how do you tie your curtains back in high winds?
i know you open the back doors and open your curtains to the rear of the trailer but how do you ‘strap’ them if you havent got any of the straps that run the length of the trailer on a rail in the roof?
are there fixings high up on the trailers (i havent ever noticed) so you can spiral it round the curtains and door and latch on to the bottom of the trailer?
at what speed of wind would you strap your curtains rather than chance not going over?
personally, when i was on curtainsiders, i never ran with them open
i always used to get them as tight as possible, accorss the length and on the straps, make the side as taught as possible
if you open them, i have seen it where the wind gets up under the roof and lifts the trailer in the air, more dangerous than being blown over 
for this reason, some companies do not allow the driver to tie them back
Tied mine back once, had one of those thin translucent roofs on the trailer…
When I got to the reload, roof was missing, to this day I dont know where it went, nobody reported it, and I never noticed it go, mind you it was at night… 
If the curtains are tensioned it should be no different to a container or box van in the wind, the problem comes when the sails (curtains) are full and then the trailer acts like a ship at sea.
It is not a good idea to run with the curtains and doors open as the trailer loses all its strength and will flex, or the roof blows off like already mentioned.
If it was very windy we used to use 3 straps over the sliding roof to stop that billowing so much
Wheel Nut:
It is not a good idea to run with the curtains and doors open as the trailer loses all its strength and will flex
Can you explain that as I am thinking - what is the strength difference between that and an empty flatbed 
exactly they’re not called slackliners so keep them taut and you should be ok in any weather
ROG:
Wheel Nut:
It is not a good idea to run with the curtains and doors open as the trailer loses all its strength and will flexCan you explain that as I am thinking - what is the strength difference between that and an empty flatbed
An empty flatbed doesn’t have a roof, a high headboard, a frame for rear doors etc. all of which can be damaged or twisted by running with the curtains open, it’s not the strength of the bed or chassis which is the issue.
Some curtainsiders have stickers on them warning you not to run with the curtains or doors open as it affects the structural integrity of the trailer. It’s advice from the manufacturers so I think it is best to heed it. 
ROG:
Wheel Nut:
It is not a good idea to run with the curtains and doors open as the trailer loses all its strength and will flexCan you explain that as I am thinking - what is the strength difference between that and an empty flatbed
There is a world of difference between an old tandem axle Boden with a keruing floor and a lightweight Schmitz curtainsider Rog. They try to make the trailers as light as possible by using the structure to give them strength
Wheel Nut:
There is a world of difference between an old tandem axle Boden with a keruing floor and a lightweight Schmitz curtainsider Rog. They try to make the trailers as light as possible by using the structure to give them strength
Thank you - I am enlightened and see your point 
our new trailers are like tin foil - think they made them half a ton lighter so we could run an extra half a ton cargo when needed. we still run trailers from 98’ and they are sturdy, built for life ones - these new ones won’t see 6 years IMO.
many a time ive felt like doing my curtains up because of being blown around like a ragdoll, ive asked about it and its a big no no from the company 
as we can run high trailers here
the main problem is the difficulty in getting a very large area taut
enough to stop billowing
also these silly high trailers can have buckles done up by wire
they may look pretty stood still
but no one sets them to pull very tightly
Dont matter how tight you get them, modern trailers are light weight, and you still have a 45’ x 9’ sail on the side, its not the tightness thats the issue its the weight, a good side wind will lift them, no matter how tight the curtains…
Simple answer is park up if its unsafe, no brainer.
Coddy:
Dont matter how tight you get them, modern trailers are light weight, and you still have a 45’ x 9’ sail on the side, its not the tightness thats the issue its the weight, a good side wind will lift them, no matter how tight the curtains…Simple answer is park up if its unsafe, no brainer.
Spot on there Coddy, my thoughts exactly, you don’t want to be on one of Sally Traffics bulletins 
Coddy:
Dont matter how tight you get them, modern trailers are light weight, and you still have a 45’ x 9’ sail on the side, its not the tightness thats the issue its the weight, a good side wind will lift them, no matter how tight the curtains…Simple answer is park up if its unsafe, no brainer.
Aye, your probably right at that, but you never saw the Black Pig with taut sails.
Is that Roger coming up the rear? 