Our trip to Glacier National Park last summer made it very clear. Knowing our RV's height (and other measurements) is critical! Ignorance is NOT bliss if you try to go under a low overpass! ?
Height!
While most of your RV's measurements are pretty straight forward and simple, the height can be tricky.
We've seen some measure to the roof height, then add for the AC, but this can be inaccurate for a number of reasons. The best way is to measure straight down from the tallest point on your RV.
First, you need to be in travel mode on a level surface. This means hitched (for a towable) and jacks retracted.
The tools you need are:
- Level
- Tape Measure
- Tape (duct tape, gorilla tape, etc)
- A 4′ straight implement of some kind (2×4, angle iron, etc – something that is uniform and will not bend)
Tape the measuring tape to the BOTTOM of whatever you're using to extend over the side. It needs to be the bottom because you'll be placing the bottom of the other end on the highest point.
With someone down below to measure, place the implement on top of the highest point (usually an air conditioner), and make sure it's level (using the level of course).
Drop the tape measure down to the ground, being careful to make sure it's straight down. Gravity is your friend to make sure it's straight.
Have the person on the ground record the measurement. If you have a fairly level roof, measure from each AC and use the highest measurement. Easy peasy!
Other Measurements
It's also a great idea to know your width and length. Measure your FULL length in travel mode (hitched, towing, etc).
You should also know your weight! Most truck stops have CAT scales and we'll be covering that in another video/blog.
Document It!
Once you have all of your measurements, document them on a 3×5 card (or something similar) and keep it in the cab of the cockpit of your driveable.
Have all measurements in both imperial and metric. You don't want to be doing conversions at the last minute when you encounter your first overpass in Canada!
Product Links
✅ Rand McNally OverDryve 7: amzn.to/3dieDcP…
✅ Garmin RV 785 GPS: www.technorv.com…
✅ RV Trip Wizard: changinglanesrv.com…
✅ RV Life App: www.rvlife.com…
✅ Sulasstic Shackles: amzn.to/3djck9j…
✅ Air Lift Load Lifter 7500 XL: amzn.to/3a9q1WF…
✅ Air Lift 72000 Wireless Air Leveling Compressor: amzn.to/3bc1aRS…
Related Videos
? RV Trip Planning and GPS: youtu.be/kvifp-Ldr2A…
? Glacier National Park (Part One): youtu.be/kn1W9YdHHIw…
? Glacier National Park (Part Two): youtu.be/e0ztyPXr9sY…
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