20 Essential Safety Items for Your Travel Trailer
https://scampgrounds.com/wp-content/themes/osmosis/images/empty/thumbnail.jpg 150 150 gavin gavin https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9de79417d52cde759ffedf503509748a?s=96&d=mm&r=g20 Essential Safety Items for Your Travel Trailer
Now that we’ve owned our 2020 Scamp 13’ for almost four years and have done a bit of travelling in it (205 nights at 116 locations so far, but who’s counting?), we’ve had a chance to identify some essential safety items one may consider (especially if travelling to unpopulated locations with no cellphone service, like Bureau of Land Management areas). We’ve created our safety item list below. Before all else though, it’s important to note that having a reliable tow vehicle (keep maintenance up to date and run it regularly) is a major key in keeping out of trouble.
#1. Smoke Detector
Our 2020 Scamp 13’ did not come with a smoke detector and the service representative I spoke to at Scamp couldn’t say why Scamp doesn’t install them. Perhaps the reasoning for not installing one is that the kitchen is in the same room as the bedroom and false alarms might happen often. Regardless, we feel having one is a very important safety item, so we purchased a smoke detector with a 10 year battery and installed it in the far corner of our Scamp under one of the cabinets. We are happy to have it installed and there hasn’t been one false alarm!
#2. Fire Extinguisher
All RV’s are required by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to have a fire extinguisher. The fire extinguisher should be located within 24 inches of the main exit to provide means of escape in case of fire. Travel trailers should come with them from the factory and they should generally be replaced every 10 years (or after use).
#3. Carbon Monoxide / Propane Gas Detector
It’s essential that every small travel trailer has a carbon monoxide / propane gas detector alarm because carbon monoxide and propane gas exposure can be lethal. Carbon monoxide (CO) is a poisonous gas that cannot be seen or smelled and is produced by liquid propane. CO gas can potentially enter the travel trailer via a gas stove or gas powered water heater (or gas powered heaters and generators). Carbon monoxide is especially toxic when built up in a small enclosed space like a small travel trailer. Propane gas is an asphyxiating gas, making it difficult or impossible for one to breath if exposed to large concentrations. So, it’s really important that the detector is functioning properly, tested regularly using the test button, and is replaced by the manufacturers recommended replace date. It’s also imperative that an alarm be taken very seriously as it could mean the difference between life and death. If an alarm does sound, the recommended procedure is to quickly exit your trailer and turn off your propane tanks outside (leaving the trailer door open to ventilate).
The Atwood Carbon Monoxide / Propane Gas Detector in our 2020 Scamp 13’ is located near the front door under one of the dinette seats. It has a Test/Reset button which we use on a regular basis to make sure the alarm works. If the fan on our Scamp isn’t running and bringing in fresh air, the detector often has false alarms when we shower (related to moisture). For more information on false alarms, click here.
Atwood rates the detector’s lifespan at 7 years, after which time its sensors are no longer reliable and should be replaced.
Propane Safety
Propane gas is highly flammable and can start a serious fire or explode, so never drive with open LP tanks (although some people do, so they are able to run their propane refrigerators on long trips – tip: if you have a 3-way refrigerator that can run on 12V, consider a DC-DC car charger – click article here). All it takes is a small leak when the propane valve is open and one spark (perhaps from a flat tire, road debris, or the refrigerator’s pilot flame) and the trailer can go up in flames. If propane isn’t necessary in the campground (e.g. not needed for cooking, furnace, refrigerator, etc.), then consider keeping the tank valves closed as a safety precaution. And, if pets are being left in the trailer (even for a short time), keep the tank valves closed (to prevent catastrophe if a pet accidentally turns on the stove). Lastly, when cooking with propane, always make sure the window above the stove is open and the fan is running to vent the fumes to the outside of the trailer. Note: we use our fan on low setting and keep a window open when we sleep (regardless of the outside temperature or if we are running the furnace) to make sure the air is fresh inside.
