RV Tips – How to Deal with Windy Driving Conditions

Ask any RV’er that has traveled through the midwest about the most challenging driving condition and they will usually mention the wind.  Whether you are pulling a travel trailer, 5th wheel or driving a motorhome, high winds can create a hazardous situation.  Most of us have seen the guy passing us at 70mph with a swaying trailer.  It’s a scary sight and puts us all in danger. There are some things that you can do to deal with the wind.  While this post is not all inclusive, it will address the most common approaches to stabilizing your RV.

• Keep your speed down to a level where you can accelerate if needed.  While it is not intuitive, briefly accelerating can lessen the effect that a crosswind or wind shear has on your rig.  Similar to a blown tire situation, you can counter the wind by increasing your forward momentum. This approach applies more to motorhomes.

• If you have a motorhome, there are several types of equipment that may help.  Steering stabilizers, anti-sway devices on the front and rear can improve driveability and lessen the feeling that you are driving a yacht on the high seas. Some manufacturers install steering stabilizers, but the after-market devices tend to be more robust.  Class C motorhomes tend to drive like box trucks, so they could really benefit from these products.

• 

  Typical travel trailer anti-sway bar and load leveler. Photo credit: RV.net

• Shocks and airbags.  Depending on the manufacturer, the stock shock absorbers are wimpy.  It’s recommended to have high-quality shocks like Bilstein, Koni or RoadKing.  Good shocks will drastically improve the ride and lessen the residual  swaying from the wind or passing vehicles.  Adjustable airbags can also reduce the bouncing or swaying effect.  These products are available as aftermarket items and can be installed by RV or truck shops.

• Travel Trailers:  Probably the most sensitive to wind, they are also the most common type of RV in accidents involving loss of control.  Due to the dynamics of weight distribution and towing vehicles that are not properly equipped, travel trailers can benefit from hardware like anti-sway, weight distribution hitches and electric trailer brakes.   Proper loading will improve handling and safety.  Trailers with too much of the load in the rear are more unstable. Electric trailer brakes are your best way to deal with a wind shear situation. If swaying occurs, reduce speed, avoid using your vehicle brakes and manually activate the trailer brakes to regain control.

• 5th Wheels: Benefit from a more stable configuration than TT’s, but weight distribution is critical.  The trailer must be level to avoid uneven weight on the trailer axles.  The towing vehicle should have a robust suspension with stabilizers, adjustable shocks or air bags.  Once parked, there are stabilizer solutions for the front jacks.

• Weather Conditions:  Check the weather in the area that you are traveling.  Many of the interstate highways are wide open.  In the midwest and west, there are often high wind warnings.  Mountain passes can also be very gusty.  In some locations, they actually will close the highway for high wind or high profile vehicles.  You will also use more fuel in windy conditions.  You can go online to websites like weather.com or obtain apps for smartphones, IPADs or tablets.  Apps like Weatherbug, Weather Channel, WunderMap or WeatherEye HD have received good reviews.  It’s not worth driving in high winds, stay put and enjoy another day.

Not necessarily caused by high wind. Credit: KIROTV.com

DISCLAIMER: This article is for informational purposes only and is not professional advice.   Like most things in RV’ing, a good dose of common sense and research goes a long way.  The best advice is to know your rig, recognize your limits and be aware of your environment.   Realizing you need anti-sway bars while doing 65 on the interstate in the wide-open plains with a crosswind is not good.  Slow down, be safe and enjoy living the dream!

RV Tips – Preventing Blowouts

Let us get to the point here, the most common reason for a tire blowout is under inflation. Whether it is on your motorhome, truck, 5th wheel, travel trailer or tow vehicle it accounts for most tire failures.  Another common reason is overloading or exceeding the maximum tire weight rating. Coming in at number three is dry rot from age.

There are many factors that can affect your tire pressure – primarily temperature and leaks.  When your tires are cold, they reflect the true tire pressure.  As the sun hits them or you’ve been traveling, the temperature (and pressure) increases.   A underinflated tire has more surface contact with the road which increases friction.  We all know the result of friction: heat.  Tires can also lose pressure from malfunctioning or loose valve extenders on the dually tires and from road hazards.

