To tree or not to tree?

We generally like to park our motorhome in shade, which is often provided by large trees near our site. Shade in the summer help keep the coach cool. If it's a sunny 70 degrees outside, its lovely outside but it will get quite hot inside without shade, you will defiantly need to turn on your air conditioning if you are in the hot sun. Shade makes a big difference in temperature on the inside more so than on the outside.

However, the downside to big trees is that they can be dirty, dropping leaves and needles on your slide toppers and roof, sometimes to the point where you need to clean it off before you pull in your slides. Also depending on the time of year, tree pollen can be painful if you are allergic or have bad allergies.

Despite those disadvantages, the shade the trees provide is often worth it. Or so we thought!

Recently, we encountered another significant disadvantage of having trees close to your motorhome. During storm season, which can now occur year-round, trees can cause damage to your motorhome. On June 30th, 2025, we went to bed around 10:30 pm, aware that thunderstorms were approaching, as several storms had already passed through Saint Cloud, Minnesota, in the previous days. At approximately 11:30 pm on June 30th, we were startled by a loud crash and the violent shaking of the coach. Was it a tornado, or something else? I had a feeling that a large tree had fallen on the roof, and I was nearly right; a part of a large tree had landed on the front of our motorhome and the roof of our Jeep. See the pictures below. I could barely get out through the only door we had, and after squeezing out, I managed to break off some branches, allowing Jack, our dog, and Joy to exit and assess the damage with a flashlight. About 30 minutes later, the lightning, thunder, and heavy rain added to our worries. What damage would the rain cause? We wouldn't know until daybreak the next day. Naturally, no one got any sleep that night as we were extremely concerned. The good news is that no one was injured, and the damage is repairable.

We were lucky that the tree didn't break the windshield or hit the roof or slides. We also hadn't moved the car, and the mirror arm stopped the tree before it could cause more severe damage. Surprisingly, the sunroof and back driver-side door closed perfectly, and there was no water damage. The total repair cost was about $10,000, with the coach and the car each costing around $5,000 to fix. We ended up staying in Saint Cloud, Minnesota, for an additional 5 weeks while waiting for parts and repairs, plus one week in a hotel.

Yes, it was bad, but we've encountered worse on our journey, such as this person, for instance...

During our time in Red Bay Alabama in March, the tornado season was at its peak, and despite the weight of a motorhome, it stands no chance against a twister.

Here is a photo we took of a Tiffin Bus similar to ours, which was in the body shop after colliding with a post. The fiberglass at the front of these units isn't the strongest, as you can see below, which is what I anticipated ours would look like after the tree was removed. Fortunately, the fiberglass didn't spider and crack, or it probably would have ended our journey for a while.

Tiffin 2022 Allegro Bus 36PP at Red Bay Alabama Tiffin Body shop.