Montana Owners Club - Keystone Montana 5th Wheel Forum - View Single Post

sfretts · 04-26-2010, 10:07 AM

This has been one of the most informative days since joining MOC. Lots of great information out there.

My DW and I used to tour the western US on our Goldwing, pulling a small tent trailer. One of our first trips met with near disaster in Eastern Montana with high winds and hail. As time went on, I researched and learned as much as I could about understanding weather. Eventually that lead to teaching classes all over the place on that subject. Of course being in bad weather on a bike vs your TV or Monty are different, there is several things you can do to mitigate your exposure.

When traveling, be aware of the clouds and what they are doing. In the plains staes as a general rule, weather (severe) moves in a NE direction. Other areas like the mountains you have no idea. We watched clouds and would adjust the route as needed. We have pictures of sitting in rest areas waiting out storms. A weather radio as stated before is critical, with a caution. We had the weather radio on the bike and would turn it on as the clouds threatened. Problem is, they always give watch and warnings by counties. We found ourselves in flash floods in eastern Nevada and could not tell as we didnot know what county we were in. A good atlas will help with that.

As for traveling, I go by the same rules now that we tow our Mountaineer. We have the internet on one of our cell phones and even have pulled up radar maps to make sure it was safe.

We experimented with a vacation in our rig last year after leaving the spring rally. The night we left, I pulled into the KOA in Central Oregon above Bend. As I was setting up, the clouds threatened and radar confirmed severe weather headed our way. The folks at the camp ground came out to make sure we knew and had the following advice:
1. Put all chairs light objects away
2. Bring in awning, sat dish etc.
3. bring in the slides to reduce the 'sail effect'
4. Go to a designated location in the campground if warranted due to a tornado watch or warning. This could be the lodge or an outbuilding such as a concrete or sturdy bathroom etc.

Remeber the most severe winds in most storm cells is on the back side and this is where alot of torando's form. Be careful to not declare an all clear to soon.

Only other comment I would add is personal dealing with severe weather while traveling. I would opt for a ditch or low lying area and not go under a bridge. Remember, your trailer will not protect you in severe thunderstorms or tornados.

04-26-2010, 10:07 AM	#14
sfretts Montana Fan Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Aberdeen Posts: 198 M.O.C. #8573	This has been one of the most informative days since joining MOC. Lots of great information out there. My DW and I used to tour the western US on our Goldwing, pulling a small tent trailer. One of our first trips met with near disaster in Eastern Montana with high winds and hail. As time went on, I researched and learned as much as I could about understanding weather. Eventually that lead to teaching classes all over the place on that subject. Of course being in bad weather on a bike vs your TV or Monty are different, there is several things you can do to mitigate your exposure. When traveling, be aware of the clouds and what they are doing. In the plains staes as a general rule, weather (severe) moves in a NE direction. Other areas like the mountains you have no idea. We watched clouds and would adjust the route as needed. We have pictures of sitting in rest areas waiting out storms. A weather radio as stated before is critical, with a caution. We had the weather radio on the bike and would turn it on as the clouds threatened. Problem is, they always give watch and warnings by counties. We found ourselves in flash floods in eastern Nevada and could not tell as we didnot know what county we were in. A good atlas will help with that. As for traveling, I go by the same rules now that we tow our Mountaineer. We have the internet on one of our cell phones and even have pulled up radar maps to make sure it was safe. We experimented with a vacation in our rig last year after leaving the spring rally. The night we left, I pulled into the KOA in Central Oregon above Bend. As I was setting up, the clouds threatened and radar confirmed severe weather headed our way. The folks at the camp ground came out to make sure we knew and had the following advice: 1. Put all chairs light objects away 2. Bring in awning, sat dish etc. 3. bring in the slides to reduce the 'sail effect' 4. Go to a designated location in the campground if warranted due to a tornado watch or warning. This could be the lodge or an outbuilding such as a concrete or sturdy bathroom etc. Remeber the most severe winds in most storm cells is on the back side and this is where alot of torando's form. Be careful to not declare an all clear to soon. Only other comment I would add is personal dealing with severe weather while traveling. I would opt for a ditch or low lying area and not go under a bridge. Remember, your trailer will not protect you in severe thunderstorms or tornados.