RVers need to follow these bad weather tips when severe storms are in the forecast
As I am writing this blog (Aug. 2020), tropical storm Isaias is heading for the East Coast. RVers along the Eastern Coast of the United States are bracing and wondering what steps to take during impending bad weather.
Watching the weather and the RV lifestyle often go hand-in-hand.
We all need helpful RV Bad Weather Tips: Case Example
Weather, especially wind, can produce conditions that make both driving and your campsite dangerous.
Storms turn RVers into avid weather watchers.
We were caught in what we thought was a tornado but turned out to be straight-line hurricane-force winds of over 75 miles an hour. I was driving my RV at the time, a Class B Roadtrek. I had seen dark storm clouds approaching fast from the west as I was traveling I-75 in Ohio. So I pulled off the road into a Pilot service station.
Then it hit.
There was no warning for those winds.
For about five minutes, I was trapped at the pump, blocked by a vehicle behind me, whose driver ran into the Pilot building for shelter. I didn’t want to move forward as that’s where the flying debris was whipping the strongest.
Damage to my RV was minor, all things considered.
But it made for some pretty scary moments. The storm uprooted trees, flipped at half-dozen semi-tractor trucks on I-75, destroyed buildings, and knocked power out in the area. Ever since I have paid hyper attention to the weather forecast.
There's been a lot of bad weather lately. Tornadoes, tropical storms, hail, and flash flooding.
While reading posts in our RV Lifestyle Facebook Group, I came across a post by Natasha.
She is a new full-time RVer and was parked on the coast of Florida over the weekend. As she posted, Isaias was heading to Florida as a possible Category 1 hurricane. This would be the first bad weather experience for Natasha as a full-time RVer.
She had a lot of questions, including “Do I stay, or do I go?” (You can click on the link to read all of the comments to Natasha’s post and advice from our Facebook Group—or you may want to join the group too)
As you know, the RV community is always happy to provide advice. As I scrolled through the post comments, I decided to write three important RV bad weather tips.
Jennifer and I are in a Class C RV, but the RV bad weather tips below fit any recreational vehicle's needs.
RV Bad Weather Tips #1: Have a Plan
Can you quickly pack up your RV if you need to leave your site in a hurry? We can, and the key to a fast pack-up is to have a plan. The method includes a list.
With a hurricane, you may have a few days' notice and time to pack, but an incoming flash flood, wildfire, or storm may demand quick thinking and quick packing. A checklist will ease your anxiety.
The next time you pack up your RV, make a list of all the steps. Create a laminated card and keep it in a handy place that is easy to find—even when you are stressed.
RV Bad Weather Tips #2: Create An Emergency List and Kit
As an RVer, you should have an emergency kit to sustain you and your family for 72 hours. Below, I have listed ideas for supplies to include in your kit and things to to to the RV to get ready for bad weather.
- Get an emergency crank-up weather radio that will work without batteries. We have this one from Midland Radio. It has lots of bells and whistles like a flashlight, an ultrasonic dog whistle, NOAA weather scanning, and AM and FM radio.
- Stock up on gas, propane, and water. It is essential to have gas or propane to run your RV generator.
- Ensure that you have enough clean water in your tank for each family member, your pets, and basic hygiene for 72 hours. (Keep reading for a second reason to fill your fresh water tank….)
- Have fresh batteries on hand for all your flashlights.
- Store enough non-perishable food to feed your family and pets for at least 72 hours. Freeze bottles of water to place in your RV fridge to keep perishable food cold for a few extra days.
- Have supplies to build a fire, especially if you do not have a grill.
- Charge your phone and laptops. Purchase a USB battery and also keep that charged.
Something else you should do: Create a To-Go Bag.
You may need to leave your campsite quickly. Have a To-Go Emergency Bag packed and easy to grab. Here are a few ideas to include in your personal bag:
- Snacks and bottled water, including pet food
- Copies of important family papers, including those for your pet, and medical records
- Your laptop and phone, chargers and back-up batteries
- A paper list of significant phone numbers and how to reach your emergency contact
- 72 hours of any prescription drugs and hygiene items
- An extra pair of glasses
As we said, be prepared to cover your basic needs for 72 hours as you wait for assistance to arrive. Or be ready to grab the To-Go Bag as you evacuate your campsite.
