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juel · 04-09-2008, 06:27 PM

Well it's Wednesday and we had a little hail, but mostly this is what we got in the last two hours. There is a tornado heading for our lake property right now. It's a good thing I can't back a trailer or the Sovereign would be sitting down there now. This is the front yard, back patio, back yard, bubbling french drain system and the rain the last two hours.

Melody Ranch · 04-09-2008, 06:38 PM

1945 local. (7:45 PM) It will be here within 30 minutes.
NWS radar image from Dallas/Fort Worth, TX

If that does not work it is NOAA area code 76272. Airstreams are under cover if that will even help.

Melody Ranch · 04-10-2008, 07:47 AM

That was no fun at all!

B25guy....I hope you took Tin Huts' offer for storage. Pics on TV this AM from your area don't look good. We had big hail at 0330.

phoenix491 · 04-10-2008, 08:08 AM

It was pretty dicey there for awhile around 3:45 a.m. or so ... I've never heard winds that loud before, and I've been through more than one tornado in my time. The local weatherman was spot-on when he predicted the time it would roll through. We were without power for quite a while, so I stood in the kitchen with my flashlight aimed at the Airstream, saying a few silent prayers. (The wife and the dogs stayed huddled in bed with the weather radio.)

This morning, the only damage that appeared to be done to the trailer was a small pool of water that had leaked in through the Astradome -- easily fixable with a liberal application of Vulkem this weekend.

B25guy · 04-10-2008, 01:30 PM

I happened to be home this time and watched the radar...first wave turned north to Decatur and second one went south of us...all we got here in FM was losts of rain and some 30ish mph gusts.

We were ready to move out but the severity and direction they were trending told me to stay put.

I work in Richardson/Plano boundary area...it's a war zone here though. Saw several carports and utility garages demolished with squashed "things" within. Likewise the regional airports took a beating...seems more and more people are storing classic autos in hangars alongside their a/c...so much for their secure feeling

My own no-good opinion is that with wind (and I grew up in the northern plains of Montana), less is more, i.e. keep the frontal area small or make it out of concrete!

Insurance guy comes over tomorrow for house roof and A/S...gonna be fun!

Silvertwinkie · 04-10-2008, 03:15 PM

JCanavera here on the forum, when he went to pickup his Safari in 2001, saw first hand some hail damages to Airstreams. Whoda thunk it could to that (bottom of the page)!?

http://www.airforums.com/photos/brow...erid=56&page=2

New or vintage, all look like crushed bee, ur, um soda cans.

We had hail last year....dented even the hardiest metal on the car. Luckily, the Safari was inside missed the event!

Boondocker · 04-11-2008, 08:02 AM

I don't have cover for mine, just hoping for the best and looking forward to towing it out off the flatlands here in a month.

Melody Ranch · 04-17-2008, 07:13 PM

Its upon us again. I see where one of our own, Michael, is at the Ft. Worth Art Festival. As I speak....they are evacuating with baseball size hail. Hope Michaels' Home is under cover.

MyOwnRadar | DFW | WFAA.com

see if that works...

lsinclair · 04-17-2008, 07:27 PM

I've never tried it on alu. But dry ice works wonders for hail damage on sheet metal. If inclined, you may try it on your TV roof panel. I feel your pain.
Good luck,

B25guy · 04-17-2008, 07:54 PM

Coincidentally, I was riding my bike around the neighborhood last night and a guy with a black Dodge PU was using dry ice on various dents...I watched it with my own eyes and they lifted right up...very nearly gone. He had taken the truck into a dealer a couple of weeks ago for an appraisal for trade-in on a new truck...now he's scrambling to retain value.

My truck is silver so not as much heat in the metal, at least compared to black, but I'm going to give it a try on a couple I have on each door. I've gotten the insurance settlement and that'll take care of PDR for the hood and roof...the rest I can live with and may go away with dry ice.

My A/S damage appraisal has been done and now in process with the insurance co. As every day goes by, the dents are easing more and more, even on the curved segments. I'm fiberglassing patches on the underside of the A/C shroud and will repaint silver to cover the sanding, and some hairline cracks.

overlander63 · 04-17-2008, 08:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B25guy

I'm fiberglassing patches on the underside of the A/C shroud and will repaint silver to cover the sanding, and some hairline cracks.

