A very lucky escape!

[Jcloughie]

Incredible pictures of a totaled motorhome in Scotland.

Family's lucky escape after motorhome wrecked in storm

The rented vehicle rolled over several times with the family of four and two dogs still inside.

www.bbc.com

John

 

[borderbilly]

I cant understand people who despite warnings still go ahead with there plans.

 

[Mr Plodd]

I find it somewhat difficult to believe that this was blown over by the wind. If it HAD been "blown over" it would have fallen onto its side and then stopped, unless it was parked right on the edge of the slope AND sideways on to the wind. This one has been over a couple of times at least. Just look at the debris trail. No mention is made of the time of day this happened either.

It's a rented motorhome, so the user woukd be unfamiliar with it.
It has "rolled down a hill"

More likely the handbrake wasn't set correctly, or was released by an occupant in order to swivel one of the front seats round? The MH started rolling off down the hill (initially blown forwards/backwards by the wind, or it was on a slope!) at an angle to the slope, picked up a bit of speed, hit a small bump or similar, and then rolled over a couple of times. Well thats my theory from looking at the photographs. after having reconstructed a lot of RTC's over the years
The users are certainly not going to admit to doing anything wrong, so blaming "the wind" does give them the possibility of a get out. Either way their deposit has gone!
It woukd be somewhat difficult to prove one way or the other without seeing any tyre tracks in the ground and the topography of the location.

 

[Sam Vimes]

Living on the Skye and knowing Wester Ross I'm not surprised that these accidents happen because I've seen similar happen right in front of me. Maybe you've been on the West Coast, maybe not, but the winds even when the storm doesn't have a name, can be very powerful. Just around our house it can be difficult at times not getting blown away; sheds go missing, roofs get ripped off and tiles go flying. Tipping over a van is not a problem in these instances. And in some places the roads are close to steep banks - so rolling down it is very possible.

In one incident on a road leading down to Broadford, a gust of wind took a panel van off the road in front of me and it rolled over down the bank, just like the motorhome mentioned in the article. The driver was OK fortunately. Even in my car it was a little hairy and surprisingly the Skye Bridge wasn't closed to high sided vehicles at that time.

On the A66 one winter an artic on the other side of the dual carrageway got hit by a gust of wind and just tipped over, just as we went past on the other side. Ok, it didn't roll but just shows the power of the wind. Again fortunately no one was over taking at the time.

Not wind related but coming down the hill towards Sconser a mini-van full of tourists hit a patch of ice and went off the road and rolled down the bank, finishing up on its side. By the time we got there the occupants were crawling out the door on the top side of the van.

 

[Dustydog]

We once stayed at Ardmair Point 3 miles out of Ullapool. The wind was ferocious. We really thought we were going over. I parked the car windward side as a break. Suffice to say we don’t stay there anymore.

 

[Jcloughie]

We once went to Plymouth CAMH site, which is high up. Different instructions from the norm given by the warden. No awnings and put the car across the windward side. During the night, the Fiamma rolled up awning in the awning channel was lifting and banging back against the side of the van. I managed to subdue it with some bungees.

Years ago, a friend took his girlfriend up the Great Orm in his dad’s Ford Council. The then realised that the car was bouncing across the car park. Luckily they drove down safely.

John

 

[Beachball]

Pleased to see that the family are safe and well. luckily with the weather we are experiencing now we should all be aware of conditions before setting off on our journeys so can be prepared.

 

[Dustydog]

Years ago, a friend took his girlfriend up the Great Orm in his dad’s Ford Council.

Ouch! Did it hurt 🤪🤪🤪

 

[Raywood]

Looking at the photos I can accept that the caravan may have blown over and rolled down the hill. It does look as though the hill falls away from the layby so that anything rolling on to it its side could roll further.
I think the people involved were very unlucky and using a hired vehicle may not have known enough about the problems of high winds. With the weather forecasts at the time it was simply too dangerous to stop in that location and probably to be out there at all.
With weather like we were forecast last weekend we cancelled our booking, but I do wonder if having paid presumably several hundred pounds for the hire, rather than the £20 deposit we lost, people are more likely to risk it. Having said that it was hardly likely to be fun so a safer location further South might have been safer.

