Weather? Crime?

[daydreamer08]

Hi New Friends-

I hope I am posting in the right place. I would like to ask how you deal with a few things.

1) Weather. What if there is a tornado warning? I was camping in my poptop van at Graceland last year. Tornado warning! What to do? My cat (in her carrier) and I went outside to look for a ditch to lay in. This wasn't too appealing so went back into the van. Eventually I phoned a local hotel who told me it had passed. RELIEF!

But once I get on the road, this will happen again and I want to feel prepared instead of afraid. How do you handle it?

2) Do you feel secure with the thin camper doors and no deadbolts? I am sounding like a city girl, but ???

Thanks and have a great day!
Lori

[retiredhappy]

Most of us don't worry about crime other than maybe someone stealing stuff from our outside compartments. A lot of us carry a gun or pepper spray. Personally, not a fan of pepper spray as it can end up in YOUR face.

Just use common sense and stay out of areas that make you uncomfortable. Listen to your intuition. I chose my Class C rather than a trailer or 5th wheel because if I feel unsafe because I'm at a Walmart or a rest stop I can get in the driver's seat in my pj's and drive off. In a campground I've never felt unsafe. I used to spend the night at rest stops or Walmarts or church parking lots if I was just sleeping. Only once did I ever feel uncomfortable enough to drive off. I was at a rest stop and a car drove in with several men in it and I didn't like the way they were looking at my RV. Got in the driver's seat and left. Usually there were plenty of other RVs or trucks at rest stops to feel safe. I personally never like Flying J's because of the noise from the truckers.

[Colliemom]

Thought I would put my experiences in here for you. I camp and travel alone with my two collies, one of which is an excellent watch dog. I stay in both private and State Park campgrounds and never feel threatened or worry about anything. When it boils down to it, you can have a home invasion in your own home anytime as well. I leave chairs, BBQ grill etc., out ok my picnic table or sometimes put it away in the back of my truck. Never had a problem. Now coolers can be another matter. Both 4 legged and two legged can steal or demolish one. Best to keep out of sight and smell.

As to weather, the best defense is to be weather smart. Check the forecasts for areas you are camping or heading for in the morning and again at night. We are at the mercy of mom nature no matter where we are. I had an experience in SD two years ago, where a violent storm struck in the middle of the night. Nothing in forecast before bed indicating any storms. I thought for sure we were having a tornado as the winds were rocking my trailer. I evacuated with my dog to my truck. Never saw a storm like that with continous non stop lightening, driving rain and wind. . I could feel my Trailer shudder inside the truck. The power went out as well. When it finally ended a lot of us went into the main building for awhile till we made sure no more were coming. The aftermath was the roof torn partly off the campground office, a pop up camper knocked on it's side as well as a new 5er still hitched to the owners truck, stuff blown all over. Wind was clocked at 90 mph. I think the only reason my Trailer stayed put was it was hitched to the truck with the WD bars etc. but all my stabilizer jack blocks were gone from underneath. So it apparently either rocked a bit or got lifted a bit. Also had a metal picnic table thrown against it and punctured a hole in the siding. Nothing duct tape couldn't patch. But nobody got hurt and only two trailers flipped out of all that were there.I might add, the owners were terrific despite suffering damage to their office, it's computers and reservation system information and store. They were out there in a flash soon as the storm let up, making sure everybody was okay and emergency personnel were there just as quick. So you just never know. Your house isn't safe either if mom nature goes on a rampage. So we just go and be aware. Can't stay home for this, that and the other, or we would never go anyplace.

And I might add, anybody gong east or west on I-90 in SD. The Kennebec KOA is great. The owners are the most caring people. I will stay there again and maybe next time, no storm I was told by some native SD campers there, that storm was way out of norm for that area. They get bad weather, but not like that.

[JudyJB]

I have twice spent a couple of hours in the restroom/shower room during a tornado or high wind warning. First time, it was 1:00 am and had knock on door and could see blue flashing light--police were coming around asking us to get into shelter, which was shower room. I put on clothes quickly and threw on my rain coat and hiked in the rain a couple of hundred feet to join the rest of the campers huddled in the building. Most recently, it was earlier in the evening and we just all stood around under the cement roof of the restroom/shower building. Camp hosts had warned us earlier and I was keeping track of radar on my iPhone app called "Hi-Def Radar." I use it all the time because you can scroll in and see just where the worst of the storm is.

One advantage of a motorhome such as mine is that it is REALLY heavy, so less likely to be blown over in the wind. However, I would not want to be in it during a tornado, so I head for shelter if one threatens.

Never had any theft, but I did enjoy watching a little chipmunk once spend the entire day stealing dog food from a large bag some campers had left outside. He must have made hundreds of trips with his little cheeks full to the brim! So don't leave dog food outdoors! Couple of nights ago, neighbors had left a cooler outside with meat, and a raccoon made off with a packet of hamburger.

Those are the only thefts I noticed. Most campers are pretty respectful and keep an eye out for other people's things, so they act like a neighborhood watch. Mostly I stay in state and federal campgrounds and they are very safe. Only once did I feel unsafe and that was in a commercial campground where I did not like the looks of a group of men who spent day drinking. Left next morning even though I had paid for another night.

[daydreamer08]

Never thought about sheltering in the restrooms. Brilliant.

Thanks!
Lori

[snowball]

I spend the winter boondocking in Quartzsite AZ we are told all the time to be careful of the
generators as they walk ...I leave stuff out all the time only once had a problem
the first winter here we went to a uncles funeral was gone for a couple weeks my shepherds hook
left for parts unknown other than it had to have been a Ute fan.. still irritates me it was my
gift from when my husband retired from the U of U ...
we have spent time in restrooms ect during tornado warnings and watches...just be alert
stuff happens at home or on the road
sheila

[Colliemom]

Judy, that storm I was in, was so violent that those with big Class A's remarked that they weren't too sure they were going to stay upright either. One said his was rocking a little. I think it was just a quirk in how the wind blew that night. The 5er was at the end of the row and in the open, broadside to the wind, the pop up was three sites down from me with another camper next to them. There was a pop up behind me, but they just got turned sideways a bit. The other one had an awning out, somprobably acted like a big balloon.

When I worked at the state park, we used to see squirrels raiding stuff on the picnic tables from time to time. Always got a laugh out of it. Would love to have seen the campers reactions when they got back from wherever