Traveling with an RV is a great way to spend a vacation. The level of freedom you experience while traveling with an RV is almost unparalleled. With that said, RV safety is also a concern.
RVs are large, heavy vehicles, so there’s a lot that could potentially go wrong. If you want your vacation to go off without a hitch, you need to have some safe travel tips in mind.
This article lists some important RV safety tips that you need to follow if you want to stay safe out there on the road.
1. Hit Speed Bumps Slowly
You need to approach speed bumps slowly in any vehicle, but this is especially true when you’re towing an RV. Not only do you need to drive slowly over speed bumps, but you also need to make sure you hit them at a straight angle.
If you hit speed bumps at a diagonal angle, it means your wheels will go over the bump at a slightly different time. This can cause the RV to rock from side to side. This could cause damage, and it could also cause the contents of the RV to fall about the RV.
2. Don’t Go Off-Road
Traveling with an RV lets you visit some remote areas of the country. This means that you might encounter roads that are of poor quality. You might even come across areas that have no roads at all.
You should resist the temptation to take any kind of “off-road” route. There are very few RVs out there that are capable of handling this kind of terrain. In most cases, you’ll simply get stuck and have to call for help – don’t do it.
3. Keep a Safe Distance
When towing an RV, you need to recognize that it handles differently than your everyday vehicle. For example, you need to maintain a much bigger distance between your tow vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.
This is because it takes a heavy load a lot longer to slow down and come to a complete stop. If you drive as you would in a much lighter vehicle, you’ll likely run into the back of the vehicle in front of you if they stop unexpectedly.
Take things slowly, to begin with, and get used to how the RV handles. It will take a while for you to appreciate how much more the stopping distance is.
These RV Safety Tips Will Keep You Safe
An RV trip can be a fun and memorable vacation for the whole family, but you need to keep these RV safety tips in mind. Towing an RV is much more difficult than typical driving, so make sure you take the time to get used to how to tow it.