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Last Updated on September 5, 2024 by Paul Clayton
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Is It Legal To Ride In A Travel Trailer?
The query, “Is It Legal To Ride In A Travel Trailer?” resonates with many travel enthusiasts. The legality of riding in a travel trailer varies depending on the jurisdiction. In some states and countries, it is perfectly legal to ride in a travel trailer while it is in motion, provided specific safety measures are adhered to.
Key Takeaways
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- Varied Legality: The legality of riding in a travel trailer while it’s in motion varies widely depending on jurisdiction. Some states in the U.S. allow it under specific conditions, while others prohibit it altogether.
- Safety Concerns: Travel trailers lack essential safety features like airbags and seat belts, making them inherently more dangerous for passengers during transit. Even in states where it is legal, adhering to safety precautions such as wearing seat belts, securing loose objects, and maintaining communication between the driver and passengers is critical.
- State-Specific Rules: Regulations differ from state to state, with some states imposing age restrictions, communication requirements, or mandates for safety glasses. In some states, riding in a moving travel trailer is illegal.
- Motorhome Exemptions: Unlike towable RVs, it is generally legal to ride in motorhomes while moving, though they may still have specific seating and seatbelt regulations.
- Safety First: Regardless of legality, it is strongly recommended that you prioritize safety by using seat belts, securing objects, minimizing movement, and avoiding activities like cooking or sleeping while the RV is in motion.
However, this practice is prohibited in other places due to safety concerns. Before deciding to ride in a travel trailer, individuals must understand the specific laws and regulations in their area.
Well, things aren’t as simple as you may think.
Since rules differ across states, there are no clear answers to the legality of riding in a moving travel trailer or other RV types. In some states, it is illegal to transport passengers in any RV (aside from motorhomes), while in others, it is allowed but with some restrictions.
In this post, we will find out in which states riding in the back of an RV is allowed and address safety precautions you should follow.
Is It Legal To Ride In A Travel Trailer? State-by-state guide by RV types
Below is a state-by-state list of general regulations by RV type—travel trailers, fifth wheels, and truck campers. This list indicates whether passengers are allowed in the RV while driving.
State | Travel Trailer | 5th Wheel | Truck Camper |
Alabama | No | No | Yes |
Alaska | No | No | Yes |
Arizona | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Arkansas | No | No | No |
California | No | Yes* | Yes* |
Colorado | No | No | Yes |
Connecticut | No | No | Yes |
Delaware | No | No | Yes |
Florida | No | No | Yes |
Georgia | No | No | Yes |
Hawaii | No | No | Yes** |
Idaho | No | No | Yes |
Illinois | No | No | Yes |
Indiana | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Iowa | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Kansas | Yes*** | Yes*** | Yes*** |
Kentucky | No | No | Yes |
Louisiana | No | No | Yes |
Maine | No | No | No |
Maryland | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Massachusetts | No | No | Yes |
Michigan | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Minnesota | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Mississippi | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Missouri | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Montana | No | Yes | Yes |
Nebraska | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Nevada | No | No | Yes |
New Hampshire | No | No | No |
New Jersey | No | Yes | Yes |
New Mexico | No | No | Yes |
New York | No | Yes | Yes |
North Carolina | Yes | Yes | Yes |
North Dakota | No | Yes | Yes |
Ohio | No | No | Yes |
Oklahoma | No | No | Yes |
Oregon | No | Yes* | Yes |
Pennsylvania | No | Yes* | No |
Rhode Island | No | No | Yes |
South Carolina | No | Yes* | No |
South Dakota | No | Yes* | Yes |
Tennessee | No | Yes | Yes |
Texas | No | No | Yes |
Utah | No | No | Yes |
Vermont | No | No | Yes |
Virginia | No | No | Yes |
Washington | No | No | Yes |
West Virginia | No | Yes | Yes |
Wisconsin | No | Yes* | No |
Wyoming | No | No | Yes |
* Communication between the driver and passengers in the RV is required.
