Top 10 Road-Tripping & RV Safety Tips

Road trips and RVs turn the vehicle into your transport, your shelter and your kitchen all at once. Most trouble on the road comes down to three things: size and weight you didn't plan around, a tired driver, and a small part failing a long way from the nearest store.

Top 10 Road-Tripping & RV Safety Tips

Know your height, length and weight, and plan around them. Low bridges, fuel-station canopies, tight campgrounds and some tunnels (many ban propane) are built for cars. Weigh the loaded rig at a truck scale and stay within its weight ratings; a travel trailer's tongue weight should be about 10–15% of the trailer's weight.
Check your tires before every travel day. Set pressure cold, look for cracks and bulges, and read the date code. RV and trailer tires usually age out in about five to seven years, long before the tread wears down. A tire-pressure monitor catches a slow leak before it becomes a blowout.
Hitch up the same way every time. Coupler latched and pinned, safety chains crossed under the tongue, breakaway cable clipped to the tow vehicle (never to the chains), and brake, turn and running lights tested with someone watching.
Keep sway under control. Load heavy items low and over the axles, not at the back. If the trailer starts to sway, ease off the gas, hold the wheel straight and apply the trailer brakes gently by hand. Don't stomp the truck's brakes or steer hard.
Give yourself room. A loaded rig needs far more distance to stop, swings wide on turns, and catches crosswinds and the push from passing trucks. On long downhill grades, gear down early so the engine holds your speed and the brakes stay cool.
Drive rested. Fatigue is one of the biggest road-trip risks. Many RVers follow the "3-3-3" rule: no more than about 300 miles (500 km) a day, arrive by 3 pm, stay three nights. Stop every two hours and swap drivers when you can.
Respect propane and carbon monoxide. Shut propane off at the tank for fuelling and when it isn't needed while driving. Keep working CO, propane and smoke alarms and test them each trip. Never heat the RV with the stove or oven, and point generator exhaust away from windows, awnings and your neighbours.
Protect your electrical system. Plug into campground power through a surge protector or electrical management system, carry the right 15/30/50-amp adapters, and don't overload a 30-amp service with space heaters and the air conditioner at once.
Plan stops, fuel and communications. Check mountain passes, weather, closures and fuel or charging range before you leave, and know where you'll stop for the night. Out of cell range, carry a satellite communicator, and leave your route with someone at home.
Carry spares and an emergency kit, and know how to use them. Check that your roadside-assistance plan covers your RV or trailer: standard car plans often won't tow a motorhome or a fifth wheel. See the spares list below.

Spares to Carry

A small part can end a trip when the nearest parts store is a day away. Match these to your own vehicle and rig: check the owner's manual, and take photos of your fuse box layout and belt routing before you leave.

For any vehicle

Full-size spare tire, inflated and checked, with a jack and lug wrench that actually fit (motorhome and trailer lug nuts are often larger than a car's)
Tire plug kit and a 12-volt compressor, plus a tire-pressure gauge
Assorted fuses in the sizes your fuse box uses (mini, standard, maxi) and a fuse puller
Spare fan or serpentine belt, and the tool to release its tensioner
Radiator and heater hoses with clamps, plus self-fusing silicone repair tape
Coolant, engine oil, and the transmission, brake and power-steering fluids your vehicle takes; diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) for diesels
Headlight, tail-light and turn-signal bulbs
Wiper blades and washer fluid
Jumper cables or a charged jump starter pack
A spare key, kept somewhere other than your key ring
Diesel engines: a spare fuel filter

For RVs and trailers

The trailer's own spare tire, and a jack rated for its weight
Spare hitch pin and clip, and a coupler lock
Trailer wiring adapter, and spare trailer light bulbs or LED units
Wheel-bearing grease or a spare bearing kit; an infrared thermometer to check hub temperatures at stops
12-volt fuses for the house system, including the water pump and furnace
A charged breakaway battery
Electrical adapters (15/30/50 amp) and a surge protector
Drinking-water hose, pressure regulator, sewer hose and disposable gloves
Wheel chocks and levelling blocks

Tools and emergency gear

Sockets and wrenches sized for your vehicle, screwdrivers, pliers and a multimeter
Duct tape, zip ties, electrical tape, spare wire and connectors
Work gloves, a headlamp, reflective triangles or flares, and a hi-vis vest
ABC fire extinguishers in the cab and in the RV
First aid kit
Water, food and warm layers for an unplanned night, and a power bank for phones

Before Every Travel Day: the Walkaround

Hitch: latched, pinned and locked; chains crossed; breakaway cable on the tow vehicle; lights tested.
Tires: pressure checked cold; lug nuts re-torqued after the first 50 miles on newly mounted wheels.
Outside: jacks and stabilizers up, steps in, slides in, awning stowed, antenna down, hoses and power cord disconnected, chocks pulled.
Inside: cabinets, drawers and fridge latched; loose items stowed; roof vents closed.
Propane: off for fuelling, and whenever it isn't needed on the road.
People: everyone buckled up in the tow vehicle or motorhome. Nobody rides in a travel trailer or fifth wheel while it's moving.
One last lap: walk all the way around the rig before you pull out.

Relevant Terrain

Weather: mountain passes, high winds and winter roads

Relevant Months

4×4 & Roadside Recovery (October): getting a stuck or broken-down vehicle moving again
Camping (June): campground safety, fire and carbon monoxide
Trip Planning & Navigation (February)