Bad weather can really cramp an RVer’s style, right? You certainly don’t want to leave your safe RV site to travel through a snow or hail storm, or hurricane, or intense wind storm…
Have you ever had to stay longer than you had planned in a campground due to bad weather? If you answer yes, please leave a comment and share your story.
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We stayed longer than planned at Walnut Hills RV park in VA, due to Covid! They had a sweet ½ price deal going and most of our other reservations had been cancelled so we considered ourselves lucky to have a nice place to land for a month.
We had left a day early because of bad weather coming.
We have left a day early, (twice), due to rising water in a campground.
We stayed a couple of days longer at Dauphin Island due to weather that was expected across the mid-west right when we would have been going up I-55. I’m glad we did, tornadic weather tore through Missouri right when we were scheduled to arrive.
I avoid campgrounds like the plague. But I have pulled off the highway and stayed in places like casino parking lots, with permission, until the weather has improved.
I said no; the only time we stayed longer was due to a health issue. Any time bad weather was going to impact our trip, we left earlier to avoid it.
Stopped for 1 night in a campground. Freezing rain all night. 1/4 inch ice on everything. Slide out toppers wouldn’t roll in, too slick to get on roof to try to knock off ice. Stayed another day until it warmed up.
We had to pull off the highway and stay at a campground we hadn’t planned on due to a snow and ice storm. We have also stayed an extra night several times to let bad weather pass. Seems to be getting worse in the spring when returning from Florida
I have left early only to arrive home and get bad weather there. Decided then not to leave early again.
Spring and fall- waiting out the wind in Texas and Oklahoma. There was that one time when it was 10 degrees BELOW zero and the motorhome wouldn’t start….
Bad weather last summer in the southeast meant we delayed our return to FL by a few days. Several years ago we evacuated Florida with our travel trailer before hurricane Irma. Only to be “trapped” for several additional days when a tree fell blocking exit from our site in inland SC
Well YES… LAST NIGHT! High winds Experienced on I-70 “encouraged” us to pull off the road after only an hour to seek shelter. No need to push on and risk a disaster!
I was in that same wind storm ! I may have pulled into the site next to you , that wind was bad.
Wow we must have just missed that, over the last several days we traveled East bound from Denver Colorado to Harrisburg Pennsylvania.
Wind, both times. First time in southern Arizona. The gentleman parked next to us had a 20 travel trailer pulled with a half ton. Although he had his tires chocked he still parked his pickup facing the trailer rear and a logging chain tied pickup to trailer.
We have left campgrounds sooner than planned because of bad weather and have changed plans because of weather but have not stayed longer.
👍👍👍👍
2021. We were camping in Laurel MS to see the sights of “Home Town”, the TV show when that major ice, snow and freezing temperatures hit Texas. We were traveling west to AZ but the interstates in TX were closed. We were stuck for 7 days. We’d check the road conditions every day and pay for another night. Thankfully the park could accommodate us without us having to move.
High winds on a few occasions and a hail-storm damage on another. Oh, does a forest fire caused by high winds count lol. We use weather apps with wind forecasts to help us figure out the best time to hit the road or avoid it. Sometimes it helps and other times not so much.
We spent a week at Escapees near Livingston, TX a few years ago and called the office the next morning to extend another day because it was raining so hard as it neared checkout time.
Never stayed longer due to bad weather but did have to leave early one time due to unexpected freezing weather at home. Had to winterize the sprinkler system so the backflow preventer wouldn’t freeze. Turns out weather is actually unpredictable in many cases! 🙂
Bad weather? No. But we did have to extend a stay last summer due to health problems of a close relative. DW’s father became seriously ill and was taken to a distant hospital that also was close to where we were staying. Consequently, DW requested additional days in order to be close to the hospital. The campground owners graciously agreed. We left after being there 3 additional days. Father-in-law recovered and is doing well.
