Hurricane Prep

rjxj wrote:
Wandering
Yes, I was just thinking of screws I used for my fence. I bought it at TSC and iirc it is about 3 ft long. I screwed them into the lake bed when I ran my fence down to the water. I had sandy soil so they were easy but still seem to hold well. Better than nothing.

Across the south , those tie downs have been used for decades, and they hold pretty well. That being said TT's and 5er's are designed to go forward into the wind. Anybody who has passed a fast semi on a narrow road knows how quick side winds can become an issue.
If you are parking the rig in an open area plant one or two with the idea being to tie down the rear of the trailer, then about 12 hrs before it hits, when you have the best information possible on its track and wind direction , orient the rig to point into it, and tighten the tie downs once set.
Good luck

I just read your post about staying. Have you seen what Harvey did to very well built homes? With that kind of wind, most RV's would be destroyed. All the posts here makes all good points. Tie downs would only hold the frame in place, the rest of it would be gone. Please be safe.

Wandering
Yes, I was just thinking of screws I used for my fence. I bought it at TSC and iirc it is about 3 ft long. I screwed them into the lake bed when I ran my fence down to the water. I had sandy soil so they were easy but still seem to hold well. Better than nothing.

Lowes and other hardware stores sell screw in trailer tie downs.
3 foot long augers to screw into the ground.
Put the rig somewhere just beyond where a large tree can take it out if possible, tie it down, point it into the wind and wait. Hurricane andrew got my vans windshield, but being pointed correctly the van was still driveable, my neighbors left their cars and trucks in their driveways at odd angles, and most lost them.

If you have any kind of building or barn, get it inside if you can. The building may fall in on it, but it shouldn't blow away.

Riding it out, all you can do is tie it down. Hitching to truck will help but the hitch pivots so if a gust hits it and starts lifting it that may be enough momentum to tip the truck too.

Yes I will be riding it out. I am a Agriculture Education teacher and my wife works in the swine industry. We will not be leaving. The 5th wheel is sitting in my yard.

I say put all the important things in it and get out of Dodge. Inland or west of the eye, and on high ground. While a different situation, I will share my experience. My fiver was fully stocked except for food and I had 15 min. to evacuate from a wildfire that started less than 2 miles from my house. Lost the house and lived in the fiver for 7 months while rebuilding, half at a nearby camp, half back on the property.

In the RV, I slept in my own bed each night, wore my own clothes, cooked meals in my own kitchen, watched my own TV. Other neighbors lost almost everything, stayed in hotels very far away and/or lived with friends in cramped quarters. My recovery was faster than anyone else. I tell people I owned two homes and only lost one in the wildfire.

Be smart. You also own two homes, don't make the mistake of leaving the mobile one in harms way.

Better to run, second best to over insure, from there you could use some 5+ft deep sono tubes 36inches in diameter with a rebar cage attached to 10k lb rated tie downs. Hook to frame, and also strap over roof with angle or boards to disperse the load. You could minimize damage. But it's more work than it's worth.

If I had it in a somewhat permanent spot I would of course be ready to pull it but also probably dig holes at 4 corners and pour a good amount of concrete in them with a steel tie down points. It may not do any good in the worst conditions but could keep it from tipping over or even hitting other structures in lesser conditions. No matter what if you were caught in it you have a better chance with it being tied down vs not. It's code required for mobile homes in most places.

The holes wouldn't be fun to dig but the chain and other pieces are probably $40. You may also find a supplier or company that could do some sort of screw anchor into the soil. They do it for power poles.