Hi All, throwing this question out for discussion and feedback. It is oriented to those of you who travel the secondary roads, generally in the West.I have been doing a lot of driving this week, not towing though, and have had time to think. One question has been on my mind for a while so I thought I would toss it out for discussion. I put it here in the general issues section for more exposure across various types of RV's.Here it is - while traveling various areas of the country, primarily the West, there are many areas with limited or no cell phone coverage and long distances between support services. How would or do you prepare for a breakdown in an area like this?For example, I regularly commute along the road between Carlsbad, NM and El Paso and there is a stretch signed as having no services for the next 130 miles. Much of this distance also has no cell coverage. I have both AT&T and Verizon and have no coverage on either. I guess that if I broke down I would need to wait for either law enforcement or a kind soul to stop and assist with support. I have roadside coverage but still need to be able to contact them for assistance.So......your thoughts?Thanks,Terry

Traver8 wrote: How would or do you prepare for a breakdown in an area like this?I keep my stuff in good condition. Always carry water. I don't travel in cell-free areas any more than I have to.

Where I live, barely have cell phone reception even at my S&B house. Any backwoods outings even close by will generally result in a loss of signal. When I get to one of these areas I generally have the TC mounted on back, so immediate food & shelter are not a problem. Also, I am mostly close to home for my camping ventures. If I have a break down I can usually hike (less than 20 miles) to get a signal. Sometime I am high enough that the shorter route to get a signal will be to go up rather than down... but there is no guarantee in that unless familiar with the area.Generally, the only other time that I am deep backwoods and out of range is when I take the TC on my hunting trips and I am always with others in terms of vehicles that we can depend others of stuck or a mechanical breakdown. I know these situations are different from what OP describes, but it all about knowing situations, parameters and limits... and being smart about it all.

I am often in areas with no cell signal. My truck is in good shape, I am careful, and I used to think hiking out would do it in case of total truck breakdown. Not any more. Can't hike much these days. And what if what needing fixing was me, not the truck? I now have a DeLorme InReach satellite messenger for both two-way texting and summoning of emergency services.

I've been in a lot of those areas too and I do not worry about it. I carry a lot of spare parts including a unmounted spare tire and the jack and tools necessary to change/mount it. If I cannot fix it myself then I'll get in the car that I pull and go find the necessary help.If you are stranded... no second vehicle then I'd make a sign: "Broke down, No cell service, need a ride to xxx town." Stand beside the rig nicely dressed and stare at every driver without your sun glasses on. Someone will stop and pick you up. Let them see you write their tag number down and hand to the DW. Take your sign so you can hitch a ride back if necessary.

I look at it much like flying a plane. I spend a lot of time at remote lakes where I might see someone else every couple of weeks, or not. While I am a decent carpenter, electrician, and plumber, I have terrible mechanical skills and at my age not likely to improve much. So I try to make sure, much like a pilot, that everything is in good order before I go. Reliability is paramount for me when choosing all my gear. I always go prepared to walk out the couple of days to cell range if I have to, and I guess that equates to my parachute. And I try to remember when I get anxious about it, that there was life before cell phones, people still left the highways behind, most of them lived.

How would you / Do you prepare? | Good Sam Community

34 Replies

Ivylog
Explorer III
Jul 30, 2016
I've been in a lot of those areas too and I do not worry about it. I carry a lot of spare parts including a unmounted spare tire and the jack and tools necessary to change/mount it. If I cannot fix it myself then I'll get in the car that I pull and go find the necessary help.

If you are stranded... no second vehicle then I'd make a sign: "Broke down, No cell service, need a ride to xxx town." Stand beside the rig nicely dressed and stare at every driver without your sun glasses on. Someone will stop and pick you up. Let them see you write their tag number down and hand to the DW. Take your sign so you can hitch a ride back if necessary.
Tiger4x4RV
Nomad
Jul 30, 2016
I am often in areas with no cell signal. My truck is in good shape, I am careful, and I used to think hiking out would do it in case of total truck breakdown. Not any more. Can't hike much these days. And what if what needing fixing was me, not the truck? I now have a DeLorme InReach satellite messenger for both two-way texting and summoning of emergency services.
d3500ram
Explorer III
Jul 30, 2016
Where I live, barely have cell phone reception even at my S&B house. Any backwoods outings even close by will generally result in a loss of signal.

When I get to one of these areas I generally have the TC mounted on back, so immediate food & shelter are not a problem. Also, I am mostly close to home for my camping ventures. If I have a break down I can usually hike (less than 20 miles) to get a signal. Sometime I am high enough that the shorter route to get a signal will be to go up rather than down... but there is no guarantee in that unless familiar with the area.

Generally, the only other time that I am deep backwoods and out of range is when I take the TC on my hunting trips and I am always with others in terms of vehicles that we can depend others of stuck or a mechanical breakdown.

I know these situations are different from what OP describes, but it all about knowing situations, parameters and limits... and being smart about it all.
2oldman
Explorer II
Jul 30, 2016
Traver8 wrote:
How would or do you prepare for a breakdown in an area like this?
I keep my stuff in good condition. Always carry water. I don't travel in cell-free areas any more than I have to.

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How would you / Do you prepare?

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