#4. First Aid Kit with Case
Without a doubt, this is an important safety item anyone travelling in a travel trailer should have. There are a couple ways to put the kit together. One is to buy an already made kit, like this one. Or, you can put together a customized kit by purchasing a first aid bag and individual items. We decided to do both so we can have the basics hanging on our wall but also have a more comprehensive first aid bag with specialized items in our Scamp’s closet. At a minimum, the first aid kit should have adhesive bandages, gauze, tape, wound disinfectant, and pain relief solutions (pill and topical).
Our Scamp 13’ custom first aid kit includes:
Supplies (click on links below):
Neosporin Antibiotic Pain Relief Ointment
Calendula Cream (rashes, skin irritations, bites, sunburn)
Emergency wound closure device
Medications:
Antibiotics to treat infections / gastrointestinal illnesses (by doctor prescription)
#5. Cellular Phone
This goes without saying, but in many cases having a phone can really save you in case you need to call for help (and the most recent iPhone has an emergency satellite communication feature). If one plans on travelling often to areas without cellular phone coverage, then considering an iPhone with satellite communication or a satellite phone / messenger may be a good idea. Cellular phones are also great for providing maps. We recently started using Gaia GPS and think it’s great. It offers up-to-date maps (including National Geographic maps and high resolution satellite imagery, which can be downloaded for offline use), shows trails, and can record and map hikes (providing detailed statistics). At the time of this writing, the “Outside” membership is discounted to $24 for the first year.
#6. GMRS Radios
Two way radios are a great way to stay in touch at the campground (when cellphone service may not be available). GMRS radios are like walkie talkies, but generally have better range and can receive NOAA weather channels. They can also be used on GMRS repeaters to greatly extend their range. We use them when backing up our trailer into a campsite, allowing one of us to stand outside and behind the trailer to give the driver directions. We also like using them when one person stays in the Scamp and the other is walking around the campground. We really like these radios because they are rechargeable (and can be charged during our trips via their USB-C connectors).
Note: an FCC license is required to operate GMRS radios in the United States, but no test is required. Simply go to the FCC website, register and pay the $35 fee (at the time of this writing) which covers the entire family for 10 years. This should only take a few minutes and the license is usually issued within 24 hours.
#7. Flashlights
When things get dark, you need these! You can’t do much in the dark without light.
Nice small one:
Medium sized:
Lantern lights:
#8. Portable Car Battery Jumper
If your tow vehicle battery goes dead when you are out in nature (or anywhere), you are going to need help to jump start your car battery. If no one is around, and it’s in a remote area (as seen in this video when we stayed at Alabama Hills), the situation could be very serious. If you bring along jumper cables, you will still need to find someone with a car who is willing to help (and no one may be around). However, if you get a 12V lithium (rechargeable) portable car battery booster, you will not need anyone’s help! These devices can jump start a car battery using their own power and cables! (This is what many AAA tow truck drivers now use to jump start dead batteries).
We went with the Hulkman Alpha85, which can jump start gas engines up to 8.5 liters and diesel engines up to 6 liters. We really like the Alpha85’s large display and high capacity (20,000mAh). A nice feature of this battery is that it has auxiliary ports (12V DC, USB-A, and USB-C) which can be used to charge a variety of devices like cellular phones. It also has a built in flashlight and has different flashing modes. It comes with all the necessary cables and fits in our Volvo XC40’s inner trunk area, even with its complete packing box (with all cables inside).
The Alpha85 is rated to hold charge for up to 18 months and provide up to 60 jump starts on a single charge! Even so, make sure to leave it in your trunk with a good charge and remember to charge it periodically (e.g. every 3 months). It charges from 0% to 100% in about 90 minutes using a wall charger. Don’t leave home without it!
#9. Portable Power Station (Lithium)
Speaking of charging up auxiliary devices, having a portable lithium battery dedicated for that purpose leaves your trailer house battery energized to focus solely for its main tasks (powering lights, water pumps, furnace blower, fan, …). We purchased this Jackery 500 in 2020 (hint: it’s often on sale on Amazon, also check Costco deals) and use it for charging our camera batteries, drone batteries, phone batteries, electric toothbrushes, smart watches as well as running our Scamp’s 12V television when we are without electric hookups. The Jackery 500 has 3 x USB ports, a 12V/10A DC port, as well as an inverter for a 110V plug. It can be charged while driving with the included 12V DC cable, using AC with the included 110V wall charger, and with optional solar panels (Jackery sells solar panels separately or as an add-on with matching input plugs).