RV Bad Weather Tips #3: Decide to Stay or Go
Listen to local officials, the news, and review your personal situation. Remember, your home is on wheels and can be transported to safety. If you decide to leave, follow your plan and your list.
But you may be faced with a situation that prevents you from leaving the area.
Here are a few RV Bad Weather Tips to secure your campsite before the storm:
- Fill your freshwater, gray and black tanks. Water is heavy, and you will add extra needed weight to your RV to help withstand wind
- Remove, secure, or put away anything in your campsite that will blow away in a storm. Blowing debris is dangerous to you and to other campers.
- Bring in all of your slides and point your vehicle and RV into the wind.
- Ask the camp manager or host for the location of the closest storm shelter to your site.
Be Safe
It doesn't matter if you are a full-time RVer or a weekend hobby camper, it is vital to be aware of your surroundings. Watching the weather is part of the RV lifestyle.
We wish you safe travels.
Here are some extra resources we've shared through the years that may help:
- 40 Really Helpful Apps for RVers – Be sure to check out the weather apps
- How to stay safe from lightning at camp – Lightning is deadly. And sometimes unpredictable.
- The 8 Rainest US Cities – Floods are anther danger RVers can encounter
- RV Tips for driving in the raid – Experience is talking here, folks
- Driving in a Blizzard – Yup, done that, too.
- When a Hurricane hits your RV – Scary, scary scary
Curious about the gear, gadgets, accessories, and RV products Mike & Jennifer use and recommend?
On this RV Lifestyle Travel blog, our RV Podcast and our RV Lifestyle YouTube Channel, Mike and Jennifer mention all sorts of RV-related products and gear that they use, So they created a special page that lists all the different items they talk about and show. CLICK HERE to go to it directly.
Get more RV travel ideas, tips, news, and perks!
Each Monday Mike and Jennifer Wendland publish the RV Lifestyle Newsletter, where they share weekly articles about RV travel that inspire and inform. As soon as you sign up, we'll send you for free the RV travel checklist that Jennifer and Mike use. You can save it to your computer and print it out for every trip like we do. No more forgetting things! Plus, besides the insider's newsletter each Monday, you'll get lots of special perks and RV discounts.
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9 Responses to “3 Critical RV Bad Weather Tips”
Comments are closed.
July 13, 2022at11:21 am, Dangerous Weather While Camping: Staying Safe In Storms | RV Lifestyle said:
[…] Dangerous Weather while Camping Bonus: Read 3 Critical Bad Weather Tips for RVers […]
October 08, 2020at11:51 pm, Debra said:
I was appalled to hear someone in your video yell “get in the cars”! As a native Kansan, common knowledge says a car is the worst place to be in a tornado. An RV is no better! I’ve seen the aftermath of a tornado near me that took many lives. Be aware that flying debris and downed trees are killers. Find a tornado shelter (along the KS turnpike there are many), cooler in a store, or culvert and save your life.
October 06, 2020at9:47 pm, Mike said:
Thank you for posting this vital info. and those that added excellent additional info.
We have RV’d for 3 years and driven nationwide prior to that. Our beloved dog is secured in a soft crate that was fastened to seatbelts.
I learned to avoid dangerous situations if possible. Rain is a major one. Get off the roadway preferably in a paved lot away from the road.
Shoulders of the road are poor choice to park on. Vehicles may NOT see you, hydroplane into you, or the shoulder may collapse due to poor subsoil conditions.
Are you familiar with subsoil in your camp area? Hardpan will not absorb heavy rain but run off. Mountainous areas have little soil on top and then hard rock below such as in the Rocky Mountain Natl Park. We were there in 2013 renting a cabin on a creek at the base of a 50 ft rock outcropping. We left on the 2nd morning of rain cutting our optional 3-4 day cabin stay short and driving eastward away from the rain which was forecast to continue.
