Pop up in Storms

[WannaBeMountainMan]

We do a lot of camping in Colorado and mountain areas. We get some good storms with lots of wind. What do you guys use as a cutoff for when you break down your pop up or whether you ride it out? So far we haven't had an issue but I also don't want to bend everything in my lifting system either.

[29BHS ECO]

Take down the awning, zip it up & have another beer. If it's really bad put it back on it's wheels, then have another beer. Seriously depends how bad for how long. I have had the "easy up" take a few rides,6 " of water under the picnic table but never left for home. The sun will always shine tomorrow or the next day or the next day. Larry

[RoyBraddy]

I start to get nervous when it gets up to around 40MPH. I always have my NOAH WX alert radio handy and keep track of the bad boys that way.

Another thing I did which at first had nothing to do with the high winds but with the sway the POPUP would do just by pushing out on the top of the door from the inside of the popup. My starcraft will move in and out a good six inches doing this. It is very stable front to back. The side windows moved in one time so hard it knocked my HDTV off the shelf I had it sitting on.

I installed eyelets in all four corners of the roof which extended from the outside to the inside (eyelets on both inside and outside). My plan was to crisscross some web straps on the inside from the roof to the metal sides especially on the tent bed side of the one we just use for day time storage of things. That really helped keeping the windows from moving in and out when a quick wind would come up.

Since I had the eyelets on the outside I went ahead and got some 15-foot long web straps that has the ratchet (comes four to a box) and this works even better. I found some of those three inch diameter by 18-inch long earth augers that you can screw into the ground. This doesnt disturb the ground at all and when you remove them you cant even tell you have done this. So now when I setup I go ahead and lock down the four corners of the POPUP with the web straps. The straps are very hard to notice if you have the awning up - all blends together. Since they have the ratchet they can be setup in a minute or two. Oh found out you have to put three or four twists in the wed straps or the wind will make them howl real loud. First time I did this I tought I was being attacked by a bunch of coyotes..

Sure makes the POPUP very stable when the wind is blowing. This probably added another 10 MPH rating hehe...

When the WX gets real bad we head for the secure rest room areas if around or just sit it out in the truck..

[Denise]

We experienced several storms including high winds as we traveled the US over three summers back in the early 90's with a 1992 Rockwood tent trailer. We were nervous but after the first couple of storm or high winds, we realized that the lift system remained sturdy and not effected by the winds. I can only assume those lift systems have improved since then.

[techmod]

I was in a big storm at the beach in my 1206. The wind was quartering from the rear at 50+. The windward side was pushed in about a foot and the lee side was sucked out about 8". Then a huge 2-3 minute gust came and the slide out moved about an inch then it slammed completly shut!!! I was ready to make a run to cement block shower house. But that was the last big wind in the storm. Next morning not a drop in my PU, the camper next to me got flooded inside from the horizontal rain coming through is slider. Almost every tent was flattened and there were a lot of sad faces in the cars next to them. But something I could have done if I had thought of it then is to move the TV to the windward side to help block the wind.

[amabee]

I can tell you, our 1207 took some pretty serious thunderstorms. Rule #1, do NOT leave the awning up, I broke this rule and ours flipped completely over the roof, no damage to the roof thankfully. Rule #2 is don't forget Rule #1

Seriously though, some of the storms were a little scary at first, but Jayco does build a solid popup, even with some wind gusts in the 40mph + range it moved very little. You do want to watch the door, it is the only place you are likely to get water in as it does not seal very well, the rest of the tent never leaked a drop. It would have taken a lot for me to not just ride it out, if it had been damaged, well that's what insurance is for. I'd be more concerned about getting my family to a safe place than to worry about the popup. They can take more than you might think.

[tlhdoc]

I camped in a PU for many years. We would camp at the beach several times a year and have gone through some very high winds, 60 mph+/ The awning is the weak point. Put it away and you should be fine. More than once we were "rocked" to sleep by the wind.

[edowsfamily]

We put eyelets on both sides of the top, front and back just for this reason, then used tie downs from the eyelets to a tent peg in the ground. worked for years. take down that awning. the wind caught ours and sent it over the roof and bent the poles. good thing for electrical conduit.

