Community Forums

Dansspirit · 08-15-2007, 05:50 PM

Hi everyone, has anyone been in a severe windstorm, like a hurricane in a motorhome? What kind of a blast would it take to tip over a Class C for example. I live on the west coast of Fl and was seriously considering the Motorhome as an Escape pod, to just get away from the water in the event of a serious storm. We get evacuation orders several times a year anyway,anytime the County orders them.Wonder if anyone has a similar plan.

Dansspirit · 08-15-2007, 05:50 PM

Hi everyone, has anyone been in a severe windstorm, like a hurricane in a motorhome? What kind of a blast would it take to tip over a Class C for example. I live on the west coast of Fl and was seriously considering the Motorhome as an Escape pod, to just get away from the water in the event of a serious storm. We get evacuation orders several times a year anyway,anytime the County orders them.Wonder if anyone has a similar plan.

adj · 08-15-2007, 06:05 PM

I also reside in Fl. but not near the water(Middleburg). Due to the perceived traffic jam, It has always been my plan to pull out of harms way well before any evacuation orders.

RV Wizard · 08-15-2007, 11:29 PM

When we were living in Nokomis, Fl, hurricane Jorges came along and gave us a scare so we closed up the window awnings on the house and left in our 27' Titan. Watching the storm, we stay well ahead of it and then he turned west away from the mainland and we made a big circle back home. I think that if the winds are head on it is designed to take a pretty good one but from the side I would not want to be in any over say 50 mph. If you leave early you will not have a problem.

GaryKD · 08-16-2007, 05:03 AM

I live in South Florida. I do use the coach when a hurricance is approaching. Because of the traffic, I leave 5+ days before a hurricane is to strike. Never been in a hurricane with the coach, but a tornado has passed within 1/2 mile of the coach. We rocked and rolled through the tornado, but it was more of a nuisance than any danger of tipping over. I never felt in danger. Consider the following in your plans:

1. Hurricanes turn right. They may wobble to the left a bit, but basically they turn right. Plan your evacuation based on staying to the left of the "cone of probability" reported by the hurricane center. In Florida this may mean the best evacuation route is South!

2. To help me make the evacuation decision, I use Herbert's box. These are two boxes you can draw on a hurricane tracking map.

For Atlantic storms, the box is bounded by latitude 15 on the South and 20 on the North. longitude 60 on the East and 65 on the West.

For Gulf of Mexico storms, the box is bounded by latitude 15 on the South and 20 on the North. Longitude 80 on the East and 85 on the West.

In the 17 years I have lived in South Florida, every hurricane to hit us has passed through one of these boxes.

The bottom line is if the hurricane misses the box I don't worry. If the hurricance passes though a box, we have about 7 days. I close up the house and leave.