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Earthquake. When does the motorhome rock?

my440
Explorer III
Explorer III
Ok its a foolish question but I would love to know if anyone here has been in their motorhome and felt your rig swaying or rocking in an earthquake event.
And on the Richter scale what magnitude would set off the motion?
Does the fact that the motorhome is mounted on suspension make it more susceptible to movement or does the suspension absorb it some?
If the earthquake was moderate but with only a quick jerk could it be felt or does it have to last longer to get the swaying rocking motion?
Would a person in a motorhome feel it the same or less than a person in a building?
27 REPLIES 27

Deb_and_Ed_M
Explorer II
Explorer II
Since most of us park on the level in our RVs, that's probably the safest place to be in an earthquake? They are designed to deal with being shaken and bounced down the road.....

But my sister told of being outdoors during the Parkfield, CA quake, and watching with bemusement as the ground rippled, trees swayed, and the (parked) family car bounced about 5' down the sloped driveway.....
Ed, Deb, and 2 dogs
Looking for a small Class C!

BillHoughton
Explorer II
Explorer II
My wife claims she can feel an earthquake every time I move around in the RV.

navegator
Explorer
Explorer
Living in Desert Hot Springs for a while we were about 10 yards from the San Andreas, and that place is windy so there are a lot of small quakes, can not distinguish from the wind rocking the RV or the ground shaking, if you happen to be out side in a parking lot or next to a road, you sometimes can see the ground move in waves, something like the ocean saw that once in Oaxaca Mexico.

navegator

Horizon170
Explorer
Explorer
!5 or so ago we were in CA and a 5.5 hit 25 miles away and the RV started shaking and the Wife woke me up and I told her it was the wind. We learned different the next morning.
Marvin
Marvin

2010 Coachman Freelander 22TB on a
2008 Sprinter/Freightliner chassis
1995 Geo Tracker (Toad)

my440
Explorer III
Explorer III
Wow alot of people on here have experienced an earthquake while in their rvs.
Thanks for your responses... and my curiosity has been satisfied.

At this time we are living in our motorhome on the west coast of Canada overtop of fault zones. It is said the big one will arrive here...just a matter of when.
I like to feel one but nothing to dramatic.
Stay safe...

F1bNorm
Explorer
Explorer
1rickw wrote:
We were rudely awakened by what we thought was an earthquake one morning and I ran out the door only to find a bunch of friends shaking our "House".


I thought it was my buddies trying to get me up. But it was the Landers quake. Last year, thought it was another quake. It was a herd of cows licking the side of the MH!

Norm
F1BNorm

leeper
Explorer
Explorer
We just had a 3.5 here a few hours ago. Was not in our motorhome. Normal for California. It was a quick sharp jolt and over with.

Cousin_Eddie93
Explorer
Explorer
Wife and I have made many a simulated earthquake in our old C. The Helwigs on my current C dampen those geologic forces these days.

1rickw
Explorer
Explorer
We were rudely awakened by what we thought was an earthquake one morning and I ran out the door only to find a bunch of friends shaking our "House".
2004 Jamboree 26Q

+ great wife to travel with

:B
2012 Honda Fit towing 4 down with BrakeBuddy

rvten
Explorer
Explorer
PoorGary wrote:
rvten wrote:
I sat through one. Never noticed it.
Wife and daughter told me about it when they came back from shopping.
Daughter who lives in CA. Said it was a good sizes one also.


Were you in your motorhome when the quake hit?


Yes
Tom & Bonnie
Crossville, TN.
Aspect 29H 2008 Type C
Ford Flex SEL 2010
There is NO B+

Cousin_Eddie93
Explorer
Explorer
:C
ata3001 wrote:
If it's a rockin, don't come a knockin! Sorry, I just couldn't resist! It was too obvious.

OldRadios
Explorer
Explorer
Woke up once in the middle of the night with the RV rocking to what I thought was an earthquake. Imagine my surprise to find it was just a black bear pushing on the door to get in. He'd already torn into one of those easy open hybrids a couple sites down. Surprised I didn't hear their two little kids screaming. The DEC was there the next day to track him down an relocate him. Not surprisingly, the family with what was left of the hybrid bugged out during the night.
2006 Fleetwood 26Q
2010 Harley Softail Toad
2015 Ford Focus Toad
Upstate (the other) New York

navegator
Explorer
Explorer
The only one we felt was the 2010 Easter Sunday 7.2 from the area of Calexico, the RV moved up and down in one big jolt rather than rocking then swaying motion came with the rest of the waves, best place to be.

navegator

ata3001
Explorer
Explorer
If it's a rockin, don't come a knockin! Sorry, I just couldn't resist! It was too obvious.
Ron & BJ
2008 Dutchmen Freedom Spirit FS180 w/full factory dark tinted glass. (9 .yrs w/o any issues)
2014 Chevy Silverado LT Dbl cab, 5.3 L, 4 WD, tow pkg, max payload pkg, Prodigy