#10. Car Tire Inflator
Having a portable air compressor on board the tow vehicle is a great idea. It’s inexpensive and small, so it’s easy to carry in the trunk. It can be used to inflate car tires as well as camping air mattresses. We purchased the Hausbell Portable Air Compressor. It has a nice digital display and runs off the tow vehicle’s (or trailer’s) 12V DC outlet. One sets the desired pressure and turns on the unit and it pumps and turns off automatically when it reaches the set pressure. We use it at the start of every trip to ensure our Scamp’s and Volvo’s tires remain properly inflated. This can save on fuel as well as make the car/trailer’s handling reliable.
When our Scamp is plugged into an AC outlet, we use this AC-DC converter accessory and plug it into our Scamp’s auxiliary 110V outside outlet. We then plug the air compressor into the converter so it’s not necessary to use our tow vehicle’s 12V DC outlet.
#11 & #12. Shovel & Tire Traction Boards
There have been times during our travels when a shovel and tire traction boards would have been a godsend. One was at a remote location near Trona Pinnacles, California. We were on an off-road trail (due to bad signage and directions) and the temperature was over 100 degrees. You can watch a video of us on this trail here. Fortunately, we did not get stuck, but we did break a water pump underneath the Scamp. On another recent trip, we were temporarily stuck in sand when we were unable to turn around at a beach campground due to the turnaround being washed out by a recent storm. We were able to get out by unhitching our Scamp and having another camper push our tow vehicle. In scenarios like these, where the tow vehicle’s tires lose traction with the ground (e.g. sand, mud, snow), having a small shovel and tire traction boards can mean the difference between being stranded (or getting an expensive tow) and quickly solving the issue yourself. If the tow vehicle is stuck and the driven wheels are just spinning, use the shovel to dig sand/mud/snow away from the front of the driven wheels and insert the tire traction boards under each of the tires before attempting to drive out. It’s best to do this right after traction is lost to prevent the tow vehicle from digging itself in too deep. Having had close calls in the past, we recently purchased this shovel as well as this tire traction board set. The shovel folds into a small bag and is made of high quality powder coated carbon steel and only weighs around 2 pounds. The mini recovery traction boards are made of reinforced 100% Nylon and are only 22” long (so they easily fit in our Volvo XC40’s inner trunk along with the shovel and car starter). The “tooth surface” of the boards’ “recovery track” provides a “bite effect”, or friction, to help the vehicle climb out of the situation. The boards are rated to withstand extreme temperatures and weights up to 22,000 pounds.
#13. Wheel Chocks
Heavy duty wheel chocks are essential for properly securing one’s trailer. The chocks keep the trailer’s wheels from moving. Upon arriving at the campground, the wheels should be chocked before the trailer is unhitched. We have been using these wheel chocks for almost two years and have never looked back – they are the best chocks we’ve ever used. These rubber chocks are large and heavy (4.2lbs each) and provide solid support for our Scamp 13’ (they are also rated for aircraft, boats, trucks, and RVs). They are described as “slip resistant, weather resistant, and oil resistant” and rated for heavy usage. They have a long connecting rope between each chock, so it’s easy to pull the chocks away from the wheels when one is ready to depart the campground. We ordered two pairs for our Scamp 13’ (one pair for each wheel).
#14, #15, & #16. Receiver Hitch Pin Lock, Trailer Coupler Lock, & Safety Chains & Trailer Brakeaway
One significant concern to most trailer owners is the possibility of the trailer becoming unhitched from the tow vehicle. This could possibly lead to a devastating crash or, in the case of a parked tow vehicle/trailer, the trailer being stolen. To mitigate this risk, one can use a high quality hitch pin lock to secure the trailer’s hitch to the tow vehicle’s hitch receiver and a premium trailer coupler lock to keep the coupler secured and locked down on the hitch ball. Note: safety chains should always be used to secure the trailer to the tow vehicle just in case the two become disconnected, as well as the emergency breakaway which activates the trailer’s brakes if the trailer and tow vehicle become separated.
