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Safe Travelling In Your Motor Home

Your motor home will be your pride and joy and source of much fun and adventure, but you need to ensure you are travelling safely in it.

It’s really a question of getting your head round the fact that you are no longer driving a car, with its familiar shape and size and compact trunk. A motorhome is a big vehicle with its own problems.

Firstly, what is in it; not just a few cases and a map or two? Before you even start the engine to move you must ensure that everything is tidy and safe. Are the chairs and tables lashed or stowed so they cannot move? Are smaller items like crockery secure? Anything that can slide or roll must be lodged somewhere so that nothing gets broken, but also so that the weight of the vehicle does not shift as you drive.

Another difference is that you will probably be carrying fuels. Are you cooking with gas or paraffin? These are dangerous and need to be secure and away from anything which could start a fire. A leak onto the road or any moving parts could be catastrophic.

Make sure all cables and hoses are off and your windows and skylights are locked shut.

Once you do get going you need to take account of the extra dimensions. Cross winds are a problem, especially on exposed ground or over bridges. You will not have the pull-away power you are used to and will have to wait.

You will have trouble adjusting to restricted vision and reliance on more mirror work than normal. Look out for more blind spots of greater size which can hide more. Consider how to tackle the vast blind spot areas not only behind you but also to the side. Keep safe, look out!