Driving an RV During Winter Conditions

No matter what time of year it is, practicing good road safety while driving your recreational vehicle is essential to the safety of yourself, your passengers and the drivers around you on the highway. But winter presents its own unique challenges, from below-freezing temperatures to icy roads to white-out blizzard conditions. 

This can all make your life much harder, especially if you’re unaccustomed to driving through bad weather in your RV and you’re going somewhere further north.

Here at Cedar City RV in Lebanon, Tennessee, we want all of our customers to stay safe out there. We consider ourselves to be “Your Outdoor Adventure Store,” so we’ve provided this guide to driving your RV in wintry conditions to help you out.

1. Check Tire Pressure

The tires of your RV will be in constant contact with the road, so it’s imperative that they are in good working order. Never ride on bad tires, especially not when you’ll be driving through ice and snow! Use a tire pressure gauge to check the psi on each tire and remember that cold temperatures can cause low pressure conditions. Air them up accordingly and inspect each tire for signs of uneven wear, low treads or embedded objects. If any tire seems questionable, you should have it repaired or replaced before you leave.

2. Pack Safety Gear

You should always have some emergency supplies on hand, even at the height of summer. But this becomes more essential during the winter. Pack extra warm clothing, blankets, an emergency radio, water and food, a means of starting a fire, an ice scraper, rock salt, a first-aid kit, a tool kit and a spare tire with air compressor and tire patching kit.

3. Slow Down

You should never go faster than 55 to 60 miles per hour when driving an RV of any type because the tires aren’t designed to run faster than that. But you’ll want to slow down even more when you’re driving in bad weather. You’ll need to add more driving time to account for the slower speed, so make sure you adjust your travel schedule accordingly.

4. Increase Following Distance

You already need to increase your following distance when you’re driving an RV, but it’s going to be even more important when the roads are bad. Create a much larger space between your RV and the vehicles ahead of you while driving in snow or sleet. Other drivers may try to take advantage of the cushion you’re creating so you’ll need to be vigilant about sudden lane changes.

5. Turn On Lights

Visibility is often reduced in bad weather conditions so keep your low-beam lights on to ensure that you can both see and be seen on the road. You don’t want to blind oncoming traffic with your brights, but low-beams will prove to be very helpful to you even while it’s still daylight out. Try to avoid driving at night when weather is bad, since you won’t be able to see patches of black ice.

6. Know When To Stop

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, you may just need to stop driving and stay put for a while until the weather improves. It’s always better to pull over to the side of the road or into the nearest campground, truck stop or gas station to wait things out. This is a much smarter choice than trying to plow through white-out conditions only to slip on black ice and end up in a ditch! Don’t let your pride get the better of you when it will only put everyone at risk.

We hope these tips help you to stay safe on the roads this winter while driving your RV. If you still need a camper, then come see us at one of our two locations in Lebanon to investigate our full stock of new and used RVs for sale. We can help you with financing options as well. Cedar City RV proudly serves the cities of Smithville and Murfreesboro, Tennessee.