You may be on vacation, but don’t leave your manners at home. When you extend these simple courtesies to other travelers, they’ll respond in kind. In addition, you’ll find life on the road and in campgrounds is more comfortable and enjoyable when you use these tips.
Travel Courtesy
- Don’t run your generator (or vehicle engine itself) and appliances all night long or early in the morning. Consider that in “mixed-use” campgrounds, you are sharing the area with tent campers. Most people who use campgrounds are there to enjoy some peace and quiet and to commune with nature. Noisy generators and loud televisions ruin the experience. – David Iier, Cyberwest, Denver, CO
- Slow down when driving on dirt campground roads so you don’t raise too much dust for campers or for any vehicles following you. Also, although the children in your group may love shuffling in the dirt, stirring up big clouds of dust, remind them to do that far away from where people are camping. – Louie & Kiyo Shiroma, Culver City, IA
- Have a friendly attitude toward other drivers, whatever their vehicles. Give them the benefit of the doubt when it comes to their motives. Road rage/revenge leads to tragedy.
- Mind your manners wherever you roam. People everywhere appreciate a “please” and “thank you.”
- Be sure to ask if guest would like to see the inside of your vehicle. We all like to see how other people camp. It gives us new ideas for our own RVs.
- Never dump except at a dump station or a sewer connection at a campsite.
- Honor the campground’s checkout time. Someone may be waiting for your campsite.
- Be aware that using the auxiliary generator at rest stops stirs up dust outside the RV. Other travelers who are trying to eat their lunches may not appreciate it.
- When you’re traveling in a caravan, stay at least a quarter of a mile behind the RV in front of you. It gives the leader room to maneuver in case of stopped traffic or unexpected road conditions, and it gives people passing you a chance to get in and out of your lane. More space between the RVs also gives you a broader view of the countryside.
- Try to go with the flow of traffic, unless it’s over the speed limit.
- When three or more vehicles are backed up behind you and road conditions permit, pull onto the shoulder to let traffic pass.
- Blink your headlights when a trucker passes you to let the driver know that it’s safe to pull back into the lane. At night, flash your high beams for the same purpose. When the driver gives you a double wink with the lights, it means “thank you.”
- When you park on the street, make sure you aren’t blocking anyone’s way.
- When you’re staying with friends, use your calling card when you make calls on their phone.
Next week in Part 2, I’ll list some tips to help you to increase your comfort level while traveling in your RV.
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David
Most information very helpful. However, as a 17 year professional truck driver I must disagree with the flashing of high beams at night to signal an all-clear to pull back in after being passed. As a truck driver is passing, he/she is monitoring their position with regard to the vehicle being passed. Many times when the person driving the passed vehicle flashes their high beams it occurs when the driver of the truck is checking mirrors and actually momentarily blinds them. At night this can seem like a locomotive with high beams on just drove through the cab of your truck! Much safer to do nothing!
Darrel
I agree with Dalton, I’m not going to pull off the road with my 26′ trailer to let people around. It takes too long to get back up to speed and it uses too much fuel to do so. They can pass me easier than I can pull over.
Dalton Tamney
These are all good points. I do have some problem with no. 11 tho. I am hesitant about driving along the shoulder when I’m pulling 28′ of trailer. To me the shoulder (when there is one) represents a measure of safety which I am eliminating when I drive on it. If I am doing the speed limit, I don’t feel the necessity to use up that measue of safety just to allow other drivers to speed. If I can’t do the speed limit then I will wait till I see a pull off of sorts so I can get off the road safely.
Carol Colbert
I sure hope everyone who is parked near me follows the “Be sure to ask if guest would like to see the inside of your vehicle” tip;-) I want to upgrade my RV but there aren’t many dealers and no shows within 500 miles. Thanks for the tips Bernice.
Nick Russell
This list should be required reading for every new RV owner. Courtesy goes a logn way to making everybody’s life so much easier and more pleasant.