Motorhome Safety Tips - Stay Safe on Your Adventure

Motorhome hire is a fabulous way to get out and to explore with your friends or family. Whether you stay closer to home or set off a grand voyage of discovery, there’s no reason to expect any problems at all, however, there are a few motorhome safety tips it pays to know about and to follow just to make extra sure your motorhome adventure proceeds without a hitch.

 

Motorhome Safety Tips For Your Peace of Mind

  • Speed Limits – In the UK the National speed limit doesn’t always mean 70 mph, the maximum speed you can go may differ depending on the type of road and the size of motorhome you’re driving. (Only the smallest motorhomes without trailers are allowed to do 70 on a motorway) if in doubt, as us!
  • Height Limits – Motorhomes are likely far taller than what you usually drive and most of them are higher than the roof of the cab. With this in mind, it’s important to know your motorhome’s height and pay attention to signs warning of limited headroom under bridges and barriers. Also be aware of trees with low handing branches – there are no signs for them!
  • Adverse Weather – Motorhomes are high sided vehicles, so will be far more susceptible to crosswinds and gusts than your car. With this in mind, it pays to go a little slower when it’s windy, or maybe pullover if you can until the weather’s a little less breezy.
  • Be Aware of your motorhome’s footprint – Driving a motorhome is so easy that you might forget how big it is. Make sure you give other road users far more space than you otherwise would and take corners far wider to make sure you don’t clip the kerb on the way through.
  • Motorhomes have more mass – As well as being larger, motorhomes are heavier than your car. You might not feel it so much due to the well engineered commercial underpinnings, but make sure you accelerate slowly, give yourself plenty of time and space for braking and maneuvre with care.
  • Always turn off the gas in transit – The gas bottle which fuels your hob and other gas powered features has a valve on the bottle and also a tap further up the gas line. Both absolutely must be switched off before the motorhome drives anywhere.
  • Secure all belongings before embarking – It’s easy to forget to put things away before setting off, but loose items can move around the motorhome in transit and either become hazards or get broken in transit. Make sure you check for loose items before setting off.
  • Wear seatbelts on the road – Each motorhome has enough ‘travelling seats’ – seats equipped with seatbelts to at least cater for everyone with a berth. These must be worn while the motorhome is moving.
  • Don’t leave valuables on show – As with any vehicle, make sure you don’t leave tempting targets for opportunist thieves. When you’re out of the motorhome, hide high value items out of sight.
  • Take a moment to double check the locks – When you’re parked up and ready to explore your surroundings, make a habit of checking all the external doors before you set off – it’s all too easy to forget one otherwise, leaving your belongings and the motorhome itself vulnerable.
  • Read the supplied information – It can seem like an unnecessary formality to read all the information provided when you hire a motorhome, but taking a few minutes to review these documents,

 

Stay Safe on Your Motorhome Adventure

Motorhome safety for the most part is just common sense, but sometimes it pays just to skim through these bullet points if only for that all important extra bit of peace of mind before setting off. If you have any concerns, you can, of course, contact us at any time, but otherwise, we wish you a safe and enjoyable adventure in your Priory Rentals motorhome.