(08-24-2026 06:01 PM)TripleA Wrote: Back to the trip. Three days in. Pretty much a disaster.
First day, I managed to leave my card at a winery where I visited, then had to pay cash for my hotel room. Then I had to drive 162 miles r/t on Day 2 to retrieve my card.
Now on Day 3, I'm in Omaha, and earlier today I got hit by a huge gust of prairie wind that almost tipped my trailer over. Both left wheels came off the pavement at 60+ mph, then the trailer rocked back and forth off the ground 2 more times before selling back on the pavement. Thought I had just bought it for good.
When I arrived safely at the next exit, I called my trailer dealer and told them they can have their wind sail back. The manager said he would get back to me with options. No word yet. Gonna be a fight, I'm sure.
I'm still headed to South Dakota to take care of business, then probably right back to Tupelo to stick that trailer where the sun don't shine. Yeah, wind blows trailers, but it shouldn't be enough to kill you, lol.
My next possible move is to buy a hardshell pop-up truck camper to install in the bed of my F-150.
I hate that you had issues starting out.
Thanks. I'm ok. I'm a tough old bird. I can deal with a lot. I just prefer not to, lol.
(08-24-2026 06:01 PM)TripleA Wrote: Back to the trip. Three days in. Pretty much a disaster.
First day, I managed to leave my card at a winery where I visited, then had to pay cash for my hotel room. Then I had to drive 162 miles r/t on Day 2 to retrieve my card.
Now on Day 3, I'm in Omaha, and earlier today I got hit by a huge gust of prairie wind that almost tipped my trailer over. Both left wheels came off the pavement at 60+ mph, then the trailer rocked back and forth off the ground 2 more times before selling back on the pavement. Thought I had just bought it for good.
When I arrived safely at the next exit, I called my trailer dealer and told them they can have their wind sail back. The manager said he would get back to me with options. No word yet. Gonna be a fight, I'm sure.
I'm still headed to South Dakota to take care of business, then probably right back to Tupelo to stick that trailer where the sun don't shine. Yeah, wind blows trailers, but it shouldn't be enough to kill you, lol.
My next possible move is to buy a hardshell pop-up truck camper to install in the bed of my F-150.
Wow, I know that had to be scary as hell. How about one of those old silver bullet looking campers.
Well, I would still be dragging a potential wind victim behind me, although a lesser one. With a pop-up hardshell, that's not an issue at all.
And these prairie winds are nothing to mess with. Especially when you're driving north, and the winds are out of the west.
(This post was last modified: 08-24-2026 06:16 PM by TripleA.)
(08-24-2026 06:01 PM)TripleA Wrote: Back to the trip. Three days in. Pretty much a disaster.
First day, I managed to leave my card at a winery where I visited, then had to pay cash for my hotel room. Then I had to drive 162 miles r/t on Day 2 to retrieve my card.
Now on Day 3, I'm in Omaha, and earlier today I got hit by a huge gust of prairie wind that almost tipped my trailer over. Both left wheels came off the pavement at 60+ mph, then the trailer rocked back and forth off the ground 2 more times before selling back on the pavement. Thought I had just bought it for good.
When I arrived safely at the next exit, I called my trailer dealer and told them they can have their wind sail back. The manager said he would get back to me with options. No word yet. Gonna be a fight, I'm sure.
I'm still headed to South Dakota to take care of business, then probably right back to Tupelo to stick that trailer where the sun don't shine. Yeah, wind blows trailers, but it shouldn't be enough to kill you, lol.
My next possible move is to buy a hardshell pop-up truck camper to install in the bed of my F-150.
But when you finally get it correct....
it'll make it that much better because you got the shity **** over with. I hope!
(08-24-2026 06:01 PM)TripleA Wrote: Back to the trip. Three days in. Pretty much a disaster.
First day, I managed to leave my card at a winery where I visited, then had to pay cash for my hotel room. Then I had to drive 162 miles r/t on Day 2 to retrieve my card.
