OK, so what is any different about camping in fog? Other than dampening your spirits and perhaps your tent and sleeping bags, camping in fog is not too different than camping in normal conditions. With ONE major exception: visibility.
Fog limits visibility. It makes it harder for you to see where you're going and it makes it harder for others to see you and your camp site. If you're out and about and get caught in fog, you might have to hole up for a time and wait for it to clear if it gets too bad. You can get yourself thoroughly lost if you keep moving when you can't see landmarks that would keep you on track. Driving in fog often means reduced traction as well as inhibited visibility as the fog condenses on the road or trail surface. Turn your headlights on DIM so other driver's can see you better. High beams usually light up the fog in front of you and glare back making it even harder to see where you're going. If you have fog lights, use them. If you don't have fog lights and encounter fog with any regularity, consider adding them. They are not terribly expensive nor difficult to install. Fog can make it hard to see tents and vehicles in camp. After nearly running into my own unlit motorhome when returning to camp in the fog one night I added reflective strips down both sides to make it easier to see. I also placed reflective strips near the front and rear of both sides of my motorcycle trailer. You might put reflective tape on your tent or hang chemical light sticks at strategic places to protect it. Solar lights may also add some visibility and you can often pick them up at dollar stores so they don't have to be expensive.
Driving in fog is challenging to say the least and you may often encounter fog between home and your camping destination. After an hour or so of trying to peer through thick fog my eyes usually feel like burned holes in blanket. Proper fog lights are helpful. The amber or yellow lens, low mounting position, and flat beam pattern help illuminate the roadway without reflecting too much glare back at you. Never use your headlights on bright in fog (or heavy falling or blowing snow). The glare will make it really hard to see what's ahead of you. As in other situations of decreased visibility, you need to adjust your speed so you don't run into stopped or slow moving vehicles, but try not to become an obstacle yourself. The central valley in California gets something they call "toole" fog -- it is thick as pea soup but very shallow. Sometimes drivers of big semis are high enough to see over it while ordinary cars are swimming through it. When I encountered this situation I couldn't even see the hood ornament on my car, but I could see blue sky above me! I waited for a truck to pass me and then locked onto his tail lights and followed him for many miles. If nothing else, having a big truck to clear the road in front of you should reduce your chances of being hit head on. Be sure to maintain a safe distance. You don't want to run into him if he stops. Even if he stops and you do run into him, the impact will be a lot less than if you'd hit an oncoming vehicle head on. Using a truck as your "front door" (as CBers say) not only protects you from on coming traffic, most truckers are familiar with the roads and will be aware of potential problems either from experience or from warnings via CB radio from other truckers, long before you do.
I once had some yellow tinted sun glasses that actually made it easier to see in the fog. Ordinary sun glasses will make it harder. The yellow tinted lenses are sometimes found at sporting goods stores that cater to hunters and shooters.
In camp, you need to make your tent, RV, and other equipment visible to avoid someone from running into it. Lights or lanterns can help make your tent and your picnic table easier to see in the fog. To protect your RV, reflective tape on all 4 sides will help it show up in the headlights of any approaching vehicle. One of the most visible formats is the alternating white and red reflectors you often see on semi-trailers but that may not be very attractive on the side of a nice motorhome. 3M makes a variety of colors of reflective tape so you may be able to find something that blends with or complements the existing color scheme while giving you high visibility. I chose a 2" wide white strip for one of my motorhomes and installed it over an existing white strip of nearly the same size. It was nearly invisible in daylight, but the high reflectivity showed up brightly in headlights at night or other times of decreased visibility. Before installing the reflective tape I nearly ran into my own motorhome when returning to camp one foggy evening which is why I decided to install it.
Minimize the chance of someone running into your camp by choosing a safe location in the first place. NEVER set up your camp on a trail or road. Keep your camp a safe distance from trails and roads. Avoid setting up camp next to an outside turn on a road or trail, where someone missing the turn might run into you. Fog, rain, or snow may make it difficult for them to see the turn or slick conditions caused by rain or snow may cause them to loose control and head smack into your campsite. Camping on the inside of a turn is a little less risky. If someone misses the turn they aren't as likely to run into you, but they may still loose control if the road is slick and then they could spin out and go anywhere!
If you encounter fog while out on the trails on an OHV, horse, or just hiking, you will need to take extra precautions to remain safe. Other travelers may not be able to see you or you may not be able to see them in time to avoid a collision so you need to be ready to take evasive action at a moment's notice. If the visibility gets too bad you may want to seek a safe place to take a break until it improves. If your OHV has lights, make sure you turn them on. They might not help you see any better, but they will make it easier for other travelers to see you.
If the weather turns cold you may encounter freezing fog. Branches on trees and bushes and power lines will become coated with something called rime, which is a form of frost. Sometimes freezing fog creates what is knows affectionately as "diamond dust" -- brilliant ice crystals that collect on horizontal surfaces as they fall from the freezing fog. I've even seen crystals suspended in the fog, glistening like tiny stars when illuminated by street lights or head lights. While it is incredibly beautiful, it isn't much fun to breath it and it can inhibit visibility, making harder for you so see and be seen!
See and be seen!
Information on recreational vehicles (RVs) and Off Highway Vehicles (OHVs), Camping, Sailing, and Survival
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Camping in Rain!
Who would want to go camping in the rain? Few if any of us would set out with the goal of camping in the rain but sooner or later you will probably be caught in a rain storm while you're camping and in some parts of the country rain is a nearly constant companion. A light rain can be a fun for a while; then it becomes a nuisance. A downpour can really rain on your parade! Your first priority is to keep an eye on the weather. Unless you are either close to home or in an area you visit often, weather patterns will be unfamiliar and you may easily get surprised. Listen to weather updates on the local radio station or use a NOAA weather radio for continuous updates -- and, above all, be observant. Pay attention to which way the clouds move and note changes in the color, density, formation, and turbulence of clouds moving toward you. Dark, roiling clouds moving toward you will probably bring a storm. I once initially declined a dirt bike ride in the Mojave Desert because, as I told my kids, I "didn't like the looks of the clouds over the mountains" in the direction we would be heading. They were dark, roiling, ominous, and headed our way. However, my teen age boys were adamant about going with the group and I didn't want some other dad (Gary) stuck watching out for my kids so I went on the ride. Another, wiser and more experienced riding buddy, Al, a former desert racer, opted to stay in camp. He didn't like the looks of the clouds either, so I felt somewhat vindicated. We were relaxing at our destination, a country store some distance from camp, under clear skies, sitting back enjoying a cold soda, when Gary quipped "Al really blew it this time. Just look! It is perfect!" As if on queue, the words were no sooner out of his mouth than the wind kicked up and it began to sprinkle. We started rounding up our group and getting ready to head back to camp. By the time we were back on the trail the sprinkles had turned to drizzle then the drizzle soon turned into a good hard rain. Before long the rain turned to sleet and then to snow. We were all looking forward to getting back to camp and out of the storm. The 18 mile ride out turned into a 27 mile return trip when the dry lake we'd crossed on the way out was no longer dry and we had to go around. By the time we got back to camp, everyone one was soaked to the skin and freezing. My boys couldn't even let go of the handlebars because their hands were so cold. They just slid their cold, curled fingers off the ends of the grips and let the bikes fall over in the mud as they dashed into the motorhome to get warm. After that they had a little more appreciation for the old man's opinion about the weather! On a side note, having a warm and cozy RV waiting and a quick way to prepare some hot chocolate and a bowl of Mom's Marvelous Mojave Mild Chili was wonderful! Glad we weren't tent camping that trip! We had a 10x14 cabin tent set up as dirt-bike "garage" but it had blown down in the wind and had accumulated at least 25 gallons of water in its folds during the storm. The opposing overhead poles slipped right past each other in the rain-softened ground and left the whole thing flattened. Sure glad that wasn't our primary shelter! On the other hand, even having a tent where we could get in out of the weather and change into dry clothes would have been a blessing. A tent heater or even a Coleman lantern (properly ventilated) would have warmed up the tent and we could have heated up some chili and hot chocolate on the camp stove or campfire outside during a break in the storm.
Light rain might dampen your activities and your spirits but usually isn't too much of a problem, even for tent campers, unless you have a leaky tent. You can usually just wait it out in your vehicle or your tent. Some people even like to walk or ride in the rain -- if they are properly dressed for it and/or have a good umbrella and/or are properly dressed for it. A light rain on a hot day is even refreshing. However, even a light summer rain can dangerously reduce your body temperature if your clothing gets soaked -- you will loose heat about 25 times faster in wet clothes than in dry ones -- so if you expect rain or want to be prepared in case it comes, bring along a good rain suit or at least a poncho. You can get plastic ponchos at your dollar store. They aren't the most fashionable thing you could wear but they can help keep you at least part of you dry. In a pinch you might poke head and arms holes in a large trash bag to keep the rain off. If you do get soaking wet, change into dry clothes before you become hypothermic. If you don't have any dry clothes, get out of the wet ones and wrap up in a blanket or sleeping bag while your clothes dry. Don't sit around in wet clothes, not even by a campfire. When you are in wet clothing it is possible to get dangerously hypothermic even in mild outdoor summer temperatures. Your core temperature only needs to drop a little under 4 degrees (from 098.6°F to 95°F) to become hypothermic and seriously in trouble so you see it doesn't have to be freezing outside for your body to get too cold. You can get hypothermic in 70° temperatures if you're wet.
Heavy rain can wreak havoc in camp. Heavy rain can swamp tents. It can soften the ground holding tent pegs and beneath the leveling jacks on RVs. Tent pegs may pull out, tent poles may sink in. Leveling jacks and blocks may get mashed into the mud. Rain can bring flash floods, even if the rain is miles away. It can make getting in and out of unpaved camping areas difficult and even dangerous. I've seen ground that was so hard when dry a pick would bounce off it, but after a few minutes rain stepping on the same rocky spot you would sink in up over your ankles. Heavy rain may reveal any weakness in your RV or tent. Inspect likely areas (seams, around windows and doors, and around exterior fixtures like vents) frequently for signs of leaks. Make note of any you find so you can attend to them when the storm lets up. Unless you have some waterproof sealing tape that sticks to wet surfaces there isn't much you can do during a storm but noting where the leaks are and limiting damage by putting a pan under drips to contain the water. A tarp over your tent or RV might deflect a lot of the rain -- if you have one with you and have the means to put it up and secure it. I've seen heavy rain send enough muddy water through a campsite that the grass patio mats next to RVs literally disappeared under deposits of silt an inch or more thick!
There are two major things to think about when it rains. 1) Affect of the rain on your camp (RV, tent, exposed equipment) and 2) what do do while it is raining. If you have set your camp up properly and prepared your tent or RV for bad weather, the first concern should already be taken care of. NEVER wait until the bad weather hits or is imminent to prepare. Keeping your equipment in good condition goes a long way toward being prepared for bad weather. Rips in tents or awnings should be quickly repaired and leaks in RVs quickly sealed. When the weather turns bad, double check the ropes and stakes holding down your tent, roll up RV awnings, and get equipment and gear you don't want getting wet inside your vehicle or tent or cover them with tarps. Make sure you aren't parked or camped in a depression that will fill with water or in the natural path of water coming off the hills and down the canyons. Flash floods can occur many miles away from the actual point of rain fall, so, even if you aren't getting rained on but there is rain in the area, take precautions -- move to higher ground if necessary. Don't wait until you see the water rising to take action. By then it is probably too late. The water is likely to rise faster than you can get out of its way.
Preparing your RV for rain. If you're camping in an RV, roll up the awnings, close the windows, and secure all your outside equipment. Gather up camp chairs and, if you don't have someplace inside to put them, slide them under your vehicle. Make sure you aren't parked in an area that might be affected by flash floods, such as a wash, dry stream bed, or depression. If there is lightning nearby and you are parked near or under a tall tree or other obstacle, like a light pole or radio tower, try to move to a safer spot. Also be sure you aren't parked in a sand wash or other depression that could be flooded. Even rain over mountains miles away can cause flash floods to roar down sand washes. Once you have everything safe, go inside and prepare some indoor activities for you can your companions. Card games, board games, reading, or watching movies are always good things to do when you can't be outside. You might plan some special snacks to help get you through.
If you are tent camping, some tents fare better in rain than others. A good 4-season tent, well anchored, should be able to weather all but the worst storms. Lighter, 3-season tents, might need a little help. First of all, make sure all standard anchors (stakes and guy ropes) are securely in place. It is far to common to ignore staking down modern dome tents and that is probably OK most of the time. But during a storm, you will want it well secured to the ground! Some tents have additional grommets or rings called guy-out loops, for attaching extra guy ropes for additional security. Sometimes you can attach extra ropes to the tops of tent poles to reduce movement in the wind. Attaching at least two guy ropes at right angles to each other can add a lot of stability. If you have a rain fly, make sure it is in place and properly secured. If you don't have a rain fly and are expecting heavy rain, you might want to consider putting an extra tarp over your tent for added protection. Make sure your ground cloth doesn't stick out past the base of your tent or it will funnel water underneath the floor. Double check to be sure your camp isn't in a wash, dry stream bed, or depression that might be inundated by a flash flood. Remember, flash floods can occur miles from where it is raining. Also ensure that you aren't camped under a tree or other tall structure that might attract lightning if there is lightning in the area. Make sure all your equipment is secured and covered or placed inside your vehicle. Camp chairs, stoves, coolers, lanterns, recreational equipment, tools, etc should all be put away BEFORE the storm actually hits. Dig out your indoor activities so you and your family will have something to do while it rains and get your snacks ready.
What to do about leaks. When it rains you will quickly find out if your tent or RV has any leaks. When you discover you have leaks you will want to fix them as soon as possible. There is a special sealant tape, Eternabond RV-EMT, that will stick even when the surface is wet so it can be used to seal leaks even when it is raining, Ordinary duct tape will help, but you'll have to wait until it stops raining and dry the surface to get the tape to stick well. If you really need to slow the leaks while it is still raining, try to dry off the surface as much as you can before trying to apply duct tape. Then you should have less problems in the next rain. If you have leaks in your tent or your RV, try covering the area with a tarp to deflect the rain until you can make permanent repairs. Small leaks, like drips oozing through tent seams, might be fixed using a waxy seam sealer or waterproof spray such as Camp Dry. Leaking RV seams will need to be re-caulked or sealed with silicone.
What to do while it is raining. I often try to make good use of bad weather to perform productive tasks inside my RV or enclosed motorcycle trailer. I find it is a good time not only to make minor repairs or perform maintenance on my bikes and equipment, it is also a good time to take inventory and clean and organize riding gear, tools, and supplies. If you have children with you, they're not going to be too interested in such activities, at least not for long, so you'll want to have alternate things planned for them to do. I found my older (teen age) kids could usually be pretty productive and sometimes the younger ones would want to help too. With today's technology, electronic entertainment is often an option if you're in an RV with a generator. We usually take along several favorite movies for the kids or grandkids, often some with a theme that is related to our location or activity. I keep a copy of the dirt bike movie "On Any Sunday" in my motorhome. Its always a hit on a dirt bike outing. Simple board or card games can also help pass the time pleasantly. Books and magazines are good options for many people, both children and adults. If you have wifi access you can surf the Internet. Even without access you may find ways to pass the time using your computer. Letter writing, via computer or good old-fashioned pen and paper is another productive way to use "down time". You may want to take time to document your trip thus far, and record some of your group's feelings and response to the storm. Routine cleaning inside the RV often lags behind activities when we are able to go outside and DO something, so catching up while the weather is bad is a good idea -- and makes the rest of the trip more enjoyable. And today's teens will no doubt find texting a good way to spend the time if they have cell service. And don't discount just sitting warm cozy in your tent or RV and watching the storm! Many storms have a beauty all their own, especially lightning storms -- assuming you have taken appropriate precautions and are not in a vulnerable position. If you get a gentle rain, you may even find it fun to go for a walk -- if you have appropriate rain gear.
