When we arrived in Shamrock, Texas on Thursday, we had already decided to stay three nights. We were ahead of schedule for our destination of Flagstaff, and we needed to buy two new tires for the trailer. The tire store here in Shamrock treated us so well last fall that we decided to give them our business again. So, when we checked in at the West 40 RV Park, we signed up for three nights.
Thursday evening, the wind got up. I mean, it REALLY got up! It was blowing 40 to 50 mph with gusts up to 65 mph. Our trailer was not only rocking, it was swaying back and forth. The windows by the dinette were being sucked open, then let go so it seemed like they were flapping wings, trying to take the trailer off into flight! It blew the tonneau cover open on the truck. I was afraid to cook for fear the pots would slide off of the stove! I was thinking that not even one of those heavy duty awning tie down straps would help in that kind of wind. These high winds went on like that until around 6:00 p.m. on Friday, when just as quickly as it started, it stopped.
While this was all going on, I thought about those windmills we passed in Oklahoma on the way here Thursday. I could just imagine them spinning like a child’s pinwheel in those high winds. I wondered if they ever broke off and took off across a field? A google search found this one, that happened in Denmark. While it didn’t actually spin off across a field, it did break and cause damage. Wow!
Theresa Mitchell says
I hate the wind! Never thought about it until I started full time. I am out of my big fifth wheel, but I am going to look for a travel trailer, a small one so I can go to camp outs. What kind is yours? What kind of hitch do you have? I have had two, a 29 ft and a 26 ft. Took the 26 ft we pulled to Alaska. Never had any trouble with either one. I have done nothing but dump money in my Montana!
Cindy Of PEI says
I never thought of one flying off the axle and spinning out of control. Those windmills are called 90 meter, we have them here on the Island. I can remember when we didn’t have any. Now both North Cape and East Point have windmill farms. I wanted to share this post with you as the shots of the windmill farm are amazing, however you have to scroll past the beach glass and bee hives, have a look… http://goo.gl/UZdLo
Deb says
Yikes! Sounds like that could have been scary. We have a bunch of those windmills by us…I never thought of one of arms breaking off.