Scary Moments Out there Camping for the first time...LOL.
Submitted: Saturday, Dec 04, 2010 at 19:53
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Axle
I''ll never forget The first caravan trip, Had pulled into the pre booked
park, got the van in position after a trillion reverse episodes...lol, and then proceeded to get the annexe up,....lol, new wife giving instructions, made it a 4hr entertaiment Arvo for all those watching... when this was finally achieved, and everything was looking good, to our horror a storm was brewing at a great rate of knotts and with in twenty mins a howling gale had ripped the annexe clean off the old millard, taking all our few prize possesions and dumping them on top of our fellow caravaners five spots down. Our lesson learnt at the time was make sure everything is tied down the right way, The power of wind is incredible at times, so if you think of the worst scenario when setting up, you might have half a chance if mother nature turns on you... even now i get a sweat up in a caravan when a big storm hits!,...lol.
Cheers Axle.
Reply By: Member - Joe n Mel n kids (FNQ - Saturday, Dec 04, 2010 at 20:13
Saturday, Dec 04, 2010 at 20:13
ouch, that hurts .... where were you ???
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Follow Up By: Axle - Saturday, Dec 04, 2010 at 20:33
Saturday, Dec 04, 2010 at 20:33
Just North of
Coffs Harbour, NSW East coast,.....the yr 1973.
that makes me?.....not telling...just old...Lol'
Cheers Axle
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Follow Up By: Fab72 - Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 10:04
Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 10:04
Axle,
Just for the record... I was 1 in 1973.
Sorry.... you can slap me for that later.
Fab.
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Reply By: Members Pa & Ma. - Saturday, Dec 04, 2010 at 22:39
Saturday, Dec 04, 2010 at 22:39
Hi Axle,
For future reference.
In September Coober Peedy has done this to many a camper even though they're
well & truly prepared. There was one occasion that a lot of tents were ripped to pieces. There were a few U.F.Canvases. It's that time of the yr. there. Very Windy! at times.
Don't worry mate, it's one of the many
camping Horror stories.
What really annoys me is those who sit & watch & don't offer to help when they can see a big blow coming.
When in Coober Peedy in Sept we chicken out & go for a cabin in the
Stuart Range caravan Park.
They are
well priced and the pizza they make there is beautiful.
We're in a tent & it's usually time for a good clean up.
You have to pay for the
water in the Amenities blocks because they have to cart it so far, so a normal cabin is really good money with shower included.
They're great people too.
Take care, safe travels.
Bye, Ma.
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Follow Up By: Axle - Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 10:45
Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 10:45
Thanks Ma, will keep that onein mind.
Cheers Axle
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Reply By: The Hat - Saturday, Dec 04, 2010 at 23:25
Saturday, Dec 04, 2010 at 23:25
Hi Axle
all those watching, I know that feeling quite
well when all eyes are on you and all the kids are pointing at you, [ every caravan
park I have been too ]I've even been guilty of that myself peeping through the curtains of the caravan and I,m sure I am not alone there
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Reply By: Member - Old Girl (QLD) - Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 01:37
Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 01:37
Dust storm at
Birdsville Races in 98 did it for me. We arrived from the west with the engle not working, the cold
water system broken at the caravan
park and then at about 4 in the morning the wind Ripped the tent apart.
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Follow Up By: Member - Old Girl (QLD) - Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 01:42
Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 01:42
Oh it wasn't the first time
camping but the first where our tent didn't come home. Next up there would have to be the maiden voyage with our first camper. It rolled up the
savannah way.
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Reply By: travellin - Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 08:49
Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 08:49
Happened to me in the
Grampians- Massive Terka Tent, double guy ropes and pegs every pole and the whole west side of the tent went down after 6 hours of gusting wind (100 - 130km gusts -sounded like freight train). Ours was the second last tent standing! Scary with 2
young kids when you hear the twang of every guy rope snapping in quick progression down one side of the tent.
That was the last
camp in that tent. Now have a dome tent; it moves a lot in the wind but hasn't flattened. Looking at a Goldstream Crown but not sure on the canvas. Anyone had bad experiences with pop tops?
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Follow Up By: Axle - Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 10:55
Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 10:55
You can have sitting in a tent with 130km/hr winds around you!!..LOL.
No other option though if you get caught.
Cneers Axle.
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Follow Up By: The Rambler( W.A.) - Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 14:44
Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 14:44
Got caught in a cyclone (170km winds) while camped in Barilla C.P. in Tasmania in 2008.It went through at night---very scary but my camper survived the onslought.Luckily no one was hurt.Image Could Not Be FoundImage Could Not Be FoundImage Could Not Be FoundImage Could Not Be FoundImage Could Not Be Found
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Follow Up By: P and JM - Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 16:22
Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 16:22
It's a Pioneer Camper that's why !. Send these photos to Pioneer, they would love to have them.
Cheers P&J
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Follow Up By: The Rambler( W.A.) - Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 17:53
Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 17:53
Pioneer already have the photos plus others which are in their brochure.
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Reply By: Sigmund - Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 08:52
Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 08:52
Often pays to find out where the prevailing winds come from and pitch your tent or CT accordingly. Present the sloping side to them if it has one.
Also set up so that some wind can blow through if possible ie. leave some window space open.
And use double pegging on the guys.
No guarantees though; sometimes the winds are too high. Last trip we had to pack up at 3am at our exposed position overlooking the bay at
Robe. The rig may have held but with no sleep possible we decided to quit. Made a brew in the local public dunny and spent several hours sitting in the car waiting for the servo to open to fill up and go.
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Reply By: jdwynn (Adelaide) - Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 10:22
Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 10:22
Axle, my memories more to do with "worst scenario when setting up" than
camping for first time.
We were setting up at
Elliston C/
Park a few years ago and it was 40degC or thereabouts, and nice guy farmer (from Eyre Pen) at the C/
Park just wanted to talk / ask questions / get in the way. I just wanted to setup and go to beach / site ni the shade, and the annex on our old caravan was a fair job to setup. Could almost have dropped him at the time.
Same thing with family friends when you meet them at a
park, or in the bush. It's like..."just give me an hour to set up and then we'll have a beer"
Otherwise though,
camping like fishing - all good - "bad day fishing better than a good day" working.
Cheers
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Reply By: Member - Graham H (QLD) - Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 18:34
Sunday, Dec 05, 2010 at 18:34
Had a similar experience in
Geraldton last August.
Nice day went for a drive. Was up at the wind farm and a big storm blew in.
Hurried back to Sunset Beach and our Awning was Ok cos I figured Get a site with awning away from beach.
About 4 others werent so lucky and had awnings folded over vans.
Interestingly all of them had their awning legs unclipped and down on the ground.
Pegs pulled out really easy in the sandy ground.
We NEVER unclip the legs and always try for a site with awning away from prevailing wind.
Doesnt always work but is a good thing to remember.
After that we usually rolled it up on beachfront sites when we were away for the day.
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