- Joined
- Jul 27, 2019
- Messages
- 11,663
- Location
- Midlothian, VA
- RV Year
- 2017
- RV Make
- Newmar
- RV Model
- Ventana 4037
- RV Length
- 40' 10"
- Chassis
- Freightliner XCR
- Engine
- Cummins 400 HP
- TOW/TOAD
- 2017 Chevy Colorado
- Fulltimer
- No
This has now happened to our beloved @ARD twice so maybe others can learn from this situation which I believe I've covered on this forum before. Survival is something you have to think about even in an apartment on wheels so let's discuss several things I've learned from others from various scenarios from members on this site:
Fuel management: For those that pull a TOAD, it is your escape vehicle, pay attention to how much fuel is in it before you leave for your next leg as it may be what you have to use to get to civilization. This lesson comes from @NWIP's Alaska adventure when his coach got stranded. No clue on TOAD status but I learned a lesson from his getting stranded in a less than ideal location.
Tank management: If you pull out of a campground like I did in Breckenridge, CO last Labor day holiday and now you're camping in a parking lot for an undetermined amount of time or you get towed and you're living in a service lot, how long can this work before you have full gray/black tanks or an empty fresh? In my case I had a sink full of dishes waiting for the next stop, probably had empty gray/black, can't remember, but now I'm in a situation where the clock is ticking and I have to consider options, with dog. Fortunately that situation got rectified early so it worked out, but lessons learned. I try to always travel full fresh and empty black/gray. Some people think they are managing their weight by only traveling with 1/2 or 1/4 fresh. Well, do the math at 8 lbs per gallon for water and see what percentage of your total weight that comes out to and you'll see it doesn't help much in total weight savings.
Communications: Two times now @ARD has had a TOAD flat and no cellular coverage. Naturally panic ensues and we forget some resource we have available which I want to remind us all about. First off, if you have a Pepwave router it may pickup cellular signals when your phone may not, and it may have alternate carriers from your phone such as with @ARD she has AT&T in the Pepwave and Verizon in the phone. So multiple carriers can help. Starlink is a great communication backup to have. You can setup your Starlink about anywhere assuming sky coverage and this will enable Wi-Fi calling and messaging for someone to help you get assistance as needed. Finally, I fly with a Garmin inReach Mini and this comes with me when I'm traveling in my RV. It remains in the TOAD glove box with USB charger cable as if I'm away from my RV stranded with my TOAD having the inReach in the RV does me no good. It is a satellite communicator that pairs with your phone to enable messaging. It also has a SOS button so if you are hurt and don't have time or know how to get messages out you can use this to call for help. It doesn't mean helicopters are going to come, the response center will communicate with you and see what you need for your situation. But there are options and we need to think about scenarios such as this and do a little preparedness should it happen to anyone.
The other obvious ones are food and first aid. Check the tire pressure in your TOAD's spare tire or have your dealership check it for you at oil changes, services, etc.
Learn from others, share your stories, think about it before it happens to you. We can and often travel in very remote locations going between points A and B and in mountainous regions where cellular is not available including National Parks so a Garmin inReach is an important item to have. The subscription costs around $10/month but different plans are available.
Safe travels to all...
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Fuel management: For those that pull a TOAD, it is your escape vehicle, pay attention to how much fuel is in it before you leave for your next leg as it may be what you have to use to get to civilization. This lesson comes from @NWIP's Alaska adventure when his coach got stranded. No clue on TOAD status but I learned a lesson from his getting stranded in a less than ideal location.
Tank management: If you pull out of a campground like I did in Breckenridge, CO last Labor day holiday and now you're camping in a parking lot for an undetermined amount of time or you get towed and you're living in a service lot, how long can this work before you have full gray/black tanks or an empty fresh? In my case I had a sink full of dishes waiting for the next stop, probably had empty gray/black, can't remember, but now I'm in a situation where the clock is ticking and I have to consider options, with dog. Fortunately that situation got rectified early so it worked out, but lessons learned. I try to always travel full fresh and empty black/gray. Some people think they are managing their weight by only traveling with 1/2 or 1/4 fresh. Well, do the math at 8 lbs per gallon for water and see what percentage of your total weight that comes out to and you'll see it doesn't help much in total weight savings.
Communications: Two times now @ARD has had a TOAD flat and no cellular coverage. Naturally panic ensues and we forget some resource we have available which I want to remind us all about. First off, if you have a Pepwave router it may pickup cellular signals when your phone may not, and it may have alternate carriers from your phone such as with @ARD she has AT&T in the Pepwave and Verizon in the phone. So multiple carriers can help. Starlink is a great communication backup to have. You can setup your Starlink about anywhere assuming sky coverage and this will enable Wi-Fi calling and messaging for someone to help you get assistance as needed. Finally, I fly with a Garmin inReach Mini and this comes with me when I'm traveling in my RV. It remains in the TOAD glove box with USB charger cable as if I'm away from my RV stranded with my TOAD having the inReach in the RV does me no good. It is a satellite communicator that pairs with your phone to enable messaging. It also has a SOS button so if you are hurt and don't have time or know how to get messages out you can use this to call for help. It doesn't mean helicopters are going to come, the response center will communicate with you and see what you need for your situation. But there are options and we need to think about scenarios such as this and do a little preparedness should it happen to anyone.
The other obvious ones are food and first aid. Check the tire pressure in your TOAD's spare tire or have your dealership check it for you at oil changes, services, etc.
Learn from others, share your stories, think about it before it happens to you. We can and often travel in very remote locations going between points A and B and in mountainous regions where cellular is not available including National Parks so a Garmin inReach is an important item to have. The subscription costs around $10/month but different plans are available.
Safe travels to all...
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