Not for bad weather, but we did have to stay over a couple of days at an rv park in Haines AK due to engine not starting. Turned out to be a bad battery cable connection on the starter. Alaska Ferry System rescheduled our ferry trip that had several stop offs, at no additional cost. Great company.
8 years on the road high winds and tornadoes will keep me in a campground extra days while outrunning a hurricane will get me going sooner than later. Always safety first
In late February, while enjoying the warmth and great hiking in the Phoenix area, we saw that a spring snowstorm was forecast for northern Arizona and across our destination in the Four Corners area. We were staying in one of the metro area’s regional parks and were fortunate to be able to extend our stay till the storm passed and the roads cleared. It wasn’t the first time that Rocky Mountain weather encouraged us to alter our travel plans.
Never had to extend our stay because of weather but we have left early. We have run from hurricanes three different times in our 5 years of FT.
I always check the weather forecast for where we are and where we are going on travel days. If winds exceed 15 mph I will extend my stay. Yesterday was supposed to be a travel day, but with 30 mph winds here and snow at my next destination, I extended our stay here for 3 days. It’s easy to do when you RV full time.
But we had to evacuate Fort Pickens National seashore twice this spring when severe storms were predicted.
We stayed an extra day at our son’s house parked out front due to high winds. Roads were closed to high profile vehicles.
2x due to snow, 1x in Texas, 1x in NM….just a day or two delay…..
Had to stay an extra three days at Bordertown in Nevada due to weather, high winds and snow. Hwy 395 closed to all high profile vehicles. Winds at Bordertown gusted between 80-90 mph.
1 day over due to high winds.
Not at a campground but at in laws for a few extra days.
One time in Louisiana we had to leave a day early because the bayou had risen to touch the trailer tires and more rain was forecast.
We once had to skip two stops and drive for 24 hours (with sleep breaks) to beat high winds forecast for TX and NM.
We were in AZ leaving for the east. From Cottonwood near Sedona, we were to head to Flagstaff to connect to I 40. The next day was to have 30mph winds, higher gusts and at least 2 -4 inches of snow. We stayed an extra day. Glad we did and rv park let us. High winds that night. Cold but not freezing. Next day we sat right there and when we finally left, no wind and Flagstaff and the roads had cleared. But snow was all over the place. Who needs to drive an rv in it? Thanks to our hosts for the extra day!
We stayed an extra day in Tucumcari, NM, because of bad weather that never came. On the same trip we had to leave the FamCamp at Offutt AFB early because a tornado damaged many of the trees. The electric poles on the highway were snapped like match sticks. It did light damage to our trailer, but our trip continued at rv parks in Nebraska City and Lincoln. It makes for great conversations now 5 years later.
Just this past December several inches of snow fell in Eugene, OR and caused us a fortuitous delay in traveling. Hubby ended up with a severe infection that would have been disastrous had we been on the road.
We got flooded in once when all the roads around the campgrounds were flooded. We have done the opposite of this question, left early because of the forecast. That might be a good follow-up question.
Once that I can recall, but we hadn’t really planned to stay there. We had to stop in Rawlins, WY due to wind shutting down I-80 near Laramie and stayed there for about 36 hours, over 20 hours longer than planned.
And we still had to backtrack and go several hours out of our way to bypass the 70MPH wind gusts in our Class A.
We have never had to change plans due to weather. But in 2019 we set out for 7 weeks out west from our home in Kentucky. Day by day by week, Covid shut down national parks and museums we’d been eager to experience! When California’s governor threatened to invoke martial law, we regrettably canceled 10 days of reservations in San Diego and Palm Springs, and instead stayed 15 nights in Tucson at Rincon East 55+ resort. It was lovely and restful. We kept all our other reservations and sat under our awning and just relaxed for the final 2-3 weeks. Seeing Branson, MO looking like a ghost town was so sad!
We stayed at a workamping job longer due to the Pandemic. We were in Junction,TX and were planning to leave in April and campgrounds closing all over. So the next park we were scheduled for closed. We decided after talking to management to stay where we were. Did not leave till August. Was a great decision. The Park stayed busy the whole time we were there. Met people who are now lifelong friends.
