RV Travel Safety: Tips To Stay Safe and Have Fun.
There are innumerable benefits to choosing an RV for a family road trip. You can save a ton of money and still have all the comforts of home with you. At the same time, there are some things you should do to make your trip a bit safer. Here are some of the top RV travel safety tips to help you have a safe and fun time. Be sure to keep them in mind when you are heading out in your RV, especially if it is for your first trip.
Plan Ahead
The first thing you will want to do is to plan your trip. In today’s world, you will probably be using a GPS to get from one point to another. However, you should make sure you’re following an RV capable route. This will help you avoid any areas where it is unsafe to travel with your RV. Many GPS’s have RV-specific route planners included, so you should look into this if yours doesn’t have this option.
You will also want to check for any construction or damage along your planned route. This is especially important during the winter months when snow might be a factor. Taking a look at the Department of Transportation website to ensure your route is safe ahead of time will keep your family safe while you are traveling.
Think Safety
When you are out and about in your RV, you should always be RV travel safety. Make sure your RV has a deadbolt installed on the door lock. This will help keep out thieves and those who wish to vandalize your RV. In addition to this, always leave an itinerary of your trip with your friends and family. That way, if anything goes wrong, the authorities will know the path you were traveling.
The upkeep of your RV is also a huge portion of your safety while on the road. Before you head out on your trip, check the belts and hoses on your RV. You should especially check the radiator hose and, if necessary, replace it before traveling. Also, check out any towing equipment you plan to use as well as your fire extinguisher and smoke alarms.
Before heading out, pack an emergency kit. You should think about the type of weather and conditions you are traveling in and plan accordingly. Extra blankets, flashlights, batteries, extra food and water, and ways to contact the outside world are all great options, especially during the winter. But, you should also include a first aid kit, flares, road diversion cones, and anything else you might need in an emergency.
Learn About your RV
If you’ve spent any amount of time in your RV, you will probably be pretty familiar with it. However, for those new to RVing, that might not be the case. Also, those who rent RVs rather than drive their own might want to spend a little extra time getting to know their rental. Trying to figure out how to use your RV while traveling down the road is an avoidable danger. Imagine running into a massive thunderstorm only to find out you don’t know how to turn on the windshield wipers.
So, to stay safe while driving, take some time to get to know your RV. Many of the features are relatively straightforward to figure out. However, you should take the time to learn more about the more challenging aspects of your RV. For example, you will need to have some troubleshooting capabilities. Find out how to change a tire or troubleshoot engine issues. When you understand how your RV works, you will be less likely to run into trouble when you are traveling. This also allows you to avoid distractions and keep your eyes on the road.
There are also items you will need to know when you bed down for the night. Always make sure you know how many amps your breaker can hold. If you overload the system, you can cause damage and possibly blow your main breaker. This could leave you in a sticky situation if you lose power when no help is around.
Take Breaks
When it comes time to take off in your RV, make sure you are taking breaks while driving. The worst thing for RV travel safety is getting too tired to drive and causing an accident. Remember, RVs are a bit more complicated to operate than a smaller car, so there is very little room for error.
If you are too tired to drive, pull over and take a break. If you aren’t near an RV park or campground, you can park overnight in a parking lot. Walmart often allows for this, but make sure there are no signs regarding overnight parking.
When driving with others, taking turns driving is also a great option. This will allow the primary driver to get some rest and refreshment before taking back over. Just make sure that a qualified person is behind the wheel of your RV and fresh enough to take over.
Consider Activities
You should also keep in mind that you won’t always be spending time in your RV or at the RV park or campsite. Instead, it is likely that you will be traveling around the towns you are visiting. While many RVers choose to pull their car behind them, another great alternative is to bring some bicycles with you.
This allows you to easily and quickly get around town and visit the attractions you wish to see. When you are planning your road trip, remember that many of the places you will be visiting will not have parking accommodations for large vehicles like an RV.
While you are out and about, ensuring things back at your RV are secure and safe is important. Locking everything up and putting away items that can easily be taken off your campsite is crucial. You may even want to install some sort of security system to keep people away from your RV while you aren’t there.
When you are spending time at your RV or are in the campsite, there are other ways you can stay safe. Some people have a tendency of walking across other’s campsites while walking across the park. To help discourage this, consider bringing a large item, like a picnic table to form some sort of boundary between your site and the outside world. You can also string up solar lights to achieve this same goal. This will help you maintain your safety and privacy while you are camping and enjoying the great outdoors.
Safety is always a top concern when traveling in an RV. If you follow these tips, you will be able to have a great time and enjoy your trip with your family or friends without endangering anyone. They are especially important when you are taking your new RV out for the first time. Make sure you spend a little extra time going over your trip, your safety plan, and your route when you head out for the first time.
After a while, these RV travel safety will seem like second nature. But, you will need to set up a schedule to help develop them into habits that you can perform without thinking twice. Get started on your next trip with Avalon RV Center today!
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