Prepare. The main point of all this is to prepare for storms BEFORE you are caught in one. Already have indoor games and activities planned for you and your kids. And, of course, make sure you have done all you need to do to make sure your camp is ready for the bad weather. Check with other campers in the area to find out if they've experienced storms there before and learn what to expect. People familiar with the area can give insight into how long the storm may last and how severe it might be. Keep in mind that even highly trained meteorologists with sophisticated computer models can't always predict the weather accurately. Best to prepare for the worst and be pleasantly surprised when it doesn't happen.
OHV activities should usually be curtailed during rain. Rain on your goggles and fogging up inside will limit your vision, increasing the risk of an accident. Mud thrown up by other riders or splashed by your own vehicle can block your vision and accumulate on the vehicle, potentially leading to corrosion of metal components or permanent staining of plastic parts if it is left on too long. Wet, muddy road and trail surfaces will have reduced traction and you'll have less control of your vehicle. ATVs, especially those with 4 wheel drive, are more stable in wet conditions than are dirt bikes or mountain bikes. Crashing on a muddy trail isn't much fun and riding when you are wet or muddy will be very uncomfortable and could lead to dangerous hypothermia. If you're out on the trails when rain is imminent, head back to camp and enjoy watching and listening to it from inside your tent or RV or under some kind of shelter. If you get caught in the rain a long way from camp, seek any shelter you can find. You might find it more comfortable to stop and stay still in the rain than to continue riding in it, but on the other hand, you might want to get back to camp and warm, dry clothes and a hot meal and/or beverage as soon as possible. I've seen conflicting opinions on whether you stay drier standing still or speeding through the rain. One indisputable factor is time: the longer you're in the rain, the wetter you'll get, so hurrying back to camp may be the better choice. I read of an experiment to determine if running or walking in rain kept you dryer. While you might run into extra rain drops laterally when running, the main factor still turned out to be time. The longer you're in the rain, the more will fall on you and the wetter you'll get. If you have appropriate rain gear, riding OHVs in the rain can be fun. However, always exercise extra caution. Even if you are riding safely, others might not be! Getting soaked, even in summer weather, can lead to dangerous hypothermia. Continuing to ride when you're wet will speed evaporation and cool you off faster.
Will you stay drier walking or running in the rain? There has always been some debate about this, but an actual mathematical analysis gives us the simple answer: the less time you spend in the rain, the drier you will be, so moving from point A to point B, you will stay drier by running. Turns out the amount of rain that falls directly onto you from above is the same whether you are moving or standing still. When you move, you also encounter rain drops in front of you, and how wet you get from that depends only on the distance and not the speed. The bottom line: running will keep your drier than walking, but standing still will keep you even drier, especially if you have an umbrella or other protection from the falling rain.
Don't let it be said that you didn't have enough sense to come in -- or get your stuff -- out of the rain!
Light rain might dampen your activities and your spirits but usually isn't too much of a problem, even for tent campers, unless you have a leaky tent. You can usually just wait it out in your vehicle or your tent. Some people even like to walk or ride in the rain -- if they are properly dressed for it and/or have a good umbrella and/or are properly dressed for it. A light rain on a hot day is even refreshing. However, even a light summer rain can dangerously reduce your body temperature if your clothing gets soaked -- you will loose heat about 25 times faster in wet clothes than in dry ones -- so if you expect rain or want to be prepared in case it comes, bring along a good rain suit or at least a poncho. You can get plastic ponchos at your dollar store. They aren't the most fashionable thing you could wear but they can help keep you at least part of you dry. In a pinch you might poke head and arms holes in a large trash bag to keep the rain off. If you do get soaking wet, change into dry clothes before you become hypothermic. If you don't have any dry clothes, get out of the wet ones and wrap up in a blanket or sleeping bag while your clothes dry. Don't sit around in wet clothes, not even by a campfire. When you are in wet clothing it is possible to get dangerously hypothermic even in mild outdoor summer temperatures. Your core temperature only needs to drop a little under 4 degrees (from 098.6°F to 95°F) to become hypothermic and seriously in trouble so you see it doesn't have to be freezing outside for your body to get too cold. You can get hypothermic in 70° temperatures if you're wet.
Heavy rain can wreak havoc in camp. Heavy rain can swamp tents. It can soften the ground holding tent pegs and beneath the leveling jacks on RVs. Tent pegs may pull out, tent poles may sink in. Leveling jacks and blocks may get mashed into the mud. Rain can bring flash floods, even if the rain is miles away. It can make getting in and out of unpaved camping areas difficult and even dangerous. I've seen ground that was so hard when dry a pick would bounce off it, but after a few minutes rain stepping on the same rocky spot you would sink in up over your ankles. Heavy rain may reveal any weakness in your RV or tent. Inspect likely areas (seams, around windows and doors, and around exterior fixtures like vents) frequently for signs of leaks. Make note of any you find so you can attend to them when the storm lets up. Unless you have some waterproof sealing tape that sticks to wet surfaces there isn't much you can do during a storm but noting where the leaks are and limiting damage by putting a pan under drips to contain the water. A tarp over your tent or RV might deflect a lot of the rain -- if you have one with you and have the means to put it up and secure it. I've seen heavy rain send enough muddy water through a campsite that the grass patio mats next to RVs literally disappeared under deposits of silt an inch or more thick!
There are two major things to think about when it rains. 1) Affect of the rain on your camp (RV, tent, exposed equipment) and 2) what do do while it is raining. If you have set your camp up properly and prepared your tent or RV for bad weather, the first concern should already be taken care of. NEVER wait until the bad weather hits or is imminent to prepare. Keeping your equipment in good condition goes a long way toward being prepared for bad weather. Rips in tents or awnings should be quickly repaired and leaks in RVs quickly sealed. When the weather turns bad, double check the ropes and stakes holding down your tent, roll up RV awnings, and get equipment and gear you don't want getting wet inside your vehicle or tent or cover them with tarps. Make sure you aren't parked or camped in a depression that will fill with water or in the natural path of water coming off the hills and down the canyons. Flash floods can occur many miles away from the actual point of rain fall, so, even if you aren't getting rained on but there is rain in the area, take precautions -- move to higher ground if necessary. Don't wait until you see the water rising to take action. By then it is probably too late. The water is likely to rise faster than you can get out of its way.
Preparing your RV for rain. If you're camping in an RV, roll up the awnings, close the windows, and secure all your outside equipment. Gather up camp chairs and, if you don't have someplace inside to put them, slide them under your vehicle. Make sure you aren't parked in an area that might be affected by flash floods, such as a wash, dry stream bed, or depression. If there is lightning nearby and you are parked near or under a tall tree or other obstacle, like a light pole or radio tower, try to move to a safer spot. Also be sure you aren't parked in a sand wash or other depression that could be flooded. Even rain over mountains miles away can cause flash floods to roar down sand washes. Once you have everything safe, go inside and prepare some indoor activities for you can your companions. Card games, board games, reading, or watching movies are always good things to do when you can't be outside. You might plan some special snacks to help get you through.
If you are tent camping, some tents fare better in rain than others. A good 4-season tent, well anchored, should be able to weather all but the worst storms. Lighter, 3-season tents, might need a little help. First of all, make sure all standard anchors (stakes and guy ropes) are securely in place. It is far to common to ignore staking down modern dome tents and that is probably OK most of the time. But during a storm, you will want it well secured to the ground! Some tents have additional grommets or rings called guy-out loops, for attaching extra guy ropes for additional security. Sometimes you can attach extra ropes to the tops of tent poles to reduce movement in the wind. Attaching at least two guy ropes at right angles to each other can add a lot of stability. If you have a rain fly, make sure it is in place and properly secured. If you don't have a rain fly and are expecting heavy rain, you might want to consider putting an extra tarp over your tent for added protection. Make sure your ground cloth doesn't stick out past the base of your tent or it will funnel water underneath the floor. Double check to be sure your camp isn't in a wash, dry stream bed, or depression that might be inundated by a flash flood. Remember, flash floods can occur miles from where it is raining. Also ensure that you aren't camped under a tree or other tall structure that might attract lightning if there is lightning in the area. Make sure all your equipment is secured and covered or placed inside your vehicle. Camp chairs, stoves, coolers, lanterns, recreational equipment, tools, etc should all be put away BEFORE the storm actually hits. Dig out your indoor activities so you and your family will have something to do while it rains and get your snacks ready.
What to do about leaks. When it rains you will quickly find out if your tent or RV has any leaks. When you discover you have leaks you will want to fix them as soon as possible. There is a special sealant tape, Eternabond RV-EMT, that will stick even when the surface is wet so it can be used to seal leaks even when it is raining, Ordinary duct tape will help, but you'll have to wait until it stops raining and dry the surface to get the tape to stick well. If you really need to slow the leaks while it is still raining, try to dry off the surface as much as you can before trying to apply duct tape. Then you should have less problems in the next rain. If you have leaks in your tent or your RV, try covering the area with a tarp to deflect the rain until you can make permanent repairs. Small leaks, like drips oozing through tent seams, might be fixed using a waxy seam sealer or waterproof spray such as Camp Dry. Leaking RV seams will need to be re-caulked or sealed with silicone.
What to do while it is raining. I often try to make good use of bad weather to perform productive tasks inside my RV or enclosed motorcycle trailer. I find it is a good time not only to make minor repairs or perform maintenance on my bikes and equipment, it is also a good time to take inventory and clean and organize riding gear, tools, and supplies. If you have children with you, they're not going to be too interested in such activities, at least not for long, so you'll want to have alternate things planned for them to do. I found my older (teen age) kids could usually be pretty productive and sometimes the younger ones would want to help too. With today's technology, electronic entertainment is often an option if you're in an RV with a generator. We usually take along several favorite movies for the kids or grandkids, often some with a theme that is related to our location or activity. I keep a copy of the dirt bike movie "On Any Sunday" in my motorhome. Its always a hit on a dirt bike outing. Simple board or card games can also help pass the time pleasantly. Books and magazines are good options for many people, both children and adults. If you have wifi access you can surf the Internet. Even without access you may find ways to pass the time using your computer. Letter writing, via computer or good old-fashioned pen and paper is another productive way to use "down time". You may want to take time to document your trip thus far, and record some of your group's feelings and response to the storm. Routine cleaning inside the RV often lags behind activities when we are able to go outside and DO something, so catching up while the weather is bad is a good idea -- and makes the rest of the trip more enjoyable. And today's teens will no doubt find texting a good way to spend the time if they have cell service. And don't discount just sitting warm cozy in your tent or RV and watching the storm! Many storms have a beauty all their own, especially lightning storms -- assuming you have taken appropriate precautions and are not in a vulnerable position. If you get a gentle rain, you may even find it fun to go for a walk -- if you have appropriate rain gear.
Prepare. The main point of all this is to prepare for storms BEFORE you are caught in one. Already have indoor games and activities planned for you and your kids. And, of course, make sure you have done all you need to do to make sure your camp is ready for the bad weather. Check with other campers in the area to find out if they've experienced storms there before and learn what to expect. People familiar with the area can give insight into how long the storm may last and how severe it might be. Keep in mind that even highly trained meteorologists with sophisticated computer models can't always predict the weather accurately. Best to prepare for the worst and be pleasantly surprised when it doesn't happen.
OHV activities should usually be curtailed during rain. Rain on your goggles and fogging up inside will limit your vision, increasing the risk of an accident. Mud thrown up by other riders or splashed by your own vehicle can block your vision and accumulate on the vehicle, potentially leading to corrosion of metal components or permanent staining of plastic parts if it is left on too long. Wet, muddy road and trail surfaces will have reduced traction and you'll have less control of your vehicle. ATVs, especially those with 4 wheel drive, are more stable in wet conditions than are dirt bikes or mountain bikes. Crashing on a muddy trail isn't much fun and riding when you are wet or muddy will be very uncomfortable and could lead to dangerous hypothermia. If you're out on the trails when rain is imminent, head back to camp and enjoy watching and listening to it from inside your tent or RV or under some kind of shelter. If you get caught in the rain a long way from camp, seek any shelter you can find. You might find it more comfortable to stop and stay still in the rain than to continue riding in it, but on the other hand, you might want to get back to camp and warm, dry clothes and a hot meal and/or beverage as soon as possible. I've seen conflicting opinions on whether you stay drier standing still or speeding through the rain. One indisputable factor is time: the longer you're in the rain, the wetter you'll get, so hurrying back to camp may be the better choice. I read of an experiment to determine if running or walking in rain kept you dryer. While you might run into extra rain drops laterally when running, the main factor still turned out to be time. The longer you're in the rain, the more will fall on you and the wetter you'll get. If you have appropriate rain gear, riding OHVs in the rain can be fun. However, always exercise extra caution. Even if you are riding safely, others might not be! Getting soaked, even in summer weather, can lead to dangerous hypothermia. Continuing to ride when you're wet will speed evaporation and cool you off faster.
Will you stay drier walking or running in the rain? There has always been some debate about this, but an actual mathematical analysis gives us the simple answer: the less time you spend in the rain, the drier you will be, so moving from point A to point B, you will stay drier by running. Turns out the amount of rain that falls directly onto you from above is the same whether you are moving or standing still. When you move, you also encounter rain drops in front of you, and how wet you get from that depends only on the distance and not the speed. The bottom line: running will keep your drier than walking, but standing still will keep you even drier, especially if you have an umbrella or other protection from the falling rain.
Don't let it be said that you didn't have enough sense to come in -- or get your stuff -- out of the rain!
Camping in Wind!
Unless your sport is sailing, kite flying, or hang gliding -- or you have a wind turbine for power -- wind is not usually your friend. I've been in windy areas where I feared my RV was going to be blown over and I spent half the night lying awake, planning how to get me and my family out safely if it did. The rocking of our small Class C motorhome really was that bad. We were parked so the left side of the motorhome was facing the winds that came up during the night. Bad choice! Always try to park facing the prevailing wind if you can. I was younger then and didn't know better and there was not any wind when we parked. Parking so you're headed into the wind has several advantages. First, it presents a much smaller area for the wind to impact and second, the front caps are usually designed to be somewhat areodynamic. In fact, I had a 35' Suncrest Class A that had a frontal wind coefficient about the same as a Jaguar XKE! Of course the frontal area made the total resistance much higher, but still, it provided a lot less resistance than the huge flat side of the beast! You may have noticed you can drive 50-60 mph in your motorhome without feeling too much wind affect but a passing semi generating a cross wind can nearly blow you out of your lane. Another consideration: the relatively long wheelbase, compared to the side-to-side measurement
also makes it more stable if the wind is coming from the front (or back)
instead of from the side.