Tires have several ratings, one of which is the maximum load.  I will not go into all the numbers and codes on the tires, but would suggest that you do some research and only buy tires from reputable dealers that service RVs.  Go by word of mouth here since many discount chains will gladly sell you tires but may not be the correct ones for your RV.  Exceed the maximum load and you could cause premature or even a catastrophic failure.  If you’ve never weighed your RV and/or truck before, it is a good thing to do.  There are plenty of resources available on weighing, but it is important to know what your fully loaded rig weighs.   http://www.goodyearrvtires.com/weighing-your-rv.aspx

Dry rot.  Sure, those tires look good, but check the date code. Tires that are five years or older age and are affected by the sun and other environmental factors.  Extensive cracking on the sidewall is one indication of dry rot.  It’s like a heart attack waiting to happen.  http://www.edmunds.com/car-care/how-old-and-dangerous-are-your-tires.html

Prevention:  Like most things in life, preventative maintenance is the key with your tires.  The following is recommended:

– Tire pressure:  Check it often, preferably first thing in the morning before you hit the road.  Measure before the sun hits them.   I use a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) on my motorhome.  They run around $250-$300 for a set of six sensors.  You can buy more sensors for your tow or trailer.  It is an investment that pays for itself.  When a tire fails, they can do some damage to the RV, especially those plastic holding tanks.   The highly rated Safeguard TPMS – 6 Tire RV/Truck Cap Sensor Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)  has good reviews and a decent track record.   While a TPMS is good, you can usually stay ahead by performing a visual check at each fuel stop.  Some of the nicer Class A’s have built-in inflators connected to the engine.  Otherwise, you can go with something like this:

Slime heavy duty tire inflator.

Before I bought a TPMS, I once had a leaking valve extender and one of my rear tires was down to 25 psi.  I had a full load and had just descended a snowy mountain pass.  God was looking out for us that night.

– UV damage:  The sun’s rays can damage your tires, in the long run.  Invest in a good set of vinyl tire covers and use them whenever you stay in one spot for a couple of days or more.  A protectant like 303 (30313) Aerospace Protectant Trigger Sprayer, 32 Fl. oz.  is very effective and highly recommended.  It will help in the fight against UV damage.

Here is an informative video on how to handle a front tire blowout:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkwOE1yKY5c

Lastly, avoid Chinese made tires.  You’ve invested hard-earned money into that rig.  Go with brand names like Michelin or Goodyear.  It may even by worth joining FMCA, where you can receive significant discounts on tire purchases.    Safe travels friends, and take care of those tires!

Ouch, two on one side. Not many people carry two spares. Photo credit: http://www.bobnpaty.com/

RV Travel in Canada

Lighthouse on Lake Huron

 

 

If only we had more time. That’s how we felt when we crossed into Montana from Alberta, Canada. We managed to drive through four provinces, but it seemed like it was only a taste of a vast, beautiful land.  RV travel in Canada was actually very easy. Learn from those that have gone before and your journey through the land of the True North Strong and Free! ¹ will be one of the most rewarding trips ever.

¹from the Canadian National Anthem

For Americans, driving their RV’s in Canada is very similar to driving in the lower 48. Sure, the speed limit signs are in kilometers per hour and the fuel is in liters but we should have converted to the metric system long ago. Besides, your speedometer and GPS have kph settings.

Like any RV trip, logistics are important. The AAA online planner works great in the states but doesn’t show fuel stations in Canada. Gas Buddy website works and was fairly accurate. http://www.gasbuddy.com/   There are some long stretches of open road on the Trans-Canada Highway.  I rarely let the fuel gauge drop down below 1/2.  AAA works up there – it’s called CAA – http://www.caa.ca/ There were times that I forgot I was driving in Canada.  It’s a good opportunity to learn some French. Much of their highway signage is in English/French. If you wait until you are in Canada to check on their fuel prices, you may be in for a shock. During August 2014, the average was $4.50 per gallon for regular gas. Diesel was a bit higher.

