Falling trees?

[Zybane]

Hey all, I love camping in the woods with my Airstream. My current spot has trees all around my AS, within feet. A nice thunderstorm rolled through today. No damage, but looking up through the skylight at all those large trees swaying sure does get you thinking!

So a few questions for you guys:

a. Does anyone actively avoid parking by trees?
b. Has anyone's trailer been hit by a falling tree?
c. Do most not pay attention to trees and simply rely on insurance "if it happens, it happens" mantra?
d. Any idea of "robustness" of an Airstream frame in preventing you from getting crushed by a tree?
e. Does Jackson Center repair "crushed" Airstreams?

[Ruscal]

Just use your best judgement. Trees do shed branches during high winds. a neighbor's birch tree fell during a storm and came right toward me. I heard a big craaaack sound, turned and ducked. The tree landed on my van. I was lucky to have heard the sound. I faired better than the van!
In Moab a few years ago our awning was ripped off by winds from a surprise storm. There were big tree branches laying all over the camp ground when we returned that night from 4 wheeling.
Russ

[OTRA15]

Originally Posted by Zybane

Hey all, I love camping in the woods with my Airstream. My current spot has trees all around my AS, within feet. A nice thunderstorm rolled through today. No damage, but looking up through the skylight at all those large trees swaying sure does get you thinking!

So a few questions for you guys:

a. Does anyone actively avoid parking by trees?
b. Has anyone's trailer been hit by a falling tree?
c. Do most not pay attention to trees and simply rely on insurance "if it happens, it happens" mantra?
d. Any idea of "robustness" of an Airstream frame in preventing you from getting crushed by a tree?
e. Does Jackson Center repair "crushed" Airstreams?

a. not us
b. not ours but plenty of others have
c. basically, yes
d. depends on the tree
-- "crushed" unlikely
-- severe skin damage likely in some cases
e. yes, but might be expensive


Pretty hard to camp in nice locations without risking tree damage. Part of the trade off of owning an expensive toy.

Happy Trails!

Peter

PS -- Was it Robert Louis Stevenson who said, "A riskless life is a pallid thing" ?

[NorCal Matt]

We had a large branch fall on our trailer about a month after we bought it. The branch was low when we pulled into the spot, so fortunately it did not fall far and therefore didn't do any lasting damage. It was a good way to get to know the local fire dept and rangers!
The park we were at frequently has falling trees and branches. A while back the state planted the trees on the sand to resist erosion. Most places, I don't think twice about it.

[AStreamNerds]

We do not avoid trees - we like the shade when we can get it.

Last October we decided to camp in the Northern Neck when a hurricane was passing way south of us in SC. This meant that there was a forecast of being windy and rainy the whole weekend but it was my wifes birthday and that is what she wanted to do. Plus, based on the forecast we were probably in the clear for where we were except for a bunch of rain and possible flooding.

Forecast was mostly correct except that it was also rainy for a week or so leading up to this storm and the ground was very soggy. A couple of spots down from us had a very large tree - "a trailer crusher" - fall between a cabin and the bathrooms. Luckily nothing was damaged from the big tree but another couple branches fell down over our campsite and one damaged our bed cover. The second branch fell and the end just hit the latch on the vent cover for the fridge.

We made an insurance claim for the truck but the vent cover was $250 and was cheaper to just buy and replace myself then to make a claim with insurance.

[Edistobob]

We evacuated from our home in coastal SC for Hurricane Matthew and ironically had a limb fall onto our trailer at our refuge campground. Had we stayed home and left the trailer parked there it would have suffered no damage at all. Of course there was no way to know that before we left home. Anyway, our dealer replaced the damaged two front endcap sections, and we paid the insurance deductible.

[DMP54]

Good question, Zybane. When camping (in FL), we are either near scrub or under tall trees. For us, trees certainly are not a deterrent to a particular campsite. I read a campground review one time in which a person said "beware of the tall pine trees here"- they must have been on the unfortunate end of a falling branch, which could cause extensive damage to people and trailers- had one through the roof of our home during Hurricane Matthew.

Occasionally, I do think about falling branches when I drive home from work, underneath a long canopy of old oak trees. When camping, I rarely think about it- it is eye-opening enough to hear acorns and pinecones hit the roof!! Crushed trailers can always be repaired/replaced- one of the risks we take.

P.S. Insurance experts- would such an occurrence be considered an "act of God"??

[crispyboy]

I have avoided trees if they are already dead.
Camping in the mid-west one must be aware of the damage that the Emerald Ash Borer has destoyed the Ash Tree population. An ash tree will be dead but look very "stout". We have been cleaning up Ash trees on the property for several years now. In high winds sometimes just a few limbs other times a tree that is 20" diameter will break off mid way up. There is no warning except for the ccccrrrraaaackkkk........

[MomcatA]

Speaking of conifers- out here, the cones from those tall pines and sequoias being harvested by local squirrels can make a real "dent" in your Airstream- or your head.

[Wayne&Sam]

At a site in Montana one night a beaver cut down a tree right next to our Airstream- maybe 6 or 8 feet away. Fortunately it fell away from the camper.

[Zybane]

Originally Posted by MomcatA

Speaking of conifers- out here, the cones from those tall pines and sequoias being harvested by local squirrels can make a real "dent" in your Airstream- or your head.

I have a visible dent on one of my end caps, two on the roof of my truck just from ACORNS!

[Ruscal]

Originally Posted by MomcatA

Speaking of conifers- out here, the cones from those tall pines and sequoias being harvested by local squirrels can make a real "dent" in your Airstream- or your head.

The star pine family can have huge cones. 10 pounds I have been told. Some of the local parks here put fences around them for public safety.
Russ

[jcanavera]

We had a local rally in a state park that put us in sites that were near hickory trees. I chose a spot away from the trees and others stayed in the shade. Hickory nuts are heavy and large and we had one rally attendee whose Airstream got a noticeable dent from a hickory nut that fell.

Acorns are a different manner and while not causing damage can really raise the ire of my dogs when the squirrels go harvesting through the oak trees early in the morning in the fall. First time it happened I saw both of my dogs who were curled up and sleeping, go straight up in the air as the acorns hit the roof.

Jack

[Lucky Dog]

Big pine tree fell on one of the Airstreams last year when we were on the WBCCI Georgia Plantations Caravan. We were all camped in the Kolomoki State Park near Blakely, GA. It had been raining that day but no huge storm. Only one tree down, snapped about 5-6' up the trunk. Park ranger thought the tree totally healthy, couldn't explain what happened. Thankfully no one was in the unit when tree fell but there was extensive damage. We were all out for the day and returned to see the tree laying across the front of the Airstream, right about on the big red numbers. Sad sight for sure.

Rich