RVs, including motorhomes, trailers, and especially truck campers, are much more affected by strong crosswinds on the highway than when parked, so avoid driving in windy conditions if you can. On one trip in the Mojave Desert I saw an 18-wheeler lying on its side along Highway 14 near Mojave and figured that was a pretty good sign that it was TOO windy for safe RV travel! When I stopped for gas a few mile later I learned the fallen semi had been an empty, dead-heading back for another load so it lacked any cargo weight to help hold it down and had been there for a couple of days. Even so, it was scary seeing a rig much bigger than my motorhome lying where it had been blown over onto it's side. If you get caught in sudden winds, seek shelter if you can. You may be able to stop under an overpass or pull over next to the leeward side (out of the wind) of a sturdy building. Even just pulling off into a rest area or side street or along the road will be safer than continuing to drive, especially if you an find place to park facing the wind. A stationary RV is less susceptible to wind than one that is moving. When moving you may be blown into oncoming traffic or the buffeting of the wind may simply set up a rocking motion that is amplified by repeated gusts until your rig is blown over or into oncoming traffic or the effort to maintain position causes you to lose control. If you do pull over into a rest area or off the road, try to park so the front or rear of your RV, not the broad side, is facing the wind. Most RVs are designed so the front is somewhat more aerodynamic than the back. The only danger of facing into the wind is an increased risk of windshield damage from flying debris in extreme winds. External windshield covers may provide some protection against blowing small stuff, but will do little good if gale-force winds throw large debris in your direction -- and you may not feel like getting out in the storm to try to put them on. The wind could rip them out of your hands and blow them away before you could secure them. If they attach only by Velcro or snaps and not twist lock fasteners, the wind could rip them right off the rig. Truck campers are probably the most dangerous to drive in high winds because they have a relatively high center of gravity. They may also be the most susceptible to cross winds in camp. Motorhomes, on the other hand, are generally more stable than truck campers or trailers because of the heavy automotive chassis and low-mounted holding and fuel tanks. Trailers are somewhere in between, more stable than truck campers, but less stable than motorhomes and are very susceptible to crosswinds. My grown son got caught in a crosswind on a major freeway that flipped his toy hauler trailer and his truck over onto their sides. By the time the trailer stopped sliding it had disintegrated to where nothing stood more than 6" above the frame except the generator and the big steel "loading ramp" style tailgate. The rest was shattered into unrecognizable pieces no bigger than your hand. Fortunately he was blown over onto the median and not into oncoming traffic! Luckily, he was not injured, but both truck and trailer were totaled along with just about all the cargo in the trailer.
Winds can be a problem when you are getting in and out of your RV. Strong winds may surprise you when you open the door, yanking it out of your hand and possibly injuring you and damaging your RV. Think about that before you open the door and get a good strong grip on it. Winds can also blow dust and debris and sometimes rain and snow into your rig. Try to avoid opening the door as much as you can and keep a really good grip on it when you do. Try not to leave it open any longer than necessary. If you have parked with the front into the wind, the wind will push against the door when you open it instead of ripping it out of your hands if the wind is coming from the rear.
A secondary danger from winds is the debris they kick up. Dust, sand, tumbleweeds, garbage, even large pieces of wood and sheet metal can pummel your RV (or your body!), inhibiting visibility and possibly damaging windshields, windows, and the skin of your RV or your skin. Once again, you are safer when you are stopped than when you are moving, partly because the added energy of your vehicle momentum may increase the impact and the damage caused by debris. For example, if a 50 mph wind blows a metal garbage can lid into the front of a vehicle traveling 55 mph, you have a 105 mph impact. If the vehicle was stationary, the impact would have been only the 50 mph of the wind. The difference isn't necessarily going to save the windshield, but it may save occupants from high velocity shrapnel. Tornado force winds have been known to drive pieces of straw through solid oak doors and toss around heavy farm equipment like kids' toys.
Winds in camp are not as dangerous as they are on the road, but a wise camper will take appropriate precautions, like storing awnings, closing roof vents and windows, and securing any loose equipment. Make sure your patio mat is securely anchored to the ground or roll it up until the wind dies down. Also be aware of the potential of falling limbs if you are parked under trees. If you are camping in an RV equipped with slide outs You may also want to retract your slide outs during high winds. The extra surface area and extended leverage of the slide outs may cause excessive rocking and rolling of your unit and could tweak the slide outs so they can't be retracted and/or no longer fit properly. Awnings are especially susceptible to wind damage. They can be very difficult to store properly in windy conditions so roll them up BEFORE the wind gets too strong. Some high end awnings have wind sensor and use an electric motor to roll them up when wind is detected. Hopefully they will detect the wind before it gets too forceful for the automated motor to roll it up. Just to be safe, if the wind starts to kick up you should roll up your awnings before the sensors detect it. If you already have a campfire going you may want to put it out until the wind dies down and it is probably an exercise in futility to try to light a campfire when it is windy. Even using a charcoal or gas BBQ can be difficult if not impossible in high winds. I had to give up and take our hamburgers inside and fry them in a pan on the RV stove when the wind kept my BBQ from getting enough heat to grill to cook the meat. And that was with a wind guard around the BBQ! Strong or erratic winds can whip over or around a wind guard and wreak havoc with your attempts at cooking.
Stabilizing your RV. Stabilizing your RV when you are parked in camp will reduce how much it is rocked by the wind, which will, in turn, make routine tasks, such as cooking, eating, and sleeping, easier and more comfortable. Motorhomes with hydraulic leveling jacks are stabilized by the leveling jacks. But if you use leveling blocks under the tires to level your RV, the body will still bounce on the springs and suspension as it is buffeted by the wind or rocked by internal movement -- unless you add stabilizers. Many trailers have scissor style stabilizing jacks that can be manually cranked down to control bounce and assist with leveling. You might be able to use the camper jacks on a truck camper to stabilize it. Just be darn sure you retract them before moving the vehicle or you risk tearing the camper to pieces! Another, less expensive and less convenient option for trailers and some motorhomes are jack stands. They usually come in a set of four and are comprised of aluminum pyramids with adjustable extensions on top. Put one of these under each corner of any RV so it connects the frame and body (not the axles) to the ground and it will add significant stability. Standard stabilizers are probably not tall enough for many motorhomes. You may need special, high-rise stands or put additional blocks under them for them to work on motorhomes. You may need a big (10" or 12") crescent wrench to spin the adjusting nut once the adjuster contacts the frame. NOTE: these kinds of stabilizers should NOT be used to lift heavy vehicles to level them.
It isn't always easy to estimate the wind speed when you are traveling in a vehicle but you can observe trees, bushes, flags, and the movement of debris in the wind to get an idea of how bad it is. There is a scale, from 0 to 12, that measures wind speed, 0 being calm and 12 being hurricane. You might want to familiarize yourself with at least some of the indicators. Click this link to view the scale: Wind Speed Estimator . One clue I remember is that when flags are flying straight out, you've got a gentle breeze of 8-12 mph. Suffice it to say that if whole trees are swaying and huge pieces of debris coming at you, it is time to seek immediate and sturdy shelter! How much wind you and/or your rig can handle depends on several factors, such as the type of rig, its orientation to the wind, its weight, and your experience and skill at controlling it in windy conditions. Anti-sway bars and steering stabilizers can make it easier to control a large vehicle in the wind. Weak suspension (poor shocks and/or springs) will contribute to handling problems in the wind. Wind deflectors on tow vehicles can minimize how much the wind affects the trailer on the road. Air Tabs are plastic devices attached near the rear of a trailer or motorhome to help control the way the wind whips around behind the vehicle. I haven't had a chance to try them yet, but the reports I've seen say they make a big difference, especially when you're buffeted by cross winds from a passing semi truck.
Wind is of even greater concern to tent campers. Tents that are not adequately anchored to the ground will quickly become uncontrolled kites when the wind picks up and you might never see them again. You might think your heavy packs or other gear will hold it down, until you see your tent sailing off dribbling your valuables all over creation. Different styles of tents and methods of anchoring will have different capabilities to survive wind. Check the instructions that came with your tent or contact the manufacturer to find out how much wind yours can withstand. You will want to take down your tent and seek alternate shelter long before the winds approach the limits. Taking down a tent in even a mild wind can be difficult and even dangerous. You may find your tent provides enough sail to carry you across the campground or even make you airborne before you can get it rolled up if you wait too long. In any windy situation. even a little breeze, check your tent pegs and ropes frequently to make sure they remain secure. If even one comes loose it gives the wind something to get hold of and will greatly increase the risk of damage or being blown away as the loose part of the tent begins to flap. As the wind picks up, you may want to add extra tie-downs to ensure your safety. Having weight inside your tent, such as gear or people, will help keep it from blowing away in moderate winds, but high winds may still pick it up and leave a trail of debris -- and bodies -- as it sails off. Blowing debris can seriously damage tent fabric. The heavier the fabric, the less susceptible it will be to flying debris. A thin nylon tent can be easily penetrated while a heavy canvas tent will be stronger, less susceptible to damage, and offer more protection to occupants and contents. Twigs and other small debris might easily damage thin tents. High winds can do amazing things. Tornadoes have been known to drive pieces of straw through 2" thick oak doors. Image what strong wind can do to nylon or canvas!
Securing your gear in camp is essential when the wind picks up. Canopies and camp chairs have large "sail" areas compared to their weight and can easily be blow over or blown away. Even fairly heavily loaded ice chests can be blown around by strong winds. They may be damaged or blown over and their contents scattered or even cause damage when blown into vehicles or other equipment. Dirt bikes and bicycles can be blown over, especially if they're broadside in the wind. All RV awnings should be retracted BEFORE the wind gets bad. Strong winds will wreak havoc with open awnings, causing severe damage to the awnings themselves, ripping fabric and bending or damaging hardware, and possibly damaging the RV itself. Standalone canopies should be taken down and stored. Trash cans are very susceptible to wind and make a nasty mess to cleanup when they get blown over. They can also inflict serious body damage if blown into vehicles or people. Try to secure them to a tree or post or at least set them on the leeward side of a vehicle, building, or large tree to get them as much out of the wind as possible.
Campfires. Campfires and windy conditions are not very compatible. Wind is likely to blow embers or even flaming debris into surrounding brush, grass, tents, vehicles, or people. And getting a fire started in the wind is not easy. Besides that, it isn't a lot of fun sitting around the campfire in the wind! It is a good idea to put out the campfire whenever the wind picks up. If you MUST have a campfire in windy conditions, use some sort of fire box. We use the tub from an old washing machine, affectionately dubbed R2D2. For further information about this option, see my January 2011 post on Campfire Safety. There are several portable fireplaces available today commercially that will similarly limit the spread of embers while providing a safer and more comfortable fire. However, most of of these aren't as deep as a washing machine tub so you may have to limit yourself to smaller fires. It will be impossible to really enjoy a campfire if the wind continually shifts direction. If the wind seems to "chase" you around the fire, it is time to put it out and seek some other, out-of-the-weather form of warmth and recreation for the evening. Wind will cause you to use up your wood more quickly. The breeze will act like a blacksmith's bellows, fanning the flames. While that may make the fire put out more heat the wind will take it away faster so its harder for you to stay warm and it will also burn up your wood faster. Always put your camp chairs away or at least fold them up and lay them flat when you retire for the night. You never know when a breeze might kick up and blow them onto the fire pit. The heat left in the coals beneath a fire that hasn't been completely drowned can be substantial, enough to melt the plastic and even aluminum parts of camp chairs if they end up on top of the fire pit.
Getting caught in the wind on your OHV, especially dirt bikes, can be very dangerous. Try to avoid riding in windy conditions or when a storm may be approaching. I've seen dirt bikes and their riders blown over flat by wind gusts on hill tops in the Mojave Desert. A gust hit just as two riders topped a small ridge and they were blown flat in something akin to the old Laugh-In TV show tricycle get-off. Wind may also kick up a lot of dust and make visibility difficult, greatly increasing the danger of not being able to see an obstacle (rock, tree, gully, mine shaft, stalled vehicle, RV, animal or fellow rider) in time to avoid a collision. If you do get caught in the wind try to find temporary shelter until it dies down. Large rocks, gullies (if it isn't raining), and groves of trees may offer you some respite. If you must keep going, hunker down on your ride to minimize wind resistance and adjust your speed according to visibility. Try to ride into or with the wind instead of across it. If your ride has lights, turn them on to make yourself more visible to fellow riders.
Severe winds. If you have an option, avoid camping in severely windy conditions. I had a reader inquire about the best ways to secure a travel trailer that they are living in while building a new home. They live in very windy area and he feared his trailer might blow over. Some of the suggestions I gave him might be helpful if you get caught in high winds while camping. First, always try to position your vehicle with the front facing the prevailing winds to minimize the impact forces on the vehicle. The front presents a much smaller area for the wind to push against than the side and it will take a lot more wind to flip a vehicle end to end than to tip it over sideways. A second option you might adapt when camping is to tie down the whole trailer using awning tie downs. My third recommendation probably isn't very practical for camping and that is to install a skirt around the bottom of the trailer to prevent the wind from getting underneath it. Of course, take advantage of any available wind breaks -- rocks, buildings, fences, thickets, other RVs -- to reduce the force on your vehicle. But be careful how you arrange your vehicles to create wind breaks. I've seen RVs and trailers parked close together in an attempt to create a wind wall -- and the result intensified the wind coming between them -- a demonstration of the venturi effect. Also, stabilizing your RV will reduce rocking on the suspension, making it more comfortable for you and helping keep it on the ground by dampening movement instead of letting it build up under repeated gusts.
Once you've done everything you can to make your camp site as wind-resistant as possible, get in out of the wind and wait it out! Have some fun indoor games or other activities planned but continue to monitor conditions outside so you can take action -- or resume activities -- if/when the situation changes. Just for fun, you might want to bring along a kite or two to play with when it gets windy.
Have fun, and don't blow it!
RVs, including motorhomes, trailers, and especially truck campers, are much more affected by strong crosswinds on the highway than when parked, so avoid driving in windy conditions if you can. On one trip in the Mojave Desert I saw an 18-wheeler lying on its side along Highway 14 near Mojave and figured that was a pretty good sign that it was TOO windy for safe RV travel! When I stopped for gas a few mile later I learned the fallen semi had been an empty, dead-heading back for another load so it lacked any cargo weight to help hold it down and had been there for a couple of days. Even so, it was scary seeing a rig much bigger than my motorhome lying where it had been blown over onto it's side. If you get caught in sudden winds, seek shelter if you can. You may be able to stop under an overpass or pull over next to the leeward side (out of the wind) of a sturdy building. Even just pulling off into a rest area or side street or along the road will be safer than continuing to drive, especially if you an find place to park facing the wind. A stationary RV is less susceptible to wind than one that is moving. When moving you may be blown into oncoming traffic or the buffeting of the wind may simply set up a rocking motion that is amplified by repeated gusts until your rig is blown over or into oncoming traffic or the effort to maintain position causes you to lose control. If you do pull over into a rest area or off the road, try to park so the front or rear of your RV, not the broad side, is facing the wind. Most RVs are designed so the front is somewhat more aerodynamic than the back. The only danger of facing into the wind is an increased risk of windshield damage from flying debris in extreme winds. External windshield covers may provide some protection against blowing small stuff, but will do little good if gale-force winds throw large debris in your direction -- and you may not feel like getting out in the storm to try to put them on. The wind could rip them out of your hands and blow them away before you could secure them. If they attach only by Velcro or snaps and not twist lock fasteners, the wind could rip them right off the rig. Truck campers are probably the most dangerous to drive in high winds because they have a relatively high center of gravity. They may also be the most susceptible to cross winds in camp. Motorhomes, on the other hand, are generally more stable than truck campers or trailers because of the heavy automotive chassis and low-mounted holding and fuel tanks. Trailers are somewhere in between, more stable than truck campers, but less stable than motorhomes and are very susceptible to crosswinds. My grown son got caught in a crosswind on a major freeway that flipped his toy hauler trailer and his truck over onto their sides. By the time the trailer stopped sliding it had disintegrated to where nothing stood more than 6" above the frame except the generator and the big steel "loading ramp" style tailgate. The rest was shattered into unrecognizable pieces no bigger than your hand. Fortunately he was blown over onto the median and not into oncoming traffic! Luckily, he was not injured, but both truck and trailer were totaled along with just about all the cargo in the trailer.
