Thunder can be scary. Lightning can be deadly! Have you ever wondered what would happen if your RV was stuck by lightning? We have gathered all the facts so you can know for certain if your family is safe from nature’s wrath.
Lightning Facts:
- Over 60% of lightning fatalities happen when doing outdoor activities.
- Most lightning victims could have easily been avoided is sought nearby shelter.
- There are more lightning deaths per year than tornados and hurricanes combined.
If you’re sitting in a car with a metal roof, you’ll be protected. With an RV it’s a little more complicated but still quite simple.
There is something called “Faraday Cage Effect” that was developed in 1836 where they figured out that
if lightning strikes a metal box, the contents inside of that box are protected as the current will go around the outside.
This same theory is why most RVers are safe from lightning strikes. If your unit is built with a steel or aluminum frame will be just as safe as a vehicle. If the RV is built with fiberglass but has an aluminum frame you’ll be protected as well. Now if you’re RV is made up of wood, you need to head into shelter or a safe zone. For travel trailers or 5th wheels this would usually be your tow vehicle.
A common occurrence is lightning hitting the ground at the campground. Although it doesn’t directly hit your RV you can still be affected as the surge travels throughout the ground and can get into the power lines coming into your RV and cause things to burn out. To deal with this make sure you unplug your power and use your generator if you need power generated.
Now that you have peace of mind that you’ll be safe in the next big storm, relax and watch the light show develop in front of your eyes through the window of your comfortable (and dry) RV!
