By Cheri Sicard
Camping in high winds can be dangerous, but you can take safety precautions. The video below from Brooke and Pippa shares windstorm safety tips and advice. The time to learn all of this is BEFORE you’re caught in your RV in a dangerous windstorm, so give the video a view.
A recent RVtravel.com poll says that 55 percent of readers have had to pull over due to bad winds. Yikes!
Brooke has had a lot of experience with windstorms over the years, including a South Dakota windstorm that collapsed her popup camper.
Brooke’s windstorm safety tips
#1 Follow the forecast: If you are in an area prone to windstorms, always keep an eye on the weather forecast so that you can prepare for them. Brooke says the wind direction is just as important as the speed to track. She shares her favorite apps in the video.
#2 Park smart: Smart parking includes staying away from trees and limbs that could fall, not parking too close to other campers (when possible), and parking away from a wall or ridgeline where wind speeds become stronger.
#3 Park into the wind: This will reduce rocking and rolling due to crosswinds. It’s not always possible, but park facing into the wind whenever you can.
#4 Store and secure outdoor items: Bring them inside or secure them so that they don’t potentially turn into dangerous flying projectiles in a windstorm.
#5 Stabilize and weigh your travel trailer: Travel trailers don’t fare nearly as well in high windstorms as vans, buses, and many motorhomes. Brooke talks about what to do at point 10:20 in the video.
#6 Have an emergency plan: Have a plan to get you and your RV out should the situation turn scary.
#7 Prepare to hunker down: In many instances, you can simply wait out the windstorm.
#8 Clean up and assess the damage: Obviously, this is for after the windstorm. Hopefully, it won’t be much.
Do you have other windstorm safety tips? Be sure to share them in the comments below.
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##RVT1195
I wonder??, is it better to stay hooked to the truck or not?
Thank you for the video and suggestions, Cheri! Wind can be difficult and dangerous, so these are helpful. Have a great week and safe travels!