A tale of T@B's, storms, and high winds...

catndahats

A FB post prompted this thread regarding how T@B's handle storms and high winds...it was a dark and stormy afternoon/night in Texas!

So far we have experienced two squalls / storm events with our T@B. The first was in the Florida panhandle this summer as we were towing.  We drove right into this event; the sky darkened in mid-day to night time darkness....the winds reported were gusting over 45mph...heavy rain. We had no choice but to continue as there were no shoulders or shelter to seek during this storm.  The T@B handled this weather with ease.  Our speed was reduced at times to 20mph (along with all the other traffic) due to reduced vision in the driving rain, but the camper marched right along without any noticable sway or hydroplaning.  Not a drop of water was found inside when we reached our destination, although our fan vent cover came unlatched....way to go T@B!

However, our first real storm event was last week on Lake Livingston.  We had experienced cloudless skies for weeks, and very hot temps consistently over 100 degrees.  One afternoon while camping right on the water, we casually observed a thunderstorm approaching in the distance from the south.  At first, I thought it would pass significantly to the east of our location. However, when the storm reached the lake, it hooked around, and we were unexpectedly slammed with strong gusts from the north.  We had less than 5 minutes to secure our things before we were forced to retreat to our camper.  We quickly stripped the awning and the visor, tossing them in the back of our 4-runner....it was like reducing sail on a boat as a squall approaches.  Our son's tent was blown flat--long stakes ripped from the ground, and our screen room began to self destruct as the rain  and wind hit...we gathered them as best as possible, ran around the T@B giving the 4 wheel chocks a good kick and double checking the stabilizers.  Then the storm hit!  The waves on the lake immediately became a swirling cauldron with whitecaps blowing from the lake and slamming into our little camper. It was the perfect storm that all sailors dread!  Inside the camper, the 3 of us huddled and discussed our options.  Then the National Weather Service alert came in with winds in excess of 65mph---possible tornado, and hail!  I have to say it was a definitely a sober and vigilent moment as my family's little home was pelted with pine cones that sounded like someone drumming on the T@B's shell. The winds did rock the camper, and the rain and blown water did swirl around us, but the T@B did not move from its' footprint.  At one point, something slammed into the camper---it sounded like a gun went off in the cabin, we all jumped, but we were dry and in place.  

Suddenly, the door opened!  Two teenage boys climbed in soaking wet, out of breath, and scared.  They claimed they saw a funnel cloud and ran down from their campsite to check on us.  At that point we all abandoned ship.  We all jumped in the car and retreated to the concrete bath house.  There were about 30 other campers in the bath house seeking shelter. The teens were reunited with parents whose camper had been damaged, and we all road out the storm in the safety of concrete shelter.  Several of the campers were damaged by the winds, and many tent campers reported losing tents, awnings, supplies, and the teens shared their stories about being caught out on the water racing the storm back to shore.  Fortunately no one was hurt.

We were fortunate.  I am very impressed with the ability of our little T@B to handle the weather, and the design of the awnings that allow quick take down. We were safe, and our T@B weathered the storm quite well--we did not lose anything, however we did get a small dent from a falling limb ( that loud bang we heard) and our fan/vent came unlatched again in the high winds...

Things we learned:
* one of the lures of camping is being out in nature, in all its' glory and strength.  This event was a reminder to keep an eye and ear on the weather, and have a contingency plan.
* reduce sail early!  Removing our windage early probably saved our visor and awning from being shredded, and reduced our exposure to the winds.
* we were lucky/fortunate that our T@B was pointed into the wind which probably reduced rocking and shaking.
* if avoiding a storm is not an option, be prepared to relocate to a safer location.

Anyone else have sage wisdom or stories to share?

jkjenn

Great write up Nate. I had one night of thunderstorms in Moab, mostly lightning. I try to always travel with a weather radio and keep track of the weather bands in the areas where I will sleep. Inhale heard that if you have time, it doesn't hurt to hitch the T@b to the TV, but if I did that, I would have to make sure I could pull out with it. The bathhouse was a smart move. I believe some interstates have rest areas with tornado shelters. The other thing that might be a void idea would be to take a Skywarn course from the local NWS.

CanuckTabber

Awesome read.  I was feeling that story !

Verna

Nate, I'm so glad you and Cheryl made it through both storms unscathed. It was an excellent move to gather in the bathhouse. Indiana has the doors marked if the building have been built or rehabbed to be a storm shelter. In my travels, I have seen rest parks with that designation in my travels, also. 

If you would've had time, hitching up to the tow vehicle and facing the tow vehicle into the wind would have been good. Of course, you probably would have had to redeploy the stabilizers, but a bit more work to stay safe is good. 

I agree with Jenn about having a weather radio. In storm prone Indiana, I don't travel without one. If you have a smartphone, watching the weather radar is an excellent idea. While the weather radios notify according to counties, the weather radio uses your GPS location to show you exactly where you are. 

