(08-25-2026 11:39 AM)U_of_Elvis Wrote:  

(08-25-2026 11:16 AM)stinkfist Wrote:  

(08-25-2026 11:12 AM)U_of_Elvis Wrote:  

(08-25-2026 08:44 AM)TripleA Wrote:  

(08-25-2026 07:05 AM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  Meh, had you been in Memphis 2 nights ago, you could have experienced 70 mph wind gusts. For me personally, the thought of dragging a trailer behind me as I traveled has never held any appeal. I like to go too fast. If the speed limit is 65, my cruise control is on 75. This is just one more reason to avoid them like I avoid cruise ships. I loved traveling on my Harley; to me, that is the absolute best way to enjoy traveling across our country.

Hopefully this was a one-off event, and you can get back safely and find something more suitable.

Just out of curiosity, honest question: how much is a night spent at a campground for RVs compared to one at a motel 6? I do get the appeal of the sense of community you find in a campground for RVs. I also get the appeal of the open road in a Hunter S. Thompson or Kerouac’s "Open Road" sort of way, I reckon.

An interesting (to me) aside: I never knew Thompson wrote "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas."

I'm old. I have no need to go fast. I prefer steady. I also prefer not being blown over sideways, lol.

This morning, after looking at alternatives, I'm torn about what to do. The only real alternative I see would be a hard-sided pop-up camper, but dayum, those things are tiny. This is not something I'm taking on weekend trips. It's where I live now.

Those pop-ups are like living in a cigar box. Not sure that's a long term solution. I would be perfectly happy with what I have, as long as it doesn't blow over and kill me, lol. I think it might take another day or two to figure this out, either way.

I know wind is an issue, especially crossing the plains. Other people seem to do it and survive. I just know I felt like dying was a possibility in that moment, and nothing is worth that reality.

The scary thing is there wasn't really a strong wind at the time. A gust just caught me at the wrong time.

Anyway, I'm continuing to head north today from Omaha NE to Sioux Falls SD. Not a long drive, less than 200 miles. I need to get there to renew my DL, which expires in 4 days, and do all the other things I have to do to establish residency in SD. That choice is simply for economic reasons. I only have to physically be there 1 day every 5 years, lol.

Wish me luck. I really feel like I need it at the moment.

Which WDH do you have, and what anti-sway does it have?

You may want to scale your setup (any truck stop with a cat scale, use their weighmytruck app) and post pics of your rig from the side and your weights to an rv forum (grand design has an owners forum or a generic like rv.net) for WDH tweak advice. If it went back and forth like that the wind may have introduced trailer sway so WDH setup and / or getting more tongue weight by carrying some water (depending on your water tank location) may help stabilize it.

The downside with slide in truck campers is anything big enough you would want to full time in weighs more than a 1500 is going to be able to carry with any weight left for you and your stuff. I did see lance has a new “light weight” hard side Squire 610 designed for short bed trucks. It’s 1500 pounds but once you add options like AC and awning is closer to 1700 pounds so once you add a driver and some stuff you are going to be over the payload on most 1500s.

tongue weight is the key to the deal when it comes to rear sway...

And squeezing that trailer brake controller if it starts, but it feels so unnatural to take one hand off the wheel when the trailer is trying to throw you in the ditch.

like backing one up, driving a forklift, or mastering the zero turn, there’s a learning curve to all of ‘em…