[RoyBraddy]

More on putting eyelets in the side corners of the roof. I drilled all the way thru the side wall and mounted my one inch eyelet on the outside. I also use large washers on both sides of the roof side. On the inside I added another 0ne inch eyelet that would screw into the outside eyelet long shaft bolt. This inside eyelet will also keep the top from moving from side to side with a cris cross 1/2-inch ratchet web strap going down crisscross one of the tent beds entrance..

We also like to throw up a 20X30 special tarp over out whole trailer sometimes especially when camping in a heavy wooded area where trees will drop water for days after rain storms. ELKMONT in the smoky mtns does this and everyone has a tarp over their tents and trailer there. The 20X30 tarp has holes cutout in it to go around the roof mounted a/c and venets as well as a couple of roof mounted two way radio antennas. The back of the tarp goes straight to the ground at an angle. gives me another good spot to stack firewood. The front part of the tarp comes out over both tent ends and the trailer roof and the extended awning. Then I put up four COLEMAN tent poles (WALLMART) to make the whole front even with the awning height. Then these four location tie off the the ground using 1/2-inch ratchet web straps with the two outside straps going to the the earth augers shown above. Using the 1/2-inch ratchet web starps allow all of this to come down in a hurry if need to because of storms. Click Click and it is all down. Using rope cords you end up cutting the rope when in a hurry.

I never had any luck using the small wire type screw in ground anchors. I use the 15-inch long Earth Ground 3-inch Ancors. These screw into the ground with minimum effort just using a large screwdriver slipped thru the eyelet.. Does not disturb the ground when you unscrew it. These guy really hold up good alot of wind.

Works good for us at any rate....


sample photos from GOOGLE images NOTE I don't use the rope shown above - was part of the photo....


This also shows how I adapted to get the inside eyelet mounted. all hardware 1/4-20 stainless steel LOWES. I keep my 1/2-inch ratchet web straps hooked into the eyelets across the bed entrance when not being use. This adds even more structure pull to sides of the roof and is all hidden behind the curtain valance we have around the whole inside of the trailer.

Been thru some pretty strong winds using this setup without any problems.

Roy Ken

[xkuzme1]

We went through some fantastic storms in Kansas and South Dakota in our old pup. It actually did good, but those storms are the main reason that I went to a TT. I am not sure that it wouldn't get push around just as much, but at least I wouldn't feel as venerable from flying objects. It is rarely the wind that will get you... It's the projectiles.

X

[Jagiven]

Remember growing up as a kid, and the storms we went though. They were pretty powerful. As others noted, put the awning away in high wind, check your storm flaps, stabilizers, and I always say keep stuff from touching the canvas. Spending 5 minutes to check things over and you should be fine. I have never seen a pu damaged in a storm from the wind. I have seen a lot of tents blown down. I have seen a few tree limbs on TT (never on a pu). As a kid we were caught in a hail storm with a little smaller than baseball size hail. The canvas did great. The roof was totaled, and had to be replaced.

We skipped the pu stage, we have been in 40+ mph wind with the HTT, we bounce around a little, and the driving rain on the tents have been incredibly loud. But spending a few minutes checking things over in advance to prepare, and we have been fine.

[raising4daughters]

Ditto what everyone else said about the awning. We learned the hard way with our pop-up at Cedar Point on Lake Erie. Storms whip up on shallow Lake Erie quickly, and what was a clear day turned into a big storm with 2 tornadoes almost instantly while we were in line for a coaster. We sprinted back to the popup to see our awning being tossed back and forth across the top of the pop-up. The forced banged the poles down on the ground so hard that they bent like bananas.

[Doug]

We have a PU and recently bought a small TT.
If we leave for the day and there's any chance of wind gust, the awning gets put up. Easier on the TT than the PU, but still not a big deal.
Once winds start gusting about 15 mph, I'll put away the awning just for safety. They catch a lot of wind.
I always set one side lower than the rest for good run off in a rain.
I listen to the national weather service. I'll ride out a storm to a point, but if get get uncomfortable with the wind, it's off to the vehicle and a solid structure.
When I enter a CG, the first thing I do is find a structure to evauate to.
I also check the condition of any trees on my campsite. I don't camp under any trees that have dead limbs etc.
When in doubt, always seek better shelter. The camper casn be replaced :-)

JMHO, Doug

[Soulman]

All good advice, but it reminds me of the first time we went camping in a PUP. One night a tornado passed by the campground. My wife and son were awake and freaking out. Me? Slept right through it! They still give me gas about that.