Stay safe

Nomad

I've been hit a couple of times with high winds (50 gusting to 60) and rain and was amazed at how well the T@B rode it out. Have managed to outrun a couple of other storms with lots of rain and hail fortunately. Scary stuff when things start bangin the T@B.

Nomad

My go to weather map on my iDevices...

jkjenn

If you use a radar, bear in min that there is a 15-30 min delay.

Nomad

This one is second by second... Helpful when storms are getting close... Been real accurate on when exactly stuff is going to hit you...

mash2

Jenn, programs seem to vary in their updating.  radarscope pulls nexrad level III data, with updates in the 3 to 10 minute frame for a price..  Pxlated.  I think the author also has a program called storm, that also adds an anticipated direction for major storms.  Worth checking out.

jkjenn

mash2 said:

Jenn, programs seem to vary in their updating.  radarscope pulls nexrad level III data, with updates in the 3 to 10 minute frame for a price..  Pxlated.  I think the author also has a program called storm, that also adds an anticipated direction for major storms.  Worth checking out.

Right but point is the same. Unless paying for pro radar service, not "real time." Most weather apps pull their data from the same couple of sources.

Nomad

Jenn - Don't know about that, have watched radar and they've been pretty real time or dang close. And Dark Sky is usually right on the money.
mash2 - the author of Dark Sky or the other.

Verna

Dark Sky is right on the money telling me when it's going to rain.  It dings and it starts raining.  Maybe it causes the rain.....

Nomad

"maybe it causes the rain" <- :-)

jkjenn

Accuweather used to be extremely dependable not so much any more. If you are a true weather geek...I mean serious geek.... you can subscribe to Weatherbell.com, who has Joe Bastardi, one of the best in the business, especially with long range and storms, and one of the original founders of the Weather Channel, Joe D'Aleo, a true weather expert. They give incredible long range forecasts. They called Sandy, and hit it spot, over a week before it hit.

Bastardi is the son of a meteorologist and has the wealth of his father's knowledge of weather history in his toolbox. While other forecasters call every storm, or hot or cold spell, "historic", he can tell you when it has happened before. He has quite a personality and isn't for everyone, but I have learned a ton from listening to him over the years. Accuweather hasn't been the same since he left.

Nomad

Agree on Accuweather.

mash2

Hadn't seen dark sky.  I'll try it out this winter.  

Since this was not a T@B travel year, I've spent the summer in California.  No such thing as dark sky for another couple of months.  Hopefully El Nino shows up bringing rain and I can benefit from it this winter .

mash2

the storm program is by weather underground (the maker of Wundermap).  They have an interesting approach to getting data from neighborhood weather stations seems different than most programs.

Nomad

"neighborhood weather stations" <- Yep, that's the "underground" part. They have the best weather maps too, one of the few that actually shows "fronts"
Will have to look for that "storm" app.

vito

As a motocyclist I use an free app called Rain Alarm. It shows what appears to be up-to-date radar and can be set to alert you for rain in your vicinity. Can serve nicely as a general map app as well. 

judymac

Wow!  Glad you made it ok and thankful for the teens!  
This is my husband's greatest fear and it was once towing and backing into the camp site, but he has that accomplished.
Mike checks the weather days in advance rather than being spur of the moment when camping.  Other travels are on the fly.
Totally agree on Accuweather.  Thanks for other suggestions.

Nomad

mash2 - Found "storm" - Looks like a nifty app also.

kybob

I guess Dark Sky is for iPhone only? I can't find it in Playstore.

Nomad

kybob - Sorry, don't know, all my devices are Apple so don't pay much attention to what works with what.

Nomad

Boy, used all the apps last night. Lots of thunder/lightning so fired them up. Was right in the path of oncoming "severe hail" alert. Oh, Oh. I'm currently out in the open plains with nowhere to run and no trees to hide under (no time to run anyway). Buttoned down the hatches, put the "glass" solar away and waited for the carnage. At the last minute (5 miles out) the real nasty one veered slightly north and all I got was some light rain. With that veer, I ended up in a little path between several storms, threaded the needle.

RZRBUG

kybob said:

I guess Dark Sky is for iPhone only? I can't find it in Playstore.

Dark Sky:  iOS only.

I believe Storm is also for iOS.

I guess we po' folks with the smartphones will just have to stick our fingers up in the air.

Nomad

There's got to be something similar on Android I'd think.

RZRBUG

I use The Weather Channel and WeatherBug.  So far they have been adequate.

mash2

weather underground is an android app (but not storm).  

kcbrat

Weather Underground is also available for iPhone and iPad...both great apps and very reliable radar also with lots of options you can turn on and off.  And if you haven't seen it they also have an app for the iPad called wunder maps....great app for weather geeks.

Verna

kcbrat said:

Weather Underground is also available for iPhone and iPad...both great apps and very reliable radar also with lots of options you can turn on and off.

Many times, while in AZ last winter, The Weather Channel was not available, but WU (Weather Underground) was available for reliable radar and forecasts.  I'm getting used to it.

Nomad

Yep, as I've mentioned many time in different threads, if you have an iPad, you need WunderMap.