When your home or vacation accommodations are on wheels, there’s a lot to remember to operate it safely. With RVs, you have to worry about the propane, refueling, and batteries for various appliances. Here are a few tips to help you stay safe and prevent any unfortunate accidents.

 

Remember to manually shut off and cut power to every appliance when you plan to fill up your propane or gas tanks. This means the stove, refrigerator, furnace, water heater, microwave, etc. 

Make sure the propane tank is also switched off. Both gas and propane are flammable, so shut your cell phone off as well. A single spark could cause a devastating accident and cell phones have been known to cause this. While turning the appliances off may seem like overkill, if you’re refueling and an appliance switches on, it could cause a fire. If remembering to do this is a problem, make yourself a list that you can go through each time you stop for servicing. Don’t take any chances and take the necessary precautions.

Batteries are another area that demands caution. Take the extra step for safety and wear protective eyewear. Batteries can explode when handled incorrectly. If you need a jump, be careful and take the time to assess the battery. Jumping a frozen battery can result in an explosion. While that’s scary enough, you’ll have to deal with flying battery acid and the resulting medical care as well.

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When replacing a battery, follow the instructions. Unhook the negative wire or cable first. When reconnecting the battery, make sure you have it properly aligned. For all other batteries in the RV, pay strict attention to the volts. Using the incorrect voltage can be a big problem both under the hood and inside the vehicle.

Lastly, just like you do at home, ensure the smoke detectors are functional and working properly. If you don’t have a gas or CO2 detector, these are a necessary investment to make. Before you take your RV out, ensure your detectors are operational and working correctly. Every time! You’re out to have a good time, not a near-death experience.

Properly maintaining your RV includes taking precautions to prevent accidents and making sure your vehicle, and your loved ones are safe. You know what they say, it’s better to be safe than sorry.