Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — A tragedy unfolded for a Utah family on Interstate 15 in Davis County Wednesday when their RV suddenly went up in flames. Fortunately, everyone got out, but their story comes with warnings ahead of Memorial Day travels.
The cause of the problem is believed to be mechanical. So the first reminder is for vehicle safety checks before hitting the road this holiday weekend. According to AAA, nearly 44 million people are expected to travel 50 miles or more from home.
The RV industry said it expects a 50% jump in the number of RV travelers this year compared to last year.
"Oh it's huge. It's probably our largest time of the year," said Bobby Chanthaboury, the national sales rep at General RV in Draper. "It's the great kick-off for the season. We had an open sale last week and there was a huge flow of traffic that has come in and on average we send out close to 50 a week."
Dale Harrison, the service manager at General RV, said one common mistake people make is to just jump in their RV after it's been sitting for a period of time and take off.
Tire pressure is at the top of his safety checklist before hitting the road.
"The biggest thing is the tire pressure. They've been stored all winter long and they just get in and go," Harrison said.
He then demonstrated on an RV in his shop and showed how the tire pressure looked good by sight but was 10 PSI too low.
"Tire pressure looks good, but it's actually not."
The next check, he said, is the cooling system.
"Making sure your cooling system is running up and right. Most of the time you can just check your antifreeze like you would on your regular car," he said.
Harrison also said it's important to check oil and fan belts. He said if you are unsure about anything, take it to a mechanic for a quick road trip inspection.
