Community Forums

tikitom · 08-13-2015, 07:48 AM

In light of the electrical issue we had on our last trip (was awaken in the middle of the night to loud knocking sounds coming from our transfer switch and then the smell of hot wires), it got me to thinking about what we would do in the case of an emergency and we had to evacuate our coach in a hurry. Do we know how to open the emergency exit windows? Do I have time to gather the things we might need? And just what items would I need to gather? Gonna need things like keys for our toad, my purse, his wallet and our cell phones. Currently all these things are laying around in different places thru out the coach. What about our meds, our registration and insurance info? I think we would need them too. Just wondering if you have an emergency plan?

Barbara

ctpres · 08-13-2015, 09:21 AM

If it is a fire - there is only one plan for every RV'r - get out by shortest route and as fast as possible. Doesn't matter if your naked or not - don't stop for anything - everybody out ASAP.

OLYLEN · 08-13-2015, 09:37 AM

Agree, save yourself, the rest can be replaced. Might be inconvenient but months of burn therapy is not worth a few replaceable items.

LEN

AZCactus · 08-13-2015, 09:53 AM

Make PDF copies of all important documents you may have in the coach (licenses, registration, insurance papers, passports, important phone numbers, etc.) save them to a secure Cloud site. Then you can access them anywhere in the world you can connect to the internet - just don't forget the password.

tikitom · 08-13-2015, 11:13 AM

I am not just thinking fire, but any emergency situation. I can remember a time when we were camping in NC and we were under tornado warnings. Next morning the camp office said they came close to running thru the campground to tell people to take shelter in the bath house. Luckily that didn't happen. What about rising floods waters? Or heaven forbid, something happens to the camper next to yours. Just thinking out loud.

AZGypsie · 08-13-2015, 04:16 PM

Couple of things you said made me think about what I just might put in action. Central location for phones, keys, meds. There are all kinds of small organizer bags (think inside purse organization) where everything can "go to sleep" and still be swept up in one grab if it's urgent! Make sure you have an outlet with USB ports in a convenient location so said bag is easy to access! Also really like the cloud idea, am definitely gonna get on that. Maybe keep an emergency overnight bag with change of clothes in the toad. The one is really food for thought!

tikitom · 08-13-2015, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZGypsie

Couple of things you said made me think about what I just might put in action. Central location for phones, keys, meds. There are all kinds of small organizer bags (think inside purse organization) where everything can "go to sleep" and still be swept up in one grab if it's urgent! Make sure you have an outlet with USB ports in a convenient location so said bag is easy to access! Also really like the cloud idea, am definitely gonna get on that. Maybe keep an emergency overnight bag with change of clothes in the toad. The one is really food for thought!

I actually have one of those purse organizers put away in a box. You may have just hit on a use for it.
Barbara

twogypsies · 08-13-2015, 07:23 PM

In our 16 years of full-timing we always kept a 'to go' case by the door behind the chair. We got a small portable safe with a handle. As a hidden safe it doesn't do much but it would be easy to grab in a second.

In it we have some important papers, a list of various cards (credit, insurance, etc.), passports, backup computer disks, extra keys, a small amount of cash,10 days of prescriptions (labeled and changed out regularly so they don't expire). Near the case and also near the front door is where we kept our phones, purse, wallet - easy to grab. When things are kept in the same place they won't be forgotten.

The case also went with us when we were getting any vehicle servicing done.

We would never rely on gathering up stuff in an emergency. It has to be ready. A RV fire explodes in a minute or two. If we happened to be sleeping and everything needed was by the door and we had to use the window to get out, no use worrying about it at that point. I suppose you could move everything to the bedroom at night and move it to the door during the day. We just never did that. Everything can be replaced but it could take more time to do so if we didn't have the above information.

In our daily drive vehicle we kept a form we created which states what our travel plans are - route, stops if you know them or a general route. Contact numbers for our kids. We also have a spot to note where our motorhome was parked if one of us would be in the towed vehicle alone (shopping, etc) so that if in an accident, ER personnel could find the other spouse easily.

We also gave our kids information of where we'd be traveling and stops, if known. We loved public parks, national forests and general boondocking spots in the wild. It would be hard to find us otherwise. Granted, we were full-timers and traveled constantly so sometimes didn't have a definite plan. When we got there we notified the kids where we were at. Perhaps they didn't even care

but we felt better doing it.

Nana25K · 08-13-2015, 07:28 PM

As long as I have my passport, phone and either Ron's wallet or my purse we are good to go. We have too much medicine to mess with keeping it in a bag, although Ron keeps his weekly pill holder near his bed side
Our lives are more important than anything.
Did you keep all these things next to your bed in your house??

AZGypsie · 08-13-2015, 09:46 PM

Nana, no I don't keep that stuff handy at home, but if something should happen at home I have 2 sisters and a daughter within 5 miles of me! And my doctor is here as is the pharmacy I use. If I am 2000 miles from home and have to rely solely on my own ingenuity, a little foresight might come in real handy.