Winds can be a problem when you are getting in and out of your RV. Strong winds may surprise you when you open the door, yanking it out of your hand and possibly injuring you and damaging your RV. Think about that before you open the door and get a good strong grip on it. Winds can also blow dust and debris and sometimes rain and snow into your rig. Try to avoid opening the door as much as you can and keep a really good grip on it when you do. Try not to leave it open any longer than necessary. If you have parked with the front into the wind, the wind will push against the door when you open it instead of ripping it out of your hands if the wind is coming from the rear.
A secondary danger from winds is the debris they kick up. Dust, sand, tumbleweeds, garbage, even large pieces of wood and sheet metal can pummel your RV (or your body!), inhibiting visibility and possibly damaging windshields, windows, and the skin of your RV or your skin. Once again, you are safer when you are stopped than when you are moving, partly because the added energy of your vehicle momentum may increase the impact and the damage caused by debris. For example, if a 50 mph wind blows a metal garbage can lid into the front of a vehicle traveling 55 mph, you have a 105 mph impact. If the vehicle was stationary, the impact would have been only the 50 mph of the wind. The difference isn't necessarily going to save the windshield, but it may save occupants from high velocity shrapnel. Tornado force winds have been known to drive pieces of straw through solid oak doors and toss around heavy farm equipment like kids' toys.
Winds in camp are not as dangerous as they are on the road, but a wise camper will take appropriate precautions, like storing awnings, closing roof vents and windows, and securing any loose equipment. Make sure your patio mat is securely anchored to the ground or roll it up until the wind dies down. Also be aware of the potential of falling limbs if you are parked under trees. If you are camping in an RV equipped with slide outs You may also want to retract your slide outs during high winds. The extra surface area and extended leverage of the slide outs may cause excessive rocking and rolling of your unit and could tweak the slide outs so they can't be retracted and/or no longer fit properly. Awnings are especially susceptible to wind damage. They can be very difficult to store properly in windy conditions so roll them up BEFORE the wind gets too strong. Some high end awnings have wind sensor and use an electric motor to roll them up when wind is detected. Hopefully they will detect the wind before it gets too forceful for the automated motor to roll it up. Just to be safe, if the wind starts to kick up you should roll up your awnings before the sensors detect it. If you already have a campfire going you may want to put it out until the wind dies down and it is probably an exercise in futility to try to light a campfire when it is windy. Even using a charcoal or gas BBQ can be difficult if not impossible in high winds. I had to give up and take our hamburgers inside and fry them in a pan on the RV stove when the wind kept my BBQ from getting enough heat to grill to cook the meat. And that was with a wind guard around the BBQ! Strong or erratic winds can whip over or around a wind guard and wreak havoc with your attempts at cooking.
Stabilizing your RV. Stabilizing your RV when you are parked in camp will reduce how much it is rocked by the wind, which will, in turn, make routine tasks, such as cooking, eating, and sleeping, easier and more comfortable. Motorhomes with hydraulic leveling jacks are stabilized by the leveling jacks. But if you use leveling blocks under the tires to level your RV, the body will still bounce on the springs and suspension as it is buffeted by the wind or rocked by internal movement -- unless you add stabilizers. Many trailers have scissor style stabilizing jacks that can be manually cranked down to control bounce and assist with leveling. You might be able to use the camper jacks on a truck camper to stabilize it. Just be darn sure you retract them before moving the vehicle or you risk tearing the camper to pieces! Another, less expensive and less convenient option for trailers and some motorhomes are jack stands. They usually come in a set of four and are comprised of aluminum pyramids with adjustable extensions on top. Put one of these under each corner of any RV so it connects the frame and body (not the axles) to the ground and it will add significant stability. Standard stabilizers are probably not tall enough for many motorhomes. You may need special, high-rise stands or put additional blocks under them for them to work on motorhomes. You may need a big (10" or 12") crescent wrench to spin the adjusting nut once the adjuster contacts the frame. NOTE: these kinds of stabilizers should NOT be used to lift heavy vehicles to level them.
It isn't always easy to estimate the wind speed when you are traveling in a vehicle but you can observe trees, bushes, flags, and the movement of debris in the wind to get an idea of how bad it is. There is a scale, from 0 to 12, that measures wind speed, 0 being calm and 12 being hurricane. You might want to familiarize yourself with at least some of the indicators. Click this link to view the scale: Wind Speed Estimator . One clue I remember is that when flags are flying straight out, you've got a gentle breeze of 8-12 mph. Suffice it to say that if whole trees are swaying and huge pieces of debris coming at you, it is time to seek immediate and sturdy shelter! How much wind you and/or your rig can handle depends on several factors, such as the type of rig, its orientation to the wind, its weight, and your experience and skill at controlling it in windy conditions. Anti-sway bars and steering stabilizers can make it easier to control a large vehicle in the wind. Weak suspension (poor shocks and/or springs) will contribute to handling problems in the wind. Wind deflectors on tow vehicles can minimize how much the wind affects the trailer on the road. Air Tabs are plastic devices attached near the rear of a trailer or motorhome to help control the way the wind whips around behind the vehicle. I haven't had a chance to try them yet, but the reports I've seen say they make a big difference, especially when you're buffeted by cross winds from a passing semi truck.
Wind is of even greater concern to tent campers. Tents that are not adequately anchored to the ground will quickly become uncontrolled kites when the wind picks up and you might never see them again. You might think your heavy packs or other gear will hold it down, until you see your tent sailing off dribbling your valuables all over creation. Different styles of tents and methods of anchoring will have different capabilities to survive wind. Check the instructions that came with your tent or contact the manufacturer to find out how much wind yours can withstand. You will want to take down your tent and seek alternate shelter long before the winds approach the limits. Taking down a tent in even a mild wind can be difficult and even dangerous. You may find your tent provides enough sail to carry you across the campground or even make you airborne before you can get it rolled up if you wait too long. In any windy situation. even a little breeze, check your tent pegs and ropes frequently to make sure they remain secure. If even one comes loose it gives the wind something to get hold of and will greatly increase the risk of damage or being blown away as the loose part of the tent begins to flap. As the wind picks up, you may want to add extra tie-downs to ensure your safety. Having weight inside your tent, such as gear or people, will help keep it from blowing away in moderate winds, but high winds may still pick it up and leave a trail of debris -- and bodies -- as it sails off. Blowing debris can seriously damage tent fabric. The heavier the fabric, the less susceptible it will be to flying debris. A thin nylon tent can be easily penetrated while a heavy canvas tent will be stronger, less susceptible to damage, and offer more protection to occupants and contents. Twigs and other small debris might easily damage thin tents. High winds can do amazing things. Tornadoes have been known to drive pieces of straw through 2" thick oak doors. Image what strong wind can do to nylon or canvas!
Securing your gear in camp is essential when the wind picks up. Canopies and camp chairs have large "sail" areas compared to their weight and can easily be blow over or blown away. Even fairly heavily loaded ice chests can be blown around by strong winds. They may be damaged or blown over and their contents scattered or even cause damage when blown into vehicles or other equipment. Dirt bikes and bicycles can be blown over, especially if they're broadside in the wind. All RV awnings should be retracted BEFORE the wind gets bad. Strong winds will wreak havoc with open awnings, causing severe damage to the awnings themselves, ripping fabric and bending or damaging hardware, and possibly damaging the RV itself. Standalone canopies should be taken down and stored. Trash cans are very susceptible to wind and make a nasty mess to cleanup when they get blown over. They can also inflict serious body damage if blown into vehicles or people. Try to secure them to a tree or post or at least set them on the leeward side of a vehicle, building, or large tree to get them as much out of the wind as possible.
Campfires. Campfires and windy conditions are not very compatible. Wind is likely to blow embers or even flaming debris into surrounding brush, grass, tents, vehicles, or people. And getting a fire started in the wind is not easy. Besides that, it isn't a lot of fun sitting around the campfire in the wind! It is a good idea to put out the campfire whenever the wind picks up. If you MUST have a campfire in windy conditions, use some sort of fire box. We use the tub from an old washing machine, affectionately dubbed R2D2. For further information about this option, see my January 2011 post on Campfire Safety. There are several portable fireplaces available today commercially that will similarly limit the spread of embers while providing a safer and more comfortable fire. However, most of of these aren't as deep as a washing machine tub so you may have to limit yourself to smaller fires. It will be impossible to really enjoy a campfire if the wind continually shifts direction. If the wind seems to "chase" you around the fire, it is time to put it out and seek some other, out-of-the-weather form of warmth and recreation for the evening. Wind will cause you to use up your wood more quickly. The breeze will act like a blacksmith's bellows, fanning the flames. While that may make the fire put out more heat the wind will take it away faster so its harder for you to stay warm and it will also burn up your wood faster. Always put your camp chairs away or at least fold them up and lay them flat when you retire for the night. You never know when a breeze might kick up and blow them onto the fire pit. The heat left in the coals beneath a fire that hasn't been completely drowned can be substantial, enough to melt the plastic and even aluminum parts of camp chairs if they end up on top of the fire pit.
Getting caught in the wind on your OHV, especially dirt bikes, can be very dangerous. Try to avoid riding in windy conditions or when a storm may be approaching. I've seen dirt bikes and their riders blown over flat by wind gusts on hill tops in the Mojave Desert. A gust hit just as two riders topped a small ridge and they were blown flat in something akin to the old Laugh-In TV show tricycle get-off. Wind may also kick up a lot of dust and make visibility difficult, greatly increasing the danger of not being able to see an obstacle (rock, tree, gully, mine shaft, stalled vehicle, RV, animal or fellow rider) in time to avoid a collision. If you do get caught in the wind try to find temporary shelter until it dies down. Large rocks, gullies (if it isn't raining), and groves of trees may offer you some respite. If you must keep going, hunker down on your ride to minimize wind resistance and adjust your speed according to visibility. Try to ride into or with the wind instead of across it. If your ride has lights, turn them on to make yourself more visible to fellow riders.
Severe winds. If you have an option, avoid camping in severely windy conditions. I had a reader inquire about the best ways to secure a travel trailer that they are living in while building a new home. They live in very windy area and he feared his trailer might blow over. Some of the suggestions I gave him might be helpful if you get caught in high winds while camping. First, always try to position your vehicle with the front facing the prevailing winds to minimize the impact forces on the vehicle. The front presents a much smaller area for the wind to push against than the side and it will take a lot more wind to flip a vehicle end to end than to tip it over sideways. A second option you might adapt when camping is to tie down the whole trailer using awning tie downs. My third recommendation probably isn't very practical for camping and that is to install a skirt around the bottom of the trailer to prevent the wind from getting underneath it. Of course, take advantage of any available wind breaks -- rocks, buildings, fences, thickets, other RVs -- to reduce the force on your vehicle. But be careful how you arrange your vehicles to create wind breaks. I've seen RVs and trailers parked close together in an attempt to create a wind wall -- and the result intensified the wind coming between them -- a demonstration of the venturi effect. Also, stabilizing your RV will reduce rocking on the suspension, making it more comfortable for you and helping keep it on the ground by dampening movement instead of letting it build up under repeated gusts.
Once you've done everything you can to make your camp site as wind-resistant as possible, get in out of the wind and wait it out! Have some fun indoor games or other activities planned but continue to monitor conditions outside so you can take action -- or resume activities -- if/when the situation changes. Just for fun, you might want to bring along a kite or two to play with when it gets windy.
Have fun, and don't blow it!
Camping in Hail!
No one would go camping in a hail storm on purpose. You want to avoid camping in hail if you can. But hail often accompanies thunderstorms, which all to often pop up unexpectedly in mountainous areas that make their own weather. While hail often accompanies thunderstorms you can get hail without lightning and thunder. Hail is created in vertical winds within clouds. Moisture condenses on particles in the air. If the vertical winds aren't strong it simply falls to earth as rain. But when their are high winds within a cloud formation, the drops are carried up to higher altitudes and lower temperatures where they freeze. They then fall back down where they can get coated with more moisture and the cycle continues until they get so heavy the winds can no longer carry them back up.
There is no good way to camp in a hail storm. Hail bombarding your vehicle can break windows and dent roofs and other horizontal surfaces. I got caught in a hailstorm with dime-sized hailstones last summer and now the roof of my RV has texture much like a golf ball. An external windshield cover, if you have one, might reduce the chance of glass damage. Hail can really wreak havoc with tents and canopies. Put your awnings and canopies away as soon as you can. About all you can do to protect your tent is put a tarp over it to absorb some of the impact. Or take it down and wait out the storm in your vehicle or some other available structure. Dime size hail can be annoying and inflict minor damage but hail can get larger -- sometimes as big as baseballs! And when that happens, it is VERY dangerous, even deadly. Imagine being struck by a chuck of ice 3" in diameter that has fallen several thousand feet and is likely to have reached terminal velocity (the fastest speed it can fall given size, weight, and atmospheric resistance). The terminal velocity of hail is roughly proportional to the square root of its diameter. to A 1cm hailstone will have a terminal velocity around 50 mph.
If you start to experience hail on the highway, try to find shelter under a bridge or overpass until the hail stops. Be sure there is room to get far enough out of traffic lanes so you don't create a hazard for other drivers and risk getting hit. Sometimes you can get some shelter by parking next to a building if you can find an appropriately configured parking lot. Getting under the canopies at fueling stations would protect your rig from the hail, but it isn't ethical to tie up the pumps except while you're actively fueling your rig. A sudden hail storm might be a good excuse to stop and top off your tanks. An abandoned gas station would be perfect for a longer stay, if too many other drivers haven't already beaten you to it!
If you're already set up in camp when it starts to hail there isn't much you can do about your vehicle but you can make sure portable equipment and OHVs are brought in or placed under shelter before they are damaged. Also, make sure all your awnings are properly stored at the signs of an approaching storm. You want to roll up your awnings before they get wet -- and before any gusty winds can damage them up or make rolling them up difficult.
If it hails long enough, it could create make the roads slick. If the road starts getting covered with hail, treat it like you would snow. Slow down, give yourself extra room for stopping and turning; leave extra space between you and the vehicle in front of you; avoid sharp or sudden changes in direction.
Did your mom ever tell you to stay off the phone during a thunderstorm? There is some validity to that old wives tale. Lightning striking power or phone poles many miles away can send a potentionally lethal charge down the wires. If you're boondocking you usually don't have to worry about power line strikes, but you may want to take precautions, like disconnecting from the campground power outlets (or even phone, TV cable, and wired Internet connections), during a thunderstorm when in a campground. A strike many miles away could cause a surge that could damage the electrical systems in your RV. You can equip your RV with surge protectors, but they are fairly expensive. Still, they can save many times their cost and a lot of inconvenience by preventing electrical damage. An electrical surge can fry wiring and start a fire too. If you don't have a surge protector you might want to completely disconnect all wiring from the campground during a thunderstorm, just to be safe.
If you're out on the trails (hiking, horseback riding, or OHV riding) when it starts to hail, seek immediate shelter. Get back to camp if you can or look for someplace to get you and your mount (furry or mechanical) under cover. Get into a large culvert or under a bridge (be alert for flash floods!), get into a cave or tunnel or under an overhanging ledge or go into a grove of trees. Trees may not completely block all the hail but they should stop and/or slow down some of it, and that's better than standing out in the open. Don't stop under a single tall tree. It may serve as a lightning rod!