Now on Day 3, I'm in Omaha, and earlier today I got hit by a huge gust of prairie wind that almost tipped my trailer over. Both left wheels came off the pavement at 60+ mph, then the trailer rocked back and forth off the ground 2 more times before selling back on the pavement. Thought I had just bought it for good.
When I arrived safely at the next exit, I called my trailer dealer and told them they can have their wind sail back. The manager said he would get back to me with options. No word yet. Gonna be a fight, I'm sure.
I'm still headed to South Dakota to take care of business, then probably right back to Tupelo to stick that trailer where the sun don't shine. Yeah, wind blows trailers, but it shouldn't be enough to kill you, lol.
My next possible move is to buy a hardshell pop-up truck camper to install in the bed of my F-150.
I hate that you had issues starting out.
Thanks. I'm ok. I'm a tough old bird. I can deal with a lot. I just prefer not to, lol.
(08-24-2026 06:01 PM)TripleA Wrote: Back to the trip. Three days in. Pretty much a disaster.
First day, I managed to leave my card at a winery where I visited, then had to pay cash for my hotel room. Then I had to drive 162 miles r/t on Day 2 to retrieve my card.
Now on Day 3, I'm in Omaha, and earlier today I got hit by a huge gust of prairie wind that almost tipped my trailer over. Both left wheels came off the pavement at 60+ mph, then the trailer rocked back and forth off the ground 2 more times before selling back on the pavement. Thought I had just bought it for good.
When I arrived safely at the next exit, I called my trailer dealer and told them they can have their wind sail back. The manager said he would get back to me with options. No word yet. Gonna be a fight, I'm sure.
I'm still headed to South Dakota to take care of business, then probably right back to Tupelo to stick that trailer where the sun don't shine. Yeah, wind blows trailers, but it shouldn't be enough to kill you, lol.
My next possible move is to buy a hardshell pop-up truck camper to install in the bed of my F-150.
I hate that you had issues starting out.
Thanks. I'm ok. I'm a tough old bird. I can deal with a lot. I just prefer not to, lol.
(08-24-2026 06:01 PM)TripleA Wrote: Back to the trip. Three days in. Pretty much a disaster.
First day, I managed to leave my card at a winery where I visited, then had to pay cash for my hotel room. Then I had to drive 162 miles r/t on Day 2 to retrieve my card.
Now on Day 3, I'm in Omaha, and earlier today I got hit by a huge gust of prairie wind that almost tipped my trailer over. Both left wheels came off the pavement at 60+ mph, then the trailer rocked back and forth off the ground 2 more times before selling back on the pavement. Thought I had just bought it for good.
When I arrived safely at the next exit, I called my trailer dealer and told them they can have their wind sail back. The manager said he would get back to me with options. No word yet. Gonna be a fight, I'm sure.
I'm still headed to South Dakota to take care of business, then probably right back to Tupelo to stick that trailer where the sun don't shine. Yeah, wind blows trailers, but it shouldn't be enough to kill you, lol.
My next possible move is to buy a hardshell pop-up truck camper to install in the bed of my F-150.
Wow, I know that had to be scary as hell. How about one of those old silver bullet looking campers.
Well, I would still be dragging a potential wind victim behind me, although a lesser one. With a pop-up hardshell, that's not an issue at all.
And these prairie winds are nothing to mess with. Especially when you're driving north, and the winds are out of the west.
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."
(This post was last modified: 08-25-2026 07:10 AM by TigerBlue4Ever.)
(08-24-2026 06:01 PM)TripleA Wrote: Back to the trip. Three days in. Pretty much a disaster.
First day, I managed to leave my card at a winery where I visited, then had to pay cash for my hotel room. Then I had to drive 162 miles r/t on Day 2 to retrieve my card.
Now on Day 3, I'm in Omaha, and earlier today I got hit by a huge gust of prairie wind that almost tipped my trailer over. Both left wheels came off the pavement at 60+ mph, then the trailer rocked back and forth off the ground 2 more times before selling back on the pavement. Thought I had just bought it for good.
