Foul weather RV'ing - for the newbies

[EA37TS]

There have been a few self proclaimed newbies that have joined the forum lately and in light of the weather that is pounding the east coast at the time I thought foul weather Rv'ing might be a good topic for the forum.

My suggestion is for those experienced one to provide one or two of there tips tricks and helpful hints (t=other than stay home where it is dry and warm) with the newbies. Heck maybe us old timers will learn and thing or two.

I have 2

First - arrive early so you can survey the site before pulling in. Three years ago I arrived at a campground after dark, set up and overnight, due to rain, my Class C sunk 4 inches into the mud on all four corners.

Second - when planning the trip plan for both indoor and outdoor activities. For instance if your primary goal is to go rafting and the rivers are flooded what is the alternate activity. It could be a museum or antique shopping (my wife plans these) or a winery/distillery tour. Nothing is more frustrating than planning a day at the beach and the weather turns to 45 degrees, rain and 20MPH winds.

[mcr1010]

Great idea Dave. Here is my foul weather tip on the cheap.
1. Tried and proven. Keep large plastic garbage bags and duck tape handy in the cabin tucked away just in case. They are handy to wrap you entire feet and legs over pants, one leg each bag, duck tape over shoes to prevent slipping and at top to secure. This will keep your bottom parts dry if you have to break or setup camp in driving rain and standing puddles. Of course a rain jacket or poncho keeps the upper parts mostly dry.

2. Optional: If you had-have an annoying neighbor camper, ask them to turn on or off the elect. post for you.

[JamieGeek]

My tip: keep any eye on the weather with a wx radio or a smartphone app and be prepared to get out if necessary. We've had to do this a few times (for bad winter weather as well as what's coming to the east coast).

[TyCreek]

RVs and mud are a bad combination ... but if mud happens ... keep the momentum up, don't hesitate! If you're driving back out of a spot on a dirt road and discover you're in a soft section, it's likely too late, hit the go peddle not the brake!

Always assess the road into a camping spot and think about negotiating it after a downpour. There are some places where it is simply best to stay put until things dry out.

Typically when the road gets crazy, pictures aren't even a thought! Years ago we headed back out of a spot and found a lot of water that wasn't there on the way in... Take it slow through water but be ready to nail the go peddle if the center is soft.

[NMRVer]

Fill the fresh water tank for backup and fill the propane tank. You never know how long you could be stuck.

[Mr Sunshine]

If you own a RV (or a boat, hot rod, or vacation home), use it! The cost to own these things for minimal use isn't practical for most of us.

If you are financing, beware of low down payments and long contracts. You'll may soon be "upside down" meaning you owe more than the actual value in no time. Depreciation will zap the value of your rig, especially in the early years. You may need to make double payments to avoid a nasty surprise when you go to sell or trade.

[EA37TS]

Originally Posted by nmrver

Fill the fresh water tank for backup and fill the propane tank. You never know how long you could be stuck.

Excellent point about the fresh water. Last October we stayed at a campground that due to winter like weather went around after dark and disconnected everyone's water hoses. The also shut off the water to everything except the bath houses.

They told folks as they were checking in it may happen but about 50 percent of the folks apparently didn't listen. I did and during the early evening and added about 20 gallons to the fresh water tank. This happened 2 of the 3 nights we were there. I put some pics on the camping pics thread.

[Mr Sunshine]

Well, I obviously missed the part about "weather" in this thread, so went off topic. Sorry 'bout that.

My first tip about weather is to either tie down the awning or put it in when you aren't present or awake. Lost one to a sudden thunderstorm in the night. Once they break free, those awning arms can do some serious damage.

Tip # 2 is keep enough fuel in the tank to run the generator if needed. Mine won't run once the tank gets to 1/4th. We usually fill before settling in for the night on a road trip.

[NMRVer]

great point on fuel...X2

[Sivymp1]

I am not knew to RVing but picking up the new motorcoach on Thursday so driving the camper will be different than towing one and never even thought about getting stuck. Thanks for all the helpful hints and tricks.

[vkb]

Living in the MidWest...we always bring in our awning and place chairs, etc. under the rv or put away...as you never know, for sure, when a storm will arrive. We make a habit of this, every night we are out, regardless of where we are.
In addition...if you know a storm is coming...if you can park with the nose of your coach pointed into the storm you will be more comfortable.
We have been in several storms..gets scary !

