Honest John
Well-known member
Emergency Preparedness
After reading a recent thread in the forum it prompted me to create this document. It won?t mean much to folks who full time, since they probably do all of these things anyway.
The audience I am trying to reach here are the folks who?s RVs often sit at home or in storage. I have always thought of our RV as a lifeboat in an emergency situation. We live in earthquake country and I try to keep our RV ready for any emergency. If this helps even one family then it is worthwhile.
I would encourage others to contribute to the thread with useful information.
--------------------Lifeboat
If you own an RV, or if you are considering getting one, here are some thoughts on making that investment even more worthwhile. One of your thoughts should be that this vehicle can be a family ?lifeboat? in an emergency. Power failures, storms, earthquakes etc. can leave you without electrical power, water, food, sanitary conditions and other issues.
First, an RV can help you evacuate in the event of an emergency either getting out of the way of a hurricane or storm (leave EARLY) or evacuating a damaged area following a storm, flood, earthquake or whatever. Finally, an RV can give you comfortable shelter in the event of an emergency, even if evacuation isn?t required.
A self contained RV can be a huge advantage in many situations. A few preparations can make your RV an even better advantage. Here is a list of suggestions you should consider.
-Keep your RV in good serviceable condition
-Always keep the RV stocked with a few days of non-perishable foods
-If possible, keep your fresh water system sanitized and full (This may not be possible in areas where freeze damage
may occur.)
-Ensure that you have extra toilet chemicals aboard for your black water tank
-Ensure that Fuel, propane, and batteries are full and serviceable
-Maintain a good quality first aid kit in the RV (A First Aid Manual is handy too!)
-Keep an emergency supply of your prescriptions in the RV (if possible)
-Keep an extra pair of your eyeglasses in the RV (if possible)
-Keep maps in the RV of areas you may need to go through
-Keep some clothes in the RV for hot or cold weather
-Flashlights, portable radios, batteries, knives, manual can openers and utensils should always be aboard.
-Bedding for the RV
-Some reference books (A Boy Scout Field Manual has some first aid and lots of other good information)
-Some cash hidden away (In an emergency you may not be able to use credit or ATM cards especially if there is no
electricity.)
Some RVs have built in generators, some do not. A generator can be a huge benefit in an emergency. If you get one remember to have fuel for it on hand.
Speaking as a person who has experienced earthquakes, ice storms, snow storms, tornados, and hurricanes in my life I can tell you that all of the things I?ve mentioned here can be helpful. Any RV from a ?tent pop-up trailer? to a ?class A motor home? can serve to help protect your family and keep them more comfortable in an emergency.
After reading a recent thread in the forum it prompted me to create this document. It won?t mean much to folks who full time, since they probably do all of these things anyway.
The audience I am trying to reach here are the folks who?s RVs often sit at home or in storage. I have always thought of our RV as a lifeboat in an emergency situation. We live in earthquake country and I try to keep our RV ready for any emergency. If this helps even one family then it is worthwhile.
I would encourage others to contribute to the thread with useful information.
--------------------Lifeboat
If you own an RV, or if you are considering getting one, here are some thoughts on making that investment even more worthwhile. One of your thoughts should be that this vehicle can be a family ?lifeboat? in an emergency. Power failures, storms, earthquakes etc. can leave you without electrical power, water, food, sanitary conditions and other issues.
First, an RV can help you evacuate in the event of an emergency either getting out of the way of a hurricane or storm (leave EARLY) or evacuating a damaged area following a storm, flood, earthquake or whatever. Finally, an RV can give you comfortable shelter in the event of an emergency, even if evacuation isn?t required.
A self contained RV can be a huge advantage in many situations. A few preparations can make your RV an even better advantage. Here is a list of suggestions you should consider.
-Keep your RV in good serviceable condition
-Always keep the RV stocked with a few days of non-perishable foods
-If possible, keep your fresh water system sanitized and full (This may not be possible in areas where freeze damage
may occur.)
-Ensure that you have extra toilet chemicals aboard for your black water tank
-Ensure that Fuel, propane, and batteries are full and serviceable
-Maintain a good quality first aid kit in the RV (A First Aid Manual is handy too!)
-Keep an emergency supply of your prescriptions in the RV (if possible)
-Keep an extra pair of your eyeglasses in the RV (if possible)
-Keep maps in the RV of areas you may need to go through
-Keep some clothes in the RV for hot or cold weather
-Flashlights, portable radios, batteries, knives, manual can openers and utensils should always be aboard.
-Bedding for the RV
-Some reference books (A Boy Scout Field Manual has some first aid and lots of other good information)
-Some cash hidden away (In an emergency you may not be able to use credit or ATM cards especially if there is no
electricity.)
Some RVs have built in generators, some do not. A generator can be a huge benefit in an emergency. If you get one remember to have fuel for it on hand.
Speaking as a person who has experienced earthquakes, ice storms, snow storms, tornados, and hurricanes in my life I can tell you that all of the things I?ve mentioned here can be helpful. Any RV from a ?tent pop-up trailer? to a ?class A motor home? can serve to help protect your family and keep them more comfortable in an emergency.
