Disadvantage of a water front site

[grumpyoldman]

Just got a call from my seasonal campground in southern Michigan this morning. Bad news, the river is still rising. Good news, I think my insurance is going to total it. I am now in the market for a new 5th wheel. I loved this RV. Once the water recedes I will have to remove all of my belongings. Not looking forward to this.
Moral to this story, be careful with the campsite that you choose. It may be underwater in the spring.

[david_reaves]

That is almost heartbreaking! Good luck with the insurance. We had a riverside campground nearby that flooded in heavy rains a couple of years ago. The river rose so quickly that the residents/campers had to run for the higher ground on the highway, leaving everything behind. I think in that particular campground, the water actually over-topped most of the campers.

[Mch5jdm]

Originally Posted by grumpyoldman

Just got a call from my seasonal campground in southern Michigan this morning. Bad news, the river is still rising. Good news, I think my insurance is going to total it. I am now in the market for a new 5th wheel. I loved this RV. Once the water recedes I will have to remove all of my belongings. Not looking forward to this.

Moral to this story, be careful with the campsite that you choose. It may be underwater in the spring.

Too bad on the flood. Watching the new up here in the tip and you guys got it bad yesterday.

[spock123]

There is some good news here, you get a new camper.

[debit]

My good news is that the RV was still in my garage at my water front property. I did put a buoy out for "looks". The flood lasted 5 days, two weeks ago. Now, it is snowing at 16 foot elevation.
...................
Ram2500 diesel / FR Surveyor251rks

[rockfordroo]

Well, spring must be coming. We're starting to get the spring flood pics.

Anyone with a rig near a body of water, or even a low point in the ground, should be on guard.

[Iwritecode]

The first CG we were seasonal in had (and still does have) a big problem with flooding. They lost a lot of trailers a few years before we became seasonal and we had to pull our trailer out to higher ground a couple of times as well.

Then we finally decided to move to another campground that was on the same river but we were on a site that didn't flood.

Now we are on a site that if it ever floods, I expect to see a large ark with a bunch of animals on it float by.

[Wiscampsin]

Sorry to see what happened to your camper. Hopefully your insurance company will do right by you.

[BandJCarm]

WOW!!!

Flooding back home (Arkansas) but not here. I think I'd about die to see that. Long ago I did have same issue, almost, but the Ranger got us out of there just in time. Tires were in the water when we left.

Prayers for all those affected by the floods.........

[Cypressloser]

Holy Smokes
Good thing you have insurance.

It'll be another 4 - 6 weeks before the ice breaks here.

[jkoenig24]

You can have a combination RV/Houseboat. Put pontoons (along with enough mooring lines) on the new unit so it will be able to "rise with the tide".

[Windspell]

We've looked at seasonal sites but we've never considered the flooding issue. Wouldn't the owners/maintenance workers at the campground have the ability to move the rigs to safety?

[Brother Les]

Why was your rig not moved to higher ground? Owner error and insurance may tell you that. Get ready for pennies on the dollar......

[heavynlori]

Originally Posted by Windspell

We've looked at seasonal sites but we've never considered the flooding issue. Wouldn't the owners/maintenance workers at the campground have the ability to move the rigs to safety?

Not necessarily - most leave slides out - stuff all over - no one wants that responsibility especially a fifth wheel

Our seasonal site has flooded a few times - the worst one had water in the upper deck of fifth wheels at one end of our campground ...we never had any rv damage just lots of mud to clean up and we had to rescue one deck 6x20 that floated about 5 sites down from us - out in the river around our firepit with the porch furniture still on it - our other deck floated approx 8 ft towards the road which we had to use a come-along to put it back in place - the campground had approx 20 rigs totaled in that one

This is a typical weekend view for us and what keeps us going back - this is normal level and worst flood was 3.5 feet above the top of the river bank

[LindaNTom]

Can I have your Slide toppers

[Ortep]

According to today's newspaper, Elkhart & Goshen are getting hit with floods and snow melt and residents are being evacuated in certain parts of those cities. That should slow the production lines down a bit. I hope you can find a new 5th on some dealer's lot because they're still trying to produce trailers for the hurricane victims in Texas & Florida.

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by Windspell

We've looked at seasonal sites but we've never considered the flooding issue. Wouldn't the owners/maintenance workers at the campground have the ability to move the rigs to safety?

The few that I've been a seasonal at either didn't have the ability, or didn't want the responsibility. Any damage that occurs moving the trailers would be on them. And if they moved one and didn't move another one, people would be upset. Especially since there was typically very little warning. If they only have an hour to move 30 trailers, it's never going to happen.

Typically all they could do was call the owners and/or keep them updated via social media. We had a website that tracked the river levels and whenever we knew a lot of rain was coming in, we kept that website on refresh constantly.

[RitaB]

I hope you have full cost/value replacement clause on your insurance policy. You 5th was only a couple years old, so it would be covered.

[Iwritecode]

Originally Posted by Brother Les

Why was your rig not moved to higher ground? Owner error and insurance may tell you that. Get ready for pennies on the dollar......

Location is listed in Northern Illinois and camper in Southern Michigan. I'm guessing the OP wouldn't have made it in time even if he tried to get there and move it.

Insurance should cover it with no problem.

[The Newsoms]

I would cry like a baby.