I'm looking for some input on RV safety

Hello Everyone,

My name is Dave Lawrence. I just discovered rvforum.net and it looks like there are a lot of friendly people here. It's hard to find that sometimes online. I've always enjoyed the outdoors and camping and the friendship that other in the community provide. Now that I'm a little older and established in my engineering career, I'm looking to give back.

I'm working to start a business that's focused around travel trailer and motorhome safety. I know when I tow I'm always concerned about all the myriad of things that can be wrong. Is the tire pressure low? Is the trailer starting to sway? How much farther can I backup? But maybe that's just me.

I'm curious to know what would be valuable to you as an accessory for RV safety. Just because I think there's a problem doesn't mean that others do, and I want to solve real problems.

Everyone's input is welcome.

Thank you,
Dave Lawrence

In vent something that causes their RV  to automatically blow up and self destruct if they break the speed limit or stay in the high speed passing lane !

Jack L

I personally think that more driver/owner education is needed, not more gadgets.  Videos seem to be the preferred media these days, easy to view and attractive to those who don't read much (or very well).  There could be an entire video on tire safety, for example, and another on speed and its effect on stopping distance, handling and fuel economy.  Some other topics are trailer weight balance and set up, figuring out tow vehicle capacity, and propane use & safety (and myths!).

That's great feedback, thank you. I agree that videos are a great instructional tool.

Dave

I'm probably old-fashioned as well as a pedant, but I cannot help but feel that it's a "safety problem" problem that so many people would rather buy a gadget than bother to learn a bit about what they are doing.  Then ,if the gadget doesn't warn them of something or they don't understand what the warning is telling them, they cry hysterically on social media and sue somebody. 

Another idea that mates gadgetry with education would be an artificial intelligence that answers RV-related questions on demand. Sort of an Alexa for RVing.  Call it the RV_Wizard!  "Hey, Wizard, what should my tire pressure be?". "How come that LP alarm thing is beeping?".  Maybe a tablet and app, so that RVers can enter their rig data easily and it can show diagrams and videos?

Tire pressures and backing up are already well covered by available TPMS, cameras, and proximity sensors. Detecting sway before it's obvious to the driver could be useful, but I think it would be difficult to differentiate from normal road movement. RV fires are always a concern, and there are vendors for automatic fire suppression systems that fit well with RV users. You'll find there are a large number of RV related sources that carry a wide variety of RV related accessories covering a broad range of needs and desires that will be hard to compete with as a small business. Not the least of them is Amazon of course. If you can come up with an unserved or very under-served market for your products, you could do well, but going head to head with the existing RV market vendors will be challenging to put it mildly.

Amen, Gary. Time and again, we see folks looking to substitute technology for basic skills.

If anything, there are too many gadgets to distract the driver from their primary task of safety operating a large vehicle.

HappyWanderer said:

Amen, Gary. Time and again, we see folks looking to substitute technology for basic skills.

If anything, there are too many gadgets to distract the driver from their primary task of safety operating a large vehicle.

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I totally agree.  A series of quality videos to explain the many aspects of RV safety may be the best idea.  I am sure the group here could quickly provide a list of 50 to 100 different topics for these videos.  If you have a tow vehicle that is not overloaded, pulling a camper that is not overloaded, properly balanced, etc, you eliminate most safety issues.

While a backing camera is helpful, it would be nice if there were some sensors to warn if the rear bumper is going to clear a curb stop, cross tie, etc. when backing into an rv site.  Also a proximity sensor looking forward and backward for low hanging limbs would be nice.  More than once I have backed into an rv site with a low hanging limb that would clear my roof, but perhaps not my air conditioner resulting in some careful backing to stop before the limb touched the air conditioner shroud.  I have experienced similar tension driving around wooded camping loops at low speed, I have even given thought to installing forward and backward looking cameras on the roof and below the back bumper for these occasions.

Neat idea, Isaac!

If they crash tested RVs like they do cars, can you imagine the outcry when folks see how these cracker boxes disintegrate?  I think that some basic construction integrity would be the place to start.

RVDave1 said:

I'm curious to know what would be valuable to you as an accessory for RV safety. Just because I think there's a problem doesn't mean that others do, and I want to solve real problems.

Everyone's input is welcome.

Thank you,
Dave Lawrence

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Take my mother-in-law along.  She'll easily tell you all you're doing wrong while her feet are braced on the dash and she's screaming.  Best warning device out there.  ;D

Dave, for newcomers I would suggest some instruction in the following areas:
1.  Power hookups at home and campsites.  The dangers of simply plugging in without knowing how safe the power outlet is.  Use of surge protectors.  Generator power.

2.  Propane uses and it' safe handling including sensing devices, regulators, etc.

3.  Tires - others have already mentioned this.

4.  Breakdowns on the road - where to turn when a problem is beyond your correction (roadside assistance, etc)  Include measures an owner can take to make the situation as safe as possible when stranded on a very busy roadway.

Many other areas where safety hazards can exist but I am sure others will submit them.

Bill

Isaac-1 said:

While a backing camera is helpful, it would be nice if there were some sensors to warn if the rear bumper is going to clear a curb stop, cross tie, etc. when backing into an rv site.  Also a proximity sensor looking forward and backward for low hanging limbs would be nice.  More than once I have backed into an rv site with a low hanging limb that would clear my roof, but perhaps not my air conditioner resulting in some careful backing to stop before the limb touched the air conditioner shroud.  I have experienced similar tension driving around wooded camping loops at low speed, I have even given thought to installing forward and backward looking cameras on the roof and below the back bumper for these occasions.

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This is exactly what I was referring to: substituting technology for basic skills

I totally agree with Gary the R V wizard no more gadgets . Since iam a fire chief fire safety is my top priority . People do things that are not safe inside their rv and things outside. I have witnessed stupid acts until I cant take it anymore and have to say something just to keep people from getting hurt  Chief

A low level camera might be of use with that (license plate frame cam) but frankly.

WHen I had a Wife I would do a site survey and park her where I needed her so I did not hit anything I did not wish to hit. Worked most of the time ....

Now I still do the site survey. If there is a danger I have ways of flagging it, but I tend to pick less dangerous sites now.

HappyWanderer said:

This is exactly what I was referring to: substituting technology for basic skills

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I am not sure which basic skill is lacking here, the only ones I can think of are x-ray vision that lets one see through the body of the RV to places that can't be seen in the mirrors, or getting out and walking around half a dozen times while inching into the site when traveling solo, which is what I did in the situation below.

Take for example a site that I had at a state park in Arkansas last summer when I was traveling solo.  It was a short site, that in theory my coach would fit into according to the person at the check in station, at the back of the site was a retaining wall made of cross ties with a picnic table about 3 ft below the site level.  The cross ties were at a height where it appeared my bumper would barely clear, but my discharge plumbing might not.  There were also 2 large trees along the retaining wall behind the side spaced about 10 feet apart with limbs going forward over the site at about the 11-12 ft level (my coach is 11'5" to the top of the air conditioner).  Backing in involved missing trees on both sides, letting the back bumper overhang the cross tie, and not backing to the point of the cross tie hitting the discharge pluming, or the limbs hitting the air conditioner, just so my front bumper would have under a foot of clearance from the front edge of the site.