Protecting your caravan from damage during high winds

Published in Caravan Guard News, Caravanning Top Tips on   - 26 Comments

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  1. Graham says:

    Sat here in Cornwall in big horrible nasty winds, took awning down which was hard but worth it. Car parked as close as possible along side the van and has reduced buffeting and feeling of impending doom. Now all there is to do is make the van as heavy as possible by drinking all the Guinness and eating all the cheese.

  2. Adam Pullman says:

    Oh Fantastic information you had given through this blog, I am very impressed with your blog. Thanks for sharing such a interesting blog.

  3. Sutton Turner says:

    I am glad you said to take your awning down from your caravan in the case of high winds. We recently got an awning for our new caravan. Thanks for the tips on how to avoid damage to your caravan during high winds.

  4. alan says:

    all comments make good sense my situation is a bit different,i live in my caravan its a twin axle 22 foot touring caravan the van i use to tow it once a month is also 22 foot in length vw crafter .i am in a field with no other caravans i dont have my van near the caravan as the field is wet and gets damaged by the wheels so it is open to the wind not possible to move it at anytime,i do wonder sometimes if the sides would collapse as its very unsettling trying to sleep be battered by strong winds, i do have 6 leisure battries under 2 seats over 100 kilos and a washing machine and propane bottles,so far i am ok i think if it did go over the battries would do the most damage,or maybe the gas bottles which are inside the caravan where the cooker used to be but all said and done i have had so much fun making modifications to caravans over the last 10 years and washing machines

  5. geoff says:

    added comment re. anchor at each corner steady….they did not fasten around leg but through the actual chassis near the leg ,sorry for mis-understanding!!

  6. Dave Drake says:

    I worked in the Caravan industry for 30 years, and have reservations about the latest advice to chain corner steadies on a tourer.
    A lot of modern day tourers corner steadies are only bolted through the floor and are not part of the chassis. In very high winds the chained down jack could pull the bolts through the floor.

  7. geoff says:

    many years ago bought some heavy duty anchor “corkscrew” fittings which you could turn into the ground near each corner steady then attach with chain to each leg

  8. Michael Charlton says:

    All advice is most welcome, and should be mostly heeded to, however the best ally to the motor home / caravaner owner is purly COMMON SENSE. If you are unsure, then step back and think! It is worth missing a day or two of your holiday, or risking injury ( or worse ) and damage to your unit.

    • Craig @ Caravan Guard says:

      Very good point Michael. If a caravanner thinks he is putting himself and his family at risk, then it’s worth delaying the trip until conditions improve.

  9. Margaret Craner says:

    Having experienced some very strong winds on a camp-site on the Pembrokeshire coast, I would also suggest that, in addition to facing into the wind, it is a good idea to position the tow vehicle close in front of the caravan, as close to the towing position as possible. This simulates the sort of condition that is experienced when towing, breaking the force of the wind and deflecting it over the top of the caravan.

  10. Graham Coulson says:

    I have been in Wales when the wind got up and was hammering the van and awning. I couldnt get the awning down so opened all the doors and let the wind blow through it. This worked very well an no damage caused.

  11. john kelly says:

    in high winds i have turned van into winds and left car hitched on dont know if leaving car hitched is a good idea or to park car at front of van did notice at oban last year and other sites people taking gambles with there awnings even when i took mines down saw one new van getting side and roof burst open by metal stakes when wardens were trying to pull awning of van the stakes were still attached to ropes and flying about could have caused alot of damage to the warden and people helping him this hapend at north ledaig oban ps was not the normal pins but proper stakes

  12. Lorraine Drake. says:

    All fantastic advice, which we had to use on Outer Hebrides in 2010. Site owner kept telling us wind directions to turn to. Also had to remove big Isabella awning in Lakes when Hurricane arrived in September 2011. I have a Lunar Clubman with ATC, and a Disco 4, but my unaccountable snaking stopped when we had A2, tyres supplied on request with new car were removed. We are still to hear if they were faulty.

  13. kevin regan says:

    lot good tips,, i sometimes tow my new c/van with a renualt trafic minibus and when it gets windy, i place the minibus to break the wind blowing against c/van,, great jod “”

  14. Tony Archer says:

    Well Done Caravan Guard. Some very useful tips. looking forward to Excel Caravan & Camping show at Excel in afew weeks time.

  15. Neil says:

    Great to get your feedback.

    David – the tip about using your car to break up the worst of oncoming winds is a really good one so thanks for that, we’ll definitely use (steal) that when giving advice in the future!

    Captain! – Top tips, and as we mention in the post positioning your caravan so that winds are hitting head on is a great way to reduce the risk of it being blown over.

    Michael – The AL-KO ATC is an excellent device that makes a massive difference to the stability of your caravan during towing. Plus, don’t forget you get a 5% insurance discount with Caravan Guard for having one fitted, so once it has been installed be sure to give us a call and we’ll make a note ready for your renewal. Or if you aren’t currently with us then mention it when you get a quote.

    thanks guys,

    Neil
    Caravan Guard

  16. Michael Parrott says:

    Excellent information from you, and good feedback comments too.I for one am so pleased I have booked my new c/van in to have Al-Ko ATC fitted. Hopefully the wife will relax more whilst we are towing.

  17. Retired Airline Captain says:

    In very strong winds in addition to moving to a more sheltered position, if possible position your caravan nose into the wind to reduce the cross sectional area and wind loading.. – this is done with aircraft on exposed aprons in high winds. The caravan is most vulnerable when the wind impinges on it’s side. When we tow our van at 60mph on a calm day then the nose of the van is subject to a 60mph wind! (Ignoring shielding effects of the tow vehicle 🙂 )

  18. David Prince says:

    Good advice, consideration to the position on the site if possible, don’t forget trees blow over. Also position your car so it breaks the wind before it hits the caravan(do not hitch up,you may damage both) if possible.

  19. Neil says:

    Thanks for your comments guys.

    Keith is spot on in what he says above, and our advice is always to avoid using your caravan in high winds. The guidelines in this article are for the situations where being exposed to high winds are unavoidable, and are no substitute for avoiding the wind altogether!

    many thanks,

    Neil,
    Caravan Guard

  20. Keith Howell says:

    weather forcasters will warn you of predicted high winds, so why not plan you journey a day later or earlier, even if it means leaving a site. the sight of a caravan broken in pieces is very distressing for all, and is also a negative advert for the pastime we love.

  21. David Matthews says:

    Consider the type of ground on which your caravan is sitting. Our caravan was in a meadow where the earth had been softened by rain and the grass allowed to grow longer than usual. When it blew over in 1989 it suffered no material damage. We pulled it back on its feet using two cars and after refixing an internal door it was ready to go again!

  22. Clifford Roe says:

    I found the article very interesting to read and the advice good.
    Thank you

  23. les siron says:

    what a lot of very good advice thank you i will be taking this advice and sending it on to all my camping friends


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