Keep your helmet on as long as you are out in the hail. Helmets are required for riding dirt bikes and ATVs in many areas and it is ALWAYS a good idea. Even small hail can be very painful and inflict some injuries. Some folks have equestrian helmets for horseback riding. They aren't as fashionably appealing as a cowboy hat but they'll do a lot more good if you get knocked off, fall, or are thrown and they can prevent a nasty headache if it starts to hail. Did you know more people suffer head injuries from equestrian accidents than from motorcycle accidents? Yet there is no outcry for equestrian helmet laws.
Don't get dinged!
There is no good way to camp in a hail storm. Hail bombarding your vehicle can break windows and dent roofs and other horizontal surfaces. I got caught in a hailstorm with dime-sized hailstones last summer and now the roof of my RV has texture much like a golf ball. An external windshield cover, if you have one, might reduce the chance of glass damage. Hail can really wreak havoc with tents and canopies. Put your awnings and canopies away as soon as you can. About all you can do to protect your tent is put a tarp over it to absorb some of the impact. Or take it down and wait out the storm in your vehicle or some other available structure. Dime size hail can be annoying and inflict minor damage but hail can get larger -- sometimes as big as baseballs! And when that happens, it is VERY dangerous, even deadly. Imagine being struck by a chuck of ice 3" in diameter that has fallen several thousand feet and is likely to have reached terminal velocity (the fastest speed it can fall given size, weight, and atmospheric resistance). The terminal velocity of hail is roughly proportional to the square root of its diameter. to A 1cm hailstone will have a terminal velocity around 50 mph.
If you start to experience hail on the highway, try to find shelter under a bridge or overpass until the hail stops. Be sure there is room to get far enough out of traffic lanes so you don't create a hazard for other drivers and risk getting hit. Sometimes you can get some shelter by parking next to a building if you can find an appropriately configured parking lot. Getting under the canopies at fueling stations would protect your rig from the hail, but it isn't ethical to tie up the pumps except while you're actively fueling your rig. A sudden hail storm might be a good excuse to stop and top off your tanks. An abandoned gas station would be perfect for a longer stay, if too many other drivers haven't already beaten you to it!
If you're already set up in camp when it starts to hail there isn't much you can do about your vehicle but you can make sure portable equipment and OHVs are brought in or placed under shelter before they are damaged. Also, make sure all your awnings are properly stored at the signs of an approaching storm. You want to roll up your awnings before they get wet -- and before any gusty winds can damage them up or make rolling them up difficult.
If it hails long enough, it could create make the roads slick. If the road starts getting covered with hail, treat it like you would snow. Slow down, give yourself extra room for stopping and turning; leave extra space between you and the vehicle in front of you; avoid sharp or sudden changes in direction.
Did your mom ever tell you to stay off the phone during a thunderstorm? There is some validity to that old wives tale. Lightning striking power or phone poles many miles away can send a potentionally lethal charge down the wires. If you're boondocking you usually don't have to worry about power line strikes, but you may want to take precautions, like disconnecting from the campground power outlets (or even phone, TV cable, and wired Internet connections), during a thunderstorm when in a campground. A strike many miles away could cause a surge that could damage the electrical systems in your RV. You can equip your RV with surge protectors, but they are fairly expensive. Still, they can save many times their cost and a lot of inconvenience by preventing electrical damage. An electrical surge can fry wiring and start a fire too. If you don't have a surge protector you might want to completely disconnect all wiring from the campground during a thunderstorm, just to be safe.
If you're out on the trails (hiking, horseback riding, or OHV riding) when it starts to hail, seek immediate shelter. Get back to camp if you can or look for someplace to get you and your mount (furry or mechanical) under cover. Get into a large culvert or under a bridge (be alert for flash floods!), get into a cave or tunnel or under an overhanging ledge or go into a grove of trees. Trees may not completely block all the hail but they should stop and/or slow down some of it, and that's better than standing out in the open. Don't stop under a single tall tree. It may serve as a lightning rod!
Keep your helmet on as long as you are out in the hail. Helmets are required for riding dirt bikes and ATVs in many areas and it is ALWAYS a good idea. Even small hail can be very painful and inflict some injuries. Some folks have equestrian helmets for horseback riding. They aren't as fashionably appealing as a cowboy hat but they'll do a lot more good if you get knocked off, fall, or are thrown and they can prevent a nasty headache if it starts to hail. Did you know more people suffer head injuries from equestrian accidents than from motorcycle accidents? Yet there is no outcry for equestrian helmet laws.
Don't get dinged!
Camping in Thunder Storms!
Most of us wouldn't deliberately go camping in bad weather but thunderstorms can strike anywhere, just about anytime. While they are most apt to occur in the summer or fall, I've even seen lighting and thunder during a snow storm (Thundersnow) on Christmas day in Utah! Thunderstorms are quite common in the mountainous areas favored by campers. Mountains often create their own weather and local activity won't always show up on regional forecasts. I've seen summer thunderstorms in mountainous areas that were so regular you could almost set your clock by them. Thunderstorms can be beautiful to watch and kind of fun -- if you are someplace safe -- or deadly if you are caught out in the open or near objects that may attract lightning. In any case, they are a superb demonstration of the power of Nature and demand respect. If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm to be possibly struck by lightning, so take precautions right away!
Thunder is the sound of lightning. Lightning takes place because there is a build up of a differential in electrical charge between the earth and the clouds moving overhead or between clouds. When the difference gets large enough, electricity arcs between clouds or from the clouds to the ground to equalize the charge and lightning is born. A lightning bolt can instantly heat its channel through the air to as much as 54,000°F. That's something like 255 times as hot as it takes to boil water! Cloud-to-cloud lightning is spectacular to watch and poses little threat to people on the ground. Cloud-to-ground lightning, on the other hand, creates a huge threat to people and objects on the ground. Lightning strikes with tremendous force, enough to split and destroy mature trees in a single strike. It can also cause fires where there is sufficient fuel, like in forests, brush, and grasslands. Fires don't usually spread rapidly in desert areas where the foliage is sparse. Lightning will seek the path of least resistance, usually arcing from the highest point on the ground, so you want to make sure YOU are not the highest point or are not near the highest point. Not all the lightning you see is cloud-to-ground. There are a number of different kinds of cloud-to-cloud lightning that will illuminate the sky but won't necessarily have the distinctive streaks we normally associate with lightning. Typically there are 5-10 times as many intra-cloud flashes as cloud-to-ground flashes. You may see spider lightning that usually shows up as long, horizontal flashes on the underside of clouds. For more on fascinating lightning types, check out red sprites, blue jets, and elves on Lighting Types. Since these are transient, high altitude phenomena, you probably won't observe them unless you are flying over a thunder storm or way higher up on a mountain than I'd ever want to be in a thunderstorm.
Lightning can strike distant power lines and send a dangerous surge through electric and phone lines. If you usually camp with electric hookups it is a good idea to equip your RV with a good surge protector to prevent damage from power surges. They aren't cheap, but they're a lot cheaper than replacing all the damaged wiring and electrical and electronic equipment that will be ruined without them. If you don't have a surge protector, you might want to consider disconnecting all wiring from the campground until the storm passes. Even phone, TV cable, or wired Internet
Thunder is caused by a sonic shock wave generated as the super-heated air expands (remember that 54,000 °F) and strikes cooler air surrounding it. Thunder is the sound of lightning. Remember, if you hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm that you could be struck by lightning. Thunder can typically be heard up to 25 miles. At that distance it will mostly be a low rumble as high frequency sound is absorbed by the environment. When lightning strikes closer than that the thunder will be louder, sharper, and more intense. The time between seeing the lightning flash and hearing the thunder can give you an approximation of how far away the lightning was. Measure the seconds or count "one-one thousand, two-one-thousand" etc. Divide by 3 to get the approximate distance in kilometers or by 5 go get the approximate distance in miles. Anything within a mile or two represents significant danger. I have worked on outdoor construction projects that were shut down whenever lighting was within 2 miles. That's a count of about 10 seconds. You might use that as a guide for curtailing outdoor activities when there is thunder and lightning in the area and make sure YOU aren't the highest point around!
Heat lightning is a term applied to lightning or lightning induced illumination that is too far away for thunder to be heard. You may see clouds light up in a distant storm before it gets close enough for the sound of thunder to reach you. You probably don't need to worry right away unless the storm is obviously headed your way but you'll want to keep an eye on it and keep your ears open for thunder. You may also see clouds light up from cloud to cloud lightning. When it is present there is also a pretty good chance of cloud to ground lightning, so take precautions when you hear the thunder, even it is from cloud to cloud activity at the time.
Hail is another hazard of thunderstorms. High winds within the thunderclouds whip particles up and down through various temperatures. At low levels, they pick up moisture. At high elevations, the moisture that has accumulated on particles freezes. The cycle repeats, building up layer after layer of ice to form hailstones. As they grow heavy enough, they fall into warmer, moist air and pick up more moisture. If the winds are strong enough, they are whipped back up and the new layer of moisture freezes. The stronger the winds within the cloud, the larger and heavier the hailstones grow. Small hail is mostly a nuisance and may cause some stinging pain if you are caught out in it. You can usually get pretty good protection from small hail under small trees and bushes or even a tent or awning. As the hail gets larger, the hazard increases. Dime size hail will hurt like heck and can dimple RV and vehicle roofs. Golf-ball sized hail will dent vehicles, damage roofs, and break windows and windshields. Tents and fabric awnings are little protection and will be severely damaged by hail of this size. Even larger hailstones have been recorded, some bigger than a baseball. Imagine having one of those land on your head! It would be worse than getting hit with a major-league fastball! If you encounter a hailstorm, seek shelter immediately. If you are on the road and the hail gets bigger than a dime, try to pull over under a freeway bridge before it breaks your windshield or damages your vehicle. If you are in camp about all you can do is get yourself and any equipment that is likely to be damaged inside and wait it out. The roof of your RV or other vehicle may be dented by large hailstones but at least it will keep it off your head. Tents will provide protection against small hail, but if it heads toward golf ball size, you might want to get in or crawl under your vehicle or other sturdy protection until it stops if you don't have any other safe place. If your are out on the trails on your OHV, horse, or on foot, seek any shelter you can find. A cave or a rock overhang would provide the best protection but you may have to settle for huddling under a large tree. Just make sure it isn't a lone tree or the tallest one around. You don't want to try to hide from a thunderstorm next to a lightning rod! Try to move your ride (mechanical or furry) to a safe place also. You don't want your body or anything that is important to you to become the highest point around. Even fairly small hailstones can dent vehicles and break windows. I noticed a new, golf-ball texture on the roof of my motorhome following a thunderstorm last summer with dime sized hail. Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do if you're caught out in a hailstorm. Get your vehicle under some kind of protection if you can. A bridge or an overpass or the canopy at a gas station provides the most protection, but trees can slow or divert at least some of the hailstones although being under trees may subject you to falling branches from high winds that often accompany thunder storms so pick your spot carefully.
Cold rain that often accompanies thunderstorms can quickly chill your body to the point of dangerous hypothermia. The first few drops on a hot day will be refreshing, but getting soaked will be uncomfortable and even dangerous before long. Hypothermia occurs when the body's core temperature falls to about 95°. That's only a few degrees below the normal temperature of 98.6°. Standing around in wet clothes, especially if there is a breeze, can quickly put a person into hypothermia. If you can't get in out of the rain before getting soaked, try to change into dry clothing and get warm as soon as possible. Lacking any dry clothes in camp, get out of the wet ones and wrap up in a blanket or sleeping bag until your clothes dry. In wet clothes you can get dangerously hypothermic even in fairly comfortable air temperatures.
I have personally been close enough to a lightning strike that the "thunder" was perceived as a violent explosion simultaneous with the flash. Believe me, that is scary, even though we were maybe a hundred yards away across a parking lot! It was like a bomb or dynamite going off! To estimate how close lightning is to you, watch for the lightning flash, then measure the seconds until you hear the thunder. If you don't have a watch count "one thousand one, two one thousand, etc". Divide the count by 5 to estimate how many miles to the lightning or divide by 3 for kilometers. If lightning is striking within 2 miles of your location (about 10 seconds after the lightning flash), seek immediate shelter. And remember that if you can hear the thunder, regardless of how long it was from the lightning flash, you are probably within striking distance of the lightning sometime soon and should begin looking for shelter or start heading back to camp.
Being inside an RV, like being inside of just about any enclosed vehicle or building, gives you some personal protection from lightning. A popular mis-belief is that the rubber tires on a vehicle insulate you from the ground. That simply isn't true. Lightning strikes are powerful enough to easily jump the gap from the metal wheels to the ground and the rain that usually accompanies thunder storms creates an effective conductor over the rubber tires anyway. After all, lightning bolts are already arcing thousands of feet through the air from clouds to the ground, so whats a few inches from metal wheel to ground. What really protects you is the metal framework surrounding you that conducts the strike safely past you to the ground through the body of your vehicle instead of through your body. Thus, sitting on your rubber-tired OHV does not protect you from being struck by lightning, especially if you are the tallest point around.
A popular saying is that "lightning never strikes twice in the same place". That may have some foundation in the expectation that once lightning has struck a place, it no longer exists as the highest point to be struck a second time. That is probably true of tall trees. However, lightning does strike some places repeatedly. For instance, the Empire State Building in New York City is struck by lightning about 100 times every year. So why isn't it damaged or the occupants injured? Because it is grounded so the lightning passes through special circuits in the building into the ground without harming the contents or the occupants. The lightning rod on top is connected to a special metal framework that safely conducts the electricity into the ground beneath the building and away from occupants. Even people have been struck more than once by lightning and survived. I suspect it may not have been direct strikes either time.
Some one struck by lightning does NOT become "charged". You will not be shocked it you come in contact with them after they have been struck, only if you are touching them when they are struck. Some electrocuted by a fallen power line, on the other hand, could very well be a danger if they are still in contact with the line. If you go to assist someone in that situation, make sure any fallen lines are moved off of them before you touch them. Use a stick or wooden pole to move the wires so you don't get shocked.
If you find yourself in a lightning storm in your RV, try to find a low-lying area away from tall trees or light poles to park. You don't want to be or be near the highest point. Stay away from tall trees and light poles in camp grounds, parking lots or rest areas. However, take care in choosing a low-lying area. Many may be subject to flash floods. Your best bet is on a small rise that keeps you lower than surrounding lightning targets, but up out of the danger of flooding. But even then, be cautious and observant. You don't want to find yourself marooned on an island if a flash flood inundates the low lying area around you. Flash floods can happen from rain many miles away, often surprising those in its path.
While you may be relatively safe from direct injury from lightning striking your RV when you are in it, your RV certainly isn't. Furthermore, if you are in contact with any part of the metal frame of the RV when lightning strikes, all bets are off and you'll probably be seriously injured. Don't lean up against window or door frames. Avoid touching plumbing fixtures. Lightning striking your RV or even near it is likely to damage appliances and electronic equipment and perhaps the ignition systems on motorhomes and tow vehicles. It can also cause fires and even explosions. Keep in mind your RV is carrying a significant amount of volatile fuels (propane and, in the case of motorhomes and toyhaulers, gasoline or diesel). If your RV catches fire, GET OUT and far away from the vehicle as soon as possible. Those little spray-can sized fire extinguishers required by law are good for small cooking fires, but they will be useless if your whole vehicle is on fire. Better to just let it burn and get you and your loved ones to safety than die in a futile attempt to save a vehicle that can be replaced. A fire fighter rule of thumb is if the fire is bigger than a wastebasket, get help!
