When Dave and I decided to travel full-time in our RV one of the considerations we took seriously was personal safety. While most people traveling in RVs are good, honest people, as in any portion of society, there are people who are not.

When we lived in our house in Maine, we lived in a community of about 32,000 people. The overall crime rating was B-, but my office was located in an area that had a crime rating of F. Levi, my 100 lb. Anatolian Shepherd (dog) went to work with me every day. I never felt concerned for my personal safety at work during the day. When leaving the office building after dark, I was cautious. I knew the areas in our town that “weren’t safe” in town. I just didn’t go anywhere near them after dark. This is a community I knew and had lived in for many years.

Full-timing is very different.

One of the reasons Dave and I chose this lifestyle was because we wanted to see and experience different places. This means that we will be traveling through and to some places that may have a crime rating of A and/or a crime rating of F.

The Butlers

In June 2018 James and Michelle Butler left Rumney, New Hampshire, in a travel trailer for the adventure of their life. James was retired military. He said he had explored the world; now he wanted to see “what was in his backyard”.

They traveled and worked at various places along the way. They would stay in almost daily contact with their family, via phone, video chats, texting or Facebook. They told their family they had arrived at Padre Island in south Texas and would be boondocking on the beach for a couple of weeks before they continued onto Florida for another seasonal job. On October 15, 2019 Michelle talked by phone with her adult son. The next day she posted on Facebook and sent a text to a family member. No one heard from them again.

On October 21, 2019 the Butler’s travel trailer and truck were photographed going into Mexico.

Their family reported the Butlers missing on October 23, 2019.

On October 27, 2019 Michelle’s body was found and on October 28, 2019, James’ body was found. On November 6, 2019 the man and woman who were seen driving the Butler’s travel trailer into Mexico were arrested in Mexico. He was extradited to Houston, Texas. The woman would later be extradited to Texas.

On November 10, 2021 the man pled guilty to all charges and received a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole. Nov 11, 2021 by KC Downey – Case timeline: Rumney couple killed in Texas; man, woman charged with capital murder

This case sent shock waves through the RVing community, especially in the south Texas area.  While this is by far not the common RVing experience, it does illustrate that really bad things can happen to good people out for the adventure of their lives.

General Personal Safety Tips While Traveling

Many people go through life not experiencing any form of crime. Some of that may be due to where you live or maybe it is due to awareness of their surroundings. Even taking those things into account, some people have been victims of crime. There are some things you can do to give yourself another layer of protection while traveling.

• Go with your instincts, your intuition. If it doesn’t “feel right”, move along to another campsite, campground or town.
• Park so you are not blocked in and can drive out easily and quickly if necessary.
• Keep your doors and windows locked, even if you are taking the dog for a “quick walk” or visiting neighbors on the non-door side of your RV.
• If you are boondocking in the Walmart parking lot, Cracker Barrel, or on the beach, try to park near others. Certainly give space to others, but be “near”. If in a parking lot, park in well-lit areas.
• If you are a “dog person” and don’t have one, consider getting one. Besides being good companions, they will alert you if someone is near.
• Replace the lights near your front door with motion sensor lights. After dark you will know if someone is near.
• Carry safety items with you. They could include bear spray, pepper spray or a hand gun if you are trained and it is legal to carry where you are.
• Make friends with your neighbors. It will increase your personal safety and theirs.
• Check in with the people at registration in the campground, the park hosts, park rangers, etc. and ask if there are any unsafe areas in town. Most will give you the places to avoid during the day and/or night.

You may have other things you have done to emphasize personal safety.  This should not be considered an exhaustive list of safety ideas. But it will give you ideas to start thinking about your personal safety as you go on your adventures.

Don’t forget that potential hazardous weather conditions create their own personal safety concerns. See: How to Prepare Yourself For Natural Disasters

Additional Tips for Traveling Solo

There are many solo RV travelers. All of the above tips would be helpful for the solo traveler. Some solo travelers have taken a few additional steps for their personal safety.

• Put two sets of shoes by the door. It suggests you have a traveling companion.
• Put a water/food dish for a big dog by your front door. It implies you are traveling with a dog, which may be a deterrent.
• Put out 2 lawn chairs instead of one. The second one can always be for that person who stops to talk. Again, it implies you have a traveling companion.
• Say “goodbye” to a “partner” when you are leaving your RV.

Again, this is not an exhaustive list of personal safety ideas for solos. However, perhaps the list will give you some ideas to think about.

Let EVERYONE Know Where You are Going

For personal safety, some people leave an itinerary with family or friends. The itinerary should include:

• The campground name, address and telephone number
• Your date of arrival and date of departure

If your plans change, a quick text would be helpful, too. Surprisingly there are family and friends who are fearful of our adventurous spirit!

Let NO ONE Know Where You are Going

We know this sounds contradictory from the last section!

What we mean is please do not post publicly on social media where and when you will be traveling! This is especially true if you still own a home somewhere. Posting that you will be leaving your home on X date and you will not be returning for two weeks or two months invites crime.

Don’t think it will happen to you? Because you have “good neighbors watching your home?” In the office building I worked there was a woman who posted on Facebook she would be going on this wonderful tropical vacation and she was counting the days. Her neighbors were going to “watch her house”. When she returned, her safe had been broken into and her valuables had been stolen. Police said it had taken at least 6 hours for the criminals to drill into their safe. The criminals had the luxury of knowing how long they had without interruption.

Take-away Point

For the most part, the dangers you face while RVing will be other drivers on the road who don’t know you can stop as quickly as they can. However, it is important to also think about your physical personal safety while boondocking or at the campground.

Your partners in travel,
Kathryn, Dave and Lucky
RVing Nomads

It’s a lifestyle

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