When I arrived safely at the next exit, I called my trailer dealer and told them they can have their wind sail back. The manager said he would get back to me with options. No word yet. Gonna be a fight, I'm sure.
I'm still headed to South Dakota to take care of business, then probably right back to Tupelo to stick that trailer where the sun don't shine. Yeah, wind blows trailers, but it shouldn't be enough to kill you, lol.
My next possible move is to buy a hardshell pop-up truck camper to install in the bed of my F-150.
Wow, I know that had to be scary as hell. How about one of those old silver bullet looking campers.
Well, I would still be dragging a potential wind victim behind me, although a lesser one. With a pop-up hardshell, that's not an issue at all.
And these prairie winds are nothing to mess with. Especially when you're driving north, and the winds are out of the west.
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.
I forgot to answer the question about campground costs. They're like anything else, they run the gamut, but generally are much cheaper than anything else. And if you have a nice RV, you don't really have to worry about the quality of the motel.
Better than my guess or experience, here is what AI has to say:
Prices vary widely based on the type of campground, available amenities, and location.
Cost Breakdown by Campground
TypeBoondocking / Dry Camping: $0 – $20 per night for undeveloped public land with no hookups.
Public Campgrounds: $25 – $40 per night on average for state, county, or federal/national park sites which offer basic or partial hookups.
Private / Commercial RV Parks: $50 – $90 per night for standard sites with full hookups (water, electricity, and sewer).
Luxury RV Resorts: $90 – $150+ per night for premium locations featuring pools, clubhouses, Wi-Fi, and organized activities.
Cost by Region
Midwest & Mountain States: Generally lower, averaging $25 to $60 per night.
West Coast & Southeast: Higher, averaging $50 to $120+ per night, especially near coastal areas or during peak winter and summer vacation seasons
(This post was last modified: 08-25-2026 08:50 AM by TripleA.)
Also, out west, there are millions of acres of BLM lands that are free. You just have to park off the road and at least 200 feet from any water source.
In the eastern half of the US, it's more difficult, but there is plenty of national forest land, which is also free.
Renting even if it cost you a couple thousand more is always the best choice when trying something you are doing "new" and long-term. Then you buy, I think I even said that but people hate wasting money like that.
If you are OK with the trailer other than this wind thing, which could just be a one off. I would keep it and get use to it. Don't box yourself in by being uncomfortable, that is something you will regret, even more. Of course a person can get use to almost anything, even a smaller than you need box. Other than driving this thing through NYC or LA, which you probably not doing, you most likely go the worse over with. You are free of needing to be at point A on this day and this time....
even if it takes longer plan your west trips to drive into the wind LOL
(This post was last modified: 08-25-2026 09:14 AM by WKUYG.)
Maybe it was a fluke, Triple. Just keep the trailer you have now, all trailers are like that in windy weather. Even the lowly cab over camper can get dicey in the wind, especially if you're driving over the SD bridge and you are on the right lane and the only thing separating you and the ocean below is a steel divider. I had my kids in the cabover crossing the bridge and the wind kept trying to spill us over the railing. I left my hand marks on the steering wheel that day. I never drove over it again I would take the long way to Coronado Island.
The winds can get treacherous close to El Capitan mountain too so the wind and the fear are par for the course. You're gonna be miserable in a small pop up and will feel like you're in a cage. Those things are only good if you're going for a weekend trip, not to live in it permanently.
My idea of going traveling is to get a home with a roommate, it's cheaper and if you plan wisely you might get a really nice home to live in without the headaches of home ownership or the loneliness of a motel. Afterall, you only want the trailer as a headquarters, and a roommate situation would be the same with company at least. I would be bored silly and feel alone living in a trailer by myself. At least with roommates you can always move to a nicer home if the roommate turns out to be a pain. At least it's cheaper than a motel, now that would suck. Motels are like cabover campers, they're not for extended living.
People tow these things (and MUCH bigger) all the time. It sounds like you've just got to get used to it. I agree w/ WK here. Probably would've been best to rent to start.