If you're caught in an electrical storm while out hiking or riding your horse or OHV, seek shelter in a low-lying area as soon as possible -- but avoid places that might be subject to flooding. If you're in a flat area or on a hill top, you might well be the highest point around and the path of least resistance for lightning! As mentioned above, rubber tires to not insulate you from the ground enough to prevent being struck by lightning. Do not seek shelter under tall trees or even single trees in an open area, regardless of how tall they are. You are somewhat safer in a thick grove of trees nearly all the same height than you are out in the open but the best course of action is to get low -- under a bridge or in a culvert will provide protection from lightning but that carries its own dangers: flash floods. Even if it isn't raining where you are yet, the sudden downpour often associated with thunderstorms can create flash floods that sweep down streams and formerly dry gullies with amazing speed and deadly force from many miles away. If you do seek shelter under a bridge or culvert, make sure you can see far enough upstream to get the heck out of the way if there is a flash flood! If there is no place to go, consider getting off your ride and squatting down some distance away from it so that IT is the highest point around, and not your head or your backside! Better it gets struck than you! The safest recommended position is to squat down with your hands on your knees and put your head between your knees. Lying flat is said to actually make you a larger target and more likely to be hit. Even when lying flat your backside may be the highest point around and most vulnerable to being struck by lightening. Replacing your fried OHV or poor horse may be expensive, but replacing your fried brain or electrocuted heart is impossible.
If you are hiking in the open you may be the tallest object around, so seek shelter in a low-lying area. If there is no place to go, squat down on the ground as described above and wait for the storm to pass. Better to be wet and muddy than electrocuted, incinerated, or vaporized!
You don't have to actually be struck directly by lightning to be injured by a strike. A near miss can send shrapnel flying with deadly velocity in all directions. You may also be stunned by the concussion of the strike, blinded by the flash, your hearing damaged by the thunder or shock wave, or the object hit may fall in your direction. So stay a safe distance away from objects such as tall trees, power poles, and radio towers that might attract lightning.
Kids and thunderstorms. If you're camping with kids you may have extra concerns during thunderstorms. Kids reactions run the gambit, from wanting to go out and play in the rain to being scared to death! Both extremes create problems for Mom and Dad (or Grandma and Grandpa or other guardians). You will want to teach your kids respect for the awesome power of thunderstorms and show them how to protect themselves. Take care not to frighten them unnecessarily. If they are already frightened by thunder and lightning, calmly explain the basics to them and let them know how they can stay safe. Let them know that it is pretty rare for people to be struck by lightning -- as low as 1 in 8,987,657 (you could tell them chances are almost 10 million to 1 against them being struck by lighting). Have alternate indoor activities planned that will take their minds off the storm while keeping them safe and warm. Board games, card games, computer games, movies, and books are all good possibilities. So are baking cookies or making and eating popcorn. Some fresh baked cookies and cup of hot cocoa is a very comforting distraction from storms. Hugs are good too, if your family is physical. Make fun of the storm. My grandpa used to say the thunder was a potato wagon tipping over, which seemed especially relevant since we lived in Idaho and he grew potatoes and would know what one sounds like. Equate lightning to a fireworks display and encourage kids to spot the best streaks or things like brightest flash, loudest thunder, closest, furthest away, closest together, the one with the most branches, or just count the flashes.
Kids aren't the only ones who need something to do during thunderstorms. While most adults won't be as frightened by storms as children are, being cooped up in a tent or RV to wait out an extended storm is likely to take its toll. Personally, I enjoy a good thunderstorm, as long as the lightning doesn't get TOO close! Not everyone shares my enthusiasm though. While few adults are seriously frightened by thunder storms, many do find them inconvenient or annoying. You may find yourself suffering from symptoms of "cabin fever". It is a good idea to have some indoor activities planned to use if you find yourself in that situation. Board games and card games can be played anywhere. Books and magazines can provide welcome diversions. If you have shore power, an on board generator, or an inverter with adequate battery banks, you can watch videos. Some of the suggestions for kids, like baking cookies or making popcorn, are fun and practical things for even more "mature" kids. I also like to take advantage of times I'm cooped up inside to perform routine inspections and maintenance within my RV or enclosed motorcycle trailer. Inventorying, cleaning, and reorganizing cabinets and drawers is a very productive and satisfying way to use "down" time. Since I have an enclosed motorcycle trailer for our dirt bikes I can even do some maintenance on the bikes when the weather is bad. Even some adults may suffer from some kind of phobia about lightning and thunder and may benefit from some extra comforting. Don't put them down or try to minimize their fears. Just accept them, like you would in a child, and try to reassure and comfort them, perhaps distract them with some fun and interesting activities.
May the only charge you get be enjoying RVing, OHVing, and camping!
Thunder is the sound of lightning. Lightning takes place because there is a build up of a differential in electrical charge between the earth and the clouds moving overhead or between clouds. When the difference gets large enough, electricity arcs between clouds or from the clouds to the ground to equalize the charge and lightning is born. A lightning bolt can instantly heat its channel through the air to as much as 54,000°F. That's something like 255 times as hot as it takes to boil water! Cloud-to-cloud lightning is spectacular to watch and poses little threat to people on the ground. Cloud-to-ground lightning, on the other hand, creates a huge threat to people and objects on the ground. Lightning strikes with tremendous force, enough to split and destroy mature trees in a single strike. It can also cause fires where there is sufficient fuel, like in forests, brush, and grasslands. Fires don't usually spread rapidly in desert areas where the foliage is sparse. Lightning will seek the path of least resistance, usually arcing from the highest point on the ground, so you want to make sure YOU are not the highest point or are not near the highest point. Not all the lightning you see is cloud-to-ground. There are a number of different kinds of cloud-to-cloud lightning that will illuminate the sky but won't necessarily have the distinctive streaks we normally associate with lightning. Typically there are 5-10 times as many intra-cloud flashes as cloud-to-ground flashes. You may see spider lightning that usually shows up as long, horizontal flashes on the underside of clouds. For more on fascinating lightning types, check out red sprites, blue jets, and elves on Lighting Types. Since these are transient, high altitude phenomena, you probably won't observe them unless you are flying over a thunder storm or way higher up on a mountain than I'd ever want to be in a thunderstorm.
Lightning can strike distant power lines and send a dangerous surge through electric and phone lines. If you usually camp with electric hookups it is a good idea to equip your RV with a good surge protector to prevent damage from power surges. They aren't cheap, but they're a lot cheaper than replacing all the damaged wiring and electrical and electronic equipment that will be ruined without them. If you don't have a surge protector, you might want to consider disconnecting all wiring from the campground until the storm passes. Even phone, TV cable, or wired Internet
Thunder is caused by a sonic shock wave generated as the super-heated air expands (remember that 54,000 °F) and strikes cooler air surrounding it. Thunder is the sound of lightning. Remember, if you hear thunder, you are close enough to the storm that you could be struck by lightning. Thunder can typically be heard up to 25 miles. At that distance it will mostly be a low rumble as high frequency sound is absorbed by the environment. When lightning strikes closer than that the thunder will be louder, sharper, and more intense. The time between seeing the lightning flash and hearing the thunder can give you an approximation of how far away the lightning was. Measure the seconds or count "one-one thousand, two-one-thousand" etc. Divide by 3 to get the approximate distance in kilometers or by 5 go get the approximate distance in miles. Anything within a mile or two represents significant danger. I have worked on outdoor construction projects that were shut down whenever lighting was within 2 miles. That's a count of about 10 seconds. You might use that as a guide for curtailing outdoor activities when there is thunder and lightning in the area and make sure YOU aren't the highest point around!
Heat lightning is a term applied to lightning or lightning induced illumination that is too far away for thunder to be heard. You may see clouds light up in a distant storm before it gets close enough for the sound of thunder to reach you. You probably don't need to worry right away unless the storm is obviously headed your way but you'll want to keep an eye on it and keep your ears open for thunder. You may also see clouds light up from cloud to cloud lightning. When it is present there is also a pretty good chance of cloud to ground lightning, so take precautions when you hear the thunder, even it is from cloud to cloud activity at the time.
Hail is another hazard of thunderstorms. High winds within the thunderclouds whip particles up and down through various temperatures. At low levels, they pick up moisture. At high elevations, the moisture that has accumulated on particles freezes. The cycle repeats, building up layer after layer of ice to form hailstones. As they grow heavy enough, they fall into warmer, moist air and pick up more moisture. If the winds are strong enough, they are whipped back up and the new layer of moisture freezes. The stronger the winds within the cloud, the larger and heavier the hailstones grow. Small hail is mostly a nuisance and may cause some stinging pain if you are caught out in it. You can usually get pretty good protection from small hail under small trees and bushes or even a tent or awning. As the hail gets larger, the hazard increases. Dime size hail will hurt like heck and can dimple RV and vehicle roofs. Golf-ball sized hail will dent vehicles, damage roofs, and break windows and windshields. Tents and fabric awnings are little protection and will be severely damaged by hail of this size. Even larger hailstones have been recorded, some bigger than a baseball. Imagine having one of those land on your head! It would be worse than getting hit with a major-league fastball! If you encounter a hailstorm, seek shelter immediately. If you are on the road and the hail gets bigger than a dime, try to pull over under a freeway bridge before it breaks your windshield or damages your vehicle. If you are in camp about all you can do is get yourself and any equipment that is likely to be damaged inside and wait it out. The roof of your RV or other vehicle may be dented by large hailstones but at least it will keep it off your head. Tents will provide protection against small hail, but if it heads toward golf ball size, you might want to get in or crawl under your vehicle or other sturdy protection until it stops if you don't have any other safe place. If your are out on the trails on your OHV, horse, or on foot, seek any shelter you can find. A cave or a rock overhang would provide the best protection but you may have to settle for huddling under a large tree. Just make sure it isn't a lone tree or the tallest one around. You don't want to try to hide from a thunderstorm next to a lightning rod! Try to move your ride (mechanical or furry) to a safe place also. You don't want your body or anything that is important to you to become the highest point around. Even fairly small hailstones can dent vehicles and break windows. I noticed a new, golf-ball texture on the roof of my motorhome following a thunderstorm last summer with dime sized hail. Unfortunately, there isn't much you can do if you're caught out in a hailstorm. Get your vehicle under some kind of protection if you can. A bridge or an overpass or the canopy at a gas station provides the most protection, but trees can slow or divert at least some of the hailstones although being under trees may subject you to falling branches from high winds that often accompany thunder storms so pick your spot carefully.
Cold rain that often accompanies thunderstorms can quickly chill your body to the point of dangerous hypothermia. The first few drops on a hot day will be refreshing, but getting soaked will be uncomfortable and even dangerous before long. Hypothermia occurs when the body's core temperature falls to about 95°. That's only a few degrees below the normal temperature of 98.6°. Standing around in wet clothes, especially if there is a breeze, can quickly put a person into hypothermia. If you can't get in out of the rain before getting soaked, try to change into dry clothing and get warm as soon as possible. Lacking any dry clothes in camp, get out of the wet ones and wrap up in a blanket or sleeping bag until your clothes dry. In wet clothes you can get dangerously hypothermic even in fairly comfortable air temperatures.
I have personally been close enough to a lightning strike that the "thunder" was perceived as a violent explosion simultaneous with the flash. Believe me, that is scary, even though we were maybe a hundred yards away across a parking lot! It was like a bomb or dynamite going off! To estimate how close lightning is to you, watch for the lightning flash, then measure the seconds until you hear the thunder. If you don't have a watch count "one thousand one, two one thousand, etc". Divide the count by 5 to estimate how many miles to the lightning or divide by 3 for kilometers. If lightning is striking within 2 miles of your location (about 10 seconds after the lightning flash), seek immediate shelter. And remember that if you can hear the thunder, regardless of how long it was from the lightning flash, you are probably within striking distance of the lightning sometime soon and should begin looking for shelter or start heading back to camp.
Being inside an RV, like being inside of just about any enclosed vehicle or building, gives you some personal protection from lightning. A popular mis-belief is that the rubber tires on a vehicle insulate you from the ground. That simply isn't true. Lightning strikes are powerful enough to easily jump the gap from the metal wheels to the ground and the rain that usually accompanies thunder storms creates an effective conductor over the rubber tires anyway. After all, lightning bolts are already arcing thousands of feet through the air from clouds to the ground, so whats a few inches from metal wheel to ground. What really protects you is the metal framework surrounding you that conducts the strike safely past you to the ground through the body of your vehicle instead of through your body. Thus, sitting on your rubber-tired OHV does not protect you from being struck by lightning, especially if you are the tallest point around.
A popular saying is that "lightning never strikes twice in the same place". That may have some foundation in the expectation that once lightning has struck a place, it no longer exists as the highest point to be struck a second time. That is probably true of tall trees. However, lightning does strike some places repeatedly. For instance, the Empire State Building in New York City is struck by lightning about 100 times every year. So why isn't it damaged or the occupants injured? Because it is grounded so the lightning passes through special circuits in the building into the ground without harming the contents or the occupants. The lightning rod on top is connected to a special metal framework that safely conducts the electricity into the ground beneath the building and away from occupants. Even people have been struck more than once by lightning and survived. I suspect it may not have been direct strikes either time.
Some one struck by lightning does NOT become "charged". You will not be shocked it you come in contact with them after they have been struck, only if you are touching them when they are struck. Some electrocuted by a fallen power line, on the other hand, could very well be a danger if they are still in contact with the line. If you go to assist someone in that situation, make sure any fallen lines are moved off of them before you touch them. Use a stick or wooden pole to move the wires so you don't get shocked.
If you find yourself in a lightning storm in your RV, try to find a low-lying area away from tall trees or light poles to park. You don't want to be or be near the highest point. Stay away from tall trees and light poles in camp grounds, parking lots or rest areas. However, take care in choosing a low-lying area. Many may be subject to flash floods. Your best bet is on a small rise that keeps you lower than surrounding lightning targets, but up out of the danger of flooding. But even then, be cautious and observant. You don't want to find yourself marooned on an island if a flash flood inundates the low lying area around you. Flash floods can happen from rain many miles away, often surprising those in its path.
While you may be relatively safe from direct injury from lightning striking your RV when you are in it, your RV certainly isn't. Furthermore, if you are in contact with any part of the metal frame of the RV when lightning strikes, all bets are off and you'll probably be seriously injured. Don't lean up against window or door frames. Avoid touching plumbing fixtures. Lightning striking your RV or even near it is likely to damage appliances and electronic equipment and perhaps the ignition systems on motorhomes and tow vehicles. It can also cause fires and even explosions. Keep in mind your RV is carrying a significant amount of volatile fuels (propane and, in the case of motorhomes and toyhaulers, gasoline or diesel). If your RV catches fire, GET OUT and far away from the vehicle as soon as possible. Those little spray-can sized fire extinguishers required by law are good for small cooking fires, but they will be useless if your whole vehicle is on fire. Better to just let it burn and get you and your loved ones to safety than die in a futile attempt to save a vehicle that can be replaced. A fire fighter rule of thumb is if the fire is bigger than a wastebasket, get help!
