Severe Midwest storms turn RVs into islands

There's good reason this RV is listing to the port side. RVers Paul and Wilma Carson from Sebring, Florida were enjoying their stay at a well known campground chain near Indianapolis, Indiana. Severe storms have pounded the Midwest this spring bringing torrential rain and flooding. One night last week Paul and Wilma went to bed in their Holiday Rambler Imperial motorhome. The next morning they discovered their motorhome was now an island. A stream overflowed and cascaded into the campground rising high enough to fill RV storage bays with water and silt. The water line comes up to the bottom of the motorhome stair-well. Paul moved his coach to higher ground at the Indiana State Fair Grounds in Indianapolis. He couldn’t get all the water to drain out of his storage bays so he tilted to the driver side and drilled holes in the floor of his bay to drain the remaining puddles. The muddy water deposited silt in his bays and got into the towed vehicle as well. He’s been busy cleaning up before the next series of storms hits. “The moral of the story is to camp on high ground,” he said. What would you do if you knew storms were heading toward your RV park with a strong possibility of flooding? Click on the “comments” section below and tell us how you would handle it. Striving for the high water mark in RV journalism - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

Tip for RVing in the High Desert

We’re RVing in the high desert of Southern California (Edwards Air Force Base to be exact). When the sun goes down out here so does the temperature. Early this morning I was reminded we’re camping in Test Pilot heaven as I was awakened by a sonic boom. Ahhh, the smell of jet fuel in the morning just makes my day! I must apologize for my tardiness in my daily blog, I ran into an electrical problem in my coach that put a crimp in my computer time. I lost the power in all my 110 electric plugs in the front of my coach which means more troubleshooting for the Professor tomorrow. In the meantime, here’s your tip for RVing in cold climates. Take along a few lengths of pipe insulation to use on your water hose. It was 26 degrees the other night and my water continued to flow. In the high desert pipe insulation is usually enough to keep your water flowing. Some folks let the water faucet run at a slight trickle during the night to keep warmer water flowing through their hoses. I don’t particularly like this idea because the water will either fill your tank (if the valve is closed) or freeze in your flexible sewer hose. So, I opt for the insulation route and avoid both problems. The insulation is split and all you have to do is open it and slip in the hose. In the high desert the sun comes out and warms everything up and thaws any ice that might have formed during the night. In colder climates where above ground water pipes stay frozen all day, I recommend using electric heat tape along with pipe insulation. In a couple days we'll be heading for warmer digs. Chillin’ in the high desert - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing

Rig Your RV Awning Properly for Rain

I sold one of my previous 5th wheels to a good friend of mine, and he managed to destroy his awning the first few months out. He related to me that he was in Arizona at an RV park and had his awning out - straight out. During the night it rained and when he emerged the next morning he saw his awning had become a giant bowl of rain water. He attempted to let one side down when the whole thing collapsed drenching him and tearing his awning off the rig. He managed to escape with minor injuries and a good story. The best way to rig your awning for rainy weather is to keep it rolled up. Why? Because rain is frequently associated with weather fronts that bring gusty winds that can rip your awning right off your rig. Usually, before it rips it off your rig, it pulls it up, flops it over the top of your RV and beats the opposite side with the flailing poles and then tears it completely off. We are currently in Oregon, getting itchy to head south, but in the meantime it's raining here. As you can see in the photo above, I use my awning as a porch to keep rain off my windows and the entry and to keep my outside stuff dry. However, If I leave the RV for any length of time, I roll up the awning. If I'm home and the wind starts to kick up, I roll it up. I learned the hard way not to wait until 3:00 am to go out in a monsoon to roll up the awning. If I think the wind is going to threaten my awning, I roll it up before I go to bed. However, weather being what it is, you should always rig your awning so it has a steep enough pitch to allow rain to freely run-off. I usually tilt one side of my awning lower than the other to accommodate a no-notice downpour. Newer, high-end RVs have automatic awnings with a wind sensor and roll up when the wind threatens. I don't have one of these, and I'm happy to deploy my awning manually, but I do keep an eye on the weather when it's out. Helping you stay high and dry - Jim Twamley, Professor of RVing, Dr. of RVology and ROAD Scholar

Simple Steps To Storm-Proof Your RV

Spring is famous for late afternoon thunderstorms. As an Air Force Navigator, I was instructed to stay at least 30 miles away from thunderstorms because they are capable of tossing large diameter hail as much as 20 miles away from the center of the thunderstorm. So, even if you think the thunderstorm is passing you by and you are enjoying sunshine, you could still get hit with hail if you are within a 20 mile radius of the storm.

Hail comes in all sizes and can puncture holes in your awnings.Don and Jeannine Hiatt, our friends and campground hosts at Archway Campground in New Paris, OH, had to replace their slide-out awning after hail punched holes in it. In order to reduce the amount of damage, it is recommended that you retract your slides with awnings, retract all window awnings and of course your main awning. Because of high winds associated with thunderstorms, it is also highly recommended that you stow all objects that can blow away, like lawn chairs, floor mats, plants and anything else that is light weight or subject to damage. It is also advisable to take down flag-poles as they make wonderful lightning attractors. Don’t wait until the storm is on top of you to go out and put your stuff away – do it ahead of time. If you are driving and happen into a hail storm, pull off and park your rig - under shelter if available. Be aware of the weather, respect it, be prepared and above all, be safe out there! Jim

What To Do When Tornados Threaten Your Campground

It’s tornado season once again and time to visit the question of what to do in case severe weather threatens. Yes, this is a picture of an RV park tornado shelter with turkey silhouettes on top and no this is not what the owner does to your rig if you fail to pick up after your dog.We are currently staying at an RV park in Georgia and tonight the park manager came by to tell us about an approaching storm which was reporting golf ball sized hail, lightning and tornadic activity. You’re RV will handle large hail and it may possibly even handle a lightning strike depending on how it’s made, but a tornado – not a chance. Tornadoes eat mobile homes and RVs for lunch. So what do you do in this situation? Follow the turkeys!When you are in tornado country (anywhere in the Midwest and the South including Texas) ask the campground manager where the nearest tornado shelter is located. The tornado shelter at this park is obvious, but not the best possible shelter since it is above ground and one end is exposed for a 2 x 4 missile to smash through and impale an entire row of people. The biggest problem with tornadoes is collateral damage caused by flying debris, that’s why you need to get as low to the ground as possible (under the ground in a basement type shelter is best). So the best thing you can do to protect yourself and your family is to be prepared ahead of time. Know where the shelter is ahead of time and make yourself an emergency backpack or suitcase with a first aid kit, water, flashlight (with working batteries), spare medication and whatever you may need in case of emergency. Now you'll feel confident as you grab your emergency bag and head for shelter (don’t forget your cell phone). Be safe out there! Jim