By Jim Twamley
RVers have a love/hate relationship with trees. We love them because they provide shade on hot days, and loathe them when they reach out and grab our RV while we’re backing into or pulling out of a campsite.
Here is an example of how a tree limb can remove RV siding with surgical precision. Tree limbs are also brutal on rubber roofs, causing punctures, or rubbing and tearing on roof edges. A good patch kit will fix the rubber roof, but the siding will need more extensive repairs.
I’ve seen RVers on their roofs with saws and pruning hooks trying to avoid the embrace of a tree. It’s fine if you want to hug a tree, but it’s not a good thing when a tree hugs your RV. To avoid these unfriendly encounters with wood, I suggest you always check the overhead clearance before you pull into or out of your campsite.
And trees aren’t the only “roof destroyers.” Be careful when pulling into service stations, too. Plenty of damage has been done to RVs at the pump through the years.