If you're caught in an electrical storm while out hiking or riding your horse or OHV, seek shelter in a low-lying area as soon as possible -- but avoid places that might be subject to flooding. If you're in a flat area or on a hill top, you might well be the highest point around and the path of least resistance for lightning! As mentioned above, rubber tires to not insulate you from the ground enough to prevent being struck by lightning. Do not seek shelter under tall trees or even single trees in an open area, regardless of how tall they are. You are somewhat safer in a thick grove of trees nearly all the same height than you are out in the open but the best course of action is to get low -- under a bridge or in a culvert will provide protection from lightning but that carries its own dangers: flash floods. Even if it isn't raining where you are yet, the sudden downpour often associated with thunderstorms can create flash floods that sweep down streams and formerly dry gullies with amazing speed and deadly force from many miles away. If you do seek shelter under a bridge or culvert, make sure you can see far enough upstream to get the heck out of the way if there is a flash flood! If there is no place to go, consider getting off your ride and squatting down some distance away from it so that IT is the highest point around, and not your head or your backside! Better it gets struck than you! The safest recommended position is to squat down with your hands on your knees and put your head between your knees. Lying flat is said to actually make you a larger target and more likely to be hit. Even when lying flat your backside may be the highest point around and most vulnerable to being struck by lightening. Replacing your fried OHV or poor horse may be expensive, but replacing your fried brain or electrocuted heart is impossible.
If you are hiking in the open you may be the tallest object around, so seek shelter in a low-lying area. If there is no place to go, squat down on the ground as described above and wait for the storm to pass. Better to be wet and muddy than electrocuted, incinerated, or vaporized!
You don't have to actually be struck directly by lightning to be injured by a strike. A near miss can send shrapnel flying with deadly velocity in all directions. You may also be stunned by the concussion of the strike, blinded by the flash, your hearing damaged by the thunder or shock wave, or the object hit may fall in your direction. So stay a safe distance away from objects such as tall trees, power poles, and radio towers that might attract lightning.
Kids and thunderstorms. If you're camping with kids you may have extra concerns during thunderstorms. Kids reactions run the gambit, from wanting to go out and play in the rain to being scared to death! Both extremes create problems for Mom and Dad (or Grandma and Grandpa or other guardians). You will want to teach your kids respect for the awesome power of thunderstorms and show them how to protect themselves. Take care not to frighten them unnecessarily. If they are already frightened by thunder and lightning, calmly explain the basics to them and let them know how they can stay safe. Let them know that it is pretty rare for people to be struck by lightning -- as low as 1 in 8,987,657 (you could tell them chances are almost 10 million to 1 against them being struck by lighting). Have alternate indoor activities planned that will take their minds off the storm while keeping them safe and warm. Board games, card games, computer games, movies, and books are all good possibilities. So are baking cookies or making and eating popcorn. Some fresh baked cookies and cup of hot cocoa is a very comforting distraction from storms. Hugs are good too, if your family is physical. Make fun of the storm. My grandpa used to say the thunder was a potato wagon tipping over, which seemed especially relevant since we lived in Idaho and he grew potatoes and would know what one sounds like. Equate lightning to a fireworks display and encourage kids to spot the best streaks or things like brightest flash, loudest thunder, closest, furthest away, closest together, the one with the most branches, or just count the flashes.
Kids aren't the only ones who need something to do during thunderstorms. While most adults won't be as frightened by storms as children are, being cooped up in a tent or RV to wait out an extended storm is likely to take its toll. Personally, I enjoy a good thunderstorm, as long as the lightning doesn't get TOO close! Not everyone shares my enthusiasm though. While few adults are seriously frightened by thunder storms, many do find them inconvenient or annoying. You may find yourself suffering from symptoms of "cabin fever". It is a good idea to have some indoor activities planned to use if you find yourself in that situation. Board games and card games can be played anywhere. Books and magazines can provide welcome diversions. If you have shore power, an on board generator, or an inverter with adequate battery banks, you can watch videos. Some of the suggestions for kids, like baking cookies or making popcorn, are fun and practical things for even more "mature" kids. I also like to take advantage of times I'm cooped up inside to perform routine inspections and maintenance within my RV or enclosed motorcycle trailer. Inventorying, cleaning, and reorganizing cabinets and drawers is a very productive and satisfying way to use "down" time. Since I have an enclosed motorcycle trailer for our dirt bikes I can even do some maintenance on the bikes when the weather is bad. Even some adults may suffer from some kind of phobia about lightning and thunder and may benefit from some extra comforting. Don't put them down or try to minimize their fears. Just accept them, like you would in a child, and try to reassure and comfort them, perhaps distract them with some fun and interesting activities.
May the only charge you get be enjoying RVing, OHVing, and camping!
RVs and Fuel Economy
Mentioning RVs and Fuel Economy in the same sentence is kind of an oxymoron, don't you think? After all, RVs are not exactly known for their great gas mileage.
There is a trend in the RV industry today they're calling "right sizing". What it amounts to is an attempt to balance fuel economy with living space and creature comforts for the best value. Some of the new diesel motorhomes and diesel powered tow vehicles claim to get around 18 mpg, a great improvement over the "old days" where similar sized gasoline powered vehicles averaged around 6 mpg -- or less! Of course we pay a huge extra price to buy these new vehicles so payback may take several years, especially with diesel fuel prices climbing.
I mentioned in a previous post the idea of "passenger miles per gallon". This concept is sometimes used to measure efficiency of public transportation like airplanes, trains, and buses. I find it useful to apply it to motorhome or RV travel. My old gasoline powered Class A motorhome got at pretty steady 6 mpg. Seemed like it didn't matter whether I was towing a trailer or not towing a trailer, climbing or descending hills, or sitting the parking lot! But with my wife and six kids on board with me, that yields 48 passenger miles per gallon. Hey, only smaller and highly efficient motorcycles or extraordinary compact hybrid cars can even hope to match that for a single occupant.
Some newer motorhomes and tow vehicles are more fuel efficient than their predecessors. Smaller diesel powered Class A's are claiming performance up to 18 mpg. However, I've seen sales literature on 27' diesel powered Class A's from the 1980's claiming up to 14.8 mpg. Gasoline versions of the same coach got around 6-7 mpg. Newer computerized, fuel injected motorhomes and tow vehicles give better performance than the old gas hogs I grew up with. The 1960's were famous for the big, gas guzzling muscle cars, but, ironically, they also produced one of the most fuel efficient motorhomes of all time: the Corvair powered UltraVan. It delivered around 15 mpg in a well equipped 25' class A motorhome weighing around 3000 lbs and powered by an unmodified Corvair 6 cylinder gas engine. It wasn't fast off the line, but owners of surviving "Ultravans" still find the performance acceptable and their aircraft style aluminum construction made them extremely durable and the design was way ahead of its time so it still looks modern.
Fantastic fuel gadgets are pretty much fantasy. You'll see claims for all kinds of devices to improve fuel economy, but most are just scams. There are systems that claim to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen and add the gases into the air mixture. Physics says this will NOT improve fuel economy since it takes a LOT of energy to separate water molecules and internal combustion engines are only about 30% efficient even using the fuels they were designed for, let alone pure hydrogen, which has less energy per unit volume than gasoline. Some other gadgets include magnets that are installed along fuel lines and claim to "polarize" the fuel. There are always tales of super carburetors that deliver up to 200 mpg, but no one has ever actually seen one and fuel chemistry pretty much proves this is totally impossible, regardless of the efficiency of the carburetor. There simply isn't enough energy in one gallon of gasoline to move a vehicle of any size that far. One device that appears to have some merit is water injection. This simply injects a mist into the air intake. The device was originally intended to clean combustion chambers, but some users found it to improve fuel economy and reduce engine temperatures. It also reduces pre-ignition, allowing you to run cheaper fuel. The bottom line: you'll probably save more by not buying these gadgets than you'll ever save in fuel by using them.
There are some things owners can do to improve mileage and performance. First and foremost, is keeping your vehicle in good repair and properly tuned and the tires properly inflated. Exercising cautious driving skills will also help. Avoid "jack rabbit" starts and try to maintain a constant speed. Use your cruise control (if you have it) when you can. Improving exhaust and air intake efficiency are among the most popular and productive engine modifications. Banks Engineering provides kits for many applications that significantly improve both performance and mileage. Usually improving one means a decrease in the other, but by increasing the efficiency of both intake and exhaust, remarkably Banks systems usually improve both. These systems are fairly expensive so it may take a while to recoup your investment. Some modern computer controlled engines can be "super tuned" using modified computer chips, but here again, tuning for power and tuning for fuel economy are usually mutually exclusive.
Keeping your engine well maintained is one of the best ways to coax maximum performance and mileage from you vehicle. Dirty air filters can significantly reduce both mileage and performance. After all, your engine has to breathe, just like you do! To get some idea of the affect a dirty air filter has on on engine, try breathing through a dirty sock. You engine may not care how bad the air smells, but it will care how hard it is to draw it in. Proper lubrication is critical to prevent wear and reduce internal friction, so religiously follow manufacturer's recommended oil and lube schedules. Motor oil contains additives to improve performance and these additives break done over time.
Motor oil additives are another way of reducing friction in your engine. STP is one of the best know products. Interesting enough, it is said it was discovered accidentally when folks testing racing engines were looking for a way to accelerate wear, They tried adding tiny glass beads to the oil to act as an abrasive and it turned out they behaved more like ball bearings to reduce friction. By the way "STP" stands for "Scientifically Treated Petroleum". Another popular product I've had personally experience with are the Lucas oil treatments for engines and transmissions. I once had the air-over-electric shifter on my diesel pusher motorhome professionally rebuilt when it started sticking. It worked pretty good but began sticking again in less than 3 months. In desperation I pulled it out and cleaned it myself. I gave a good dose of Lucas oil before reassembling it and it worked well for more than a year before needed another good cleaning. The darn thing was nearly 30 years old and had seen over 100,00 miles and probably should have been replaced. But it would have cost about $2000, IF I could even find one!
Perhaps the next biggest factor affecting RV fuel economy is weight. As human beings we tend to love our luxuries and comfort and the larger our mobile cottages are, the heavier they are and the more fuel it takes to drag them around. Minimizing weight by getting rid of unnecessary stuff we accumulate will help keep fuel usage as low as possible.
Keep your tires properly inflated. Here is something that is really easy to do and can make a big difference in handling and fuel economy. Over inflated tires can make rig feel skittish and give it harsh ride; under inflated tires will make it sluggish, will burn more fuel, and can over heat the tires and cause them to wear and blow out. Remember the old 55 MPH national speed limit? It was supposedly designed to save gasoline but reports I've read that even more fuel would have been saved by ensuring proper tire inflation. Over inflation will cause tires to wear in the middle and reduce traction, making the vehicle feel squirrely . The ride might be a little softer with lower inflation, but you will pay for it in fuel and risk tire damage if they are too under inflated. Under inflated tires will wear faster on the outside tread rows and can also have a negative affect on handling.
That being said, driving slower is another way to save fuel. Transmission problems once forced us to drive our mid-sized SUV at 55 mph instead of 70 mph on a long, interstate trip and our mileage jumped from about 22 mpg to nearly 30 mpg! So, maybe the 55mph speed limit wasn't as dumb as I thought, except for interstate trucks that are designed to operate efficiently at freeway speeds.
Wind resistance can also effect mileage, so minimizing it can help mileage. The boxy shape of most motorhomes give them the aerodynamics of a barn door. Yet you'd be surprised what some of the actually ratings are. I had a big boxy Class A Suncrest with a slightly pointed fiberglass front cap that had about the same co-efficient of friction as a Jaguar XKE! Of course the huge frontal area of the boxy Suncrest compared to the sleek XKE meant the motorhome had a total wind resistance that was still immense when the factor was applied to the total frontal area. I like to give my vehicles the best chance of performing well so I try to keep them clean and well-waxed. It may not seem like a big deal, but given the huge surface area, even a small reduction in surface friction can have a cumulative affect on reducing wind resistance. Ever notice that private planes are always clean and shiny? One reason is to reduce wind drag. Keeping your vehicle clean avoids surface grime from turning into micro-sanders at highway speeds and prevents premature paint damage. Besides that, you'll feel better driving a clean vehicle and one day, when it comes time to sell or upgrade, having maintained the exterior will pay back dividends in increased re-sale or trade-in value. Protectall was developed by an airplane owner with a chemical engineering background to keep the surface of his privatge plane in good condition and reduce wind drag. It is popular with RVers too, not very expensive, and fairly easy to apply.
Air tabs. There is a product designed primarily for OTR trucks to minimize air drag that can be adapted to RVs. They aren't cheap (around $2.75 each and you typically need about 72 per RV so figure about $250). They are kind of triangular plastic devices that are attached to the rear of your RV to manage the air flow behind it or to the cab of a truck to control flow over the trailer. I haven't tried these myself yet, but the reviews I've read say they improve both handling and fuel mileage. It seems to me it would have to deliver a lot of fuel savings to pay back the installation cost but the handling improvements are immediate. Users have reported noticeable and immediate differences in handling of large vehicles in wind and blow-by from passing trucks.
Another drag on many RVs are the accessories added on top: air conditioners, satellite antennas, storage pods, and luggage strapped into the roof rack. There is not much we can do about air conditioners but we can try to avoid adding other bulky items to the roof. The extra storage is often necessary, but if you can, try to make do with existing cabinets. Adding storage to the roof increases wind resistance. It also raises the center of gravity and can increase roll on corners and susceptibility to cross winds, so keep the weight you put on the roof down to a minimum and choose pods with an aerodynamic shape. Most RVs will have a weight restriction label on the roof near the ladder or a notice in the owner's manual to let you know the maximum weight that can be safely added. Exceeding this weight may permanently damage the structure of your roof and/or seriously affect vehicle handling and safety. And don't forget the risks on your body trying to get heavy stuff up and down from the roof! I read of an RVer who planned to carry a spare tire on the roof. Exceedingly bad idea for at least reasons. First, the weight and wind drag issues described above. Second, exposure of the rubber tire to sunlight will speed deterioration. One tire manufacturer uses the roof of their southern California warehouse as a UV testing facility.
If you tow a trailer, you may want to look into an air deflector to mount on your tow vehicle. You will see over-the-road trucks with steeply sloping deflectors (sometimes built into the cab, sometimes added on). This deflects air so it flows over the trailer instead of impacting the square front directly, reducing wind resistance and improving trailer stability. Add-on wind deflectors are available to fit most popular tow vehicles. I can't speak to how quickly the cost might be recovered in improved mileage, but the increased peace of mind and better handling is immediate.
One of the ways to minimize fuel costs is to reduce the weight being transported. See my previous post "Does your RV or camp kit need to be put on a diet?" for some suggestions. Take along only what you need. You'd be surprised how heavy that accumulation of little things can be! You really don't need to hauling around the rocks you collected six trips ago or the souvenirs of other trips. And do you really need several pairs of shoes? Tools tend to be heavy, but I find it very hard to lighten my tool box. Still, it is always a good idea to give it a try. If you're carrying around heavy tools you've never needed, you might be able to lighten the load. Water weighs 8 lbs per gallon. Having empty holding tanks and only carrying as much fresh water as you need can significantly reduce your rolling weight.
Some "experts" recommend using only name-brand fuels. Off-brands are often cheaper. I recently read an article that stated there is no definable difference between brands and that the off-brand fuels are manufactured in the same refineries and come out of the same tanks as the name brands. They even mentioned that name brand fuels may come from various refineries, such that, for example, fuel you buy at Shell may have been manufactured by Exxon and vice versa. However, name brand fuels usually have proprietary additives that may have benefits. With all this in mind, I have been using low-priced fuel from off-brand stations whenever I can find it without any noticeable problems. When I'm filling up a 100 gallon RV, a few cents per gallon can add up to a nice savings! Is it worth driving all over town to find the lowest price? Probably not. Even a nickel a gallon for a 100 gallon tank will only amount to a $5.00 savings and you'll probably waste more fuel than that driving around looking for lower prices.
