4 Things You Should Avoid When Driving an RV

June is National Safety month and we want to share how you can have a safe RV trip.  Although, you may not need a special license, driving or towing an RV is much different then operating a regular vehicle.  The RV height, weight, and length can cause some issues that you need to be aware of to safely reach your destination.  Here are some things to avoid while driving or towing an RV.

Bad Weather

Yes, it is common for there to be rain, hail, thunderstorms, and even tornadoes throughout the United States during the spring and summer months but you must be alert when their is a storm on the horizon, when driving an RV.  Rain and wind can cause you to lose control of the vehicle so it is important to park and take shelter elsewhere during storms.  For more tips on driving in bad weather, check out our RV Travel Safety board on Pinterest.

Driving too Much in a Day

Driving or towing such a large vehicle can put additional strain on the driver both physically and mentally.  It is important not too push yourself.  We recommend driving during daylight hours only.  It is also a good rule of thumb to stop every 2-3 hours to get out of the vehicle and walk around.  Follow the 330 rule, which is to drive no more than 300 miles per day and stop driving by 3:00 in the afternoon, whichever comes first.  This will give you plenty of time to setup your campsite before dark and if you left the previous campsite at checkout, it will have you driving about 5 hours per day.  You can learn more about the 330 rule here.

Low Overpasses, Tunnels, & Bridges

Before you depart, know the height of the RV.  We recommend using a RV specific GPS unit or app where you can enter the vehicle height in so that your route will avoid low overpasses or bridges where the weight could be an issue.

Research your route ahead of time and look up to see if RV’s are allowed to pass through the tunnels in your route and if so, what precautions you have to take.  Some tunnels you an inspection station you must stop at and propane tanks must be turned off.

Running Too Low on Fuel

Gas stations with a large RV can be difficult to maneuver and many of them are not site up for the height and length to accommodate an RV.  It is important to start looking for a suitable gas station when you are at about a 1/4 of tank because it will take you some time to find one.    These are common places that are good to gill up the gas tank, you can also use an app to find a gas station that works well for RV’s:

• Next Exit
• Flying J
• Pilot
• Checkers
• Rest Areas

Most of all, it is also important not to be over confident when driving an RV.  They have more blind spots, tailswings, and different turning radius’ you need to watch out for.  You must be aware of the RV and your surrounding at all times.  You can learn some driving tips through this video from RV Education 101.  Safe travels!