Lightning Strikes and Motorhomes!

We learned a hard lesson after our lightning stike in Florida. The lightning didn't directly strike our motorhome--but hit about 2 feet from our coach and the campground power. John saw the strike - and Chloe and I heard it - you'll never forget the sound - it was like an explosion(Poor Chloe- she's not been the same since- terrified when she hears thunder or sees lightning).

We were fortunate that we had our surge protector attached to the campground post- but didn't realize what damage a close lightning strike could do to our coach. One of the engine ECM's (computer modules) was destroyed, our backup camera was damaged, our front step motor failed....a very costly strike, to say the least.

We've been amazed that after all of our FMCA and Spartan rallies and all of our research on motorhomes, we had never heard anyone talking about what to do during a lightning storm. So, we decided to do a bit of research to find out how to avoid the disaster that we had just lived through. We hope that this will prevent someone else from living through this horrible experience..

Here's what we found at the South East Trek Fun Club web site: (the entire article can be found at: http://www.setrekclub.com/Lightening%20&%20RV

"…treat lightning like a snake: if you see it or hear it take evasive measures…

The short version of the paper is If parked and a lightning storm is nearby, make sure the RV jacks are retracted and the shore power lines are disconnected and stored.

In the USA, central Florida experiences some 10-15 lightning strikes per sq. km./yr. Over the entire year, the highest frequency of cloud-to-ground lightning is in Florida between Tampa and Orlando. This is due to the presence, on many days during the year, of large moisture content in the atmosphere at low levels (below 5,000 feet), as well as high surface temperatures that produce strong sea breezes along the Florida coasts. The Rocky Mountain west has about two-thirds this activity. Half of the casualties of lightning strikes occur in open fields. The most common situation for a lightning death or injury in Florida was found NOT to be in the heaviest rain area with lots of flashes, but after or before the time when rain and lightning was the most intense. Essentially, the most dangerous times occur from a weak storm without too many flashes, at the edge of a larger storm, or early or late in the life of a storm. Much of a storm's lightning remains within the clouds, leaping from the negatively charged bottom of the clouds to the positively charged top. When an object on the ground, such as a tree, building or an RV, becomes positively charged, the lightning sparks to the ground. A bolt of lightning can be as great as 15 million volts.


Recreation Vehicles and Lightning What happens when lightning strikes a recreation vehicle? The answer, gleaned from anecdotal observations, is all the way from "nothing" to "Wow ! What a mess. . . my RV is a disaster." I have determined that few, if any, RVs get struck while mobile. They are mostly vulnerable when connected to shore power and/or when they have their jacks deployed without at least five inches of wood or some other insulator between the jacks and ground. I have noted that RVs are more susceptible to damage from induced lightning surges when connected to shore power and lightning hits nearby transformers. According to the NLSI, lightning's median amplitude is assumed to be about 20,000 Amps. Typically, a metal plate 3/16 inch thick will not be penetrated by that high of a current.


Some general recommendations for RV users include: If parked, make sure the RV jacks are retracted and the shore power lines are stored and disconnected. Do not store your power cable under your RV. Retract and store all deployed antenna. Disconnect external TV/Satellite antenna wiring. Reported incidents and related injuries make it clear that a person inside a fully enclosed metal vehicle must not be touching metallic objects connected to the outside of the vehicle. Door and window handles, radio dials, CB microphones, gearshifts, steering wheels and other inside-to-outside metal objects should be left alone during close-in lightning events. I suggest pulling off to the side of the road in a safe manner, turning on the emergency blinkers, turning off the engine, putting one's hands in one's lap, and waiting out the storm. Do not wash hands or take a shower during a storm. Do not get close to electrical appliances such as the TV or plug in laptop PCs. In no circumstances, during close-in lightning, should the passengers attempt to step off the RV to the ground in an attempt to find another shelter. Very dangerous Step Voltage and Touch Voltage situations are created when a "dual pathway to ground" is created. Lightning voltages will attempt to equalize and they may go through a person in order to do so. Do not get on the roof of your RV when a storm is nearby! Don't be an isolated tall object, and don't be connected to anything that may be an isolated tall object.
To further lower your odds, don't park your RV near the tallest trees or utility poles. Rubber tires provide zero safety from lightning. After all, lightning has traveled for miles through the sky: four or five inches of rubber are no insulation whatsoever. People should get into a safe shelter. If not possible, make sure all windows are closed and the "hands on laps" rule is observed. If you can't get to a safer location, avoid the most dangerous locations and activities. Avoid higher elevations, wide-open areas, tall isolated objects, and water-related activities. Avoid unprotected open structures like picnic pavilions, and rain shelters."

We hope that you take away some helpful information - thanks to the South East Trek Fun Club for this info from their web site...