Be Prepared for Bad Weather RVing

Something many RVers do not take into consideration with the freedom to roam is the weather conditions where you are traveling to, or spending the night. RV's are great, but they are not safe in severe weather, like lightning and thunderstorms with high winds, tornadoes and hurricanes.

Every RVer should own a weather radio receiver. Prices for receivers can range anywhere from $25 to $200 depending on the quality of the receiver and the features it has to offer. We actually have two weather radio receivers. Both are from The Weather Channel® Stormtracker™ series by Vector. We leave the Compact Storm Tracker in the RV at all times. It’s a TV with a five inch screen, an AM-FM radio, emergency weather radio, cell phone charger and flashlight all in one. When we arrive at our destination we set it in the ‘Weather’ position and tune in to the NOAA station with the strongest signal in that area. Then, by leaving the Storm Tracker in the alert/lock mode 24/7, when an all-hazard emergency or weather alert is broadcast by NOAA, the Storm Tracker sounds an audible alert to notify us that a message is pending.

We also have a handheld Stormtracker model that we can use when we are away from the campground. It’s perfect for hiking, riding four-wheelers, boating and many other uses. Both models work off of 12 volt DC, 120 volt AC and dry cell batteries. There is also a back-up power system, furnished by built in rechargeable batteries. The rechargeable, battery is a secondary power source for emergency use when the battery, 12 volt DC power or 120 volts AC are not available. If the power goes out for a long period of time, and all of battery sources have been depleted, both radios have a hand crank that can be used to recharge the batteries and continue to operate the weather radio, flashlight and cell phone charging port. When you get back home, you can use the weather radio receiver in your house.

For more information on the NOAA Weather Radio visit their website at www.nws.noaa.gov/

Read Mark's in depth article on bad weather RVing:
http://www.rvuniversity.com/article.php/20070510123918354

Copyright 2007 by Mark J. Polk owner rveducation101.com