There’s a new means of travel that is sweeping the nation. Well, it’s not really new exactly. It’s something that people have been turning to for years, but now they’re really relying upon. With the costs of travel being higher than ever, many have decided to save money by using an RV. An RV, especially one that is motorized rather than towable, functions as both a means of travel and a place for people to stay. Many people enjoy the fact that they don’t need to worry about hotel reservations when, say, traveling cross-country. They appreciate the fact that they can save money even more. The same goes for camping. While a rustic tented campout has its appeal, nobody can deny the convenience of traveling in an RV. An RV has all the amenities you need, which is especially useful if you end up encountering unexpected bad weather. With that being said, there are safety concerns that exist with RVs that don’t exist with other vehicles. This is why things like ground protection mats and outrigger pads exist: to ensure that large vehicles like RVs and heavy machinery are safe for not only those operating them, but anyone in the surrounding area. They also create less damage for the ground around them. Let’s look into how ground protection mats work, and why they’re necessary in cases like these.
RVs: Who Uses Them
First of all, however, we’re going to look at the vehicle that we need to keep safe. We love RVs, and they’re getting more use than they ever have before. Right now, about 9.8 million households own an RV; in other words, they’re no longer the anomaly they once were. Typically, the average RV owner is around 48, married, and with an annual household income $62,000. This is higher than the median for all households. This means that RV owners are more likely to own their own homes and spend their disposable income on traveling. They travel for three weeks annually, and they tend to go to a variety of places — often within driving distance, even if that drive ends up being a very long one. One of the more classic forms of travel involves camping. 2013 alone saw a revenue of $5 billion for campgrounds and RV parks. And with 16% of campers staying in RVs, that means a lot of revenue for RV dealers as well. What could dampen the party, however, is an incident of some kind. Let’s look into how ground protection mats can make a real difference in preventing danger.
Ground Protection Mats: How They Work
So, how do ground mats and RV jack pads work? Why are they so important and integral to the use of RVs? There are several different elements at play. The weight of an RV has to be supported. Otherwise, anyone attempting to move the RV could be seriously injured or even killed. These pads and mats give support not only to RVs but a number of other pieces of heavy machinery. The fact is that these tools vary, with some meant for large vehicles and others meant for objects as large as cranes. When it comes to outrigger pads, for example, they’re made from an engineered thermoplastic material seven times lighter than steel and four times lighter than aluminum.
Choosing The Right Pads And Mats: What To Look For
Looking at outrigger pads again, there are three main factors to consider when choosing them. These are ground conditions, the size of the outrigger foot, and the outrigger load of equipment. If they’re being used with cranes, the ground conditions must be firm, drained, and graded sufficiently. These are in conjunction with supporting materials such as blocking, cribbing, pads, and mats to give the proper support and levelness.
Each year, there are different injuries and fatalities that could have been avoided with the help of safety measures. Should you take the right steps and choose the right equipment, you can avoid that happening to you.