Penthouse in the wind - Page 3

DUKCSUN · 05-28-2013, 10:48 AM

My PH top has withstood over 70 MPH winds twice. Once was a fairly sustained blow and the other was a freak gust of 73 MPH. Absolutely no damage whatsoever when I fully expected the entire top to be tumbling across the field like a child's pool toy when I went to go put it down quickly. Manual, not electric.

twogone · 07-15-2013, 10:30 AM

Just got back from a long tour. A couple months ago, tornadoes killed a bunch of folks in Oklahoma. Christine and I were at a camp about 100 miles from Oklahoma City when the tornadoes happened. We were sound asleep in the van with the top up, and clear plastic unzipped. I awoke suddenly to a vicious wind/storm that was right on us... I believe it was a tornado that had not touched all the way down.

I jumped up startled, opened the side cargo door to relieve pressure, (forgetting about the open plastics), and finally... finally, after moving all the little crap that ends up temporarily stored around the roof opening, pulled the top down.

My side cargo door was flapping back and forth like a cheap screendoor in a tornado movie, (ultimately damaging the little latch thingy that holds it open) as I reached with my left hand to hook the roof latch, while holding the roof down with my right, the wind was so powerful that it lifted the top up about a foot with me holding down with my full weight. Really scary stuff. No damage to the top, and Ray can replace the latch. Went through Ok city the next day... feeling really lucky just now.

Tapatio · 07-15-2013, 01:20 PM

Wow! Scary stuff. I'm going to put a new warning sticker on my windshield "Close penthouse in the event of a Tornado".

vwteleman · 07-15-2013, 01:54 PM

What about a Sharknado?

Tapatio · 07-15-2013, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vwteleman

What about a Sharknado?

Good point. Warning sticker "If you see sharks in a tornado, calm down, you are trippin balls"

BrianW · 07-15-2013, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twogone

Just got back from a long tour. A couple months ago, tornadoes killed a bunch of folks in Oklahoma. Christine and I were at a camp about 100 miles from Oklahoma City when the tornadoes happened. We were sound asleep in the van with the top up, and clear plastic unzipped. I awoke suddenly to a vicious wind/storm that was right on us... I believe it was a tornado that had not touched all the way down.

We drove through one of the tornado areas off I-40 last month when we were heading out on our westward trip. Amazing destruction of trees and houses. My wife was a bit nervous driving through, especially since it was really windy out that day and the van was being blown about a bit.

yvrr · 07-17-2013, 08:57 AM

...and people back east worry about earthquakes! I'll take earthquakes over tornadoes any day!

**daveb** · 07-17-2013, 11:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vwteleman

What about a Sharknado?

better a sharknado than a vanado

flyfisher · 07-17-2013, 10:12 PM

If anyone has ever camped at Wanapum State Park on the Columbia River in Washington, you know what WIND can be like. The Van and I survived several serious blows with no ill affects. The same goes for Chopaka Lake in North central Washington. The wind can come up and scatter tents and blue tarps all over the Okanagan Valley, The Van and its top survived quite well.

Tom