While your RV is a great vehicle for camping adventures and family trips, it’s also a valuable tool in case of a serious emergency. If you need to evacuate an area or suffer a house fire or other disaster, having your RV ready to go at all times and stocked with emergency equipment is valuable. If you’re camping on your RV and an emergency arises, it’s also good to be prepared and 
have everyone ready to perform their assigned tasks to ensure that safety protocols are followed. Your local RV dealer, Krenek RV, is based in Coloma, Michigan, and we know how important it is to be prepared in case of an emergency. That’s why we’ve made this emergency preparedness guide so you and your family can stay safe in your RV no matter what’s happening.
Planning Ahead
Before your next RV trip, set aside time to develop an emergency plan with your family. Outline everything you’ll need to do, from loading up the RV with supplies to gathering essentials in the house like paperwork or valuables. If you have pets or small children, you’ll need to give yourself extra time to get them secured and loaded onto the RV in an emergency. You should also plan locations where you know you can evacuate to with your RV, whether it’s a park or just somewhere out of the way with plenty of parking space. If you know a natural disaster is coming in advance, book a campsite as soon as you can and make for it.
You’ll also need to make a list of people to contact in case you have to evacuate, and people you can get in touch with in other areas where you might be able to find safety. If you’re on a trip, you should always have someone back at home who knows where you are and how long you plan to be there, and is able to send rescue crews in case something happens to you. You should make a list of others to contact in the event of an emergency, such as insurance, banks and employers.
Assign Everyone a Responsibility
To spare yourself the burden of undertaking every vital task on your own and potentially missing something when you’re exhausted or overwhelmed, delegate tasks as much as you can to other family members. Give everyone a job they’re capable of doing; this means that very young, very old or very ill family members will need simpler tasks that are within their abilities. Someone can be in charge of pets and their supplies, someone else can be tasked with gathering medical supplies and medications, someone else can secure the house and vehicles. You can make children feel important and included by giving them a task like locating batteries and flashlights or soothing pets or younger siblings.
What’s In Your Emergency Kit?
Your RV emergency kit should be well-stocked and regularly replenished or refreshed as needed. Include enough extra non-perishable food and water for everyone for at least a week, and that includes pets. Ensure you have sufficient propane for cooking. Keep a battery or hand-crank radio on hand so you can hear emergency broadcasts and weather reports even if your cell service cuts out. If you can carry extra gasoline for your vehicle, do so, especially if someone else is driving your passenger vehicle. You’ll also want the usual RV safety supplies like fire extinguishers, flares, flashlights, first aid kits and a tool or repair kit.
You can use your travel trailer to stash important documents and valuables in case your house doesn’t survive a natural disaster. Keep copies of all your essential items in your RV at all times, like financial records, home ownership papers, marriage and birth certificates, passports and insurance policies.
Practice, Practice, Practice!
Setting aside a Saturday morning every month or two to go over emergency protocols with your family and having a drill can keep you prepared and focused in an actual emergency situation. Kids should know how to get out of the house and get into the RV safely with only what they absolutely need. Everyone should know where important items like passports and wallets and keys are and be ready to grab them. Pet kennels should be easily accessible so animals can be taken to safety quickly. Being able to load up and drive out quickly will be important in an emergency, and you’ll feel more confident if you practice this every so often.
Looking for an RV that will serve you well no matter what you need it for? Come down to our showroom to see our amazing selection of new and used RVs and campers. Krenek RV has a dealership in Coloma, serving Kalamazoo, Michigan, as well as La Porte, Indiana.
