RE: [A/S] Electrical Storms - Airstream is the SAFEST place

["Oliver Filippi" <ofilippi@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Assuming the storm isn't strong enough to blow the trailer over, your
airstream is the safest place to be in an electrical storm.

The all electrically conductive shell of the Airstream is what physicists
call a Faraday Cage.  The electrical charge (of the lightning, and other
static electricity stays on the outside surface of the "cage" and does not
enter the enclosure.

In high voltage laboratories, which use Van de Graff generators (which can
generate very high voltages, and simulate an electrical storm) the operator
location is INSIDE one of the metal spheres!

There is no danger to the occupants of the airstream.  However, you don't
want to be outside and touch the trailer when the lightning strikes.  In
this case, you would be the electrical connection to ground for the
lightning charge on the outer surface of the trailer (grounding rod).

Even without a grounding rod, the charge on the trailer skin would quickly
find a path to ground and dissipate the electrical charge.

Oliver Filippi