A recreational vehicle? As in what they sell here: http://www.poulsborv.com/? (URL posted without notification of owners, and I take no responsibility for its use. All rights Im sure are reserved by the owners, though I doubt very much they'll have an issue with free advertising.) How is that safer? You know those tend to be made out of Sheet metal, Cardboard, and Insulation right? And a Truck will almost unilaterally be cheaper then an R.V., unless you plan to live in it and can discount the cost of Rent, Lease, Mortgage, and any associated taxes and upkeep costs..... Also remember to do that, you need somewhere to park it, and if you want to have basic amenities like running water and sewage, you're going to be charged fees for that unless you happen to find a stream, creek, or river that isn't polluted, and get real good at dodging people like Forest Service Rangers.....
Have a look at some of the images here: (Its a google search, set to the "Images" tab if it doesn't work, just do a search on Google For "R.V. Accidents")
https://www.google.com/search?q=R.V+Acc ... 72&bih=569
As far as safety goes, what specific priority are you looking for? Something that will take less damage? or something that you will walk away from even if you're in a 100MPH head on collision? Because honestly, the answers to those two questions are VERY different..... Small cars tend to fare better for their occupants (In general, and there are exceptions to this) in accidents, because safety is a selling point for a "Family Vehicle". Where as Trucks tend to be built more solidly to fulfill heavier duty requirements (Such as hauling your 3 ton Crabbing Vessel around, or filling the bed with Gravel for your driveway, etc etc). Solid construction means it takes more to damage the vehicle, but the occupants tend to fare less well in accidents that exceed the limits of the materials involved in the construction of the vehicle (Its pretty easy to be bounced around the inside of a spacious King-cab for instance, breaking bones and internal organs all the while, but being in a bigger heavier vehicle means that that scenario is less likely to occur *Depending* on a few variables like your driving habits and the area you live in).
Btw, Dually Pick-ups ARE NOT "All-terrain"..... Not unless you want to drop a good 2-Grand in suspension work and Tires later..... Dually Axles only server 2 purposes, 1: Looks, and 2: Weight distribution for carrying larger (Heavier, to be more accurate) loads....
If you want an all-terrain truck, safety wont be your primary concern, because you want something thats been jacked up off the ground, unless you live in a desert/tundra type area..... And once you jack a truck up far enough to make it "All-terrain", you increase its likely-hood to roll in the event of an accident. And what on earth gave you the idea that an RV could go anywhere that wasn't graded, and generally paved, or at least Graveled?
Alot of R.V.s (All past a certain size, or after a certain number of wheels/axles) require special endorsements on your license to get, and those generally involve attending at least a minor class of some sort to obtain. More fees to tack onto any perspective use of said R.V.. Sure you can buy one off Craigslist and probably dodge those for awhile, but if you ever get pulled over, or safety inspected (As tends to happen on occasion with R.V.s on the road), you're then looking at at least a ticket, if not an impound and possibly something like reckless driving charges (All depends on the state, county, city, the cop him/herself, what mood they're in, etc etc).....
Feel free to research any of this (I would rather encourage you do so before you start picking out which "manly bells and whistles" you want to attach to any vehicle you consider purchasing....).
Finally, I will say that I drive 100-250 Miles a night, 5 days a night. I have been driving similar amounts for about 4.5 years. I have only been involved in 2 accidents, neither were my fault, and both times my vehicle came away with at most minor damage requiring no repair work. If your concern is the other people on the road, learn to focus on your driving, and learn to drive well and anticipate other drivers, and you'll be fine. Learn to use your mirrors, and be aware of where other drivers are as often as possible (When you feel like your head is on a swivel, you're doing it right), then when you can add anticipation of their possible actions on top of that (Aggressive drivers are VERY easy to predict, They will always take the course, with varying degrees of regard for safety, that serves them best, usually to the end of passing other vehicles), you will have nothing to worry about from other vehicles whether you're driving a Peterbuilt or a VW Rabbit.....
Aldran
09 Nov 2012, 7:53 pm
