Vacations travelling in a recreational vehicle can be one of the most memorable holidays. Whether you are trailer camping or motor homing, the days generally are filled with a combination of adventure and relaxation. The feeling of escaping the reality of the hum-drum daily grind is experienced by many. Life is good!
However, the reality of the dangers and hazards of life still exist. Safety is still a high priority that must be addressed in this different lifestyle environment. An example of this is a fire. At home there may be several exits one can use to evacuate the house and all are probably very familiar to all family members. This may not be true in a RV that has only one entrance. It does have an escape window or hatch usually located towards the opposite end of the entrance. The location and operation of this escape exit should be known by all family members. A practice run through of preparing to exit here should be carried out yearly to help it become second nature. This is an RV travel safety item.
If you have a pet that you have occasion to leave within your RV while you are out, it is a good idea to advise people of this. A sign placed in the window such as “Pet Inside – Please Rescue My Pet in Case of An emergency” can save its life. Should your RV catch on fire, hopefully someone will break the window, or door, and save “Fido”.
Be smart and conscious about where you overnight. A vacant parking lot may seem ideal but lacks any security that you get in a campground. A more heavily RV occupied parking lot may be a better choice, but still requires the regular cautions.
Many slide outs have sharp corners at each end. These can cause physical head damage should you bang them while accessing the basement areas. Children running about may be of particular danger due to their similar height. The installation of slide out corner guards can reduce the injuries substantially.
When positioning into, or pulling out of, a camp site, make sure any children and pets are either inside the unit, or a safe distance from it. If you don’t see each and every one, stop. With such maneuvers a spouse may well be involved in watching or guiding you, not the kids and pet.
It takes very little effort to ensure safety for all. A little common sense goes a long way to making your RV vacation everything you hoped for and more. Be safe and enjoy.
