How to prepare RV for Hurricane?

[Chance324]

Since I am a new RV owner I really don't know how to prepare for a Hurricane and Since Tropical Storm Ernesto is heading in our general area I want to be prepared as much as possible. I have my RV stored in a covered storage facility. It is not closed in and it is set up to pull through for easy pick up and drop off. Any information from you all is appreciated!

Chance

[WEMig]

Where do you live? I live in south Louisiana and when a storm is headed our way, we normally evacuate with the camper. This takes the camper out of harm's way and if something happens to our home, we have the camper to stay in. I bring my generator with us in the case that the electricity is out when we return.

[BigTJohn]

T/S Ernesto will not be a factor for FL. It my impact TX, AL, LA however. Best plan - AND YOU M U S T have a PLAN - is to ensure you get out of the possible impact area. If at all possible, head 90 degrees by compass to an area 150 - 200 mi away, more if it is a BIG hurricane. As far as T/S, if not over 45-50 mph, it MAY be possible to stay and hope for the best. Even then, chock and block tires and remove anything that can blow away or hammer your TT (or can damage others'). I am sure others wiill have much more on the subject, but best defense is to RETREAT! Besides, you'll be camping!

[WEMig]

Oh another thing, if you decide to retreat and you are not equiped to boondock, the best campgrounds to stop in are casino's. If its an area that may be prone to losing electricity, the casino's always have backup power generation, so you don't have to go without electricity on the run or during the aftermath.

[MOD Guy]

If you are not in an evacuation area, you may want to consider the following:

Most likely the covered storage area your trailer is in is a metal framed support with a metal roof. I would be skeptical that it would make it thru the storm. I have seen many of these types of structures get their roof peeled off, which could cause damage to your camper.
Your best bet is to get it up against a solid building wall, on the back side of the wind if possible. Do this at home or at a commercial building if you have access. If not, work with what you have.
Put down all the stabilizers, and duct tape the openings of any door, slide outs, storage door, range vents, Ref vents,etc. I know from experience that driving rain can and will make it into/past these weak seal areas. If you have vent covers over any roof vent, they will help protect the vent. If not, tape and be prepared for these to have possible damage. Not much you can do to protect a skylight.
Put extra tie straps around the awning arms to make sure they stay tight and closed.
This info is offered by someone who has gone thru a few TS and a couple of Hurricane brush bys. Family, Home, Cars, and camper have made it thru all OK.

Good luck and stay safe!

[jimh]

the best thing is get out. i had the luxury of moving mine to NE La several years ago. i would sweat out every hurricane that looked like it was coming close.
open ended buildings take a beating. u also have to consider the tornadoes (Lake Charles had over 200, when they quit counting, from Rita).

going across as long as u stay near the coast can be a problem. go north. hurricanes don't always go where they first predict. go early (a week or so) traffic really increased a day or two before. (Sam Houston park was full after Katrina and they had to move abt a month later because of a stronger hurricane (Rita) that hit SW La).

my trailer stays on the north edge of La now. for those of u in S la, there is a nice full hook up (50 amp) campground in Oak Grove, Lingo center (yep there are 3 recognized oak groves in La...this one is in the NE corner). there is also a state campground in Delhi (poverty pt). i don't believe either charged for evacuating people to stay there. i would be guessing if i told u how many they can accommodate but i think each will accommodate 200 or so.

[papap]

I personaly would not put any duct tape anywhere on my camper. It is a mess to get off or clean. we always leave with our camper due to the fact you can park anywhere. we went all the way to Mississippi for Katrina. We could not find a camping spot anywhere. ended up spending a couple of days in a truck stop Parking lot.

[kidsgone]

We've had more damage from a TS than a hurricane that came knocking on our door! We went thru the hurricane in Maine/Vermont last year at a campground in Maine. Decided to stay at the Maine campground instead of traveling to Vermont to evacuate...needless to say we made the right decision. We hooked the trailer to the TV, secured everything in sight and pretty much just waited for everything to pass...never lost power! The big Class A's were another story...they rocked and rolled all night and neighbors said they were very scared!
After living in TS/Hurricane areas for years....if in doubt ... leave and leave with your trailer in tow. If you chose to stay or at least leave your rig in storage, hopefully you are insured.
Storms are so unpredictable. One year we left the east coast for the west coast and then south...about 200 miles away....and yep the darn storm followed us! Not fun and so glad we were not in any type of RV at that time.
If you feel uncomfortable, just hook up and go...don't forget important papers and pictures!
Andi

[DAISY BOYKIN]

If you are in a hurricane prone area, Fl, Al, Ga,La & Texas coast or eastern seaboard coast, "GET THE HECK OUTA DODGE" .
I live near the coast (very near, 2 Miles) in NE Florida. I hook up to "ROCKY" with generator, 3 five gal gas cans of gas and head to the middle of Georgia or NW, away from the coast. Ultra lite RV's or like a news paper
in the wind.