[KNMIB]

Keep rain gear inside not in your storage compartments outside (found out the hard way). DVD player with a bunch of movies makes the pitter patter of the rain not as bad. We also always put the awning up because of unexpected winds at night. Buy a Tilley hat, best head gear ever for rain.

[saddlesore]

Foul weather camping...Many things you can do.
It's wet & cold and DW wants a camp fire..... And the wood the campground supplied is wet..NO Prob!
Just carry a small bag of charcoal briquettes, build a small pile and teepee stack the firewood over it one match and voila!! fire is started.
It's raining and thunder & lightning...CampGround power goes out... Blew out the transformer on the power pole... gonna be several days....means no power to their well pump =: no water for cooking/showers or using bathroom.. and you forgot to top off the fresh tank.....And you have paid for several more days in advance......bummer... and the bridge out of there is iffy in high water...bummer again.. ( and yes this has happened to me)
Always carry a fold out funnel 1 or 2 foot diameter.. use your water thief thingy (for hooking up to spigots that do not have threads) attach to funnel, then screw in your water filter and hose then into the tank it goes, bungie cord the funnel to the ladder .. wallah! you have filtered rain water ..
Other items You need to carry...
A military folding shovel... it's small but it works
A good two handed axe or splitting maul, & a good hatchet
A "Bow"saw
A 2 or 3 or 5 gallon plastic water jug
A couple of those "K Mart" throw away tarps. 8x8 or 10 x 10, they fold flat and you never know when you will have a use for it
A spool or 2 of plastic twine ( real handy)

[samven]

If you are pulling into a campground and they are calling for bad weather or you are already there and they predict bad weather look for a campsite without trees or at least one without large branches overhanging your parking spot. The trees are nice in hot climates to keep sun off the RV but 1 branch coming down on your rubber roof will ruin the whole trip. I also have a scrap carpet square cut to fit the bottom step. Normally I use an outside mat but when it rains you have to push it under the RV or in storage, thats when I put the scrap on the first step to help get the water and mud off my shoes before tracking it onto the floor. And a small piece of gravel can gouge you linoleum before you realize its stuck to your shoe.

[vkb]

Originally Posted by samven

If you are pulling into a campground and they are calling for bad weather or you are already there and they predict bad weather look for a campsite without trees or at least one without large branches overhanging your parking spot. The trees are nice in hot climates to keep sun off the RV but 1 branch coming down on your rubber roof will ruin the whole trip. I also have a scrap carpet square cut to fit the bottom step. Normally I use an outside mat but when it rains you have to push it under the RV or in storage, thats when I put the scrap on the first step to help get the water and mud off my shoes before tracking it onto the floor. And a small piece of gravel can gouge you linoleum before you realize its stuck to your shoe.

I like your idea of placing a piece of carpet on the lowest inside step...
this is our first unit with interior steps..always have doormat outside and at top of steps inside...will put the additional piece in place !

....getting soooo tired of rain and cold weather....

[Mr Sunshine]

A carpet sample cut in half is just the right size to fit the two steps of the Vegas. It catches a lot of rocks and dust. When they start to wear or show dirt, it is cheap to replace.

I keep a small dusting brush under the passenger front seat. These two simple things really help.

[jrizzo406]

Awesome point, so similar to sailing a boat and mooring for the storm. Thanks for the reminders!

[PEHetzer]

During our very first RV trip, we ran into a heavy rain storm. We were on the freeway, crossing the Mississippi, when the passenger side wiper came loose from its drive pivot and became lodged between the driver's side wiper and the window. The situation went from poor visibility to absolute panic as I struggled to find a place where I could pull out of the traffic stream safely. It was easy to fix by re-positioning the wiper blade and tightening the pivot nut. I was very luck to find a safe place to pull out of the traffic. I would tell everyone who has just acquired a new RV to check and insure that the wipers are firmly attached to their drive pivots. It only takes a moment with a crescent wrench.

[Wonderdog]

Here's my tip. Buy a MH as soon as you can. When you pull into a campground and its pouring rain, back into your campsite and make a pot of coffee, fix a snack and relax. Maybe read a good book or take a nap. All of that setup stuff can wait until the weather clears.

[Pikehunter]

Exactly. We are sure looking foreword to being in our coach instead of a tent !