Golf ball-sized hail hits Arizona, and RV owners are told to check their roofs
The October 21 storms shattered windows in north Phoenix. RVtravel.com warns that RV roofs and rooftop equipment can have hidden damage that leaks later.
Golf ball-sized hail hit parts of Arizona on October 21, breaking vehicle windows and damaging property, according to RVtravel.com.
The site, citing FOX 10 Phoenix, reported heavy damage in a north Phoenix neighborhood near 19th Avenue and Peoria. Windows were shattered at homes and businesses, vehicles had broken glass, and residents described hailstones about the size of golf balls.
RVtravel.com said it had not confirmed any RV damage from these storms. It used them to point out the parts of an RV that are most exposed to large hail.
The roof of a typical RV holds air conditioners, roof vents, plumbing vent covers, antennas, skylights and sometimes solar panels. Many of these parts have plastic covers, and the site said years in the sun can make some plastics brittle and more likely to crack when large hail hits.
The kind of roof also matters. According to RVtravel.com, aluminum roofs may dent, fiberglass can crack, and rubber or other membrane roofs may hold up against small hail but can be damaged by larger stones, especially if the material is old.
The bigger worry, the site said, is that damage that looks minor at first can later let water into the RV. An RV can come through a storm with every window intact and still leak in the next rain.
On solar panels, RVtravel.com cited the U.S. Department of Energy as saying panels have survived most hail events, but hailstones larger than about 1¾ inches have caused significant damage. The DOE also warns that hail can cause tiny cracks in solar cells without breaking the glass. These cracks can grow, cut power output and possibly create electrical hazards. The site said the DOE guidance is mainly meant for larger systems, but the same concern applies to RV panels.
RVtravel.com advised owners to wait until it is safe, then walk around the rig looking for damaged siding, broken plastic, cracked windows and damaged awnings. Inside, they should check around skylights and other roof openings for signs of water. The site said owners should not climb onto a wet or possibly damaged roof, and should consider having a qualified technician inspect it after large hail. It also recommended photographing damage before any repairs.
On insurance, the site cited Progressive as saying comprehensive coverage can pay to repair or replace a motorhome or travel trailer damaged by hail. RVtravel.com cautioned that settlements may not cover what owners expect. It added that water damage found later could be complicated: damage directly caused by a covered storm may be covered, but damage blamed on poor maintenance may not be.
The report does not say how many RVs, if any, were damaged in the Arizona storms, or give a full picture of how widespread the damage was beyond the north Phoenix neighborhood.
