Playing It Safe on Your RV Road Trip
It’s something we don’t even like to think about, but if we’re prepared, we can prevent accidents from happening in and around our RV’s. Why take the risk of someone getting injured if a little forethought could prevent an accident? We need to consider the danger areas and make provision for those times when things go wrong.
There are some obvious necessities: a well-stocked first aid kit and a good fire-extinguisher are a good start, but there’s more, and it’s worth considering playing it safe with a few handy accessories that can prevent nasty incidents or even save lives!
CO and LP gas leaks
Gas leaks are insidious. Because they affect the oxygen supply to your brain, you get sleepy. Even though LP gas has an added odour that’s supposed to help you to scent danger, you could be fast asleep before you ever smell the leak. A simple mistake like leaving a gas burner on could be the death of everyone in your motor home. That’s not a prospect that anyone relishes, so it’s important to make sure that you have a good LP Gas Detector with a loud alarm that will wake you up if you are sleeping.
But LPG is not the only cause of asphyxiation you need to be cautious of. Carbon monoxide is just as deadly and just as sneaky. Make sure you have a CO Detector in good working order before you go on any camping trip – or get a two in one solution that monitors both LPG and CO levels in your trailer.
Remember to remove the batteries while your RV is not in use and make sure that checking your air quality alarms before a trip becomes part of your pre-holiday preparedness checklist.
Spills without thrills
You might not think that it sounds like a biggie, but a tumble down your motorhome’s stairs can result in a broken leg or worse. Over a million stair injuries are recorded every year, and even if your fall is a short one, fatalities are possible. It can all be avoided so easily!
If you’re using a step rug, make sure you get a proper wrap-around design that fits snugly onto the step and won’t slip if you take that step over-enthusiastically. Alternatively, ensure that the step has enough grit tape on it to prevent slips.
What’s going on back there?
Whether you’ve got a camper, a fifth wheel or a motorhome, you’ll know that much as we love our toys, they have one fundamental problem. Rear vision isn’t all that good. Let’s be blunt, it’s worse than that: you simply can’t see what’s going on back there. But now you can!
A rear-mounted camera with a driver’s monitor lets you see exactly what’s behind you. You get the full system as a kit, and it’s really simple to install. No more nerve-wracking moments as you back up, no more sickening thumps as you hit heaven knows what. That has to be worth considering!
You’ll never know what accidents you prevented with these simple safety extras – but then again – do you want to? Play it safe, drive safely and enjoy your holidays!