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Old 03-15-2020, 04:42 PM   #1
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Very bad weather- What do you do in your RV?

Tornadoes, very high winds, downpours, sandstorms, earthquakes, or flooding.

If you by chance are caught in them while in your RV, what do you do?

If at a campground, I assume one would use an emergency shelter they provide.
What if you are caught boondocking and do not have access or time to reach an emergency shelter or drive away? What do you do/have you done to keep yourself as safe as you can?

What about your pets?

Do you have an experience you went through?
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Old 03-15-2020, 07:03 PM   #2
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I think I've only been to 1 campground that had an emergency shelter of any substance and this was in Oklahoma City after they were hit by a tornado the year before.

We did ride out a severe storm in our Class C. It was on a holiday weekend and campground was packed with campers, tents, and RV's. The storm came in the middle of the night. The motorhome shook and swayed, wife was scared to death. I was able to fall a sleep. The next morning there were tents blown all over the place and people hunkered down in their vehicles. Not a pretty site although I do not believe anyone was injured.

We now have a Class A, which is more then twice the weight and handles storms better. With the jacks down it is stable. We do feel the wind. I have learned though that if you are expecting high winds pull the slides in as the awnings will billow. I had one that billowed and the spring broke.
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Old 03-16-2020, 06:00 AM   #3
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We now have a Class A, which is more then twice the weight and handles storms better. With the jacks down it is stable. We do feel the wind. I have learned though that if you are expecting high winds pull the slides in as the awnings will billow. I had one that billowed and the spring broke.
Is having jacks down and slides in usually recommended for emergency weather proceedures?
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Old 03-16-2020, 06:04 AM   #4
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Is having jacks down and slides in usually recommended for emergency weather proceedures?
I think that is the safest - jacks to stabilize the rig and slides in to minimize your footprint to the wind.
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Old 03-16-2020, 06:05 AM   #5
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We also lowered jacks and retracted our slides during a very bad thunder storm. No damage to us. Rig a couple sites down ended up being totaled due to water damage. They had water coming in through bedroom roof and slide seals. They left slides out. If campground had solid building I would go there. If in boondocking site just ride it out.
Good luck

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Old 03-16-2020, 08:09 AM   #6
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If i know high winds are coming i take pieces of rope and tie down the slide toppers. Not real tight. Just enough to keep from billowing. Worked so far
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Old 03-17-2020, 05:35 AM   #7
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For bad thunderstorms, jacks down, slides in, all loose articles stowed. If there is a tornado actually approaching, get out of the RV and find a low lying area to lay down in. Something like a roadside ditch will work. If a hurricane is approaching, migrate elsewhere before the mass exodus begins.
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Old 03-17-2020, 07:11 AM   #8
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If there is a tornado actually approaching, get out of the RV and find a low lying area to lay down in. Something like a roadside ditch will work.
Yes, even something as shallow as a roadside ditch is a great option over remaining in MH. NEVER seek shelter under an overpass.
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Old 03-17-2020, 08:31 AM   #9
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In our other RV we had HWH jacks an always had the jacks down. We went through a tornado watch with high winds and rain. They had a shelter for folks, but pets were not allowed. So, we rode the storm out with our pets with little problem. The RV was doing its dance but never felt like it was going over. With the RV we have now we use leveling with air, it has hyd leveling but only use when necessary. If we get enough warning to the storm coming, I will put the HWH jacks down. So far, we haven’t been in a storm with this new to us RV.
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Old 03-17-2020, 06:42 PM   #10
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We have rode thru 2 Tornados in our Outlaw. Both times the slide was out and even our awning was out.. I do stake our awning with HD straps rated at 500lbs each. and use HD stakes I made myself. (the tornado touched down 4 miles from us)
The one was in Texas, where trees were down all around us, one landing on a MH across the Campground. Over 60 pop ups were scattered all over the place as well as a row of Portapoties several hundred feet from where they were set up..
The other time was in Louisiana and no trees were near us , but the high winds did take out some Pop ups and some.

We were at Mid-Ohio for races when High winds 75-80 MPH hit with only a 3 minute warning.. My wife yelled to let me know. I was trying to take our Pop up down when torrential rains hit and then High winds. The pop up blew sideways and bent all the cross bars.. Our staked down awing didnt move. The storm was over in about 15-20 minutes... There were over 200 destroyed popups.. they filled 6 large roll off dumpsters of them.
Now maybe we were lucky in that each time the high winds came, that we were parked the right direction. Who knows... I do know that I secure our awning with big Heavy duty stakes that I made and use HD straps... We always have the jacks down to stabilize and I usually try to park facing into what ever the direction the wind is blowing from..
My wife freaks out any time we get storms, especially with lightning, but I tell her it is too dangerous to move during a storm and there are no shelters nearby, so the 25,000 lb Mh is the safest place to be.
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Old 03-17-2020, 07:07 PM   #11
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I have noticed that everyone with a coach Parks it facing into a high wind.
May I ask why?
My thoughts are that the front has a very large glass window that is prone to breakage from flying debris. It is also the lightest end.

The rear of the coach is blanked off, albeit with only fibreglass. However in a DP you have the very heavy engine, transmission and differential to keep it stable.

Am I missing something important here?
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Old 03-18-2020, 03:30 PM   #12
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I have noticed that everyone with a coach Parks it facing into a high wind.
May I ask why?
My thoughts are that the front has a very large glass window that is prone to breakage from flying debris. It is also the lightest end.

The rear of the coach is blanked off, albeit with only fibreglass. However in a DP you have the very heavy engine, transmission and differential to keep it stable.

Am I missing something important here?
It does not matter what is facing the wind as long as it is not broad side. I think it is just easier to drive heading into the wind rather than back in.
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Old 03-18-2020, 03:45 PM   #13
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Parking stern into the wind may allow the wind to catch your entry door and your side swing compartment doors. Bad stuff can happen. Nose into the wind, those doors blow closed, preferable to hyperextending the hinges.
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Old 03-18-2020, 03:53 PM   #14
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We were at Goose Island SP near Rockport Tx a few years ago when when an unexpected high wind and record tides developed in a short time. We had been out sightseeing in the Rockport area while the storm develped and started back to camp. By arrival there we were informed we had 30 minutes to leave for the higher ground area at the park.

We were using our 5th wheeler on that trip. The front of the trailer was facing the water for the view and was only about 30 feet from a seawall. While hitching the tide was already six inches over the seawall. So I was hitching the trailer with the truck and front half of the RV in 6" of water. As we drove out parts of the road was already a foot under water with a rising high tide.

We weathered the storm in a wooded area on higher ground. When we returned to the flooded campsite for a few more nights the entire area had been under about 18" of water.

If we have time we will move to a safer location or judge our best options.
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