPH winds from about 7 am to 6:30 PM that evening and gusts shooting way above that. It was kind of scary at times. I thought several times that I would call the trip off and bring her down.
The bar that had bent in last night’s storm was bent again and rubbing on that same spot. But we held out and the wind died down the rest of the weekend. My thoughts after rethinking my process are that I would have rather taken the loss of spending my money for a campsite than losing my PUP.
I have to say I’m pretty stubborn and felt that with the winds we were safe the whole time. Was it fun the first few hours? No, but we made the best out of it by watching movies and playing games.
How much wind can a popup camper take and is it dangerous?
This leads me to my question, how much wind is too much? I can say if the winds were any stronger, we would have taken her down ASAP, 45 MPH is pretty strong, and it did bend a pole. But how much wind should, or can popup campers take when a freak storm rolls in?
The answer is…. most popup campers can endure and remain stable in 45MPH gusts of wind. Though many campers describe being worried as higher gusts of winds shaking their popup camper and began making a lot of noise. To say that 50 MPH winds and over are dangerous to camp in during strong windstorms as always cautionary measures are advised. Though, how long a popup camper can withstand winds will depend on the strength of the storm and a variety of factors. If it is just a storm cell approaching with reported winds of 50 MPH and higher, I would advise you to leave the camper for the time being and return when the winds have calmed. But if is an all-day event, much like what Kansas has then I would advise putting the camper down to protect its structure and prevent damages.
What actions you can take to keep your popup camper from being damaged in a storm?
Many popup campers are designed to withstand unexpected wind and rainstorms. Your popup campers’ mass and center of gravity are low to the ground, not allowing a lot of air to flow underneath the trailer, preventing it from flipping over. However, there are a few things you can do to support your popup camper even further and secure safety for you and your family in unanticipated high wind circumstances.
- Check the weather for forecasted wind, speed, and direction. You already check for the temperature and rain, why not the wind?
- Know your location’s wind history. Most lakes and bodies of water tend to be windier. Choose areas similar to valleys, hills, wooded areas, hedges, or that contain more foliage, this will block the wind speeds. Always avoid particularly exposed locations, such as hilltops, beaches, and open areas.
- Choose your campsite prudently. Choose a sheltered campsite when at all possible. Campsite location can make or break your trip, be mindful of open space areas that don’t have trees to block some of the wind. Being exposed to a lake with little to no protection can easily bring in higher wind gusts.
- Create a windbreak or barrier. Depending on the way the wind flows you can park your camper aligning with the winds. Using natural blocking sources like bushes, and tree lines can also help block some of those gustier winds. If you cannot move your camper, then try parking your tow vehicle in front of the camper, if possible. Create as much as a windbreak if possible.
- Have a safe and reliable shelter for support. Whether you are using a state or private camping ground, always check to see if they have shelter-in-place sites. They are normally located in the restrooms, shower facilities, or large buildings and will usually be the first area emergency personnel will go to find those who are in need of help.
- Secure your campsite. Use base anchors and tied-down straps when necessary. Remove all outdoor items and put them in your camper or tow vehicle. Takedown awnings, tents, and lights can damage your popup camper and blow away to other campsites, possibly hurting others in the process. Bring in your slide-outs to prevent damage to the slide and stabilizers underneath.
- Always have your phone or weather radio with you for alerts and be sure to have your phone charges or fresh batteries in your radio. This is important in states like Kansas and Oklahoma where the weather and wind can change in an instant.
Determine when it’s time to go. You’ve done the lengthy process of setting up your popup camper and camping site and with good intentions want to have a good time. You’ve done all the necessary safety measures in case of an urgent situation but there might be a point where you have to make a decision just leave your campsite entirely. That’s ok!!! Your safety and the welfare of the popup camper are more important than trying to enjoy yourselves for a weekend. It is far better to go home with a working popup camper than one that is damaged and has to but in money for costly repairs or you can’t resale because of damage.