Marvthemotorhome Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Hi All, having recently purchased Marv the motorhome (he came all the way from Japan), and being new to all this I was wondering if you could tell me if there is anything we can do to keep safe in a storm. Marv is made of fibreglass and from what I've read that gives absolutely no protection from a storm. :-S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Unless your fibreglass is eggshell thin, it'll survive hailstones better than a aluminum roof ;-) ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robbo Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 On some German vans they put a thin layer of fibreglass on the roof as a protection to hailstones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Most boats these days are made of GRP and they keep water out OK and at least you get marginally less noise from hailstones on GRP than on sheet steel or aluminium! You'll soon get used to it so I wouldn't worry about it - just tuck yourself in, snuggle down and enjoy the rockin rolllin sound effects safe in the knowledge that you are warm and dry - always assuming that you are parked somewhere above flood risk level and head on into the wind! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barryd999 Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 Ive been parked up in up to force 11 storms, hail stones the size of golf balls and some massive thunder and lightning storms. The only time I was slightly worried was on a hill over looking the sea on the Brittany coast where the lightning was spectacular and all around us. I was aware though that we were pretty much the highest object in the area but being mainly Fibreglass I assumed we would be ok and we were. I would avoid parking under or in falling distance of trees in such a storm though. When its blowing force 10 or 11 it might feel like the vans going to blow over but it wont. Quite like a good storm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 My concerns in a storm are usually the size of the hailstones hitting the rooflight - and I do try to avoid parking under large trees. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 The advice for dealing with thunderstorms - specifically lightning, when on a sailing yacht is to chuck the anchor out attached to the shrouds in an attempt to earth the boat. My RYA instructor on the day skipper course - a more salty old sea dog you'd be unlikely to meet, said:- "Waste of time - just get out in the cockpit, open a beer & enjoy the show" While a motorhome is sitting on 4 rubber tyres there may be other bits attached .... so.... same advice for a motorhome I reckon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Posted May 10, 2016 Share Posted May 10, 2016 I presume you're worried about not being in a Faraday cage like a metal Motorhome would effectively be. I know Airbus put a thin conductive layer on their carbon fibre constructions to safely take the current but your fibreglass van probably (actually definitely) won't be protected like this. All I suppose you can do is fit a lightning conductor if you're worried enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvthemotorhome Posted May 11, 2016 Author Share Posted May 11, 2016 Thanks for your replies. Yes it's the lack of 'Faraday cage' that concerns me. Me and my daughter are not fans of lightning :$ am embarrassed to admit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 There are lots of fibreglass-bodied motorhomes (eg Autosleepers) and I've never heard of one being struck by lightening. Even if your fibreglass vehicle did suffer a direct lightening strike, you and your daughter personally wouldn't necessarily provide the path of least resistance to ground - but any sort of strike probably would wreck your wiring loom and your electrical components. The good news is that your vehicle's height above ground is pretty insignificant in this context, so your chances of being struck, even with lightening striking all around you, are still extremely small. But I would drink the beer while watching inside the vehicle rather than stepping outside for a better view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aandncaravan Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 If you are on EHU, consider pulling the mains cable, even if the lightening is some distance away. A strike on a powerline can result in a higher than normal voltage coming into the van, causing thousands of pounds of electrical damage. Even a lightening strike some way off can lead to several hundreds volts higher than ideal, in a rural area. Apparently it's quite a fireworks display inside the vehicle when it happens. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 Yes transient spikes are very nasty, I went out to an AC unit at a golf club once. The local transformer had been struck and the circuit boards on the outdoor unit were toast, the varistors had activated and sacrificed themselves but to no avail. That's a thought a big varistor on the ehu incoming would be good. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varistor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will86 Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 How can a Japanese M/H be called Mary when there's vast originals to choose from such as Annaisha Chiyoko Hanako Hoshi Kioko and more Ps Being devoid of a title I've chosen my own, as I'm a generous one. "Honourable" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 Undoubtedly someone 's van somewhere will probably have been struck by lightening at some point? However I've never heard of one being struck? For about 17 years of a total motorhoming 'career' spanning some 50 years I've owned Autosleepers GRP monocoque bodied vans. Over the years and in several countries we've watched or slept (or tried to sleep) through dozens of thunderstorms with some spectacular displays with no worries - often with the thunder and lightening being instantaneous overhead. During all the other years when we had 'ordinary' aluminium roofed coachbuilt or panel vans (both steel and GRP roofed) the experiences are the same and rightly or wrongly thunder and lightening has no fears for us - as long as we are inside the van. We don't go outside to watch though!! Methinks there are other things in life to worry about without adding more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvthemotorhome Posted May 11, 2016 Author Share Posted May 11, 2016 It's Marv, as in Marvin, Marvin the Mitsubishi! ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 Tracker - 2016-05-11 12:41 PM Methinks there are other things in life to worry about without adding more! Must admit since I retired, I've been having irrational thoughts about my longevity 8-) ........ Well now I have the time to do nothing......I may as well enjoy it :D ........ I'm thinking of buying a polarity tester........are thunderstorms positive or negative? :-S ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 pelmetman - 2016-05-11 3:13 PM Must admit since I retired, I've been having irrational thoughts about my longevity 8-) ........ I'm thinking of buying a polarity tester........are thunderstorms positive or negative? :-S ..... Having recently benefitted from a blues and twos trip in the wee small hours I too have given a lot more thought to what really matters in life - and it ain't thunderstorms - as there ain't no point in worrying over that which you cannot change! We don't dislike thunderstorms so for us they are positive but for them what hates 'em I guess they are negative! On the other hand if one is confused would a polarity tester really help or would it just give up and call it bi-polar!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PJay Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 I find thunder storms fascinating to watch . We have been in a storm in sth of France where we had hail stones the size of golf balls hitting the roof. Had to check after to see if we had dents on roof, Lucky we did not. Met a Dutch couple last year and they had been hit by lighting in the van. The Damage was the TV ariel had got hit and taken out. They had to get a new one sent from Holland (not sure why), maybe to do with insurance I believe that when your time is up, it is not worth worrying about PJay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerThat Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 Barryd999 - 2016-05-10 10:39 PM When its blowing force 10 or 11 it might feel like the vans going to blow over but it wont. Still being new to the MH malarkey (only 9 months in so far!) I stayed at a lovely CL back in November. However, being a rookie I didn't think to check the weather and in typical fashion, this was the weekend that Storm Abigail / Hurricane Kate landed in Cumbria. The wind was howling under the MH, it was pitch black outside and chucking it down with rain. The MH was rocking so much from side to side I honestly thought it was going to tip. I had ZERO sleep that night and as soon as daylight broke I packed up and shipped out. Which was just as well too as they started evacuating the local area 8-) I was genuinely worried. Was racking my brain trying to tell myself it weighs the best part of three and a half ton, with a very low centre of gravity. I wasn't very successful in my convincing though :'( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tracker Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 On more occasion than one over the years - usually on a mountainside or clifftop - I've got out of bed in a gale in the middle of the night and turned the van to face the wind head on and it certainly aids stability - usually enough to get some kip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
starvin marvin Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 Marvthemotorhome - 2016-05-11 1:50 PM It's Marv, as in Marvin, Marvin the Mitsubishi! ;-) What a brilliant name. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Collings Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 Its not the bolt from the blue you need to worry about , Its the idiot behind the wheel of a 44 ton truck coming the other way using their mobile phone that worries me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerThat Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 Tracker - 2016-05-11 10:02 PM I've got out of bed in a gale in the middle of the night and turned the van to face the wind head on and it certainly aids stability Great tip! Will have to remember this one for next time B-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted May 13, 2016 Share Posted May 13, 2016 Carthago makes much about their motorhomes having aluminium internal skinniing that will (should?) act as a Faraday cage. It’s mentioned on this link in the “Main cabin” section http://www.carthago.com/en/motorhomes/semi-integrated/c-tourer-t/standard-features/ "Carthago lighting protection: acts as Faraday cage thanks to the body interior being made from aluminium” (Presumably “lighting” should read “lightning”). My Rapido has GRP-skinned bodywork. I can’t say I’ve ever been concerned about the GRP’s lack of safety in the event of a lightning strike, though I do follow aandncaravan’s suggestion to disconnect from an EHU if I think there’s a real likelihood of there being a thunderstorm where I’m parked. The risk of a motorhome being hit by lightning must be pretty low, but hail can cause a lot of damage and (as pelmetman says) GRP should be more resistant than aluminium. I recall being on a France Passion farm site when thunderstorms and hail were badly affecting that area of France. As my (Hobby) motorhome had an aluminium-sheet roof I mentioned my concern about hail to the farmer who offered me the chance to put the motorhome in the cow shed with the cattle (which I declined!) I have seen a car hit by a freak hailstorm and it looked like someone had gone over it with a large ball-pein hammer, so even sheet steel bodywork can be damaged if the hailstones are big enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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