Archive for December, 2008

We know there are such things as RV accidents even though no one ever expects to be involved in one. Below are a few tips to get you prepared just in case.

Insure your RV with a company that specializes in RV insurance.

Know what your RV insurance company advises regarding handling an accident and what information they would like you to gather.

You could easily forget key information if you are not ready to jot it down. Keep a small writing pad and a pencil (or pen if you check it often and replace it if it dries out) in a zip type plastic bag in your glovebox. You might also put your vehicle registration and insurance information the bag as the zip would keep everything watertight. Make sure your insurance information contains your policy number and a number to call to report accidents.

A list of people and companies you might need to call in an emergency should also be in the package. I

You should have a disposable cameras in your ‘be prepared’ bag in your glove compartment. Pictures go a long way to showing facts that might be overlooked in the confusion of the moment.

What to do If you have an RVing Accident.

Make a quick assessment of your people, your RV and tow/towed vehicle then contact the police. 911 on most cell phones will connect with first responders in the area of the closest cell tower. If possible check with those in all other involved vehicles to establish need for emergency equipment… ambulances, fire engines… to report to police when you contact them.

If you are not too shaken up or injured, gather information from the other driver(s)… Name, address, phone number, insurance company, policy number, driver & vehicle license numbers and jot down anything else you might think important about what has happened… that you could forget.

Do not admit liability or discuss the cause or fault with others involved. That is your insurance company’s job. Call your insurance company right away or as soon as possible to report the accident and the information you have.

If your RV is drivable the police will let you know when you may leave the scene.

To remain calm when your wonderful RV has been in an accident is a lot to ask, but remind yourself that it has already happened and despite frustration there are things that need to be done.

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Some RVers think that if their RV is wired for 30 amp service they cannot use campground sites wired for 50 amp service. One member of our discussion group wrote this:

Most of the places we go we just plug into the 30 amp spots. My question is, would it hurt anything if we plug into the 50 amp spots? At one of the campgrounds we want to go to the best spots are 50 amp.

I suspect if we could remember back when most RVs were wired to use 20 amp service and manufacturers were beginning to build RVs with 30 amp service we would see the same confusion when campgrounds started to upgrade power pedestals with 30 amp receptacles.

When RV Parks and Campgrounds label a site as 50 amps it simply means the site has 50 amp service available. That important to know for RVers who have rigs wired for 50 amps but it doesn’t mean that 30 amp or even 20 amp service isn’t available at the site as well. Ninety-Nine percent of the time the ’50 amp’ power pedestal will have all three outlets… 50, 30 and 20 amp … available.

The 50 amp and 30 amp power outlets are not the same so on the rare occasion when 30 amp service is not available you will have to use a 50 amp to 30 amp adapter if you still want use the site.

See: Using a 50 to 30 Amp RV Power Cord Adapter at RVbasics.com for more information.

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