Community Forums

Betr2Trvl · 03-30-2015, 04:47 AM

Do you take any precautionary measures to protect your coach during severe thunderstorms while you are camping? Obviously retract the awning, but Do you ever pull the slides in and / or pull up your jacks? Disconnect from shore power?

Appreciate your insight!

hondavalk · 03-30-2015, 05:48 AM

If its real bad I have disconnected my shore power.

MCJones · 03-30-2015, 05:53 AM

I have pulled in slides - but only on rare occasions when you know it is going to be severe. I've never unplugged - trusting the surge protection, but as I think about it, I think now I might go out and at least flip the breaker off. mark

ChallengerRN · 03-30-2015, 05:58 AM

If I feel that it will be something big I will pull the slides in. My thought on this is to make it easier on the slide toppers. If it's just a rain without a wind I'll leave the slides out.

I don't unhook the shore power?? I guess that would be ok. But I feel my surge guard should cover me there.

Jacks?? I've never retracted them.

Russell

kewag · 03-30-2015, 06:01 AM

I pull in the slides if it gets real bad, actually if high winds also. I worry about the slide toppers getting torn. I trust my surge protectors, however, for piece of mind tripping the main breaker at the pedestal is cheep insurance.

Bigd9 · 03-30-2015, 06:01 AM

I will pull in the slides to protect the fabric slide topper, the big awning and secure anything that may blow around outside, but that is about it. Why pull up the Jacks?

PDR John · 03-30-2015, 07:52 AM

We never leave the awnings out, but I did just the other day. I real lucky and was able to put the door awning all back together, with the only damage being some small nicks in the paint.

The full wall slide comes in any time we're in high winds. 27' slide topper catches a lot of wind. Had a 40 mph gust hit us just right in WY once, picked the whole slide up.

Super storm, everything gets battened down.

I've never unplugged or tripped the breaker. I do have a surge protector and carry a back up.

zmotorsports · 03-30-2015, 08:02 AM

If high winds are expected along with the rain, or even just high winds I will retract the slides. Mainly to protect the slide toppers.

I have never disconnected power but have gone out and flipped the pedestal breaker if a there is a lot of lightning.

Mike.

dadhanke · 03-30-2015, 08:13 AM

Tripping the breaker to protect from lightning is not going to make much difference. For the lightning to jump the fraction of an inch inside the breaker, is nothing compared to the thousands of feet it jumped from cloud to ground. I'll unplug.

'course at 2:00 am, I might not get up to go out and pull the plug.

austx · 03-30-2015, 11:06 AM

We don't pull in the slides. Don't unplug; we rely on our surge protector we have between the electrical box and our MH plug. If we did that for some long storms, we would be cramped in for hours. The awning is always in if we aren't there and at night. Almost lost one when a storm came in the middle of the night. Never pull up jacks. Not sure why someone would pull up the Jacks?

wa8yxm · 03-30-2015, 01:53 PM

As for trusting the surge protector..

In the event the power lines take a direct or near hit... That surge protector can not possibly disconnect you fast enough.. That is what INSURANCE is for.

Alas... I can not move out of the way (Best option) but bringing in slides and awnings is recommended.

austx · 03-30-2015, 02:49 PM

If all else fails, we have insurance too!

Hidalgo · 03-30-2015, 04:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wa8yxm

As for trusting the surge protector..

In the event the power lines take a direct or near hit... That surge protector can not possibly disconnect you fast enough.. That is what INSURANCE is for.

Alas... I can not move out of the way (Best option) but bringing in slides and awnings is recommended.

Absolutely. Jumping a tripped breaker is a minor feat for a direct lightning hit. Why just trip the breaker? You're standing right there ... PULL THE CORD! That's kinda like not using the emergency brake just because the vehicle is in Park .........

Betr2Trvl · 03-30-2015, 05:01 PM

Thanks for all the replies.

As for pulling the jacks up, was just wondering about the insulating value of the tires on the ground vs. the metal jacks being tied to the frame. The old "safest place in lighting is being in you're car" theory.......

Regards!