Why there is no way to hold RV to campsite to prevent being flipped over by tornado?

[sourdough]

I have backed out of this...

[notanlines]

I believe I will also.

[BrooksFam]

Bottom line:

An RV is not a safe place to be during a tornado. Anchored or not.

[dutchmensport]

Originally Posted by rvwonderful

.... Why RVs and campground do not have that kind of mechanism already? Is there a way?

To go back to the OP's original question. I would sooner believe that campgrounds know that anchoring an RV down with chains is a worthless cause. RV's can take a head on wind at over 100 mph and not experience any damage. After all, they are designed to fly down the road at such speeds.

But a side wind of even minimal proportions can destroy an RV. If they don't flip, they will simply disintegrate. Knowing this, it now a matter a liability on the part of the campground. By installing such "anchors" in the ground, like they do for mobile homes, if the RV is destroyed while fastened to the campground anchors, and then the camper blows apart into oblivion, the campground could be held liable.

So, really, it's not a matter of what is truly functional or not, it's a matter of liability.

From our perspective, there is no way to anchor an RV down. Even chaining it to a tree is no guarantee the tree will be there after a tornado hits it.

[Beemer Phil]

We have a campground here in Massachusetts that sits right on the Atlantic coast about an hour north of Boston that has these massive rings that are embedded into concrete footings on each side of the trailer. After over 30 years going there I’ve yet to see anybody use them for securing a camper. Most everybody uses them to tie there dog out or as a way of chaining something of value. Whenever the weather gets nasty we just pack up ASAP and head for the hills.

[firestation12]

Park in a tunnel or under a freeway overpass?? Move to Arizona?? Make sure the insurance policy is adequate and current??

[Duramike]

Yes, I agree that a tornado or hurricane is more than any RV can withstand. If a hurricane is headed my way, pack it up and move. There is one thing I when a thunderstorm warning is issued. I will fill water and holding tanks to add weight and lower center of gravity for the RV. Again, won’t help in tornado or hurricane but it will help keep the RV stable in most strong thunderstorm events. 🤔

[claymation]

This is what insurance is for.

[RCW]

Need to look at the OP's other post's.

[McRod]

Originally Posted by rvwonderful

There are many tornadoes and hurricanes every year. Usually there are shelters in campgrounds. But there is no way to hold RV to campsite ground to prevent being flipped over by tornadoes/hurricanes.

Thinking of some chains that can hold RVs firmly to campsite ground. Why RVs and campground do not have that kind of mechanism already? Is there a way?

Because you can drive an RV out of bad weather areas.

Some of the most beautiful places you can camp on the ocean in the US are reserved explicitly for RVs, because they are also highly subject to damage from mother nature. Leave when bad weather is coming.

[LHaven]

Originally Posted by RCW

Need to look at the OP's other post's.

Oh, this is the same guy who was worried about blank tank overflow into his floor-mounted heating vents.

Borat? Is that you?

[notanlines]

Originally Posted by LHaven

Oh, this is the same guy who was worried about blank tank overflow into his floor-mounted heating vents.

Borat? Is that you?

LHaven, regretfully there are few who will catch this humor. Truly one of the greatest comedies ever, even if a little off color.

[sonofcy]

Originally Posted by rvwonderful

Yes. thinking of how to save RVs from tornado/hurricane.

If tornado is that powerful, seems nothing can be done about it. The best way is to avoid it in the first place. Is there somewhere listing tornado/hurricane seasons(e.g, which month to which month) state by state?

Plenty. Maps, even interactive and charts. Just google it.

[WDPatterson]

Originally Posted by rvwonderful

There are many tornadoes and hurricanes every year. Usually there are shelters in campgrounds. But there is no way to hold RV to campsite ground to prevent being flipped over by tornadoes/hurricanes.

Thinking of some chains that can hold RVs firmly to campsite ground. Why RVs and campground do not have that kind of mechanism already? Is there a way?

I recommend don't go camping during tornado season and hurricane season.
If you're planning a long stay somewhere, do it some place outside of Tornado Alley.

[dutchmensport]

Originally Posted by WDPatterson

...
If you're planning a long stay somewhere, do it some place outside of Tornado Alley.

Good answer! Especially stay away from Indiana completely. Tornados can pop-up anytime, anywhere. We've even had them in December and January. I'll go ahead and take your campsite though and take my chances with the tornados. Should have lots empty spaces to select from now.

[crk112]

I interpreted this differently...


Agreed, a direct hit by a tornado is likely to demolish an RV, especially an F4 or F5 (not looking to get into the semantics of the F scale actually relating to amount of damage... just looking at the generally-accepted wind speeds of each rating).



But the MOST COMMON tornadoes are small tornadoes.. F0, F1, F2... a direct hit by any of these is also likely to demolish an RV.


But how likely is a DIRECT HIT? Not very. If the tornado passes a hundred yards away or more, yes you'd better be in a shelter.. but your camper might experience wind speeds of up to 100mph for the smaller tornadoes.



If your camper didn't get a direct hit by a tornado, a tree limb, a car, or a cow.. and would have come out otherwise-unscathed had it not been flipped over... wouldn't it have been nice to be able to prevent it from flipping over in the first place?

[Javi]

Originally Posted by WDPatterson

I recommend don't go camping during tornado season and hurricane season.
If you're planning a long stay somewhere, do it some place outside of Tornado Alley.

I live in Tornado Alley...

And I lived in Corpus Christi and Rockport when younger..

Y'all are worrying a whole lot more than we do and we live here...

[rlh1957]

Originally Posted by rvwonderful

There are many tornadoes and hurricanes every year. Usually there are shelters in campgrounds. But there is no way to hold RV to campsite ground to prevent being flipped over by tornadoes/hurricanes.

Thinking of some chains that can hold RVs firmly to campsite ground. Why RVs and campground do not have that kind of mechanism already? Is there a way?

Tornado?
No matter how anchored your house, camper, trailer, outhouse is... if a tornado hits being securely tied down is the least of your worries. Your space will implode and then be strewn. Anchors and lines will be there but nothing else.

When in a permanent site maybe high wind ground anchors for mobile homes could be used.
But RV’ing we find ground to soft, rules that prohibit it, ground that is rock or so hard the dirt must have concrete in it! Wind is an enemy for sure and anchors may help, but the whole structure and anything protruding can be ripped off. Look at how much stuff people lose at highway speeds.

[geo]

Oh, there could be a long story from me on this subject. However, I'll mentally delete that . . .

We camped at Roadrunner RV Park in Oklahoma City in early May 2015. Two nights after we left, it was hit by a F3 multi-vortex tornado. Here's a picture from the KFOR helicopter. One can see one vortex cut through the storage rooms. Another vortex came in from the right after plowing through a motel. Roadrunner had tornado shelters. There were only some cuts and scrapes, and one broken arm.

Where we were camped was under one of the drifts of RVs in the center of the picture.

My two cents,
Ron