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Old 05-03-2013, 12:56 PM   #1
sreigle
Montana Master
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Oceanside
Posts: 20,028
M.O.C. #20
Whewee! Dust Devil!

Earlier this year we spent a couple of months in Twentynine Palms, CA. There were some windy days but our first month there had next to no wind. We had more trouble from errant golf balls hitting the rig than we did from the wind, at least that first month.

You know that emergency exit window over the desk in the rear of the 3400? The one that hinges at the top and has a rod at the bottom that you use to open the window and latch it open?

Well, I could count on one hand how many times that window had been open in the almost six years we've had this 3400. But on this particular day we had the place opened up and the fantastic fan running. And that window was open.

My chair is directly across the room from that window. The rig started to rock, as the wind will sometimes do to it, and I looked up and saw the window fly upwards, the rod pull clear out of that little hole and then the window came crashing down, hitting the ground.

Dust devil! Wow, powerful little bugger! It ripped all 8 (or is it 10? - would have to go outside and look) pop rivets out of the hinge attaching that window. Fortunately, the hinge itself was not damaged and the window was not broken. One corner of the window frame got bunged up but I was able to straighten out so it seals properly. I had enough new screws to remount the window to the hinge and it's good as new except for a corner that shows it had some damage.

I think we got off cheap. I didn't realize the power of those dust devils. Basically a tiny tornado. On its way to the ground the window ripped off the cover of the satellite connector I had installed and cracked the mount but silicone sealant/caulk on the cracks and remounting the cover took care of that.
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