If you are looking for something that is safe to drive, RVs are not it. Then again, neither is a car. Both are just machines and how you use them is what causes problems. What makes them unsafe is typically the driver, or other drivers. Almost every accident on the road is caused by human error. Overconfidence, inattention to your surroundings and ignoring the limitations of the vehicle you are driving are the things that gets most drivers into accidents not the actual vehicle they are driving. Most "speedboat" motorists drive blissfully unaware of the dangers lurking all around them. 

So what can you do do to prevent yourself from becoming another statistic? You will have to learn to modify your current driving skill set. Slowing down, paying more attention to others on the road, obstacles, posted information, pre-planning your route, avoiding driving in conditions that promote accidents, being situationally aware, having the proper mindset behind the wheel, properly maintaining the RV itself, the list goes on. Getting some training or practice time handling a much larger vehicle in a safe parking lot or other out of the way location to hone up your skill and build confidence are good ideas. Even good professional drivers take nothing for granted while driving. None of this means you have to be paranoid about safety... instead only that you are simply aware.

Perhaps what you need to change is your mental framework about the danger and change any preconceptions to reflect the new paradigm that you are considering. Do not let fear rule your thinking processes.

Lastly, RVing is not for everybody. Only you can determine whether it's right for you. Knowledge and training will mitigate certain fears with regard to the safety of an RV. Experience will expand your comfort zone. It might even make you a better driver (and I'm certainly not saying your aren't already) of whatever "rollerskate" you are driving now.

JMHO, Brian

-- Edited by BiggarView on Monday 30th of January 2017 01:03:11 PM

-- Edited by BiggarView on Tuesday 31st of January 2017 06:11:19 AM

I drove my 2004 35 ft Winnebago Sightseer (workhorse chassis) for 60,000 miles during the 11 years we full timed and I never had a problem with semis passing me. If they pulled back in fairly close the turbulence would cause a little back and forth wobble for a couple of seconds but it wasn't a problem.
Although Class As seem to be top heavy I have never seen or heard of one tipping over. I have heard about some that after a front tire blowout went off the road and tipped over.

Winnebago has a steel framed front on their Class A motor homes. The rest is aluminum. They take new designs, invert them and drop them to see how they hold up. I have never seen one that was in a wreck so I don't know what would happen in a roll over. They have info on the frame on their web site.

Totally agree with all the safe driving comments. Also, taking an RV Driving course is a good way to gain more knowledge and awareness.

We also used rvreviews.net/ when we were researching RV's. They included safety information or comments when they felt there was a risk in how an RV was manufactured, for example, if they think a MH is not well balanced or the chassis is too short, etc. or a 5th wheel with underrated tires, etc.

We felt it was a good investment to gain the additional insight into how the various models are manufactured for safety, durability, known issues, etc.

This is a great topic, but one that can get very emotional depending on one's point of view, so I'm going to try to avoid all that. I tend to disagree with The Bear II (probably some risk in disagreeing with a guy called "Bear" 😜). I think the safest RV would be one that has a full blown class 8 truck as the core platform. A class 8 pulling a fifth wheel for example, or a Super C based on a class 8 truck would also be in this category. The big Volvos are particularly well designed to withstand crashes. Everything else falls below this level of crashworthiness. Some fall well below. Google "RV Crashes" or something similar, I'm sure you'll get some hits. As others have said, the most important safety feature of any RV is the driver. Operated safely, maintained well, most RV's are pretty safe ... but their size and weight don't go well with reckless operation including high speed, following too closely or failing to maintain proper tire pressure and good brake, tire, axle and hitch maintenance. Good luck on your search.

-- Edited by RonC on Monday 30th of January 2017 08:54:36 PM

Many years ago I was given the advice that you should go down a hill in the same gear you needed going up that hill. Great advice IF you have previously gone up said hill AND can remember what gear you were in. My real-life experience with a 30,000-pound MH is to start going down the hill at a MUCH slower speed than you would otherwise want and manually downshift. If you have a Jake brake, retarder, or similar device, USE IT! Don't let speed build up too much. Mentally pick a target speed and when you get five mph above it stab the brakes to get to five mph below it.

Dutch, our Foretravel is 24 years old!

Great discussion here, I think being aware of what is ahead and having good equipment is a big deal.
You must understand what you have for equipment and what can happen if someone else does something you don't expect. Sometimes a little fear is a good thing, it slows you down. If you don't know the road go slow and don't worry about anybody else.
Over the years I have pulled many types of trailers and a few different sized motorhomes.
When we purchased our current Beast for full time use, (we have a 28,000 5th wheel with a 12,000 Dodge Ram 5500) I was still very nervous pulling all this weight on roads I did not know and was a little scared (and still am) on major mtn roads (probably a good thing!). We have done the Rt 40 to Ashville pull and then down 26 south. Now to be honest the night before I did not sleep well,
but I knew I had the right equipment both in the trailer and truck, I just went slow (screw everybody else) and handled it just fine, for me the bigger fear is not really knowing what is around the next turn having never done the route before. Once I did it ,it was really no issue, just go slow, don't try and keep up with everybody else. I will always be nervous on roads I have never been on, but in my opinion that is a good thing. Maintain your equipment and take your time and everything should be fine, the more you do it the better you will feel, but remember it may be a good thing to be just a little uncomfortable, it will make you slow down, so what if it takes you a little longer.

