ispjs Report post Posted April 23, 2018 We have been camped outside of Robertsdale Alabama. Last week there was a large storm system coming through with advance tornado watches/warnings going on. We loaded vehicles into the trailer and put all patio stuff away. The CG has a block building about 100 yards from our site that is the meeting room, office, and laundry facility. We had our rain gear handy and ready to go. In other words we had a plan and were prepared. Yesterday it was just raining all day. No warnings and no watches. A little after 3pm our weather radio went off along with our I-phones. Our area had just went under a tornado warning. Rotation indicated around Foley, which is southwest of us. Of course it was heading northeast so we had about 15 minutes to prepare. We just grabbed our jackets and walked up to the CG building and waited. Some other folks came out of their RVs and were looking around but no one joined us in the building. The storm passed with no high winds or damage. On the news we found out that another CG about 20 miles away wasn't so lucky. http://www.wkrg.com/news/baldwin-county/ef0-tornado-leaves-significant-damage-at-foley-rv-park/1134473204 The warning for them may have came too late, I'm not sure. From the news on TV it looked like about 5 or 6 TTs and fivers were knocked over. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted April 23, 2018 40 minutes ago, ISPJS said: On the news we found out that another CG about 20 miles away wasn't so lucky. I saw this on Facebook yesterday. In a coach of your size, pull the slides in, head over to shelter just in case. Trailers tend to flip with non tornado winds for some reason (must be weight to wind sail ratio), you see it often especially campgrounds close to water over here on the east coast. Stay safe my friend! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ispjs Report post Posted April 24, 2018 Yep, I agree with that. Last Sunday the warning/watches were out way in advance. Everything was secured plus the slides were in. I stayed on leveling jacks instead of going on suspension, figuring that would make us more stable. This time the actual warning came so quickly without a watch being issued first that there was only time to grab rain gear and head to the shelter. Actually we are re-thinking spending next April in this area. We have really enjoyed exploring around here but they seem to have a lot of strong spring storms. Will probably just stay in Florida through part of April then maybe just come up to Top Sail for the last week or so of the month. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desertdeals69 Report post Posted April 24, 2018 A strong breeze wil flip a trailer thats why I never owned one and have had motorhomes for 42 years. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
txiceman Report post Posted April 25, 2018 dd69, a motorhome is not much safer than a trailer is a tornado. I have seen photos of both trailers and motorhomes toppled by tornadoes or straight line winds. Ken Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desertdeals69 Report post Posted April 25, 2018 I was talking about high winds not a tornado. If i'm in my motorhome I can get moving a lot quicker than someone in a trailer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
txiceman Report post Posted April 25, 2018 And I have seen plenty of 80,000 lb tractor trailers blown over due to high winds. The motorhome is a false sense of security. Our 5er weighs in at a bit over 19,000 lb loaded. Ken Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted April 25, 2018 1 hour ago, TXiceman said: And I have seen plenty of 80,000 lb tractor trailers blown over due to high winds. The motorhome is a false sense of security. Our 5er weighs in at a bit over 19,000 lb loaded. Ken Well actually a tractor trailer will blow over a lot more easily than a motorhome. The amount of square footage and LBS per squat foot are drastically reduced in a tractor trailer, especially empty. Also the center of gravity in a tractor is significantly higher than a motorhome empty or loaded but especially loaded. So in high winds they are in trouble empty or loaded. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ispjs Report post Posted April 26, 2018 21 hours ago, TXiceman said: And I have seen plenty of 80,000 lb tractor trailers blown over due to high winds. The motorhome is a false sense of security. Our 5er weighs in at a bit over 19,000 lb loaded. Ken He is probably right Ken. When you think about it most truck-tractor-semi-trailer combinations sit about 4 feet off the ground and they are one huge square box. That huge square box is 53' long, compared to a 40' to 45' motorhome that sits much lower. If I am traveling down the highway at 65mph and a 60mph gust hits I would want to be in my MH weighing in at almost 40,000 pounds and sitting low. I certainly would not want to be in a 19,000 pound fiver nor a 53' semi trailer, both of which sit much higher off the ground. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wildebill308 Report post Posted April 26, 2018 This video will give the non believers an idea of how much power a tornado can have. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WABqwKjQM_c Watch and tell me how you think you would be safe in your RV. Bill Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
desertdeals69 Report post Posted April 26, 2018 In order to be safe in a tornado you would have to be underground surrounded by cement. I'm not talking about surviving a tornado in a motorhome, just high winds which is more common. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jleamont Report post Posted April 26, 2018 5 hours ago, desertdeals69 said: In order to be safe in a tornado you would have to be underground surrounded by cement. I'm not talking about surviving a tornado in a motorhome, just high winds which is more common. Same here, tornado is different. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rayin Report post Posted June 27, 2018 Several years ago a man on irv2.com calculated wind speed required to blow over his 5er. Skipping the details, he said it would take an 86 MPH straight wind against the side of his 5er to blow it over-if his calculations were correct. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kaypsmith Report post Posted June 27, 2018 A tornado has much different characteristics than just a straight line wind. The sudden lowering of pressure does far more damage to structures like buildings, homes, motorhomes or anything that is hollow inside with large volume of air space. It acts like a giant vacuum cleaner in reverse, it works outside as opposed to inside. Buildings and the like are literally sucked apart rather than just wind blowing against it. I do not want to be in the path of a tornado if it is possible not to. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted June 27, 2018 Nice explanation Kay, thanks. Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wayne77590 Report post Posted June 27, 2018 Wow, that sucks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hermanmullins Report post Posted June 27, 2018 1 hour ago, wayne77590 said: Wow, that sucks! Pun intended ??😊 Herman Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
wayne77590 Report post Posted June 27, 2018 Well of course! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
manholt Report post Posted June 28, 2018 I can confirm that a 90+ mph straight line burst of wind, will not do any damage to the front of a 45' DP! Would it have tipped mine over, if from the side? I doubt it ! As for 86 mph on a 5er? Probably....depending on size and weight. Don't want to be within 20 miles of a Tornado, in anything less than a Storm Cellar!!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