I have a friend that lives near Tifton, Ga , his farm is always open to me with power and water.

Be safe.

[Herk7769]

Your camper is your life raft.
Take it with you when you GO.

[jsk]

What we learned from Irene last fall. Though it was not a strong storm it moved extremely slow and the winds were relentless. I will park it behind the house which is the south side and let the house block the north wind. Put all stabilizers down. Beneath the jack pads I put 2 big pieces of subfloor down so if the wind pushes the camper off the stabilizers they will not go in the ground. Irene moved my 5er off of the front jack pads and it sank 10" in the ground. That was a booger to get out. I have read where people tie down there units to minimize movement. Fill your fresh water tank just in case.

[GASPEDDLER]

I'm currently parked at a KOA on South Padre Island Texas which is a barrier island on the Gulf of Mexico at the southern most tip of Texas. I'm paid through Sunday of next week and I'm hoping Ernesto will stay away. I was chased off of this island two years ago by Alex under a forced evacuation and I would hate a repeat of that with Ernesto. Since Katrina, coastal communities over prepare (a good thing) to insure the safety of its citizens and move everyone out. I live about 25 miles inland so I will park my TT in my storage building and make sure the insurance is paid.. If the storm turns out to be a bad boy and makes a bee line for me, then I'll board up the house, hitch up the TT and head further inland. Let's pray for the best.

[eluwak]

Some randomness...

As mentioned you have a couple of options:
- If you can take some time and go FAR away go for it. Problem with hurricanes is that while slow, they change direction randomly (in a sense). You have to go pretty far away to make sure you're out of the path, and then be prepared to stay a while in case you can't go back. Don't leave at the last minute as you could get stuck in it while trying to escape.
- If you can't go, then make sure your insurance is up to date. You can try to tie it down and whatever, but if you get a good gust it isn't going to matter much. Parking it behind a concrete block wall of a house is only good if it's away from the wind, which usually changes direction as the storm passes over (unless it's just brushing you).

I've lived through almost a dozen TSs & canes while living in central Florida. If your property is well maintained then it's a matter of personal preference to stick around. If it's not, get out and go somewhere else that is. It's not always the strength of the storm, but the duration too. Francis destroyed Cat5 rated structures even though it was only a Cat1, but it stalled for 24 hours at that level.

Oh yeah, make sure you have a generator... Doesn't need to be fancy, but a 2-3kW should run a fridge or two. Also keep in mind that there isn't usually much loss of life during the storm, it's when folks start venturing/cleaning afterwards that the injuries pile up.

Just my toughts. Best of luck to ya

[Iggy]

If you have family who will try and contact you you should have a relative outside the immediate area that you and others could call about your condition or where about. The person should be up north away for the area.

The reason this is done becaause the local telephone and cell phone towers will be down, damaged or no power. All local calls will be congested because everyone is calling into the area.
If you are calling outside the area the cell phone towers will be less congested.

So find a relative that you can call and let them know what your plans are and where you will be next. Call the rest of the family to call this person to find out where you are and if all is OK.

Hope I made this understandable to everyone.

Here is a great helpful link to NOAA
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/prepare/ready.php

[Iggy]

Here is what I was trying to say from FEMA


Family Communication Tips

Identify a contact such as a friend or relative who lives out-of-state for household members to notify they are safe. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.

Be sure every member of your family knows the phone number and has a cell phone, coins or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact. If you have a cell phone, program that person(s) as "ICE" (In Case of Emergency) in your phone. If you are in an accident, emergency personnel will often check your ICE listings in order to get a hold of someone you know. Make sure to tell your family and friends that you’ve listed them as emergency contacts.

Teach family members how to use text messaging (also known as SMS or Short Message Service). Text messages can often get around network disruptions when a phone call might not be able to get through.

[Chance324]

All good information! Looks like I will be contacting family members to have a plan in place. Thanks again!