Several times. One time off I-81 in Virginia on account of snow. A couple of times at the Elk’s Lodge RV Park in Boulder City, NV. due to winds.
Have often waited for snow to stop and roads to be cleared.
Made an unplanned 10 day stop because a gust of wind blew in our windshield.
Got stuck in snow going into campsite on one occasion. Wife called tow truck, started cooking dinner. By the time tow truck arrived, I had chains on and was able to move into site, but tow truck got stuck in the same place. He was able to push himself forward a few feet at a time with the hydraulic wheel lift bars until he could drive, didn’t stay for dinner.
Hello
Towing a 19′ Coleman Lantern. In Sept. 2017 we were camping in Kentucky at Big Bone Lick state Park.and headed home to Ft Lauderdale, our next stop was at Fort Mountain state park in North Georgia. We left Kentucky late but thought we could get there before dark. Well on the way there we hit a tropical storm coming up from Florida so it was slow going. We Made it to Fort Mountain in the pouring down rain and strong winds. We managed to find a ranger and he directed us to a site even though then the reservations were not site specific. I managed basic set up in the blowing rain. When we were able to get information from the news the main roads into FL were closed and there was no gas. We ended up staying at Ft Mountain for 6 nights instead of 2. The campground was very accommodating and we had a great stay after the storm left. Made it home safely and luckily our area was not damaged.
We got snowed in for a week in February 2019. We got about 2 feet of snow in Western WA, when a dusting was predicted. Some parts of the area (20 miles away) got the dusting! We dug out for 5 days before the park was able to get someone to plow out the park. Well, the guy cut an 8′ wide path but refused to clear the end of each spot. So we dug some more. Finally made the great escape to warmer climes. Made it to Plam Springs in three days and avoided the snow by taking the coast route.
High winds are the most common reason I stay extra time, I have also had snow and mud delay my exit.
Twice that I can remember. Driving West on I10 in west Texas. Wind coming across (like it normally does.Traveled many times.). Dust. Exhausting fighting it. This was in the days you didn’t need to have reservations. Decided to stop early in Las Cruces. They were almost full then because of the weather. Checked the forecast and decided to stay 3 days. Even went up to Truth or Consequences, (in toad), wind/dust, oh my. But also went to museum in Alamogordo & White Sands. Making good out of a bad situation. Second time…east bound Texas in Junction. (There’s a theme here😂). Only suppose to stay overnight, but big storm coming in, so booked an extra night. Wise decision! It was also freezing, so roads not good as well. Surprisingly in the over 350K miles we traveled these past 25 yrs+, encountered bad weather but while stopped & it cleared before we needed to leave.
Left early once due to a crazy scary thunderstorm & campground surrounded by huge old trees!
Bad weather no. Covid Pandemic YES. I have left earlier than I had planned to get ahead of bad incoming weather. As far as I’m concerned, that’s just prudent planning.
Our truck broke down just as we arrived at the campground. We were on the path of the infamous derecho of 2012. Trees were uprooted, damage everywhere & no power for miles around for a few days. We had to wait for power & communication to return so that our part could be ordered. Squeeze in the 4th of July to add another delay. We stopped for one night, and spent 8 nights! Against my husband’s wish, I always overpack, including extra food. Running the fridge on gas & using our gas stove, we lacked for nothing & we had enough clothes without having to do laundry. Whenever he tells me “don’t bring too much,” I remind him of this major incident!
I stayed an extra unplanned day at the Sparks Marina R/V park in Reno (sorry folks, no marina that we were aware of) a couple years ago. Tow vehicle (Suburban with almost 220,000 miles) decided it needed a new catalytic converter, so stayed an extra day to get a new converter installed. Park management understood our dilemma and made arrangements to let us stay the extra time required without having to move out 26′ travel trailer. Clean park, full hookups, and understanding management. What more would one ask for?