If it's still "not quite good enough" when you are done 'glassing and painting silver, white paint hides a multitude of sins, and flat white even more...

phoenix491 · 04-17-2008, 10:06 PM

Wow ... we got absolutely HAMMERED tonight. Softball-size hail out to the west of us a ways, while our neighborhood was hit with golf ball-size hail. I grabbed the hounds, hitched up and headed for cover about 20 minutes before it all hit. I was lucky to find a gas station to take cover under -- all of the car washes in the area were filled with cars (not a lot of usable garages in our historic neighborhood, unfortunately).

For any other Fort Worth-area people out there, a friend called while I was riding out the storm and gave me a great idea. The Trinity Railway Express parking lot on the south end of town (not the Intermodal Terminal right in downtown), has covered parking that is located entirely under the I-30 overpass. It's MAYBE 1.5 miles from my house, tops. I'm going to check it out tomorrow ... Very close call tonight. Hope everyone made it through safely.

85MH325 · 04-18-2008, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by overlander63

A "Bismark" refers to an Airstream that was at the rally in Bismark, North Dakota in the early 1980's.There was a horrible hailstorm, and dozens, if not hundreds, of Airstreams had massive hail damage. I've forgotten the exact year, but your '83 may possibly be a "Bismark".

Terry, it was 1993. Check post #11 in this thread:

http://www.airforums.com/forums/544528-post11.html

Roger

centennialman · 04-18-2008, 06:02 AM

Good luck to you folks! Our hail season is coming soon here in Colorado. I always dread it.

I did buy an inexpensive carport cover (poles and plastic) to park Aunt Bee under. We had a hail storm last year and I watched it bounce off of the cover instead of dinging my baby.

Melody Ranch · 04-18-2008, 07:49 AM

TV shows auto dealerships wiped out in Weatherford. Has anyone heard from the Airsream dealer???

ArtStream · 04-18-2008, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Melody Ranch

TV shows auto dealerships wiped out in Weatherford. Has anyone heard from the Airsream dealer???

I was in Fort Worth proper, for the Main Street Art show. They closed it down early.
Things looked pretty hairy for a while.

I decided to ride it out away from the trailer and parked the TV in a Home Depot parking lot and ran across the street to a diner for a bit to eat. Some people in the diner were visibly upset and crying. The storm passed quickly with some vertical wind and rain and pea sized hail.

My solar panels/mounted on my TV, Airstream and artwork all made it thru unmarred.

Roger Williams Airstream outdoor showroom is under steel beamed commercial shade structures. I bet they held up.

Michael

ArtStream · 04-18-2008, 10:23 AM

PS,

Thank you for all your good thoughts, Karma, and fone calls!

I hope everyone made it thru fine!

Michael

B25guy · 04-24-2008, 10:57 AM

Insurance totalled the A/S. After buying it back for salvage and figuring in the P&I for the last 5 years plus my downpayment at purchase, I'll have spent ~$24k for my coach...free and clear title now!

In future terms, I would have spent ~$49k had I gone the full 180 months on financing.

Just have to repair the a/c cover (or a new one is $211) and let the Texas heat soften the "beauty marks".

Time to have a "burn the mortgage" celebration

Marc

Gkiesel · 04-24-2008, 01:12 PM

Judy and Bob, In frame #14, Are you saying that those dents in the top pictures are now gone? I have a dent in the Argosy. Right rear segment, not the end cap, from a plank that was leaning against the garage and toppled into the old Argosy. Maybe I'll wait and see. George.

overlander63 · 04-24-2008, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gkiesel

Judy and Bob, In frame #14, Are you saying that those dents in the top pictures are now gone? I have a dent in the Argosy. Right rear segment, not the end cap, from a plank that was leaning against the garage and toppled into the old Argosy. Maybe I'll wait and see. George.

I hate to disappoint you, George, but the "Sun removal" doesn't work on the steel end caps of the Argosy. The good news is, you can knock the worst of the dent out, and use body filler to smooth things over, and paint the area.