[VACList] Hail storm options

[Terry Tyler <tylerbears@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Hunter,

1 - On more than one occasion, we've pulled into a high top car wash place
to avoid hail.  We learned about the high top feature after trying to get
into a low top car wash place and found our air conditioner wouldn't fit.

2 - One time, we snuggled up against a wall on the lee side of a shopping
mall building to avoid hail coming down at an angle. There was so much wind
the hail couldn't come straight down.  But, at least, we could avoid the
brunt of it. 

3 - We never tried stopping under a bridge on the Interstate to avoid hail,
although I thought about it and decided it could be more risky than the
hail.  In my book, stopping under a bridge is a "no no."

4 - You may remember my writing about packing up and leaving a campground in
Illinois when we learned a tornado with damaging hail was an hour away and
barreling directly toward us at 40 mph. That time, we drove away from it and
400 miles later, the storm had accelerated and caught up to us with intense
gusting winds and torrential rain, but no hail.  Later, when we called the
campground, they told us we were the only RV to leave and everyone who
stayed had severe damage to their rigs.  The families huddled around each
other in the laundry room while the hail and wind pounded the building.

5 - One July at the International Rally in Bismarck, a hail storm came up so
fast we couldn't do anything but hunker down.  All three of our metal roof
vents had a plastic square in the center for light. The plastic in all three
roof vents was smashed. A lot of rain and hail came in through the holes.

Within 10 minutes, I was in the convention center standing in line at the
Lindeen Vent Cover dealer - buying three of them ($50 each).  An hour later,
I was on the roof of our Airstream bolting them in place while the rain was
still coming down.  The next day when more rain came, we stayed dry.

6 - Although we've never stayed under the high roof at most gas stations,
that location is on our list of options, including closed stations.

Hunter, perhaps one of these ideas will provide another perspective for
finding options. I'm looking forward to replies on this question. One of
them might make the difference between skin damage or just another ho-hum
hail storm. 

Terry