So basically I am understanding that this decision is mainly, Know your equipment, know your route, and know our limitations. If I buy something knowing I am going to be traversing mountain ranges then I better understand weights and capabilities. So maybe when looking at RVs I ask myself is this built well enough to handle what I have in mind? The answer may be some are and some are not? Is it true to assume that some RVs just are not equipped for this? I know nothing about weights and towing and axels. This is all greek to me at this point.

This question came to my mind because I was reading about some saying their RV was so unsafe due to length and axels and something called a "tag axel" Thats what got me thinking I may buy something totally unsafe because of lack of knowledge.

FLmom said "This question came to my mind because I was reading about some saying their RV was so unsafe due to length and axels and something called a "tag axel" Thats what got me thinking I may buy something totally unsafe because of lack of knowledge "

Not sure where you heard this, but generally, longer is better from a safety stand point as the increased wheel base tends to be more stable on the highway (length can present some maneuvering challenges in certain tight circumstances, but that is not a safety issue). A tag axle is the second rear axle on a motorhome ... not all have them ... but the tag axle allows for an increase in GVWR and helps with weight distribution and contributes to an enhanced ride and in no way would a tag axle diminish the safety of a motorhome.

-- Edited by RonC on Tuesday 31st of January 2017 10:32:23 AM

I've heard that a lot in all my recent research but they are way over my budget especially just starting out. For now we plan on being on the road for a year full time and then kids will be back in school and we will part time. So a super C will be a lot to take on wouldn't it? I'm just not sure so that's why I'm here and getting all the info I can to make the best decision. We only have a year on the road so I kinda have to get it right the first time.

Linda, I'd suggest that you slow down a bit and figure out what sort of RV will best suit your plans. Motorhomes, fifth wheels, travel trailers, etc. all have advantages and disadvantages. Do some research by asking questions here and on some brand-specific forums after you get to the point of focusing on certain brands.

We researched for a couple of years before we bought our Foretravel. We started our with a completely blank page as we researched, meaning that we hadn't decided that we wanted a motorhome. We chose a motorhome because it fitted what we thought were our needs at that time. Now, three years later, our needs have changed, so our Foretravel is for sale and we're looking for an F350 and an Airstream travel trailer because THAT is a better fit for us now.

From your mention of a price, it sounds like you are looking at motorhomes, so let me talk about them a bit. First, some terms. A Class A is the "bus" that most people think of. A Class B is a van. A Class C is a pickup camper built on a van body. Okay, the last two are oversimplifying a bit, but you get the picture. A Super C is an over-the-road truck that has been remade into a motorhome. It sounds like you are going to be full-timing for a year or so, so I'd suggest that you limit yourself to either a Class A or a Super C.

Class A motorhomes come it two versions - a gas engine located between the driver and navigator seats or a diesel pusher. The gassers are cheaper, and are usually built on a medium-duty truck chassis. Those are the ones that sometimes have a large amount of coach behind the rear wheels. There is a lot of storage space back there, so that's where all the stuff ends up. That means that the rear axle is often at or over the Gross Axle Weight Rating, while the front axle is quite light. The result of that is there is a lot of pitch (up and down motion) as you go down the road, and the steering can get "interesting" at times. Diesel pushers put the big, heavy engine at the rear, with the tires directly ahead of it. There isn't a lot of storage space in back, so the weight on the rear axle is pretty much a constant. The wheelbase is also generally longer and it usually has an air suspension. Both factors contribute to a smoother ride.

A tag axle is simply a third axle added behind the rear wheels that helps to carry the load when the engine and transmission are too heavy for a single axle. If you look carefully at one you will see that there is a set of duals immediately followed by a single wheel. That single wheel is the tag. It is there strictly to help carry the weight, so it just "tags along."

One advantage of a motor home is that you sit up higher than most other vehicles, which means that you can see farther down the road. You can anticipate problems far sooner, so you can slow down or change lanes sooner. You also have a generator on board, so you are truly completely self-contained. More than one motor homer has been stuck in traffic because of an accident and prepared coffee for the emergency workers, while many of us have just waited in comfort.

As for learning to drive such a coach, all it takes is practice. On the cheap end, find someone near you to drive it from the dealership to an empty parking lot and then you practice there. When you are comfortable, go on out on the road. It won't take you long to get somewhat comfortable with your coach, and the more you drive it the more comfortable you will get. The more expensive way is to go to an RV driving school, where a professional will teach you.

We've never regretted getting a diesel pusher. First time I 'walked' down a mountain pass with the exhaust brake on sold me on the rig.