By Greg Illes
Statistics tell us that 80 percent of the motorhome population tows a car behind their rig. Add to this the number of people pulling trailers and fifth wheels and you have a whole bunch of folks who use “local transportation” when they’re camped.
A lot of the time, the “ground vehicle” is just used for going to the store, visiting local sights and similar short trips. But if your travel is just a little more adventurous, you could find yourself quite a ways from RV-home, with all those home comforts and tools far out of reach.
If you are (as we are) four-wheeling capable, then the radius of day operations gets truly remote. Because of this, we’ve developed a toad-kit of day-travel accessories. We have been well over 100 miles from our RV on day trips, occasionally most of it on dirt roads, so our kit is pretty extensive. The following is actually only a partial listing.
Handy Stuff — Jackets, hats, hiking staffs, day-packs, drinking water, snacks, cameras, spare batteries, cell phone chargers. Basic first aid kit in the day-packs. Rags, ropes, flashlights, duct tape.
Survival Gear — Small tent, space blankets, rain ponchos, satellite link (InReach is our current choice), more snacks.
Recovery Gear — Tool kit, tire patch kit, air pump, winch cable extension, winch hardware, snatch strap, shovel, pickax, saw, spare gas, spare water, spare drive belt, jumper cables. A really good jack (hi-lift).
As you can see, we hate getting stuck or seriously inconvenienced. We are prepared for enjoying our excursions in comfort. We are also prepared for the occasional mishap, bad weather or even a serious breakdown without being badly compromised in comfort or safety.
You may or may not want to stock up as aggressively — but consider how your day might go if you are ten miles up a lonely dirt road when a radiator hose blows. Long, hard walk and it’s getting dark. No cell phone coverage. Hmmm … Maybe some good duct tape, spare water and a flashlight would be nice to have?
photo: Greg Illes
Greg Illes is a retired systems engineer who loves thinking up RV upgrades and modifications. When he’s not working on his motorhome, he’s traveling in it. You can follow his blog at www.divver-city.com/blog.
