Whether you live full-time in your RV or just use it to travel, it's important that you are prepared in case of a collision and know what to do. Here are a few important ways to prepare and helpful tips that can help keep you and your family safe after a collision in your RV.

3 Ways to Prepare for a Collision

Here are 3 important ways to prepare yourself in case you have an accident in your RV.

1. Know the weight. The weight of your RV can make a huge difference on what type of towing services are available to you after a collision. When you call for a towing service, you'll need to give them the weight of the RV so they will be able to send an appropriately-sized tow truck. You can pull into any highway weighing station to have your RV weighed. It's a good idea to do this in the beginning leg of each of your travels.
2. Have towing insurance. Often, towing services charge by weight and size, which can mean you'll be hit with a substantial cost. And most towing services require payment up front, usually in cash. However, you won't have to worry about having enough cash on hand if you have towing insurance. It's a good idea to obtain towing insurance through a nationwide company, especially if you plan on touring extensively, because nationwide companies are readily accepted by most towing companies.
3. Store a bug-out bag. It's a good idea to stock a bug-out bag with essentials so you can grab it after an accident. Depending on the amount of damage, you may not be able to enter your RV to get essentials until after all repairs are made. You'll want to pack the bag with clothing, hygiene products, medication, and copies of your RV insurance and registration papers. Place the bag in a plastic storage container to protect it from water damage and/or impact. Put orange cones and/or flares into the container so you can use them to alert other drivers. Put the container in a storage compartment underneath your RV for easy access.

3 Ways to Be Safe for After a Collision

If you get into an accident, there are 3 important things to do to that will help keep you and your loved ones safe, as well as others on the roadway.

1. Stay out of the RV. Do not get back into the RV after an accident. Fumes from a ruptured sewage storage tank and leaks from the propane tank and/or fuel tank could cause dangerous health implications and are potential risks of an explosion. Also, any structural damage to the RV can make it unsafe until after repairs are made to the framing of the RV.
2. Clear the roadway of accident debris, if possible. In South Dakota, the occupants from a car were injured after their vehicle hit a tire that came off of an RV after an accident. Therefore, it's a good idea to prevent additional accidents at the crash scene by removing debris from the roadway. If this is not possible, try to alert the oncoming traffic by placing orange cones or a flare in front of the debris.
3. Wait behind the accident scene. Do not wait beside or in front of the RV, especially at night. Other motorists may not be able to stop in time when they come upon the scene, which could mean that the RV could be hit while you wait for the emergency responders and towing services. If you are in front of or beside the RV and it is hit again, you could get injured.

Hopefully, these preparation and safety tips will help keep you and your passengers safe while you wait for towing services to take your RV to get repairs (at shops like Chehalis Collision Center) after a collision.