Camping in bad weather

cruiser1701 · 05-08-2015, 09:14 PM

Being we are heading into spring and summer I was wondering what everyone does during a storm,for this thread let's just say its a small thunderstorm nothing severe. Is it safe to stay in our TT when it's lightning?

OldCoot · 05-08-2015, 09:29 PM

We do unless the wind really starts up or is predicted and then we go to the cinderblock club house where we camp in FL. Not too worried about lightning as long as we're not near trees.

**ependydad** · 05-08-2015, 11:12 PM

A small thunderstorm, I'd just stay inside the camper. We did that in the pop-up one time. Laying on the beds, the winds were lifting us up ever so slightly. We probably should have made a break for the bathhouse that time.

Cypressloser · 05-08-2015, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruiser1701

Being we are heading into spring and summer I was wondering what everyone does during a storm,for this thread let's just say its a small thunderstorm nothing severe. Is it safe to stay in our TT when it's lightning?

Probably just stay in the trailer - safer than running outside and trying to find shelter.
In severe weather - that would depend ???

rattleNsmoke · 05-09-2015, 05:55 AM

Severe T-storms may contain in-bedded tornado's. Seeing pics of storm aftermath thru a trailer park gives me good reason to seek solid shelter.

Radio · 05-09-2015, 07:24 AM

Get a SAME capable weather radio and keep in in the camper.

Know where the shelter is (or if there even is one)

Have your "exit gear" ready
* clothing INCLUDING SHOES
* a pillow to cover your head with, a blanket just for comfort.
* flashlight
* first aid kit and what emergency essentials you think helpful
* any medications you take.
* identification, drivers license and your health plan card
* cell phone.

When you leave the camper, turn on exterior lights. That my be the only lights on after the storm passes if power is lost. If everyone did that there would be less chaos in the aftermath. Even if a rig is on its side the lights may be still on and helpful.

If you receive a tornado WARNING get to the shelter. On your way assume no one else got the warning and advise as many people as you can to get to the shelter (go ahead, make a fool of yourself! Loudly!)

prairiecamper · 05-09-2015, 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Radio

Get a SAME capable weather radio and keep in in the camper..............................
If you receive a tornado WARNING get to the shelter. On your way assume no one else got the warning and advise as many people as you can to get to the shelter (go ahead, make a fool of yourself! Loudly!)

Never thought of that, yelling out warning as you run for cover, smart, good post! We have the weather radio and use it!

twiggw · 05-09-2015, 04:48 PM

Radio had very good information. NOAA weather radios are inexpensive and could save your life. I'm a weather nut. I always try to plan "what if". My background is Fire Service and Emergency Management. Don't wait for the radio to alert. If storms are forecast, dark sky and thunder in the distance, get your stuff together. I usually scout safe refuges, Club House, Laundry Area, etc. Sometimes I ask the manager sometimes I get a blank stare and that worries me.

OldCoot · 05-09-2015, 04:55 PM

Have weather alert on my cell phone.

Radio · 05-09-2015, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Have weather alert on my cell phone.

And that's not a bad idea. I wonder about the delay (if any) in that app/system and I wonder about it's reliability, but then I tend to be old school.

I would still though encourage everyone to have that app, since they are usually free. And most of us do not drag SAME radios around with us!

Back at the rig though, SAME weather alert rules!

Besides, knowing the days weather (or next few hours weather) lets you adjust your meals (cooking indoors) and put all your outdoor stuff away long before any bad weather arrives.

Radio · 05-09-2015, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruiser1701

Is it safe to stay in our TT when it's lightning?

Sorry, we seem to not be answering the OP question. Yes your TT is pretty safe from lightning. Some folks will disconnect power from the pedestal and that might not be a bad idea. Lightning could hit the grid miles away and damage your electrical systems. Same with cable TV.

Others will put down the TV antenna. Why? Maybe to protect it from wind or tree limbs moving about but not lightning. Surely trees and power poles are taller (and better targets) and the short little mast of an RV antenna just ain't gonna make that much difference with lightning coming down from 40,000 feet.

Allzright · 05-09-2015, 10:59 PM

We spend a lot of time in storm prone areas (Oklahoma, mountains of New Mexico, Texas, etc). We have found most weather apps do a pretty good job of alerting us to storms. But we go one step further. There are many radar apps (a lot are free) that give you a good picture of what is coming. Once you learn to read these (easy - they're color coordinated and show time lapse) you can be prepared for storms.
We never have direct contact with earth during storms. All of our leveling legs are on 4" of wood and if we know a storm is coming we check to be sure nothing metal is touching our rig (just to be safe). During lightening storms we unplug and stow cord. Twice while we have been in Angel Fire, NM, lightening struck extremely close (hit the ground between 2 motor homes behind us and hit within a few feet of park office). Scared the...urrrrr...uhhh....crap...out of us. But no damage anywhere

gthomp10 · 05-10-2015, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cruiser1701

Being we are heading into spring and summer I was wondering what everyone does during a storm,for this thread let's just say its a small thunderstorm nothing severe. Is it safe to stay in our TT when it's lightning?