Instead of using a traditional hitch pin & clip, to secure the trailer’s hitch and ball mount to the tow vehicle’s hitch receiver, we opted for a more secure hitch pin which securely locks on the end (vs. a clip that can be pulled out). This provides piece of mind that the hitch pin will stay secure while driving (locked end less likely to fall off than a clip) and while parked (preventing easy theft of the trailer). With a clip, thieves can easily pull it out, swing the trailer away from the parked tow vehicle and attach it to the getaway truck (thieves can use a trailer dolly if the trailer hitch weight is too high to move the hitch manually). We also use a trailer coupler lock to keep the coupler secured and locked down on the hitch ball. This not only keeps the coupler from opening while driving, which could result in the trailer detaching from the hitch ball (tow vehicle), but also prevents thieves from easily opening the locked coupler when the tow vehicle/trailer are parked and stealing the trailer.
#17. Repacking Wheel Bearings and Brake Adjustment
The wheel bearings on a trailer are located inside the wheel assembly hub (behind each tire). This connects the wheel to the axle to allow for frictionless movement. Greased bearings allow the wheels to spin freely. However, over time, the bearings can get dirty or damaged which can lead to serious issues on the road. Feeling the wheel hubs (center cap of wheel) immediately after driving the trailer can help to identify issues – the hubs should be somewhat cool after driving (not hot). If the center hubs are hot (which can occur when there is resistance with the bearings or brake issues), this indicates a problem. But, it’s best to be proactive and not wait for a serious problem to occur with the bearings and brakes. Instead, have them serviced on a regular basis. Service interval recommendation times vary – however, a general recommendation given by many mechanics is that RV bearings should be repacked with grease every year or every 10,000 to 20,000 miles, whichever comes first (brakes should be checked and adjusted, if necessary at the same time). Still, there are varying opinions on the interval. When we first had our bearings repacked two years ago (after about two years of regular use), the mechanic said the bearings were still super clean so he recommended coming in every two years. We take our Scamp 13’ to Sonrise RV in Escondido (San Diego). They currently charge around $270 per axle (the Scamp has only 1 axle with two wheel hubs) — to remove our Scamp’s wheels and drums, clean and inspect the brakes, clean/inspect & grease/repack the bearings, replace the seals and reassemble & test brakes. The brakes are adjusted by jacking up the trailer and spinning each wheel. The wheels should spin freely with little resistance. After the brakes are adjusted, the trailer should be test driven on hills and, then, the hubs should be checked. They should be cool or lukewarm to the touch in most cases.
#18. Replacing Travel Trailer Tires
Important Note: Never use passenger tires on travel trailers! Passenger tires are usually rated at Load Range B to allow for flexible sidewalls for a smooth ride. They are not engineered to stabilize heavy loads or handle the temperatures that build with them.
Recommendations on when to replace travel trailer’s tires very widely. Various recommendations found online are: every 10,000 – 15,000 miles, when the tread is worn down to 2/32nds of an inch, between 3 to 6 years,… How and where the travel trailer is used are very important considerations on replacement timing. For example, if the trailer goes off-road often or is stored outside in the sun then these factors could expedite the need for tire replacement. Risk tolerance is also a factor – more conservative trailer owners will replace their tires more frequently. Because tires are so critical for travel and a blowout on the road has the potential to be disastrous, our rule is to replace our Scamp 13’s tires every three years (even though the tires appear fine). Tires for small trailers are inexpensive and can be replaced at local tire stores, like Discount Tire (America’s Tire).
Our Scamp 13’s first tire replacement was last summer. We purchased Hartford ST175/80R13 tires at Discount Tire for around $50 each. Since the Scamp 13’ is single axle, there are only a couple of tires to replace which makes the process inexpensive. These Hartford tires are rated to carry a maximum load of 1360 lbs (C1 index). The index indicates the maximum weight a tire can support with proper inflation. These tires have a speed rating of up to 87 mph.
