Sky light open? (1 Viewer)

[Notski]

over the last few days I have seen so many motorhomes traveling along the M20 in kent, presumably heading towards the Eurotunnel or Dover. The weather has been fantastic over the last few days and I noticed that quite a few have had their sky lights open, sticking up vertically as they travel!
I have always shut the skylight on our motorhome before traveling, maybe I am just too cautious?, don't even travel without ensuring the Ariel is fully down and secure!
Am I being over cautious?

 

[pyro]

Nope. The instructions invariably say to close the skylight before travelling, and I have heard of them being ripped off in the slipstream

Been a few people here have lost their panoramic front skylights, and they've been closed. Caused a recall on the Hobby M/Hs

 

[pappajohn]

May as well travel with your wallet on the roof.....it may, or may not, be there when you stop.
They either forgot to close it or have no understanding of aerodynamics and wind force.

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[Notski]

May as well travel with your wallet on the roof.....it may, or may not, be there when you stop.
They either forgot to close it or have no understanding of aerodynamics and wind force.

That's what I was thinking, but have spent most of my days driving up & down the M20 recently, unfortunately working and have noticed quite a lot traveling like that.

 

[DiggerJon]

I once had my firmly closed skylight sucked open by the pressure from a passing lorry costing me two new catches and a few head scratching moments as to how to stop it happening again! It could have been sooooooo much more expensive!

 

[Minxy]

We saw quite a few whilst abroad recently, mostly on hired motorhomes ... somehow I don't think they'll all get their deposits back!

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[Notski]

We saw quite a few whilst abroad recently, mostly on hired motorhomes ... somehow I don't think they'll all get their deposits back!

Quite possibly, they were hire vehicles! Is it safe to travel this way on B roads at slower speeds?

 

[Minxy]

Quite possibly, they were hire vehicles! Is it safe to travel this way on B roads at slower speeds?

We have done, but very, very rarely ... only if we're gong a short distance at lower speeds, eg from the aire to a supermarket, certainly not travelling any further. One reason is that if we have it open we can't see the screen on the ruddy sat nav from the glare so travel with it shut and the blind across it!

 

[DavidG58]

we don't, but it must depend in part on the type of fixings, I remember when I was a lad the coaches all had large opening rooflights that we always had open on school trips

edit - thinking about it, probably to draw out the drivers and teachers cigarette smoke

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[GWAYGWAY]

I once had my firmly closed skylight sucked open by the pressure from a passing lorry costing me two new catches and a few head scratching moments as to how to stop it happening again! It could have been sooooooo much more expensive!

One person in the magazines had three wind up straps, on each hatch, to stop them opening?????????????????? Bit OTT I thought.

 

[Stretto Boy]

I have always shut the skylight on our motorhome before traveling, maybe I am just too cautious?, don't even travel without ensuring the Ariel is fully down and secure!
Am I being over cautious?

You are right to keep them closed and it is pointless having them open if you have cab air conditioning. Opening them is for when you are stationary. Mine are open now because it's a warm night here on the CMC site at Moreton - in-Marsh and it's keeping me lovely and cool.

 

[DL42846]

Always keep mine closed when on the road. My van is 2.99 meters high, anything over three meters when your on the toll roads puts you into a class 3 which is a lot more expensive.

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[Welsh girl]

We always keep it closed, and the blinds shut but on one very windy day we had to stop en route as the winds had pulled and pulled it,sucked the blind up into the window itself partly opened the window.
I wound the window back in which was scary in itself as I wasn't sure which way I was windng was shut and didn't want it to open more as it would have surely blown off if it had been up opened more. That was a scary day.

 

[magicsurfbus]

I leave the small bog/shower roof vent open at its back end (only) to help air the bog/shower when travelling, but that doesn't add to the MH's height. Everything else stays shut.

 

[Minxy]

I leave the small bog/shower roof vent open at its back end (only) to help air the bog/shower when travelling, but that doesn't add to the MH's height. Everything else stays shut.

Oh to have a roof vent in the toilet compartment ... we've got a window but I'd much rather have a roof one!

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