There is a lot of tension involved with driving an R.V. How to avoid low bridges and tunnels when travelling in an rv? To ensure the safety of you and anyone around you and prevent damage to your R.V., remember that yours is a considerably larger vehicle. It involves keeping an eye on the corners and keeping a significant distance between yourself and the person in front of you.
You’ll also need to watch your height while driving through overpasses, tunnels, and even trees to prevent crashing into anything with low clearance. You and your R.V. will be safe from common clearance incidents if you follow the advice in this article. We’ve put up a guide to help you succeed.
How to Avoid Low Bridges and Tunnels when Travelling in an RV
For RVers, several circumstances might affect their ability to travel through the tube quickly. Your R.V.’s height, breadth, and presence of propane tanks should all be considered while making this decision. Although R.V.s are generally permitted on most highways, bridges, and tunnels, there are specific regulations that you should be aware of. So, continue reading about how to avoid low bridges and tunnels when travelling in an rv.
The Altitude
A vehicle that is 13 feet in height can fit in most recent tunnels; however, older tunnels do not accept such a vehicle. Make sure to check the height requirements when planning to enter a tunnel. Before you go on your journey, be confident that you have the precise height of your R.V. figured out. Even if you have an R.V. G.P.S., you should still check the restriction signs as you approach a tunnel to ensure that the information from your G.P.S. is valid. To be safe, it’s a good idea to verify the tunnel’s regulations on maximum height and breadth before going through it.
And that shows how to avoid low bridges and tunnels when travelling in an rv. Check for signage indicating maximum height limitations before entering a tunnel. These signs are often placed in front of and at the tunnel’s entrance. Choose a different path when you doubt your capacity to navigate the tunnel safely. Avoiding unnecessary risk is usually a wider choice.
Width to be Determined
Vehicles are as large as 8.5 feet now accommodated in modern tunnels thanks to advancements in engineering. For most R.V.s, 8.5 feet is enough clearance to travel through securely. Due to the size of this vehicle, specific older tunnels cannot accommodate it. Make sure you know the width and height requirements before entering a tunnel. The second is how to avoid low bridges and tunnels when travelling in an rv.
Travelling through one of the big western U.S. national parks via tunnel is an unusual alternative. The 1.1-mile Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel is a part of your journey to Zion National Park if you plan a visit. Bryce Canyon and the Grand Canyon reached Zion National Park through this tunnel, which has an oversized vehicle regulation you should be aware of.
You must pay a $15 tunnel permit charge to travel through the tunnel in an R.V. Allowing you to use the tunnel as a one-way road is significantly safer for everyone. The tunnel is open year-round from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for R.V.s to travel through during summer. Check the hours of one-way travel via the tunnel before starting your journey.
G.P.S. Explicitly Designed R.V.s
The G.P.S. Explicitly let you know how to avoid low bridges and tunnels when travelling in an rv. You, of course, print out your routes and utilize them after they’ve been mapped out. If a step is missed, it might have serious consequences making matters worse.Â
In place of this, we propose utilizing an RV-specific G.P.S. like the RV LIFE App. To make the most of your meticulous preparations for an R.V. trip, we created an app that enables you to import routes straight from R.V. Trip Wizard. You can adjust your plans and check campsite reviews before booking any trip stops.
Truckers’ Atlas
So even after downloading maps, it is still conceivable that something goes wrong, and you don’t have a G.P.S. For example, your phone might be damaged or stolen while you’re away. As a result, a Truckers’ Atlas is an absolute need.
Truck drivers will find helpful information in this handy book, updated yearly. Even if you don’t have a G.P.S., you use this information to navigate up and down steep hills safely and over low-clearance bridges and tunnels, so it helps how to avoid low bridges and tunnels when travelling in an rv.
Propane safety in R.V.s.
Due to safety considerations on how to avoid low bridges and tunnels when travelling in an rv, several tunnels prohibit the use of oL.P.LP propane. Because propane tanks are heavier than air, tunnel officials are worried about propane pooling at the bottom of a tunnel, which is why many tunnels prohibit them. Propane is typically restricted in tunnels for safety reasons, although they have ventilation systems.
Lookout for Signs
How to avoid low bridges and tunnels when travelling in an rv? Routes are constantly evolving. During a construction project or accident, poor clearances and other barriers appear that weren’t there previously. Since no database can be updated 100% of the time, even with the most exemplary planning and tools, you still encounter a bridge or other impediment that is too low to travel under, even with the best preparation and equipment.
Because of this, it is imperative that you keep an eye out for signs along the road warning you of low clearances and, in some circumstances, signs that provide other routes for more giant trucks.
Avoid Trees with Low Branches
It seems apparent, but how to avoid low bridges and tunnels when travelling in an rv: keep an eye out for low-hanging tree branches. There are specific campgrounds where tree branches are not cut, although this isn’t the norm.
Even if you’re not at a campsite, driving under trees on the way there or back is standard. Always check if you’re unclear whether a limb will go beneath your feet since trees seldom warn about low clearance.
Conclusion
We discussed how to avoid low bridges and tunnels when travelling in an rv. For the most part, driving an R.V. through a tunnel isn’t that difficult, even if it seems daunting initially. If you have doubts about whether a tunnel can fit your R.V., proceed with care. Tunnel navigation is made safer with a bit of forethought, a double-check of your proportions, and a healthy dose of common sense.
