Thunderstorms

[slharman1]

Anything I need to know about staying in my TT during a thunderstorm? Looks like our maiden voyage next week will be thunderstorms all week at inks lake

 

[Rene T]

Make sure your ceiling vents are closed unless you have covers for them.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

• Bring a raincoat and boots - campgrounds too often get standing water or deep puddles in exactly the wrong place. Make sure any electrical connections are above any puddles.
• Watch for leaks anywhere!
• If it's at all windy, bring in any awnings (not slide toppers).
• If the winds get strong enough to rock the trailer, consider bringing in slides to reduce buffeting
• You can direct where the water runs off the RV by changing the leveling a bit.
• Bring whatever you need to help avoid cabin fever, e.g. games, DVDs, adult beverages, etc.

 

[Arch Hoagland]

Do not plug into shore power when a thunderstorm is coming. Keep your power cord disconnected until there is no more lightening.

 

[edjunior]

Be sure and bring some movies to watch. It's kinda neat to sit and watch a movie during a thunderstorm. Otherwise, I think the advice above is all pretty good. These guys know their stuff.

 

[RVoorhis318]

They can be violent and you should have plans if tornado warnings & alerts come thru. Came across the south gulf coast states in mid April and were in a couple of doozies! Chances are they won't be bad but have an emergency plan..... Ya just never know what to expect so be prepared!

 

[John From Detroit]

This last weekend was Amateur Radio Field Day. we go out in the "Wild" (In this case a school side yard) and set up multiple portable radios..
Mine had multiple antennas including a off center fed dipole on poles about 20 feet tall guyed with rather light line (Mason's line on one of 'em a bit heavier on the main pole)
Also a 6x6' shelter Table. (The radio went in the jeep during bad weather) and a couple of tripod mounted antennas. One I layed down and covered up when I was not there.

The Funnel cloud passed right over the site.. You can imagine the breeze at grouned level

Everything was still standing when I got back to it Sunday except the antennas I had taken down for safety. and they were right were I left them.. Nothing save the shelter had a large profile however.. That's why they stayed up.

 

[JudyJB]

Put your slides in before the strong winds hit you. Having slides out gives the wind more surface to pick up and move. Also, if the wind is strong with rain, water will flow in via slides--top, bottom, and sides. In addition, wind can tear slide toppers. I was once caught in a 65 MPH side wind, and could feel it move my rig, so I speak from experience. I put slides in quickly and then buckled myself into the drivers seat because I figured it would be the safest place if it rolled over.

If you have a very light TT or a tent camper or anything with canvas sides, close what you can and take cover in a strong building such as a cement bathroom or shower room. Luckily there were no tent campers that weekend, but several lighter trailers got rotated to they pointed in a different direction. Interesting thing I noticed later was that camp host RVs were cabled to cement pads!!

 

[Flyingdownthetrail]

Use a surge protector in line with your shore power. It will trip before your trailer gets fried

 

[steelmooch]

I realize the OP has already taken the "maiden voyage" in question, but wanted to add...

It was scary for us, in a small TT, not far off of I-75 in GA during a June thunderstorm (reception had been fine in-bound and so close to the highway) when we realized that our weather apps were not updating/changing dynamically because of a low signal.

The last thing we had was a *severe thunderstorm warming* for us, along with a *tornado watch* for the general area, with no way to get new info.

A hand-crank NOAA radio is something to consider for future trips. If you're anything like we are, anything battery-powered will have leaked and/or be dead when you really need it.

Happy travels!

 

[HappyWanderer]

A little late to the party, but…

Get in the habit of finding your evacuation place whenever checking into a campground. A sturdy concrete building is a much better place to ride out a severe storm than an RV.

When the tornado siren sounds isn’t the ideal time to come up with an emergency plan.