That depends do you want to be in high winds or not? If not wouldn't it make logical sense to park somewhere that the wind is blocked? I have never looked to park in or out of the wind.

 

The thing about wind, is that it changes direction. So you can start off sheltered and end up being blasted and vice versa.

The windiest night we have experienced was at the Trona Pinnacles, 2 years ago. It blew >50MPH overnight. When we arrived, it was crowded and we had a choice of one, exposed campsite. By a total fluke, we were sheltered from the worst of it when the wind changed overnight. In the morning, several overlanders who had set-up camp sheltered from the wind, had shredded and destroyed roof-top tents.

So my 2c is that whatever happens, we are better off in a van than a rooftop tent.

 

Like on a boat park facing into the wind, Although at home I do the opposite with the tail into the wind so there is less of a chance of hail stones breaking the windshield.
The weather always comes out of the west at home.

 

When the option exists, sure, use any obvious upwind shelter, but expect the direction may change at some point. When no shelter is present, I park nose or tail windward. Exposing a side to the prominent wind direction noticeably increases rocking motion. Many, many, many windstorms have hit my van, and all I can think is "I couldn't do this in a tent, so glad I have the van."


The only tradeoff is driving in high winds, but you get used to it.

Cheers.

 

Funny timing..... at the time of your post (an hour ago) I was driving away from White Sands national park. It was very windy, but we pressed on, and then a dust cloud came and hit us straight on. I counted 40 chips in the windshield!

We pulled over and stopped at the next underpass.

link to the video:

New video by Adam Nagy

photos.app.goo.gl

 

Google maps has a topo layer. Look for a depression or maybe windward of a group of trees of building.

Never really been an issue around here. There's lots of trees, so I'm always looking for widowmakers no matter how I'm camping if it's windy.

 

There are few things more satisfying than being in a solid, warm shelter that is being pummeled by the wind. Every blast is a reminder of how lucky you are. Doubly so when the temperatures are below zero!

 

In the garage.

In lieu of that, it depends on where you are located. If you're in the high plains there's not much place to go. So face into the wind as best as you can and block the wheels. Or face rear to the wind if there is going to be potential debris that could break/crack your windshield. If you are in a mountainous area get on the leeward side of a mountain as close to the base as you can and watch out for widowmakers. If you are in the city, again on the leeward side of a building close to the wall with your access door out.

Windward = facing the wind or on the side of an obstruction facing the wind.
Leeward = situated on or on the side sheltered from the wind.

 

On one occasion it was blowing like stink, at one of our windsurf spots and I parked with the back of the old van to the wind. When I opened the drivers door, the wind caught it and ripped it out of my hand, the resulting force messed up the door limiting strap and a little sheet metal. On another occasion, again with wind coming from astern, this time in a grocery store parking lot, the vehicle next to our van opened their door and it slammed into our vehicle. Both vehicles had minor sheet metal damage.

For one, I now try to park away from other vehicles particularly when it is windy. Two, since the old van had cracks in the windshield anyway I would not have thought twice about parking nose to wind. However, with the new van and after reading some of the earlier posts and with such a big a** pristine windshield I will think twice about parking nose to wind and think seriously about using the slider in strong winds.

 

We were parked out in the open at Lake Mead last Fall, and it was blowing 50+, probably closer to 60mph. My wife felt so unstable in the bed, that she slept in the passenger seat. I had to keep reminding myself that the van weighs 8500# and most of that is down low. It was really rocking. If I had the option, I would have rather been on the lee ward side of a hill, rather than in the open near a large body of water

The wind is the devil!

 

yep, shifting winds was my concern about using a structure for shelter. i did my undergrad at kent state in ohio. they remolded the center of campus after a campus in southern arizona. the design is meant to channel winds to make the flags blow more. might be fine for a place without snow but in the snowbelt it made that part of the campus impassible in the winter.

 

It's good to know and understand the local winds. We use NOAA's Clime app to check on prevailing winds.
In deserts, the wind can rotate through 360 deg overnight.

 

I rather be anywhere than around trees in high winds.

 

^ Gotta' watch out for those widowmakers!!!

 

I live in tornado alley, Five tornado's have passed within a mile of my house in the last 22 years. That is why I mentioned the hail stones and trying to protect the windshield.

 

If there's a better view in the exposed areas, I park there in spite of the wind. We're closed up and getting buffeted around but nice and cozy. But if there's a good cul-de-sac of rocks, I like that protection as well. Trees... well... they often don't protect as much since the wind seems to shift around them and all.

Have never pointed the nose any given direction to account for wind; only the view.