Hail Storms and RV's don't mix!

[Okie Guy]

I was sitting here alst night just minding my own business when I started hearing a thud on the roof. It wasn't constant at first just one or two times a minute. About 5 minutes later wow! I thought it was going to start coming through the ceiling. It was like being in a small room with 200 kids beating on drums constantly for 5 more minutes. Then the rain came. I was sure I would have damage so I just went to bed and decided to deal with it today. This morning I walked out the door expecting to see cracked fiberglass and roof damage. To my surprise NONE! If this roof can hold up in a 10 minute hail storm with nickle to 1" hail they are doing something right at the factory.

[Icehouse]

Glad to hear you had no damage. But, the thought of sitting in a small room with 200 kids beating on drums is not pleasant!
Tammy

[rogue]

Okie Guy, I can understand the noise, we were caught in our 4runner during a hail storm, quarter size hail. On the metal roof it sure sounded like we were inside the popcorn bag in a microwave. We did not fare as well, we have dents on the roof and hood. Glad you had no damage.

[bsmeaton]

Okie Guy- you lucked out!

Rubber roofs fair out better than sheet aluminum roofs, but they are not impurvious to damage. It's just harder to see. If the hail hits hard enough to break the masonite roof sheeting, the rubber roof will hide it. The only way to find the damage is to comb the roof with your fingers pushing down. If you come across a piece of damaged sheeting, you will know it. Check your vent covers too. They are usually the first to go. I had a melting hail balls caught in the vent screen melting down into the bed before I found the smashed vent cover.

Don't worry about it, it takes one heck of a storm to do that. Here in the Wild West, its a part of life in the Spring. I've had the roof pushed down to the seats and 2 tires blown out on a Pontiac of mine hit by an intense hail storm back in 1991. I've had significant damage to 2 RVs as well, both requiring roof and siding replacement as well as windows - and beleive it or not - a stove cover and stove hood after hail balls came down through the already busted out fantastic fan opening and hit the kitchen. It even dented our aluminum blinds from the inside!

[stiles watson]

Glad you came through better than you expected. Great report on durability. Thanks.

[eeoski]

Glad to hear that you all came out alright...I have a headache just thinking about 200 kids pounding on drums...going for a Tylenol now!

Robin

[boylanag]

Glad you came through it ok. I had heard from an Oklahome RVer several years ago about the hail damaging the tops of his slides until he go the slide protectors.

[rames14]

Good point, another plus for the slide toppers. Although two years ago we were in a tornado in Illinois (Holy Thursday) and the trailer in front of us blew over and was totaled. We got hail with that storm and lost a slide topper, a roof vent and a tire (sliced by debris). All in all, we ended up quite fortunate. We were not in the Monty during the storm. We had gathered everyone into the restrooms. Unfortunately, they sounded the all clear an while we were going back to the trailer is when the storm hit.

[LonnieB]

Okie, I have been wondering about the durability of these roofs, evidently they are pretty strong. However, you know, I know, and everyone else that lives in, or on the edge of TORNADO ALLEY knows, that was a mild storm . Seriously though, I'm glad you made it through with no apparent damage.

WOW Brad, blown out tires. I know some will find that hard to believe, but I don't doubt it at all. About the same year (1991, or 1992) we had a terrific storm here that busted through the thick fiberglass overhead shop doors, demolished the fiberglass hood on a feed truck, and knocked holes in the radiator. One of my employees cars was parked outside, it totalled the car, I found the dome light lense 58 yards from the car. It killed several cattle, and two people. Mother Nature can be very, very bad.

[Thunderman]

Glad to hear their is no obvious damage. I would look carefully at the graphics to see if their is damage. I had damage to the vents and 1 window but did not look close enough at the front graphic. It has scar marks all over from where the hail hit it.
Have a good day!

[paulrem]

Okie Guy, I just want to let you know that the Montana do have some weak spots in them. We came through a hailstorm(golf ball size) last June while passing through Kansas. The hail storm lasted about 20 minutes and the rain about 30 minutes. We were just outside of Smith Center. This is the home of the Excel 5th Wheel factory. When we got there it was 5:00 PM and they were just closing, but two workers were still there . They opened a bay for us to pull into and acessed the damage. All of the vent covers gone, light covers-gone. A small slice in the rubber roof from a piece of plastic from roof vent. Dents along the edge of the roof were it rounds over. Decal in front looked like it was snowing in the mountains. They covered the vents in plastic to get us through the night when they pulled us outside and plugged us into the power. 6:30 AM they knocked on the door and backed us in the shop and quick fix to get us home. They could not have been any nicer or kinder to us. They even asked us questions about the Montana, we did do some comparisons. Now for the pickup, It took about two weeks to get all the dents and other things fixed. Worst 30 minutes of our many trips across country over 40 years. All is fixed and we are doing well, please do not ask how the DW got through that time period. Oh yes, we had 4 7 week sold puppies with us.

[eeoski]

Paul,

Sounds like you might have had the easy end of that equation as compared to Carolyn (presuming she was dealing with the four puppies and you were dealing with the 5er)! I can't say I'd like going through a hail storm while towing as I'd imagine it would be just like having someone shooting rocks at you...wonder both your nerves aren't completely shot from that experience!

Robin

[Tarheels]

Lsst fall we were in Amarillo, Texas when the King Daddy of all hail storms hit just about sunset. Winds were clocked at 70 mph, streets flooded and hail that sounded like cannon balls. A truly terrifying event, but the Monty came through like a champ.

Unfortunately, the sewer hose was shredded -it looked like a 12 gauge shotgun blast - and the vanes on the AC were flattened. The repair guy spent an hour methodically combing them back into alignment.

Don't mess with Texas weather!

Dennis and HollyAnn, the Tarheels