** Only passengers older than 13 are allowed.
*** Only passengers older than 14 are allowed.
As you can see, there are huge differences regarding the legality of riding in a moving travel trailer from state to state. Some states allow riding in any moving RV, others only allow it in certain types, a few place certain restrictions on RV riding, and three states—Arkansas, Maine, and New Hampshire—don’t allow riding in a moving RV altogether.
Aside from age, some states may impose other requirements that you must follow when having passengers in a moving RV. For example, passengers may be required to be seated in appropriate passenger seats equipped with seat belts, while children must ride in a federally approved child safety seat.
There may also be rules regarding the RV’s weight, size, brakes, turn signals, speed, lighting, mirrors, or hitch type. Again, these may differ from state to state, so consult local authorities to determine any specifics applicable to your state.
Remember that regulations can change at any time, and we cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information provided above. To receive up-to-date information on rules in your state, consult the local Department of Motor Vehicles or the Department of Transportation.
What about motorhomes?
Unlike towable RVs, where the legality of riding in it while moving varies across the US, it is legal to ride in the back of a motorhome. A motorhome is a single vehicle, so many requirements for towable RVs do not apply to them.
However, there may still be some restrictions on passenger seating in a motorhome. Each state has varying laws regarding RV seat belts, for example. Usually, motorhomes (and essentially all other RV types) must have seat belts in the front passenger seats but not in the back seats.
In the end, while there are fewer restrictions imposed on motorhomes, there still are specific rules that you may have to follow in your state.
Safety precautions when transporting passengers in an RV
There are certain safety precautions that you need to follow, even if they aren’t required in your state. For example, if passengers in the RV aren’t required to wear seatbelts, they should do so to stay safe.
Below is a list of essential safety precautions to transport anyone in your RV, whether a towable RV or a motorhome.
Have seat belts
Living-area furniture in towable RVs isn’t always equipped with seatbelts, and you may want to install them yourself if you don’t intend to have anyone seated in the sofas. Even if you don’t intend to have anyone seated in the sofas, you should still equip them with seatbelts just in case.
It would be best to determine which seats are the safest and prioritize them over others when mounting seatbelts and transporting passengers.
Ideally, your RV should have as many seats with seatbelts as passengers. This will ensure everyone is safe and no one is left out. Rear passenger seats aren’t always required to have seatbelts, but you should install them nonetheless to ensure the safety of your passengers.
Maintain communication
It is key that the driver and passengers maintain communication with one another while the RV is in motion. Again, you should do this even if it isn’t required in your state.
For example, the driver may alert the passengers that a bumpy road section is coming up, allowing those in the RV to take their seats and buckle up. Likewise, the passengers should be able to alert the driver if there is a problem, and the driver must pull over.
You may use a cell phone with a reception in your area or a two-way radio to communicate with the passengers. Since reception can be wrong in some places, consider having a way to communicate visually with the passengers.
Install safety glass
Many RVs do not come with shatterproof glass preinstalled. If you determine that the windows in your RV aren’t shatterproof, then you should install safety glass to ensure the safety of the RV passengers.
Safety glass is designed not to shatter into the RV’s interior when a branch or another object hits the window. Glass can easily cause cuts on the skin or damage to the eyes, so you should not carry passengers in your RV if it doesn’t have shatterproof windows.
Do Not Allow Children To Stay Alone
It would be best if you did not allow children to ride in a towed RV without the supervision of an adult. RVs aren’t built as safe as automobiles, first of all, and appliances and other items in the RV can easily come loose and fall while you are driving. Children could accidentally get injured from objects flying around. Not only that, but they likely will be careless when riding in the RV alone.
Secure all objects in the RV
They are speaking of loose objects, securing all items that may come loose or fall off while in motion is a good idea. Adults can, to some extent, ensure the safety of children, but they aren’t immune to items flying around the RV.
Keep all portable appliances in cabinets and make sure that the cabinets are tightly closed. If you have any carts or appliances with wheels, you need to lock the wheels and maybe even strap the appliance so that it doesn’t roll during the journey.