Amazon also sells similarly rated trailer tires, like this one.
#19. Sanitize Fresh Tank
Algae, bacteria, and other harmful microorganisms can grow in your trailer’s Fresh and Grey tanks as well as other parts of the water systems such as the pipes, hoses and water heater. It may be possible to see the algae or it might just be that your water has a funny smell. Algae and other microorganisms have the potential for not only making the trailer water smell funny and clogging up water lines, but also could be dangerous to one’s health. Personally, we only drink water that we bring from home that is produced in our reverse osmosis system and stored in 4 gallon BPA free plastic jugs. But, even showering and washing dishes and hands with contaminated water could be potentially dangerous (e.g. skin, stomach, and lung issues). Whenever possible, use a water filter when filling the Fresh tank.
For complete instructions on sanitizing tanks, click here.
#20. Keys & Cash Stash
There may be a time when having cash or access to your extra trailer/car keys will be a life saver. When we first started travelling in our Scamp 13’ we never carried cash. However, over time, we found that carrying cash is a good idea for a number of reasons. First, cash is sometimes needed to pay Iron Rangers (metal lock boxes sometimes found at BLM and other remote campgrounds). We found this to be the case at Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. It is one of our favorite campgrounds and we wouldn’t have been able to stay there had we not had cash. Cash also comes in handy for paying small businesses one might encounter when travelling. For example, we enjoyed a great horseback ride when visiting Alabama Hills and cash was the only payment method accepted. Finally, when on long trips, we find it very convenient to have several rolls of quarters in our Scamp’s closet so we can use coin operated laundry machines. We recently used our quarters when doing laundry at the Laughing Alpaca RV Park & Campground in Cave Junction, Oregon.
Along with cash, we keep a set of backup keys in our Scamp 13’ (the Volvo backup keys) and Volvo XC 40 tow vehicle (the Scamp backup keys). That way if our keys for a vehicle aren’t able to be located we likely will have access to its backup keys.
We use a small zippered pouch to store the cash and keys together in our Scamp 13’. The pouch prevents loose bills from getting lost as well as keys from moving around or falling into gaps. In our tow vehicle, we use a small compartment in the center console to hold the cash/keys.
Final Thoughts on Travel Trailer Safety
We use many of the above items and ideas every day we travel, and others we carry for peace of mind (an insurance policy) which, hopefully, we will never have to use. Or, it might be that we use them to help others.
Beyond the above mentioned safety products, there are other serious considerations to think about when taking adventures with your travel trailer. It’s important to make sure that the “house battery” (the one that powers everything electronically operated in the trailer, such as lights, pumps, blower fan, etc.) is capable and that solar panels (we carry a solar panel briefcase) are available to charge the house battery if necessary. It’s also important to make sure you carry enough propane if you have a gas powered furnace, refrigerator, stove, and water heater. We carry two 17# Viking composite propane tanks, making sure each is full for every big trip. We’ve been on 20+ day trips where we’ve completely exhausted one tank and have had to switch to the 2nd tank. We’ve seen unexpected snow showers, watching campers run out of their single tank of propane exposing them to freezing temperatures. Our advice is carry two propane tanks if you plan on taking trips lasting more than a week. Packing enough food and water for your trip is vital, as well as carrying appropriate clothing (including hats, jackets, sunglasses, and sunscreen). And, your small travel trailer should also have sleeping bags and blankets just in case the furnace malfunctions (or propane runs out). With proper planning and utilizing appropriate safety essentials, stress levels will fall and the odds of having a safe and fun trip will be greatly increased!
Disclaimer: You will get the same great Amazon price by clicking on the links here compared to buying directly on Amazon, but by buying here you will also be supporting the continuation of this website as we get a small commission from each sale. These are products and procedures we use for our own Scamp that we selected and developed from our own research and experiences. However, we do not endorse any specific product and cannot guarantee that the products we use are exemplary and the procedures we use are complete, accurate, detail the correct recommended procedures, or apply to your model small travel trailer. It’s always best to double check with your manufacturer or operation manuals to ensure you are doing everything correctly.