[cv60cat2]

Thanks for the idea Roy! I have a 2000 Eagle 10SG with AC and been looking for ideas on how to modify a tarp for rainy days, my wife does not like the canvas getting soaked. I do have a 20x30 tarp. Will welcome pics. By the way, I am down the road from you.

[Ladywendolyn]

We used to have a tent trailer, then a hybrid, now a solid wall... a bit of that progression had to do with storms, but it was more focused on having to roll up wet canvas than the trailer blowing away as we travel a lot. Last summer we were camped at a park here in Canada, the worst storm in 100 years hit. Winds of up to 80-100 miles per hour. There was no time to secure or take down your camper, it hit so fast. Many trees came down all over the campground. Trees that had been there for over a hundred years. Canopy's were torn off of all kinds of trailers.. but not one pop up trailer moved its place. So I think you are good.. however, that being said I do think it's prudent to try and set up your camper in a more sheltered spot rather than in the middle of an open field if you have a choice..

[RoyBraddy]

CV60cat2 - I don't think I ever got any pictures for my setup with the tarp over the whole trailer. If you every get down to the Smoky Mtns you will see many POPUPs and TT Trailers at the ELKMONT CAMP GROUND with big tarps around the camp site. the tree cover in there is really heavy and it drips rain for days after the storms haha...

I just cut out hole for the air conditioner and fantastic roof fan and folded back where I cut the hole and used some rivits to make up a nice lloking border around the hole. Don't have to worry about water leaks and all of that will go to the roof and run off under the tarp. The front part came out over the awing and really give us a nice larger sitting area under the tarp and awning. I ran 1/2-inch ratchet straps down to the ground anchors on the front side. Picked up some tent poles from WALMART to keep the side ends up at the same height as the awning. On the back side I just used 1/2-inch ratchet strap straight to the ground anchors.

My 20X30 tarp unfortunately got used to cover my wood pile and now has deteriorated away haha...

We live in Eden Estates off of RT206/1201 two houses down from the Eden Estates swimming pool... Got two trailers in the back yard.

Recently retired and sort of in a RoyB sequestration at this time waiting for better days to get back into the camping runs again. Westmoreland State Park became our so called home camp site.

Also love to go setup at LOFT MTN on Skyline drive and really like the area behind Harrisonburg VA on the WVA/VA wooded stateline. There is a place up there called FLAGPOLE KNOB which is great forest road site where bunches of Jeeps and campers setup from time to to time.. Used to go up there with my off-road POPUP and run my radio comms for SKYWARN/RACES/NAVY MARS radio ops... Need to get back into that before i get too old to get out in the woods anymore. With the ecomony like it is there seems to be alot of strange looking characters roaming around up there... Almost afraid to go by myself anymore hehe...

I want to also get down to DILLWYN VA and do some camping in the GOLD FIELDs there. That sounds like fun to me...

Roy Ken

[RoyBraddy]

You can almost visualize a large tarp going over this trailer setup with the awning extended...



using the 1/2-inch ratchet straps for tiedowns make for easy setup and quick removal when high winds get up. Back in the tent days you almost had to cut the ropes everytime you took it all down hehe...

Roy Ken

[cv60cat2]

Well, I went to Dam Neck in Va Bch and caught a storm, the tarp protected from the rain but the wind under the tarp kept me up from 1:30 to let's not go there. The place is open to mil aID holders 25 a nite, I also went to Kiptoepke State Park on the eastern shore 32 nite fishing pier only3 and boat ramp (big bang for the buck and really nice. Only 2 trips but hooked up.


QUOTE=RoyBraddy;160379]You can almost visualize a large tarp going over this trailer setup with the awning extended...



using the 1/2-inch ratchet straps for tiedowns make for easy setup and quick removal when high winds get up. Back in the tent days you almost had to cut the ropes everytime you took it all down hehe...

Roy Ken[/QUOTE]

[cv60cat2]

Sounds good to go to the woods Roy. I live down Rt 2 close to River Club on Benchmark 7 houses down at Pelhams. On camping my wife prefers the beach, me anywhere as long as I camp. Probably start next March again, Westmoreland might be the first place we go.