 

[ProfJohnL]

The important thing is the family survived th eincident without any serious injuries, that's a lot to be thankful for. As for how it happened all we know is the wind has been implicated, but again we don't have enough information to draw a properly informed conclusion.

 

[Buckman]

However there is no harm if we speculate what possibly went wrong?

 

[Dustydog]

Six of the posts so far offer sensible reasons for the accident. As some have correctly pointed out we don’t know the whole story but plenty enough to encourage the positive views put forward. Forums are all about learning , even without all the minutia , constructive thoughts and ideas should not be stifled but considered as possible causation, encouraging further discussions.

 

[ProfJohnL]

There is a risk with poorly informed speculation, where an incorrect conclusion might be constructed which unfairly blames or accuses someone of fault or wrongdoing. This could lead to defamation.

 

[Buckman]

Seems every newspaper on the planet is going to be sued for defamation. TBH I have not read any posts on this thread that come even close to defamation as I am sure that the moderators would step in and remove the post anyway..

 

[Dustydog]

There is a risk with poorly informed speculation, where an incorrect conclusion might be constructed which unfairly blames or accuses someone of fault or wrongdoing. This could lead to defamation.

This is a Forum not a Law Court. It is open discussion , suggestion , opinions that makes it tick. I doubt no one is ever going to defame anyone but if we cannot speculate what’s the point of a Forum. 99% of answers on here are personal opinions, aren’t they?

 

[ProfJohnL]

I have just seen on the local 13:30 BBC midlands news a video clip of a caravan on a house driveway which was flipped onto its side by the wind today!

I don't know if its steadies were down but it does show that given the right circumstances we can get gusts that are that strong enough here in the UK.

 

[Buckman]

I have just seen on the local 13:30 BBC midlands news a video clip of a caravan on a house driveway which was flipped onto its side by the wind today!

I don't know if its steadies were down but it does show that given the right circumstances we can get gusts that are that strong enough here in the UK.

The pictures shows that the steadies were not down so that did not help either. It also blew into the caravan next door. You do not need to be a subscriber to view the link.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1779832776931323942

View: https://twitter.com/NicimakiClips/status/1779832776931323942/video/1

 

[Hutch]

Looks like the stays were down. Or at least the rear one visable.

 

[Buckman]

Here is another close up picture. OH pointed out that steadies were not down and on looking it did not look like the steadies were down. Probably why it was rocking so much prior to going over? Scroll down to comments. https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/new...i-tornado-rips-through-9224605?int_source=nba

 

[ProfJohnL]

Thank you for posting the links to footage.

I disagree with hutch, You can clearly see the front steadies were not wound down in the picture in the comments section, and I think I can see a black circular steady pad behind the gentlemans right ear which looks to be in its retracted position.

This leaves you wondering if it might not have toppled if they had been dow.

It's quite amazing the wheelie bin didn't seem to move at all!

And ten minutes ago I have just had a really heavy sleets storm and now its bright sunshine......

 

[Dustydog]

We need to remember a Tornado is not a mild wind. Looking at the possible wind speeds below I suspect even with the steadies down the result would be the same!

The Fujita Scale of Tornado Intensity
F-Scale Number	Intensity Phrase	Wind Speed
F1	Moderate tornado	73-112 mph
F2	Significant tornado	113-157 mph
F3	Severe tornado	158-206 mph

 

[Buckman]

Also the UK has higher frequency of tornadoes than the US, but not so severe.

 

[Hutch]

I think the caravan probably had the rear stays down but the front ones up.
Maybe the wheelie bin was full🤔.

 

[Dustydog]

I think the caravan probably had the rear stays down but the front ones up.
Maybe the wheelie bin was full🤔.

The steadies are designed to stop longitudinal movement once levelled. I doubt even if all four were down the high wind speed of the tornado would still have blown the caravan over. Note , as is usual the steadies are I board of the caravan sides

 

[Hutch]

I think the photo of the saddened chap, with the stead just behind his ear might have retracted it , to stop people walking into it. Just a possibility.