Canadian gold, Saskatchewan tea. Price of a liter that is.

 

Cellular Service:  See if your cell phone carrier has service in Canada. Most American cell phones will work there.  If it does, be aware of roaming charges that you may incur. Data charges are separate and usually very expensive. Unless you have an international plan, it may be best to shut off the data capability on your phone or use Wi-Fi for data.  Some carriers will allow you to pay a fee to temporarily use your phone in another country.

Groceries/shopping: No problem here, but be prepared to pay quite a bit more than the states. While you may not recognize most of the chain stores in Canada, they carry a good variety of product. From Ontario to Alberta, we shopped in Safeway, Sobeys, FreshCo and Zehrs. In the summer and fall, local farmers markets have excellent produce. Groceries were expensive – on average 25% more. For shopping, we even visited a Wal-Mart.  It was the most expensive Wal-Mart I have shopped in.

Some tips and lessons learned:
Money
– Always have some Canadian currency. You never know when your U.S. credit card will stop working. Mine was temporarily shut off for fraud protection.
– Know your fees for cash advances and exchange rates. I got walloped with over $100 in transaction fees.
–  Try to use bank ATMs for cash advances, not the ones at gas stations. The thieves use card skimmers in Canada too.
– Due to the increased risk of fraud, avoid using your bank ATM card for normal purchases.

–  Canadian banking systems have converted over to the newer microchip credit cards. Some U.S. banks have issued these cards. You can tell by the gold chip that is visible on your card. The old magnetic stripe cards can still be used in most places, but usually don’t work at pay-at-the-pump stations. Inform your creditors that you will be traveling to Canada or risk having your card shut down.

Driving
– Canadians are very safe and deliberate drivers. For most Americans, this will test your patience because they are so courteous.
– When you get near their big cities, they drive like people in Memphis, Detroit, Chicago. You get it.
– You will be amazed at the gas prices until you realize it’s the price per liter. Then you will be amazed again. Fuel prices were higher in the eastern provinces and generally get cheaper as you go west.
– Obey speed limits, the fines are pricey.  Highway speeds are typically slower in Canada. City Police Service and Regional may cut you some slack on speeding. The provincial police (similar to the U.S. state police) may not be so lenient.

Terminology
Those crazy Canucks have funny names for things.
-The $1 coin is a Looney. A $2 coin is – yep a tooney.
– Gas stations are gas bars. Lots of happy cars here.
– Restrooms are washrooms. I loved asking, “Where is the washroom?”
– End every other sentence with “eh?” It just sounds cool.
– Peameal bacon: Just buy a few pounds, you can thank me later.
– Double-double. Normally associated with the Canadian winter nectar or a Tim Horton’s medium coffee with two sugars and two creams. Almost always accompanied by a Canadian maple donut or timbits. I’m drooling…..

– Beer Store. Think you are a beer connoisseur? Go here and prepare to be humbled. Bring plenty of loonies and toonies because the government puts a heavy tax on alcohol.

General Observations
– Learn the metric system. Ok, at least learn liters, kph and Celsius. Guess the rest.
– Humor – The Canadians have an awesome sense of humor and they love to laugh.
– Pride – Canadians are proud of their country and love to tell you neat places to go.
– On this trip, the friendliest people were in Ontario. By the time we hit Manitoba and Saskatchewan, the novelty of being a Californian wore off and we were treated like tourists passing through. Albertans were friendly too.

Do we want to go back? Absolutely, our daughter lives there. Even if she didn’t, this is an amazing country.   We want to explore BC and the eastern provinces. One day, we may heed the call to the Yukon.   People who RV and camp share a camaraderie that transcends nationalities. Canadians love to camp and the full timers spend much of their year in the states.  Coming up, I’ll talk about our trip across Ontario and a cool trip on the Chi Cheemaun Ferry.

 

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

We use the Nikon 3300 series for most of our pics.  An easy to use camera a step up from the entry-level model. Nikon D3300 24.2 MP CMOS Digital SLR with AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6G VR II Zoom Lens (Black)

Next: Ontario, Canada – a Great Place for RV Travel