Which is safer, truck / trailer or motorhome?

beemerphile1 wrote:
Well, you really need to define "safer". If you mean in a collision, you will be safer in a truck.

The truck has to meet very stringent safety requirements for the passenger compartment. A class A does not have those same requirements because they are limited production specialty vehicles.

A class C would also be safer in a collision than an A for the same reasons although the C is less safe than the truck. The class C has a regulated passenger compartment but it loses to the truck due to the C being open to the living compartment.

If you mean safer as to bad guys in a bad environment at night, the MH is safer because it allows you to drive away without exiting the vehicle.

This.

Safer in what sense?

If one has to be involved in a crash, it is far safer to be in a modern pickup truck than in any motorhome I know of. There are several reasons: the safety requirements for pickups are much more stringent (in terms of seatbelts, seat strength, roof strength, airbags, etc.) and they are actually crash tested. Also, you don't have all manner of cabinets and appliances in the same box with you, nor items in the cabinets that may become airborne missiles. A truck will be designed with crush structures to absorb energy in the event of a collision; a motorhome, particularly a class A, generally will not.

A poorly set up trailer or a trailer too large for the tow vehicle will be much harder to control than a reasonably set up motorhome, and probably more likely to get into or cause a crash. A motorhome might also be slightly more straightforward for a novice to drive, though neither vehicle is really suitable for anyone who is not yet a proficient driver.

In any case, exercising care when driving and keeping up with maintenance and so forth probably have more to do to encourage safety than the vehicle choice.

I have a class C motorhome, by the way. I'm quite aware that it's not an especially crashworthy vehicle whenever I drive it. I thoroughly enjoy it none the less, and have no desire at all to trade for a trailer and tow vehicle.

Safer in what way? Ability to survive a collision, or the ability to avoid the collision in the first place? Head-on collision? Side swipe? Roll over? Off road excursion?

I would think that there is no "safer" RV, just a "safer" driver.

Well, you really need to define "safer". If you mean in a collision, you will be safer in a truck.

The truck has to meet very stringent safety requirements for the passenger compartment. A class A does not have those same requirements because they are limited production specialty vehicles.

A class C would also be safer in a collision than an A for the same reasons although the C is less safe than the truck. The class C has a regulated passenger compartment but it loses to the truck due to the C being open to the living compartment.

If you mean safer as to bad guys in a bad environment at night, the MH is safer because it allows you to drive away without exiting the vehicle.

We have traveled with our friends that have a 40' MH in windy conditions from PalmSprings to Phoenix along I-10 winds coming from the SE at 40 mph. We were rock solid with our 2011 RAM Dually towing a 36' MobileSuites. Following behind them they were constantly moving across their lane. When we arrived he got out looking very frazzled. He asked how I did in the wind and I said fine and he said he was worn out trying to keep his MH in his lane.

We just took the same road in the wind from PS to Quartzite following a Class A MH. They were all over their lane and onto the shoulder and at one time clear into the left hand land almost hitting a little red car. This trip we were in 15 RAM Dually towing 39' MS combined wt 32,500#.

On the other hand, you don't have to exit the RV and hop in the tow vehicle if you want to leave a bad situation.

I felt just as safe when we had a TT or our PU.
Realy less safe in our Class A,s. As you were right up front. Close to the windshield.
In our C as we were in our tie vehicle. You sit back away from it.