It is no surprise why people are attracted to the RV life. It is a call to adventure that opens up so many exciting opportunities and possibilities. However, one thing people don’t understand is that the RV life isn’t as easy as it makes itself out to be.

The fact of the matter is that there are many instances where you and your RV may find yourselves in less than desirable situations.

You don’t have to worry though as we are here to share some of the top tips to keep your RV pursuits safe. We won’t just talk about certain instances that you need to be wary of, but also what you can do to avoid them.

The first thing that you need to learn is how to drive an actual RV. Depending on the class of motorhome that you’ll be getting, the sizes vary greatly.

Many people are confident with their driving skills, but they do not realize that those skills do not necessarily translate to larger vehicles. This means the same for towable motorhomes. For both instances, it is best to practice driving them first before heading out on your trip.

If you fail to practice driving an RV, you can be a hazard on the road. You could crash into other vehicles, buildings, or other things out on the road. Safety first, as the saying goes.

When practicing, you have to focus on a variety of things. First, start with the steady accelerating and dependable breaking. A steady control over the acceleration will help you control the RV on the road.

You also have to understand the breaks of the RV you’ll be bringing out. Try and understand how much breaks are necessary to slow the RV down.

Afterwards, you’ll want to practice the turns. You will need to combine both the acceleration and breaking, as well as the feel of turning correctly and staying in the lines. Another skill worth having is the dependable use of the side mirrors to see what is on the side and behind your massive motorhome.

Finally, a very valuable skill worth having is backing up or the reverse of your motorhome. This will come in handy backing up in campsites.

One of the unfortunate truths in the RV life is that people are another thing that you need to be wary about. If you leave your RV without taking the right precautions, you may be prone to theft.

We always want to expect the best in people, but it is also always good to take precautions as well.

The first tip for theft would be to always lock your doors. It may be a simple tip, but you may be surprised as to how many people don’t do this with their RVs. It is a simple tip that is very effective against theft. This also goes for external storage components.

Another tip would be to research the areas or campgrounds that you will be staying at. There are certain websites that will have reviews of certain campgrounds as well as the areas around it.

If a campground has negative reviews, chances are crime rates – for things like theft – are up.

If you are heading out, be sure to put away your valuables. If you can afford one, why not purchase a safe where you can put these items in? If you are looking to buy one, look for a safe that is bolted to the ground or attached to your RV. This way, thieves cannot do away with it in the middle of the night.

Even better though, if you can, just leave these valuable items at home.

When the night comes and you are heading out, be sure to leave the lights on. This is a simple deterrent for people who want to steal, as they won’t know if there are people in your RV or not.

Our final tip is to befriend your neighbors in the RV campgrounds. This works as well as any security system, as they will look out for your RV and the belongings.

Another problem that can seriously affect your RV pursuits is the weight of the RV.

Oftentimes, people think that the RV is their new home. For some people, this is really the case. Due to this idea, people often load too much onto their RVs. They not only bring their essentials, but even extra furniture for the outside, and many other things.

Whatever the items may be, the one thing that you need to remember is that RVs have weight limits. These not only include the things that you bring, but also the people that are along for the ride.

If your motorhome or trailer is well over the weight limits, then this may put considerable strain on the axles and wheels. If it becomes too much to handle, your tires can blow up or the motorhome can start to sway. In addition, if the tires are worn out, it makes breaking harder.

This may cause some accidents and injuries. The worst part is that if these things cause an accident, the liability is with you. This means that insurance companies won’t be shelling out as much, if any at all.

You must also remember that driving an overweight trailer or motorhome is a violation that police can call you out on. It will result in a fine.

You can weigh your RV at various locations, and you should do so often. These include truck stops, weigh stations, certain checkpoints, and more.

Apart from that, another tip we have is to pay attention to the small things. Every small knick knack, souvenir, or small item really does add up in the long run. Be mindful of what you bring in.

The final thing that we’ll be talking about is the RV speed. The road has a certain allure for most people that makes them want to go fast. In RVs, some people want to cover their journeys in shorter times.

However, going really fast can cause a lot of problems. For one, going fast can cause problems on the road. You can mistakenly slam into other vehicles or barricades. You can also tip the motorhome if you aren’t careful.

Slow and steady is the way, as the saying goes. The tip here is to enjoy the journey and to just go slow.

Apart from that, be sure to segment your trip into small chunks that will allow you to get some much needed rest.

There are certain items that you can invest in for the safety of your RV pursuits.

Backing Cameras

One piece of equipment that you can invest is a camera that helps you back up. These are useful when you are driving massive motorhomes where you can’t exactly see what is behind you or even perceive due to the size of your motorhome.

In some instances, some RVs already come with this. However, if it doesn’t, they are relatively affordable.

Fire Extinguishers

Whatever and wherever your RV journey takes you, be sure to always have a fire extinguisher handy.

You may have some electrical problems that could cause fires. You may run into some fires along the way or in campgrounds too. The fire extinguishers will help you battle all kinds of small fires.

Security Systems

Finally, if you want to tighten up security in and around your RV, you can invest in security systems and surveillance cameras.

You will need to spend more on these things, but they will surely do a lot for keeping your RV safe. The combination of these two things will help deter any intruders, criminals, and thieves from entering and stealing from your RV.

These are only a few things that you need to look out for when keeping your RV pursuits as safe as possibly can be.

However, these are not the only things that you should be worried about. There are many more things that you need to prepare for. These include electrical loads, road conditions, the weather, and so much more.

Always keep safety in the forefront of your mind and approach anything with that mindset. We wish you the best and stay safe on the road.

You might also wanna check HOW TO PREPARE YOUR RV FOR A LONG TRIP.