RV Safety on the Road

January 14, 2011

There are a lot of things that can go wrong on the road. You can have a flat tire, engine problems, illness or medical emergency, or a crash. But there are other things that happen as well. It's easy to be lulled into a false sense of security when camping or traveling. But the same things that can happen in the city can happen on the road. Your children can wander off and get lost, you can encounter stray animals or wildlife, or even leave someone behind at a rest stop or gas station without realizing they're not in the RV! Don't laugh. It happens!

Vehicle Safety

Before beginning any road trip check your RV out, even if you just went camping last weekend. A problem you may not have noticed last week, like a oil leak, a cracked hose, low tire pressure or loose or broken fasteners on your awning or doors may have gotten bad enough to show up now that the vehicle has set for a week. Check your fluid levels, tire pressure and tug on any restraining straps or bike racks, ladders etc. to ensure they're still snug and secure.

Traveling Safely

If you haven't been RVing before you may not realize how easily things fall out of cabinets, off of shelves, or cabinets or out of bins. There are a variety of hook-and-loop devices, like Velcro, or straps and other ways to secure your television; sports gear or other items while you're in motion. Use them!

Safety Check List

It may seem silly, but a safety checklist will keep you from having to remember everything you need to check before getting on the road each day. Make up your list and have it laminated. Punch a small hole in the top with a paper punch so you can hang it on a hook, or with a cord. Use a dry erase marker to check off each item as you complete it. When the entire list is marked, then you can wipe of the card and hang it back up for the next day. Include things like, "Empty gray and black water tanks, Check tire pressure, Lower television or satellite antenna, Secure awning," and so on. Having an air vent cover, go flying down the highway, or a satellite dish destroyed because it wasn't closed and secured is no fun to replace!

Tire Safety

One of the biggest causes of RV crashes is a blowout. What happens in most cases is a tire is either over or under inflated, causing heat to build up in the tire as the vehicle travels. Depending on the age and condition of the tire, and amount of heat, this can result in a blowout - often with serious or critical consequences. There are many devices on the market that you can place in your tire's air stem to remotely monitor air pressure and temperature in your tires. When levels drop or temperatures increase an alarm goes off on a monitor in the cab of your RV, alerting you the problem so you can correct the pressure.

Driving Safety

The best thing about traveling in an RV is that you can stop and rest when you get tired or sleepy. Your bed is right there, as are all the comforts of home. Yet every year people insist on driving while exhausted, hoping to make their next campsite before dark. Instead of arriving a little late, they never arrive at all. If you're tired, sleepy, hungry, pull over. Even a 20-minute catnap can refresh you almost as much as an hour nap. If you have a partner who is comfortable driving, take turns at the wheel every hour.

Personal Safety

Every year children wander off from a family campground and become lost, hurt or kidnapped. But so do spouses or parents with dementia or other health concerns. Even the most vigilant parent or partner can be distracted for several minutes while tending to a campfire, cooking dinner, setting up a tent or campsite. Not only are they in a strange environment, they're often scared, disoriented, cold and often too tired or injured to get back to the campsite. If you are traveling with young children, or mentally challenged seniors, be aware there are inexpensive, but very effective devices you can clip to their clothing or hang on a lanyard around their neck that will sound an alarm on your monitor when they go beyond a certain, specified distance from your campsite. You determine the distance and the sound so you know which child has strayed.

Pet Safety

More and more families are traveling with their pets. Dogs aren't the only pets that go RVing. Cats, birds, ferrets and even snakes seem to be favorite camping companions. If you're going to take your pet, the usual tips apply. Make sure they have all their shots - especially rabies. Check them hourly for ticks. There are new tick borne diseases, which can kill a dog within days of a bite. Keep an eye on your dogs and cats. Raccoons, and possums can and do kill dogs and cats. Hawks and owls will also consider your small dog or cat as a yummy snack if given the chance. If you attempt to break up a fight with a wild creature you can be attacked, bitten or worse, and at the least end up having to have rabies shots. So don't leave your pets outside alone, even if they are on a leash.

Although animals are usually supposed to stay on a leash at all times in most campgrounds, if they do wander off it's a good idea to have them micro-chipped so they can be returned to you if they are found and taken to a vet or shelter. Clipping a small alarm to their collar, much like the ones used for small children will sound the alarm if they escape from their leash or cage and wander off. To avoid pets, particularly cats, from wiggling out of a collar, use a harness instead. It's much harder to escape from. When it begins to get dark, clip a small LED light in yellow, blue or orange to your pet's collar. They're easier to spot in the darkness of a campfire and you're less likely to step on or trip over them.

Stranger Danger

Just because you're camping doesn't mean you're safe. Remind children and adults too that the same rules apply on the road that they do at home. Lock your doors even if you're in the RV. Tell your children:

• (1) Don't open the door to strangers. If someone knocks on your door, speak to him or her through the screen for a minute until you get a sense about how safe they are, or find out what they want. Never invite a stranger into your RV. You can socialize just fine outside.
• (2) The only person who should be knocking on your door after dark is the campground security or the police. Don't open your door until you see some identification. If in doubt, use your cell phone to call the campground office.
• (3) Trust your intuition. If a person or situation doesn't feel safe, it probably isn't. Walk away. Go back to your RV or to the camp office.
• (4) There's safety in numbers. Shower, walk or hike with a partner. If one becomes hurt or injured the other can get help. (5) Use common sense. Carry a jacket, matches, first aid kit, whistle, and small survival kit, food and water in a fanny pack or daypack, even if you are just going for a short hike. It could save your life.