Chances are that at some point, you will experience the adventure of riding in an RV. RVs, as you’ll discover in this article, are widely used for a number of reasons. Some people travel cross country in RVs, stopping from place to place and using the RV rather than a hotel — and saving a lot of money. Of course, there are other possibilities at hand. You could also find yourself using an RV because you’re a fan of camping. Camping in an RV combines the convenience and comforts of more modern living and the joys of the great outdoors. Thanks to the 16,000 campgrounds open in America, RV travelers can roam the roads for a duration as short as a weekend or as long as multiple months. But with so many people on the road at the same time, safety is of the utmost concern. For that matter, the safety issue is compounded by the fact that RVs are big and bulky. Another issue that comes with RVs is the reality that many drivers don’t know how to pull them — or for that matter, drive around them. Luckily, there are ways that you can keep your RV as safe as possible — and we’ll look at them below.
Electronic Trailer Brake Controllers: Keeping Your RV Safe
There are two main types of RVs. One is the motorhome, which is motorized and therefore drivable on its own. The other is towable, and is thus towed behind a car or truck. When you’re towing an RV, you have to rely on things like electronic trailer brake controllers to keep your RV as safe as possible. Electronic trailer brake controllers essentially ensure that your RV’s brakes and the brakes of whatever is towing that RV are in a sense, in synch. With electronic trailer brake controllers, the RV’s brakes may not correspond to the movements of the car towing it. Therefore, you risk the RV crashing into the car towing it, or for that matter crashing into a surrounding vehicle. This is obviously not something that anyone can afford to risk. Essentially, electronic trailer brake controllers attach to the cab of your tow vehicle and activate your trailer’s electric or electric-over-hydraulic brakes when you hit the brakes. Something to keep in mind when looking for these controllers, however, is that they vary from vehicle to vehicle. Thus, not all of them look the same.
Trailer Sway Control: Controlling Your RV
Sway control is a crucial thing to remember when towing an RV. Many people wonder at how anything can be towed on the highway or interstate. The concern that leaps to their minds is that of turns and curves. They expect that the trailer will going swaying out of control, jumping over lines and getting too close to surrounding vehicles. This is solved by sway control. Essentially, sway control ensures that the RV follows the path of the car towing the RV. But there’s more to it than what might initially meet the eye. There are two different types of sway devices. One reduces sway once it has begun, while others prevent sway before they ever happen. Both have their pros and cons. However, you should choose the sway control device that is right for your specific type of vehicle.
Keeping Your Vehicle Safe: Extra Measures
When it comes to putting an RV on the road, you need to be as careful as possible. The fact is that any extra measure is necessary if you think that it will make your drive safer. Take into account how much your vehicles weigh. If your trailer weight is over 50% of your vehicle’s weight, then you may want to invest in weight distribution systems. If you choose a weight distribution hitch, you will have to choose between two different weight ratings. One is gross trailer weight and one is tongue weight. Perhaps most importantly, however, you should be sure that every part of both vehicle is inspected for safety before you go. That way, you can be sure that you’re taking the safest possible drive for everyone involved.
