Luxury RVs are great for high end living, pampered vacations, or waiting out the winter while you chase the sun. But as many have discovered, their most important use might not be immediately apparent. Portable emergency shelters. Storms, hurricanes, and worse disrupt the day-to-day, damage infrastructure, and leave devastation in their wake. That stress adds up. If you’re already concerned about your family’s safety, knowing you have somewhere warm and dry to sleep can help reduce some the strain caused by inclement weather. The Motorcoach Store wants you to weather the storm safely, and we’ve put together a loose guide on how you can prepare for the worst when it comes. If you have more questions, visit our dealership in Bradenton, Florida, and let our staff help set your mind at ease.
The first step? Have an emergency plan. It seems silly, but ask yourself, do you have a plan in place? Does your family know where to meet? Do you have a 72-hour kit or other emergency supplies? Don’t wait until disaster strikes, sit down with your family and put together a list, a plan, and make sure everyone has easy access to it. Even little things, like changing the linens after a vacation, or keeping up on exterior and interior cleaning. Restock your canned foods, batteries, first aid and pet supplies. If you make emergency preparedness part of your vacation planning you won’t be caught unawares.
Make sure each member of the family has a role in your emergency plan. It keeps them present and adds an extra layer of reassurance when you’re caught off-guard. Assign someone to get the pets. Someone else should be responsible for gathering medications. Have someone else do a headcount. There’s way more than this to get prepared, but you get the idea. Make sure everyone involved in your plan has a job to do. And if you live in an area where storms and hurricanes are common, practice your plan a few times before the stormy season. It may feel ridiculous but being prepared ahead of time will save you stress later.
Some of this is going to seem menial, and we mentioned a few of these things above, but clean your RV after you vacation. Take out the garbage, change the sheets, and check on your reserves of canned food and bottled water. In an emergency you might not have time to take care of these issues, so it’s best to look ahead. Service your black water tank, fresh water tank, and propane tanks. Think about the essentials, battery powered radio, a copy of essential documents and batteries. Do you have children? Pets? Do you have pet food or child care essentials? Keep these things on hand, it’ll make getting onto your next vacation easier and if you get into the habit of checking and replacing these regularly, your luxury RV will be ready to roll with whatever comes your way.
Obviously there’s more than just this list, but here are a few things to keep in mind as you prepare your RV for emergencies include:
You’re never going to be completely prepared. There will always be something that catches you off-guard, or something you could have pulled together sooner, and that’s okay. We want you to have the best chance at weathering the storm safely, and with the above tips you’ll stand a much better chance of coming through the next disaster intact. For everything else, visit The Motorcoach Store near Sarasota, Tampa, and Fort Myers, Florida, and let us help you find the perfect luxury motorcoach for your next vacation.
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