Hail *Prevention*??

[AtomicNo13]

Nonetheless at 32 meters a second nothing short of plate steel will save you from dents. I saw a whole lot of new units last summer at Bill Thomas.. all look like they were hit with cannon balls. Even the sides were crunched. I should have taken pic. Was sad

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by AtomicNo13

Nonetheless at 32 meters a second nothing short of plate steel will save you from dents.

No argument there. Just poking fun at the notion of "watermelon-sized" hail, is all. No offense meant.

[Lumatic]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

Self inflating raft(s).

Brainstorm, but why not?


Paula

Buy several trampolines and bolt them to your roof.

[AtomicNo13]

OK so it was a smallish Colorado Front Range Watermelon!
You don't get those down in your neck of the woods?
Do you even get hail in Louisiana?
I have family in Denim Springs, never mentioned it.

Takes an awful lot to offend..... something like saying "despite your trailer having 3 axles, it really doesn't look like it's 34' ".

Stuff like that...

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by AtomicNo13

Do you even get hail in Louisiana?
I have family in Denim Springs, never mentioned it.

Not much hail in south Louisiana. A light dusting of pea-sized hail once in a great while during a summer thunderstorm, that's about it. Rather that than a hurricane, though!

I grew up in southwest Oklahoma. We got hail there, plenty often enough. Maybe not the size of a Colorado Front Range Melon, but enough to dimple my car all over like it was a golf ball. Rather that than a tornado, too.

[Becky B.]

I've thought about the hail situation. I don't have a roof to cover my trailer. But if I saw a big hail-filled storm coming, I think I'd run out there with a couple of sleeping bags & toss them over the trailer & hope for the best. I know, it sound like a crazy person, but aren't most of us on here crazy people? Of course, I'm not always home when a big storm comes through, but if I were.........

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by beckybillrae

I've thought about the hail situation. I don't have a roof to cover my trailer. But if I saw a big hail-filled storm coming, I think I'd run out there with a couple of sleeping bags & toss them over the trailer & hope for the best. I know, it sound like a crazy person, but aren't most of us on here crazy people? Of course, I'm not always home when a big storm comes through, but if I were.........

Just a couple of sleeping bags? Throw them over the front and rear caps. Not only are they the most expensive panels (compound curves), they are the easiest to dent due to the forming process.



Mine looked like this when I got it, so I don't sweat it so much. The back looks fine. Word is that it was towed through a hailstorm.

I will say that I see no evidence of even small watermelon sized impacts, thank goodness. Maybe some squash sized though.

On edit, small yellow crookneck squash, not giant zucchini.

[Becky B.]

Originally Posted by vswingfield

Just a couple of sleeping bags? Throw them over the front and rear caps. Not only are they the most expensive panels (compound curves), they are the easiest to dent due to the forming process.



Mine looked like this when I got it, so I don't sweat it so much. The back looks fine. Word is that it was towed through a hailstorm.

I will say that I see no evidence of even small watermelon sized impacts, thank goodness. Maybe some squash sized though.

On edit, small yellow crookneck squash, not giant zucchini.

Oooh....you'd need more than a couple sleeping bags! But my little trailer is only 17 ft. long, so a couple would do it!

[vswingfield]

Originally Posted by beckybillrae

Oooh....you'd need more than a couple sleeping bags! But my little trailer is only 17 ft. long, so a couple would do it!

OMG!

You've got bigger problems than hail, someone stole half your trailer!

OK, I'll admit there are times when I really appreciate the virtues of the little trailers. However, this is the first time that covering one with sleeping bags has come up as one of the virtues.

[noreen&sal]

Watermelon and peas. Whos bringin the fried chicken? Sal

[Sylver Slypr]

I love the wisdom! Sometimes the toughest problem has the easiest answer.

[Shehanigans]

I agree. I am a "stormer" and read insurance paper work daily. People are surprised to Find they have ACV (actual cash value) policies as opposed to RCV (replacement cost value). Granted these are homes but the paperwork is similar.

Another VERY important thing is to know you CAN supplement your insurance to try and get what it would realistically cost to repair or replace. Their price lists are not always accurate and their idea of necessary is not always right on.

For EX: I had a commercial property where they paid to remove the rooftop a/c units. They didn't include the disconnecting of gas lines, capping off, etc or the crane to get them down. They didn't in include an electrician for the electric lines sitting on the roof etc. They told the owner it was "included" when it clearly wasn't when broken down. It amounted to an unfathomable amount at least 10K with the size of the property they would have been out of pocket.

I'm sorry I didn't have an RV example but its important none-the-less. Know your stuff and NEVER let them think you're unsure.

Also, call the 800 # to file a claim. Not your agent.hopfully you'll get someone from the catastrophe team. They are trained in hail where-as local adjuster have a broader training.

Once you have your adjustment summary, see what's missing. Then submit a supplement to the 800 team, not the original adjuster. They tend to get offended when you point out their mistakes.

Other than your deductible you should never have any out of pocket if you have the right policy and stay involved in the adjustment process.

I could write an entire thread on just this, this is my entire career.

[Shehanigans]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

The world record hailstone (Keloland, South Dakota, July 2010) weighed less than 2 pounds and was about 6 inches in diameter (18 inches in circumference when measured by the National Weather Service). This set the world record for both the largest and the heaviest hailstone ever recorded. It was only one-third as dense as water; more of a snowball than an ice chunk.

Colorado must grow some awfully small watermellons.

You also have to account for the fact that most hail melts quite a bit when it hits the ground, the indentions will be ,pouch larger than the actual hail its self, the impact sometimes causes a spreading of sorts. I've seen grapefruit size holes in my field of work, but that's about it. I was just in Colorado. They get hail entirely too often.

[flyncldxctry]

We live in Colorado where hail.April - August is a constant threat. Had luck w some moving blankets I clamped to awning bar and window frame over endcaps and further tied w rope. Thowing anything over endcaps is futile effort in strong wind. Need a good weather radar app to plan ahead. (I use StormShield.) Just bought more moving blankets; plan to stitch them together w fishing line and carpet needle, store in bin in truck. Might add carpet padding under endcaps—if too heavy, pad with fish pond filter material between two layers of blanket. Will also attach clotheline rope to corners to anchor to tent stakes. Plan to make two to three blankets to stretch over top of 23’ rig and part way down sides. Will report back on how this works. We’ve been caught in two hailstorms in WY—1-2 small dents—sick helpless feeling waiting it out inside rig. Gotta try something….

[2012FB]

Hail is one of the big drawbacks with a soft-sided aluminum trailer like an Airstream. I have a covered storage spot here in the Denver metro area and try to be careful when we are out in the wild uncovered. Our new 2022 25' was just subjected to a small hail shower last Saturday up in Breckenridge, CO, but it was not large enough to cause damage though it sounded terrible. The worst hail that did cause some damage was driving south out of Payson, AZ on our way to Mesa, AZ a number of years back. You just never know and are very helpless when it happens. No way, in either case, other than pulling over could I have protected the trailer.