(This post was last modified: 08-25-2026 09:50 AM by b2b.)
(08-24-2026 06:01 PM)TripleA Wrote: Back to the trip. Three days in. Pretty much a disaster.
First day, I managed to leave my card at a winery where I visited, then had to pay cash for my hotel room. Then I had to drive 162 miles r/t on Day 2 to retrieve my card.
Now on Day 3, I'm in Omaha, and earlier today I got hit by a huge gust of prairie wind that almost tipped my trailer over. Both left wheels came off the pavement at 60+ mph, then the trailer rocked back and forth off the ground 2 more times before selling back on the pavement. Thought I had just bought it for good.
When I arrived safely at the next exit, I called my trailer dealer and told them they can have their wind sail back. The manager said he would get back to me with options. No word yet. Gonna be a fight, I'm sure.
I'm still headed to South Dakota to take care of business, then probably right back to Tupelo to stick that trailer where the sun don't shine. Yeah, wind blows trailers, but it shouldn't be enough to kill you, lol.
My next possible move is to buy a hardshell pop-up truck camper to install in the bed of my F-150.
Wow, I know that had to be scary as hell. How about one of those old silver bullet looking campers.
Well, I would still be dragging a potential wind victim behind me, although a lesser one. With a pop-up hardshell, that's not an issue at all.
And these prairie winds are nothing to mess with. Especially when you're driving north, and the winds are out of the west.
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.
(08-24-2026 06:09 PM)Redbanksdog Wrote: Wow, I know that had to be scary as hell. How about one of those old silver bullet looking campers.
Well, I would still be dragging a potential wind victim behind me, although a lesser one. With a pop-up hardshell, that's not an issue at all.
And these prairie winds are nothing to mess with. Especially when you're driving north, and the winds are out of the west.
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...
(08-24-2026 06:15 PM)TripleA Wrote: Well, I would still be dragging a potential wind victim behind me, although a lesser one. With a pop-up hardshell, that's not an issue at all.
And these prairie winds are nothing to mess with. Especially when you're driving north, and the winds are out of the west.
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.
(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…
(08-25-2026 08:44 AM)TripleA Wrote: 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…
Grew up driving forklifts of all kinds. My favorite was a Timber Jack which I used for loading lumber and cross ties and unloading logs that wouldn't trip. I've used the little warehouse jobs too. What you say is true. Practice, practice, practice. Backing a Truck is the same way. I'll plead ignorance on trailers in high winds as I never drove under those conditions but a tad slower is always better than risking the ditch. If they are too light that's another issue. Those were fun days, before professional work among the starched shirt crowd. What faces this nation now are not the Triple A's of the world making their pilgrimage but a long list of red hot putzes with a piece of paper saying they can do something they cannot. 800 bucks to double that and anyone can obtain a paper lie assuring others of their competence to wreck machinery, drive up insurance costs, or get your company sued. It's the damned applicant that must be test driven, not the machinery. Stay away from Stupid People definitely applies!
(08-25-2026 09:13 AM)WKUYG Wrote: Renting even if it cost you a couple thousand more is always the best choice when trying something you are doing "new" and long-term. Then you buy, I think I even said that but people hate wasting money like that.
If you are OK with the trailer other than this wind thing, which could just be a one off. I would keep it and get use to it. Don't box yourself in by being uncomfortable, that is something you will regret, even more. Of course a person can get use to almost anything, even a smaller than you need box. Other than driving this thing through NYC or LA, which you probably not doing, you most likely go the worse over with. You are free of needing to be at point A on this day and this time....
even if it takes longer plan your west trips to drive into the wind LOL
Great advice. I accidentally followed it, lol. I stuck with it, slowed down (I think I was driving way too fast), and things went much better yesterday.
Also, I am gaining experience pulling the trailer and dealing with the wind.
I am now in Sioux Falls, and am settled here for a few days taking care of all the admin details of my move. So no more hard driving for a while.
And yes, driving north and south sucks on the prairie with a trailer, but now, most of my travels will be west, more or less.
