BATTEN DOWN THE HATCHES

Tampakayaker
Tampakayaker Member Posts: 558
in Trailer & Towing
So we live in FL and like quite a few other states, get to experience hurricanes.  We have a 320 that is parked in our driveway, no garage, just protected with a cover.

This is our first year with the T@B and hurricanes.

Looking for advice from others on the best way to ride out a storm with the trailer in our driveway.

There are no large trees nearby that could fall on it.  Of course debris, branches could become airborne.

Would I be better off just leaving the trailer as is (of course removing the cover) or hooking it up to my RAM for added weight?

I know we could hitch up and try to avoid the storm by driving away, but the last time a storm got near Tampa all of the major roads became parking lots, and the storm veered away.
2006 RAM 1500 4 door, 2016 T@B 320 MAX S 
Tampa FL
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Comments

  • Verna
    Verna Member Posts: 6,876
    My wind experience comes from wintering in Arizona for 5 years. I’ve been through wind storms up to 65 mph, definitely not hurricane strength winds but hard enough for me. 

    Hitch up and point the truck into the wind. Have all four stabilizers down tight, if not on concrete, put the plastic pads under the stabilizer pads to help spread the weight. 

    Close all windows and roof vent. I’d also keep the blinds closed just in case something hits the windows. 

    I’d leave the cover on, maybe put a couple of ratchet straps together and strap it under the T@B and over the roof to help keep the cover on. 

    Make sure the fresh water tank is full, and you should have a couple of full propane tanks so you have an escape pod to live in after the storm. 

    Good luck! 
    Verna, Columbus, IN
    2021 T@B 320S  Boondock “The T@B”
    Towed by a white 2019 Ford F-150 4x4 Supercab, 3.5L V6 Ecoboost “The Truck”
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  • CrabTab
    CrabTab Member Posts: 457
    edited August 2020
    *Fill the fresh water tank for ballast.
    *Stabilizers down.
    *Is your AC vent covered?
    *No overhead power lines?
    *What are the chances of blown debris impacts in the driveway?
    *What about rising water? 
    *Is your home oriented to act as a windbreak? Our worst winds are usually easterly on the Atlantic coast. You're on the Gulf Coast?

    Do your usual preps.

    Maybe plan that trip to Yellowstone?  :)

    Hang in there when the forecast gets iffy, many of us live out the season with you. Best news is we usually have a week to prepare for a blow, unlike weather events others face.

    Edit: ... and do everything @Verna says (was quicker than me with most of the suggestions I made)!

    2019 320 Boondock Edge     - Sold Jan 2022
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  • Denny16
    Denny16 Member Posts: 5,431
    I have been through several hurricanes in the Caribbean, I would fill both the fresh water and the grey tanks with water, after the storm, just drain the grey tank back out.  The more weight down low, the better.  I had to contend with flying coconut missiles, at least you do not have that issue.  The AC vents should act as a pressure relief valve, allowing the inside of the trailer to equalize air pressure, so leave the AC vents open.
    cheers
    2018 TaB400 Custom Boondock,  Jeep Gladiator truck, Northern California Coast.
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  • CrabTab
    CrabTab Member Posts: 457
    edited August 2020
    Denny16 said:
    The AC vents should act as a pressure relief valve, allowing the inside of the trailer to equalize air pressure, so leave the AC vents open.
    cheers

    Really need to disagree about the AC vent not being covered @Denny16. Wind driven water will cause real damage. Hence the phrase' Batten Down the Hatches'. We don't leave our car windows open during storms either. There is no need for pressure equalization. 

    This is a clip from a National Weather Service PowerPoint on general hurricane safety. A link is posted below the graphic. 


    https://www.weather.gov/media/chs/misc/HurricaneGuide.pdf

    2019 320 Boondock Edge     - Sold Jan 2022
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  • Sharon_is_SAM
    Sharon_is_SAM Member Posts: 10,061
    I would also worry about hail.  One time we had warning of a hailstorm.  We placed some heavy packing blankets and a large RV rug over the top of our TaB and then used the cover to hold it in place.  The hail missed us😁. I like the idea of positioning the car and TaB on the side of the house opposite the wind.
    Sharon / 2017 T@B CSS / 2015 Toyota Sienna Minivan / Westlake, Ohio
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  • Denny16
    Denny16 Member Posts: 5,431
    edited August 2020
     @CrabTab, good point about driving rain, would put a rain cover over all the vent openings, but not seal them on the bottom side.  That said, I have seen Mobil homes flattened by a hurricane passing close enough to create a sudden pressure differential.  My house in Puerto Rico only had shutters and jalousie windows, that would flex in the wind and allow pressure differences equalize between inside and outside.  The house was designed to withstand a hurricane force storm.
    cheers
    2018 TaB400 Custom Boondock,  Jeep Gladiator truck, Northern California Coast.
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