I have experience as a tailgunner in a long line of splits and bays,
heading south on a caravan between GA and FL.

  When the leader got hit by a side wind, the followers obediently reacted
in turn, resulting in a sort of conga line effect.  The gusts weren't
serious enough to affect us, the sole Vanagon in the group.

G.

On Sun, May 12, 2013 at 10:08 PM, Don Hanson <dhanson928@gmail.com> wrote:

>    This afternoon I was in the Eastern Columbia River Gorge, the
> windsurfing capitol of the US...according to some.   I was driving my low
> roof 84 with an inline motor...heading back west, downriver but upwind,
> after a session of windsurfing.   I caught up to another vanagon, a red
> late model  Wolfsberg and followed him for quite a ways, before going
> around.   The winds were normal for the Gorge, perhaps 40mph with higher
> gusts and swirling around as usual, depending on the terrain.
>
>   It was fun to watch HIM swerve, then I would swerve as we were hit by the
> same gusts from the sides....I always seem to have my hands full driving my
> van in the Gorge, even though I have been completely through all the
> suspension, steering, tires etc.,   When you are rolling along at 65 into a
> 60mph gust, then it hits you from the side....then stops, then from the
> other side, etc etc....all the way along with high cliffs and through the
> various side canyons....a tall profile and relatively short wheel base
> vehicle like our vans....they 'feel' the wind....
>
>    It was sort of comforting to see that my own vanagon wasn't behaving any
> different than that one right in front of me.....I also often see even
> tractor trailer rigs being moved around by the gusts....but not so easily
> as our big box-shaped vans...
>   Don Hanson
>