We have had our first trip out this year,Have been to Wales a lovely campsite called Aberafon over looking the sea and mountains just love it here we have been several times,
Went on Wednesday got there nice and sunny with a bit of wind,our friends joined us on the Thursday afternoon still not bad we had a shower in the evening,All had a good time just chilling out,Friday woke to the sun again,then it changed to cold and wind ok that was not a big issue for us,Saturday we had rain and wind all day so went out for a meal got back and it was realy blowing a storm up, so bad by 9pm we took our porch awning down as it was rattling around so bad,the weather turned into a good storm the van was rocking and banging about by 11pm I was getting realy scared the van was rocking so bad,but we went to bed had no sleep as such because of the bad weather.
Sunday morning 8 am the Van began to lift off the ground the wind was so bad it became hard work to pack up asked friends to move his car which was parked next to our van just in case it fell on it,We realy thought we were going to loose the van it was so terifying.A lady on her own lost the roof off her van so we tried to help her out after we had moved our vans off the feild onto the drive where it was less windy.We managed to escape gladly all in one peice.
Just wondering if the van had gone over would the insurance cover it or would it be an act of god?
I think the insurance would have paid out had the worst happened, basing this on a friend of mine in Cumbria had his car destroyed by flooding a few years back and his insurers were very sympathetic and paid out straight away. And to me, a flood is a bigger act if god than strong winds.
Hth
------------- Who needs travel agents,we have our static
We had an awning trashed in a storm. Our insurers paid for a new one (Towergate Bakers). No problems, we had to get local dealer to sign a the forms to say it could not be repaired economically.
------------- DS-There's more to life than football!!!
Quote: Originally posted by 664DaveS on 14/4/2013
We had an awning trashed in a storm. Our insurers paid for a new one (Towergate Bakers). No problems, we had to get local dealer to sign a the forms to say it could not be repaired economically.
Also in N Wales, Anglesey, over the weekend. In 9 years of caravanning together, we reckon it was the worst for winds and lashing rain - and we've had some bad 'uns.
We didn't have an awning up, but the only other van on site had their awning poles bent.
Quote: Originally posted by secret squirrel on 14/4/2013
Also in N Wales, Anglesey, over the weekend. In 9 years of caravanning together, we reckon it was the worst for winds and lashing rain - and we've had some bad 'uns. We didn't have an awning up, but the only other van on site had their awning poles bent.
Whereabouts on Anglesey did you stay? I was camping at Golden Sunset, Benllech, when it was the Queen's jubilee weekend last year, the first two days were glorious then the storm hit on the Sunday - 85mph winds and lashing rain. My awning survived but there were lots of tents, awnings and gazebos trashed - the main field had looked like Glastonbury on the Saturday but by Sunday evening looked like the aftermath of the holocaust. In sixteen years of going to Anglesey I've never experienced it so bad before.
------------- Tigermouse
I have a very temperamental personality - 50% temper and 50% mental
OMG we went last sunday (7th) to today (14th) and stayed at Home Farm Anglesey (great place). We had just got our brand new Dorema awning to try this week. Its been great all week and is just what we needed.
Lucky for us we took our awning down Sat lunch time as I popped into reception and they said 'Oh yes its rain tonight' so thought right lets get it down while its dry. So by 2pm job was done and loaded in the car as teh rain started.
Then Sat night kicked in, boy was I glad I had packed it away. As Stocky13 said I was too thinking is the van gonna lift ??? I could feel it rippling under the van. In the 3 years of having the van never experienced anything like it !!! Most others on site seemed to be standing but next door but one to me had collapsed and packed theres during sat night.
These stories remind me of last year, in the April I think it was,we had floods and high winds. We were staying in haven, burnham on sea and it was bad. We were lucking we used my transit van to tow the caravan so I parked it infront of the awning and tied it to the roof rack,
We was up till all hours as our friends were camping and they didn't survive the gusts.
Even with every last strap and peg inside and outside our awning the transit parked tight to the side etc the awning still kept me up all night, van was rocking like never before.
I was lucky the person oppisite me lost their awning and I seen lots of tents and gazebos blowing past up, also loads in the big wheely bin on site.
We were also in deep mud too as the site has terrible drainage.
We still enjoyed our weekend though.
We lost our full bradcott awning last year in the heavy winds in Cornwall in June. All but two or three awnings and tents on the site were lost. The forecast was strong winds in the evening but at ten PM they were still getting stronger. The problem was that it was too windy to attempt taking it down once you realised that the forecasts were wrong. At 5 am every tab attached to the peg rubbers ripped from the material in well under 1 minute and it was mayhem. Awning ripped to shreds and most main poles bent, two sizeable dents in the van, one nearly pierced the side.
We were also out in that Welsh storm on saturday night, one of the worst we have ever been in during 30years of caravanning. We were luckily somewhat sheltered by a high garden wall, but every few mins we would be bashed and battered by the highwinds, so much so that we stayed put on sunday and decided to stay inside the caravan to provide some ballast to prevent it being blown over.
At least we didnt have our awning up then, but we did feel very sorry for some tent campers who took the full blast of the storm in an open field a few miles up the road, they must have suffered some damage in that lot.
Julia
------------- Just love to be out amoungst Nature and Wildlife
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Topic: caught in a storm
