Safe Traveling with an RV
With unpredictable weather, sometimes you may be surprised with a weekend during the winter that’s actually nice enough to take your Camper Trailer out. Or maybe you’re already preparing for the next camping season. No matter what your RV plans are, it’s never too early to start thinking about and planning for safety. As fun as it is to be at your favorite campsite spending a little time away from the bustling cities, you’ll want to make sure you and your fellow campers are well prepared for emergency situations and taking all the right preventative steps to keep everyone safe. We’ve provided some of our top priorities when we take our RVs out so you can add to your own plan as needed. If you’d like to talk to some of our experienced staff in person, stop by Golden Gait Trailers in Concord, North Carolina, near Charlotte.
Necessary Gear
There are a number of preventative measures you can take before you hit the road, including packing all the right gear. This doesn’t necessarily have to be gear to protect you from a life or death situation. In fact, some things just make a trip less miserable. A migraine or a headache can make for a disappointing afternoon or day, and can easily be solved if you remember to pack painkillers. Also consider bringing sunscreen, sunglasses, and bug spray to prevent damaging or annoying skin problems. Even if you’re taking your RV out in the winter, don’t forget to bring these things along with you. An overcast day can actually amplify the damaging effects of the sun’s rays, and you’ll want to make sure you’re protecting your skin. Finally, make sure you have a first aid kit on hand for minor scrapes. They can also come in handy for more serious injuries, but only as a way to tie you over until you can reach professional help.
Prepare for Emergency Situations
The next level of safety preparation revolves around more serious problems. While we hope you never have to use this kind of gear, it’s better to have it ready. Bring along a roadside toolkit in the event of mechanical failure while you’re traveling. You may need to buckle down and call a tow truck for complex issues, but having a toolkit ready can give the supplies to apply a band-aid, so to speak, to the problem until you can reach a professional mechanic. Your kit may include a jack and spare tire, basic tools, and some smaller spare parts.
Also, place at least one if not more fire extinguishers around your RV. There are just as many ways to start a fire while camping as there are in your own home, whether it’s due to electrical failure, spilled flammable liquids, or even the iconic campfire just outside. You might consider getting extinguishers specially built for these kinds of fires (electrical, liquid, etc.), and distributing them around your RV, so they’re accessible, no matter where you are in relation to the fire.
Safety on the Road
When you have all the right gear, and you’re finally on the road, you’ll want to be employing some essential safe driving practices to keep you, your passengers, and other commuters safe. Spend a significant amount of time practicing in advance, preferably in a large, empty parking lot, so you can relearn basic riding skills as they apply to your motorhome or towable RV. Pay special attention to braking. All that extra weight will take longer to slow down and come to a complete stop. In fact, most RVs are incapable of stopping on a dime. Get an idea of how long it’s going to take your rig to slow down and substantially increase the amount of follow space between you and the vehicle in front of you. Some other basics skills you’ll want to relearn are turning, reversing, and parking.
Highway driving also comes with some unique challenges for RV drivers. Firstly, high-speed driving and merging will feel different and require different execution methods in a vehicle that’s much larger than other vehicles on the highway. Also, the taller your rig is, the more likely it is that it will catch the wind, whether it’s simply the wind blowing around the landscape or the gust from a passing car. If you find yourself getting pushed around, simply remain calm and try to stay in your lane without over-correcting too much. If you find the wind isn’t dying down or if you know there’s a wind storm blowing through a particular stretch of your trip, stay off the roads.
This is just covering some of the basics when it comes to safety. You’ll probably pick up other tips from fellow RV owners and learn a few things from personal experience. Another great way to stay safe and avoid a ruined trip is to make sure your RV is going to run smoothly. When it’s time for regular maintenance or repairs, schedule a service appointment with Golden Gait Trailers in Concord, North Carolina. We’re just outside of Charlotte.