People lost their lives, homes, trailers, mobile homes, and businesses. Towns were decimated and major roadways washed away. People were evacuated via military helicopters.
Fortunately I learned from other storms to consider leaving early while it’s an option.
Learn about creeks, lakes, rivers near your campgrounds. Realize that many campgrounds use land that homes may not be able to build on due to flood plains.
Will you be able to drive out or will the roads be closed due to flooding, or worse washed out?
Leaving early may be your best option.
Tragically people have awakened in the middle of the night by feeling their rig moving and floating away.
Thanks again to all the earlier comments.
October 06, 2020at9:19 pm, Mike said:
Thank you for posting this and those that added excellent info.
We have Rv’d for 3 years and traveled via SUV with our dog in a soft crate that was secured to seatbelts nationwide prior to that.
I learned to avoid dangerous situations if possible. Rian is a major one, Get off the roadway preferably in a paved lot away from the road. Shoulders of the road are bad. Vehicles may NOT see you, hydro plane into you, or the shoulder may collapse due to poor subsoil conditions.
Learn about creeks, lakes, rivers near your campgrounds. Realize that many campgrounds use land that homes may not be able to build on due to flood plains. Will you be able to drive out or will the roads be closed due to flooding, or worse washed out!
Tragically people have awakened in the middle of the night by feeling their rig moving and floating.
Thanks again to all the earlier comments.
August 24, 2020at12:18 am, Mary A Shafer said:
As a longtime SkyWarn Severe Weather Spotter, storm chaser and all-around weather freak, I was horrified last year when I first got on the road as a full time RVer and realized how few nomads really have no idea how vulnerable we all are to severe weather. So this year, I gave presentations on that very fact at the RTR and the WRTR, based on the severe weather primer contained on my website at https://wildheartwanders.com/rv-weather/. I also run the Severe Weather for Nomads public group on Facebook. I hope this information helps your followers to avoid severe weather and what to do when they can’t. Thanks for all you do for all of us!
August 05, 2020at3:07 pm, Roger Pielke Sr said:
In the context of following the weather, this website can be very useful. It has real time, time lapse satellite imagery of clouds. One can window in to remarkably small areas.
https://rammb-slider.cira.colostate.edu/?sat=goes-16&z=0&im=12&ts=1&st=0&et=0&speed=130&motion=loop&map=1&lat=0&opacity%5B0%5D=1&hidden%5B0%5D=0&pause=0&slider=-1&hide_controls=0&mouse_draw=0&follow_feature=0&follow_hide=0&s=rammb-slider&sec=full_disk&p%5B0%5D=geocolor&x=10848&y=10848
Best Regards
Roger
August 04, 2020at1:09 pm, Cindy Robison said:
Great article Mike! You made some excellent suggestions for RVers. I’ve seen recent videos from various channels that tell stories of severe weather threats RVers encountered and they didn’t know what to do! Many RVers, particularly newbies, are clearly unprepared. Thanks for sharing this valuable information!
August 04, 2020at11:58 am, robert gault said:
We were in Kickapoo State Park in central Texas last spring. After dinner the skies darkened and the rain fell so hard visibility was close to zero. The ranger came to our door in the darkness to announce there was a hail storm, baseball sized, just 3 miles north and headed our way. He announced and ran back to his truck. I said to myself “well what the hell do I do with his information.”. Packing up and trying to outrun it seemed folly. I identified a large oak tree about 50 yards ahead that would provide some buffer (but parking under it would block the roadway so we stayed put while keeping watch). I unhooked and we got into ready mode. The rain continued but no hail arrived so we dodged that bullet. It made for a very frightening wait. After a week of crazy weather, 8 hour thunder lightning storms in Seminole Canyon, a tornado alert the next day, a further week of lightning we decided to leave the great state of Texas and return to the relative safety of New Mexico. As my wife said….”I want to go somewhere where the weather is not trying to kill us”.
August 04, 2020at8:12 am, Noah Nason said:
Excellent Article on weather preparedness.