In my first blog entry, I referenced a 2007 study by a leading RV Insurance.  The study found that two of the most common mishaps that RV owners report are backing up into a post or other stationary object and misjudging the amount of overhead/or side clearance space.  I think that these two things just might be the reason that I will never be the one driving the RV.

In 2007, I went to Los Angeles, California on a business trip.  Now, if you have ever been to L.A. you know the traffic can be horrendous.  Eight lanes of bumper to bumper, honking, swearing,...“bliss”.  In the middle of all this chaos, I saw a semi truck driver who was pulling his regular trailer load, plus an extra trailer behind that.  I thought to myself, “Boy, I am SO glad that I am not him!”  To me, driving something that large would be tough in no traffic and in traffic like Los Angeles has, it would be near to impossible.  Of course, you are listening to the person who can barely back a compact car out of my own garage, so take it as you may.

This is a salute to all of you who have gone to your nearest RV Dealer and bought a Class A Motorhome!  I am amazed at those of you who have driven your beautiful new RV for more than five minutes and haven’t run into anything!  I am afraid that those RV Dealers who get my RV sale will have to settle for me buying the smallest folding camping trailer that there is!  So, alert the RV Insurance Companies here I come to buy an RV that I will be the one driving!  Or maybe I should just stick to driving my compact car, I run into enough already and it already has a scratch!

The year 2003....time 2:00 a.m.....somewhere in the middle of Texas. Ker boom!, Smack!, Shatter! To learn more read on: One of the first RV trips that I ever took was when a group of friends and I decided to rent an RV for a nineteen-hour road trip to Arizona. The RV that we rented had a bedroom in the back, kitchen along the right side, a spacious bathroom, cushy chairs for the driver and passenger, and a TV in the middle front. Not unlike some of the RV floor plans in some of the best RV’s available today. The RV that we rented reminded me very much of a Fleetwood RV, though I do not remember what kind of RV it actually was. Being that I am not an “outdoorsy” kind of person, I decided at that point that an RV was the only way to travel and definitely the only way to camp. The friend who rented the RV decided that he would be the main and only driver for the trip. So the rest of us passengers settled in for the ride as we pulled out at 6:00 a.m., bound for Arizona. Little did I know at the time, our driver had a “rule” with his family that you wait as long as humanly possible before you stop. This rule was compounded by the fact that we were in a very nice RV with a bathroom, so the only time we stopped for the entire trip was to get gas. My husband and I usually stop every hour when we drive places in our car, so at the end of our Arizona trip, I was sure wishing that we hadn’t had a RV with such great gas mileage! Somewhere in the middle of Texas at 2:00 a.m. our friend, who was sleeping in the bedroom in the back of the RV, shouted up to the driver that something was going on. What? We weren’t quite sure, but we were about to find out. After stopping the RV on the side of the road, half of the group got out to inspect what was going on. Following a short investigation, they found out that the rear luggage compartment door had popped open and a suitcase had fallen out onto the dark, but heavily traveled highway. So, off the men went, running down that Texas highway in the wee hours of the morning, looking for a lost suitcase. They found the suitcase, but not until after a semi ran it over, a hair dryer was smashed, and Gold Bond powder was showered all over the clothes that the group could find. A study by Progressive Insurance® in 2007 shows that the most common mishaps that RV owners report are driving off with the steps extended, backing up into a post or other stationary object, and misjudging the amount of overhead/or side clearance space. Needless to say, my first RV adventure was definitely that, an adventure. What interesting blunders have you had on your many RV trips? I hope that your next RV trip is peaceful, blooper-free, and that your luggage survives! If you are looking to buy or rent RV from a reputable RV dealer for your next travel adventure or you need RV Insurance, make sure to visit rvingplanet.com for RV sales or to share your story. Get more camping blooper stories at the site, Camping Bloopers.