Forum Discussion

desert_sasquatc's avatar
Nov 04, 2019

Lightning Protection

Do aluminum-walled motor homes provide any more protection from lightning than a house does? Does it provide less? I know that being in a car is supposed to be safe when lightning comes because the car acts as a farraday cage. But as I understand it aluminum isn't really conductive, so it can't help with this. How do people stay safe in lightning storms?
  • Pretty good info here.

    I'll bet that the chances of getting hit by a Egyptian truck driver having a heart attack on I-10 in Louisiana is probably 10 times greater than a lightning strike.
  • wa8yxm's avatar
    wa8yxm
    Explorer III
    Johno02 wrote:
    If you get hit by lighting, Its not going to make much difference either way.


    This is a fact. There is some thought that a metal cage about you might offer SOME protection but frankly the EMP is going to mess you up some.

    Oh and I have many times heard about the rubber tires on a car. ... I usually have to pick myself up off the floor (And recover my breath) before I reply to those messages.. Why was I on the floor having breathing trouble breathing.. LAUGHING of course. I mean a bolt of lightning that jumps a mile high air gap is not going to even notice a few inches of rubber.

    Still in a lightning storm I want to be indoors.. WHY. IT's likely raining out there. And last Thursday I got to play in the dang near freezing rain (Ok perhaps 40 F) and I was not really dressed for it..
  • Chances are if you stabilizers are down the more direct path will be to ground through them - or on the neutral on the power supply coming into the RV. Jacks up and the MH is pretty much on rubber.
  • If you get hit by lighting, Its not going to make much difference either way.
  • Aluminum is not as good as copper but it was used for many years as the electrical wiring in many homes. It is still used in some feed lines to homes. You are as safe in your RV as you are in your stick home.