The bottom line is, most of us don't buy RVs for their fuel economy. You may be able to minimize your fuel costs by towing a light weight trailer with a compact car, but if you have a large family or simply appreciate the conveniences of a large travel trailer or motorhome, fuel economy isn't likely to be part of the package. The best we can do is keep our rigs in good condition and drive them in a reasonable manner. Avoid slamming the accelerator to the floor when starting out. Plan ahead for steep grades. Drive at reasonable speeds. Keep weight to a minimum. Avoid wind when you can.
Hills significantly reduce mileage for heavy vehicles like RVs. When you can, plan your routes to avoid steep hills and long grades. An old trucker's trick is to "get a run" at a hill so your momentum can carry you part way up the hill. It works, but don't over do it. You don't want to spend the money you saved on fuel paying a speeding ticket! When you are climbing hills, manually downshift if the engine begins to lug before the automatic transmission downshifts. Even though it forces the engine to run at a higher RPM, it will be more efficient than it will be if it is straining to pull the load. It will save fuel as well as reducing stress on the engine and drive train.
Happy driving!
There is a trend in the RV industry today they're calling "right sizing". What it amounts to is an attempt to balance fuel economy with living space and creature comforts for the best value. Some of the new diesel motorhomes and diesel powered tow vehicles claim to get around 18 mpg, a great improvement over the "old days" where similar sized gasoline powered vehicles averaged around 6 mpg -- or less! Of course we pay a huge extra price to buy these new vehicles so payback may take several years, especially with diesel fuel prices climbing.
I mentioned in a previous post the idea of "passenger miles per gallon". This concept is sometimes used to measure efficiency of public transportation like airplanes, trains, and buses. I find it useful to apply it to motorhome or RV travel. My old gasoline powered Class A motorhome got at pretty steady 6 mpg. Seemed like it didn't matter whether I was towing a trailer or not towing a trailer, climbing or descending hills, or sitting the parking lot! But with my wife and six kids on board with me, that yields 48 passenger miles per gallon. Hey, only smaller and highly efficient motorcycles or extraordinary compact hybrid cars can even hope to match that for a single occupant.
Some newer motorhomes and tow vehicles are more fuel efficient than their predecessors. Smaller diesel powered Class A's are claiming performance up to 18 mpg. However, I've seen sales literature on 27' diesel powered Class A's from the 1980's claiming up to 14.8 mpg. Gasoline versions of the same coach got around 6-7 mpg. Newer computerized, fuel injected motorhomes and tow vehicles give better performance than the old gas hogs I grew up with. The 1960's were famous for the big, gas guzzling muscle cars, but, ironically, they also produced one of the most fuel efficient motorhomes of all time: the Corvair powered UltraVan. It delivered around 15 mpg in a well equipped 25' class A motorhome weighing around 3000 lbs and powered by an unmodified Corvair 6 cylinder gas engine. It wasn't fast off the line, but owners of surviving "Ultravans" still find the performance acceptable and their aircraft style aluminum construction made them extremely durable and the design was way ahead of its time so it still looks modern.
Fantastic fuel gadgets are pretty much fantasy. You'll see claims for all kinds of devices to improve fuel economy, but most are just scams. There are systems that claim to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen and add the gases into the air mixture. Physics says this will NOT improve fuel economy since it takes a LOT of energy to separate water molecules and internal combustion engines are only about 30% efficient even using the fuels they were designed for, let alone pure hydrogen, which has less energy per unit volume than gasoline. Some other gadgets include magnets that are installed along fuel lines and claim to "polarize" the fuel. There are always tales of super carburetors that deliver up to 200 mpg, but no one has ever actually seen one and fuel chemistry pretty much proves this is totally impossible, regardless of the efficiency of the carburetor. There simply isn't enough energy in one gallon of gasoline to move a vehicle of any size that far. One device that appears to have some merit is water injection. This simply injects a mist into the air intake. The device was originally intended to clean combustion chambers, but some users found it to improve fuel economy and reduce engine temperatures. It also reduces pre-ignition, allowing you to run cheaper fuel. The bottom line: you'll probably save more by not buying these gadgets than you'll ever save in fuel by using them.
There are some things owners can do to improve mileage and performance. First and foremost, is keeping your vehicle in good repair and properly tuned and the tires properly inflated. Exercising cautious driving skills will also help. Avoid "jack rabbit" starts and try to maintain a constant speed. Use your cruise control (if you have it) when you can. Improving exhaust and air intake efficiency are among the most popular and productive engine modifications. Banks Engineering provides kits for many applications that significantly improve both performance and mileage. Usually improving one means a decrease in the other, but by increasing the efficiency of both intake and exhaust, remarkably Banks systems usually improve both. These systems are fairly expensive so it may take a while to recoup your investment. Some modern computer controlled engines can be "super tuned" using modified computer chips, but here again, tuning for power and tuning for fuel economy are usually mutually exclusive.
Keeping your engine well maintained is one of the best ways to coax maximum performance and mileage from you vehicle. Dirty air filters can significantly reduce both mileage and performance. After all, your engine has to breathe, just like you do! To get some idea of the affect a dirty air filter has on on engine, try breathing through a dirty sock. You engine may not care how bad the air smells, but it will care how hard it is to draw it in. Proper lubrication is critical to prevent wear and reduce internal friction, so religiously follow manufacturer's recommended oil and lube schedules. Motor oil contains additives to improve performance and these additives break done over time.
Motor oil additives are another way of reducing friction in your engine. STP is one of the best know products. Interesting enough, it is said it was discovered accidentally when folks testing racing engines were looking for a way to accelerate wear, They tried adding tiny glass beads to the oil to act as an abrasive and it turned out they behaved more like ball bearings to reduce friction. By the way "STP" stands for "Scientifically Treated Petroleum". Another popular product I've had personally experience with are the Lucas oil treatments for engines and transmissions. I once had the air-over-electric shifter on my diesel pusher motorhome professionally rebuilt when it started sticking. It worked pretty good but began sticking again in less than 3 months. In desperation I pulled it out and cleaned it myself. I gave a good dose of Lucas oil before reassembling it and it worked well for more than a year before needed another good cleaning. The darn thing was nearly 30 years old and had seen over 100,00 miles and probably should have been replaced. But it would have cost about $2000, IF I could even find one!
Perhaps the next biggest factor affecting RV fuel economy is weight. As human beings we tend to love our luxuries and comfort and the larger our mobile cottages are, the heavier they are and the more fuel it takes to drag them around. Minimizing weight by getting rid of unnecessary stuff we accumulate will help keep fuel usage as low as possible.
Keep your tires properly inflated. Here is something that is really easy to do and can make a big difference in handling and fuel economy. Over inflated tires can make rig feel skittish and give it harsh ride; under inflated tires will make it sluggish, will burn more fuel, and can over heat the tires and cause them to wear and blow out. Remember the old 55 MPH national speed limit? It was supposedly designed to save gasoline but reports I've read that even more fuel would have been saved by ensuring proper tire inflation. Over inflation will cause tires to wear in the middle and reduce traction, making the vehicle feel squirrely . The ride might be a little softer with lower inflation, but you will pay for it in fuel and risk tire damage if they are too under inflated. Under inflated tires will wear faster on the outside tread rows and can also have a negative affect on handling.
That being said, driving slower is another way to save fuel. Transmission problems once forced us to drive our mid-sized SUV at 55 mph instead of 70 mph on a long, interstate trip and our mileage jumped from about 22 mpg to nearly 30 mpg! So, maybe the 55mph speed limit wasn't as dumb as I thought, except for interstate trucks that are designed to operate efficiently at freeway speeds.
Wind resistance can also effect mileage, so minimizing it can help mileage. The boxy shape of most motorhomes give them the aerodynamics of a barn door. Yet you'd be surprised what some of the actually ratings are. I had a big boxy Class A Suncrest with a slightly pointed fiberglass front cap that had about the same co-efficient of friction as a Jaguar XKE! Of course the huge frontal area of the boxy Suncrest compared to the sleek XKE meant the motorhome had a total wind resistance that was still immense when the factor was applied to the total frontal area. I like to give my vehicles the best chance of performing well so I try to keep them clean and well-waxed. It may not seem like a big deal, but given the huge surface area, even a small reduction in surface friction can have a cumulative affect on reducing wind resistance. Ever notice that private planes are always clean and shiny? One reason is to reduce wind drag. Keeping your vehicle clean avoids surface grime from turning into micro-sanders at highway speeds and prevents premature paint damage. Besides that, you'll feel better driving a clean vehicle and one day, when it comes time to sell or upgrade, having maintained the exterior will pay back dividends in increased re-sale or trade-in value. Protectall was developed by an airplane owner with a chemical engineering background to keep the surface of his privatge plane in good condition and reduce wind drag. It is popular with RVers too, not very expensive, and fairly easy to apply.
Air tabs. There is a product designed primarily for OTR trucks to minimize air drag that can be adapted to RVs. They aren't cheap (around $2.75 each and you typically need about 72 per RV so figure about $250). They are kind of triangular plastic devices that are attached to the rear of your RV to manage the air flow behind it or to the cab of a truck to control flow over the trailer. I haven't tried these myself yet, but the reviews I've read say they improve both handling and fuel mileage. It seems to me it would have to deliver a lot of fuel savings to pay back the installation cost but the handling improvements are immediate. Users have reported noticeable and immediate differences in handling of large vehicles in wind and blow-by from passing trucks.
Another drag on many RVs are the accessories added on top: air conditioners, satellite antennas, storage pods, and luggage strapped into the roof rack. There is not much we can do about air conditioners but we can try to avoid adding other bulky items to the roof. The extra storage is often necessary, but if you can, try to make do with existing cabinets. Adding storage to the roof increases wind resistance. It also raises the center of gravity and can increase roll on corners and susceptibility to cross winds, so keep the weight you put on the roof down to a minimum and choose pods with an aerodynamic shape. Most RVs will have a weight restriction label on the roof near the ladder or a notice in the owner's manual to let you know the maximum weight that can be safely added. Exceeding this weight may permanently damage the structure of your roof and/or seriously affect vehicle handling and safety. And don't forget the risks on your body trying to get heavy stuff up and down from the roof! I read of an RVer who planned to carry a spare tire on the roof. Exceedingly bad idea for at least reasons. First, the weight and wind drag issues described above. Second, exposure of the rubber tire to sunlight will speed deterioration. One tire manufacturer uses the roof of their southern California warehouse as a UV testing facility.
If you tow a trailer, you may want to look into an air deflector to mount on your tow vehicle. You will see over-the-road trucks with steeply sloping deflectors (sometimes built into the cab, sometimes added on). This deflects air so it flows over the trailer instead of impacting the square front directly, reducing wind resistance and improving trailer stability. Add-on wind deflectors are available to fit most popular tow vehicles. I can't speak to how quickly the cost might be recovered in improved mileage, but the increased peace of mind and better handling is immediate.
One of the ways to minimize fuel costs is to reduce the weight being transported. See my previous post "Does your RV or camp kit need to be put on a diet?" for some suggestions. Take along only what you need. You'd be surprised how heavy that accumulation of little things can be! You really don't need to hauling around the rocks you collected six trips ago or the souvenirs of other trips. And do you really need several pairs of shoes? Tools tend to be heavy, but I find it very hard to lighten my tool box. Still, it is always a good idea to give it a try. If you're carrying around heavy tools you've never needed, you might be able to lighten the load. Water weighs 8 lbs per gallon. Having empty holding tanks and only carrying as much fresh water as you need can significantly reduce your rolling weight.
Some "experts" recommend using only name-brand fuels. Off-brands are often cheaper. I recently read an article that stated there is no definable difference between brands and that the off-brand fuels are manufactured in the same refineries and come out of the same tanks as the name brands. They even mentioned that name brand fuels may come from various refineries, such that, for example, fuel you buy at Shell may have been manufactured by Exxon and vice versa. However, name brand fuels usually have proprietary additives that may have benefits. With all this in mind, I have been using low-priced fuel from off-brand stations whenever I can find it without any noticeable problems. When I'm filling up a 100 gallon RV, a few cents per gallon can add up to a nice savings! Is it worth driving all over town to find the lowest price? Probably not. Even a nickel a gallon for a 100 gallon tank will only amount to a $5.00 savings and you'll probably waste more fuel than that driving around looking for lower prices.
The bottom line is, most of us don't buy RVs for their fuel economy. You may be able to minimize your fuel costs by towing a light weight trailer with a compact car, but if you have a large family or simply appreciate the conveniences of a large travel trailer or motorhome, fuel economy isn't likely to be part of the package. The best we can do is keep our rigs in good condition and drive them in a reasonable manner. Avoid slamming the accelerator to the floor when starting out. Plan ahead for steep grades. Drive at reasonable speeds. Keep weight to a minimum. Avoid wind when you can.
Hills significantly reduce mileage for heavy vehicles like RVs. When you can, plan your routes to avoid steep hills and long grades. An old trucker's trick is to "get a run" at a hill so your momentum can carry you part way up the hill. It works, but don't over do it. You don't want to spend the money you saved on fuel paying a speeding ticket! When you are climbing hills, manually downshift if the engine begins to lug before the automatic transmission downshifts. Even though it forces the engine to run at a higher RPM, it will be more efficient than it will be if it is straining to pull the load. It will save fuel as well as reducing stress on the engine and drive train.
Happy driving!
Related Blogs and Web Sites
Check out My Blog List (right side of screen) for additional RV, OHV, camping, and survival related information. I found them fun and informative and I think you will too. Please let me know if you come across some others we can share with our fellow readers.
There are many good RV and camping web sites on the Internet. A Google or Yahoo search for "rv camping tips" will bring up a plethora of possibilities. Check out Federal, State, and local parks and recreation sites. And don't forget the U.S. Forest Service and, for Western states, the BLM.
Some retailer web sites, like Camping World,and L.L. Bean are a good source of new gadgets and gizmos and camping tips in addition to a useful catalog of common products and services you may need from time to time.
rv-camping.org is a good source for locating campgrounds throughout the United States.
Check out Tread Lightly for vital tips to camp, hike, and ride responsibly in the great outdoors.
Check out freecampgrounds.com for information about camping free in America.
familycampingtips.com is a collection of tips from the authors and readers of this useful web site.
rv.com is another good source of useful tips and products.
You can also sign up for a plethora of camping and RV related items on Pinterest.com.
Happy blogging and web surfing!
There are many good RV and camping web sites on the Internet. A Google or Yahoo search for "rv camping tips" will bring up a plethora of possibilities. Check out Federal, State, and local parks and recreation sites. And don't forget the U.S. Forest Service and, for Western states, the BLM.
Some retailer web sites, like Camping World,and L.L. Bean are a good source of new gadgets and gizmos and camping tips in addition to a useful catalog of common products and services you may need from time to time.
rv-camping.org is a good source for locating campgrounds throughout the United States.
Check out Tread Lightly for vital tips to camp, hike, and ride responsibly in the great outdoors.
Check out freecampgrounds.com for information about camping free in America.
familycampingtips.com is a collection of tips from the authors and readers of this useful web site.
rv.com is another good source of useful tips and products.
You can also sign up for a plethora of camping and RV related items on Pinterest.com.
Happy blogging and web surfing!
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