Do not leave pets in the RV
Like it is with children, you should not leave your pets alone in the RV while it is in motion. They will have no idea what’s happening, and they may panic and become destructive. Even if you have your pet in a crate, do not leave them alone in the back of the RV.
Leave An Emergency Way Out
Unfortunately, accidents do happen, and to ensure that the RV’s passengers can easily exit safely, you need to consider leaving a couple of emergency exits for them.
For example, the RV doors should be unlocked while driving so passengers can quickly leave in an emergency. While leaving the doors open may seem counterintuitive to safety, cutting the passengers’ way to safety by locking the doors can be disastrous.
In addition to leaving the doors open, consider equipping the passengers with glass breakers to exit the RV if the doors are blocked off. Make sure to get a good and reliable glass breaker that can easily break tempered glass. Some glass breakers can also slice through seatbelts, which is also something to look for.
Minimize movement in the RV
The freedom of movement in the RV may be tempting, but passengers shouldn’t give themselves too much freedom. The safest place in a moving RV is a passenger seat equipped with seatbelts, so passengers shouldn’t leave their seats unless it’s necessary.
This isn’t only a safety precaution – remember, in some states, passengers must wear seatbelts at all times while the RV is in motion, and not doing so would violate state laws.
Do not sleep in the RV
It would be best not to sleep in the RV while it is in motion. If you must nap, at least do so in a passenger seat while buckling.
First of all, sleeping in bed does not involve seatbelts, which would secure you in a place like they would in a safe passenger seat.
Secondly, as mentioned above, it would violate the law of not wearing seatbelts in a moving RV.
Thirdly, a sleeping person will not be able to react quickly to falling objects or avoid possible injury in the event of an accident or if the RV hits a bumpy road. Sleeping in a moving RV greatly compromises your safety.
Do Not Use The Bathroom While In Motion
Likewise, using the bathroom while the RV is in motion is unwise. While nothing prevents you from doing so, the bathroom is probably the worst place to be in an accident. If you need to use the bathroom, then have the RV pull over so that you can do everything safely. Plus, the driver will get a chance to have a short break!
Do not cook in a moving RV
Cooking in a moving RV is perhaps the most dangerous thing to do while on the road. Cooking in a confined area is risky, let alone cooking when the RV is in motion. Plus, it’s inconvenient, so why even bother?
Should you even be in a moving RV
With all of the above being said, should you even be in a moving RV in the first place?
We’d say that you shouldn’t carry passengers in a towable RV unless necessary. If your tow vehicle has enough passenger seats, all your companions should be in the car.
Aside from that, there is really no point in having people in an RV since it is unsafe to sleep, cook, or do anything in there except be safely seated and buckled in a passenger seat. You may only watch TV or play video games in an RV if you are safely seated. You could also set up a TV in your car if you have free room for it.
Things are a bit easier in motorhomes, but the same rules apply to them.
If riding in an RV is illegal in your state, do not try to game the system. You should follow the safety precautions listed above if it is allowed without any safety rules.
The legality of riding in a travel trailer while it’s in motion varies substantially from one jurisdiction to another. As such, the question, “Is it legal to ride in a travel trailer?” doesn’t have a universal answer. In many jurisdictions, it is strictly prohibited due to safety concerns.
Travel trailers are not equipped with the same safety features as passenger vehicles, such as airbags and seat belts, which puts passengers at a higher risk of injury in an accident.
However, in some U.S. states, it is legally permissible to ride in a travel trailer while it’s being towed, but certain stipulations and requirements must be met. These may include communication devices between the driver and passengers, readily available exit mechanisms, or age restrictions.
Anyone considering riding in a travel trailer must thoroughly research the laws specific to their location.
In conclusion, while riding in a travel trailer may be legal in some places, it is generally considered unsafe and is prohibited in many areas. For safety and legal compliance, it’s advisable to consult local laws and regulations before choosing to ride in a travel trailer.
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