Some of our best memories have been of camping in the rain. We sit under the awning wrapped up in blankets sipping hot chocolate and enjoying the experience. If it is raining too hard or it's too cold outside, there is nothing like sitting in the RV listening to the rain and the thunder and lightening. All the while a roast or homemade soup cooking in the dutch oven on the stove, and a game of dominos or cards at the table.
That is the life. It doesn't get any better than that.

rvpirate · 05-11-2015, 02:19 AM

Great info Radio! Some of that stuff would be those "now why didn't I think of that" afterwards moments.

Oakman · 05-12-2015, 09:56 AM

Good information here for sure. Visually watching the sky is important too. When it's windy and the sky looks like this head for a shelter.

cdangel0 · 05-12-2015, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oakman

Good information here for sure. Visually watching the sky is important too. When it's windy and the sky looks like this head for a shelter.

Quickly!

meck51 · 05-12-2015, 10:45 AM

I had the unique opportunity to attend a lecture from a fellow camper that was in Cherrystone when a tornado came thru last year. A very informative and picture filled presentation. This camper is an OEM director (I will leave his name and office out of the thread for his privacy), along with him was a gentleman from NOAA. They gave a very frank observation about the events, including the main speakers experience with injuries and his families trailer getting destroyed. I've been camping for a while now, camped thru plenty of storms. This lecture really opened my mind in regards to camping thru a storm.
I have a few weather apps on the phone and a weather radio in the trailer. But something very helpful I learned is that all newer smart phones have an emergency weather alert built into them. Not only will it send out an initial notification, it will also keep sending out that signal in case you drive within range of the weather emergency. NOAA tries very hard to only use this in dire emergencies to prevent people from becoming desensitized. With these tools and my mild obsession of checking the weather on a regular basis I feel confident in notifications.
Back to the OP, I will stay in the trailer unless conditions get really bad. A regular t-boomer and I will stay, the sky turning super nasty with turbulence and I may head to the bath house.

Sent from my iPhone using Forest River Forums

merrykalia · 05-12-2015, 11:28 AM

We were returning home from the beach last year and got within about 100 miles of home. We had been watching the radar and listening to the radio and knew they were calling for some pretty bad weather. The whole area was under a Severe T-storm watch and Tornado watch. The system was just west of our area by about 50 miles, so we decided to stop and grab a bite to eat and do a bit of shopping.

I was inside an Old Navy store and all the sudden my phone, as well as several other phones inside the store began buzzing, vibrating and making an awful noise. A tornado was on the ground about 5 miles from where we were. DH was in the truck with the dogs, so I called him and he and the dogs came into the store, where we were ushered into the men's bathrooms (cinderblock construction). It was the 4 of us plus our dogs, another family with 2 kids, a man who had been walking in the parking lot and brought in by the store manager and then the workers.

The store manager stood outside so she could see others that might need shelter.

I wrote an email to Old Navy about this young woman's action....you can't train that into someone. She was great and very concerned with our safety.

I never knew that my phone was capable of warning me like that, but it sure got my attention. 2-3 minutes after we had been ushered into the bathroom, my brother called to tell me the TV had just said a tornado was on the ground somewhere close to us.

30 minutes later, we were on our way home, the storm system had passed, but it left behind lots of downed trees on the Interstate, so much hail that the state had dispatched snow scrapers to clear the roads and many roofs damaged. No one was injured, but the tornado did destroy a house, a barn and 3 RVs that were sitting in yards near the destroyed house.

Mountndream · 05-12-2015, 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OldCoot

Have weather alert on my cell phone.

This is a great idea, but many campgrounds (spec State and National parks) have spotty cell coverage, if at all.

For the money we spend on TT's buy a weather radio too. It might save your life.

V-Man · 05-12-2015, 11:53 AM

When the weather is bad, I'm usually the fool out in the middle of the parking lot, field, or other open area (unless I'm at work, then I'm buried in the ER)! I don't depend on the NOAA radios although I have several, or the phone's warning system. I'm the idiot out in the storm calling in the weather reports to NOAA . . . .

During bad weather, I use a handheld ham radio and can be found on the weather nets (KD5JFT). If you're in an area where bad weather is likely to strike, get some training! NOAA and other EM groups put on free weather spotting schools. Local ham radio clubs are heavily involved in weather spotting for NOAA and local emergency services. They put on even better schools. Spend a couple of weeks studying and less than a hundred dollars on a ham radio and you're covered even better than with all the phone apps, NOAA weather radios, and local TV!

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