Carrying a Stun Gun or Taser for Protection in your RV
Updated 03-22-2022
Laws are updated yearly. This artical opinions are based on our experience. Be sure of the laws in any state and city . Plan ahead of time and check the laws in states and cities you plan to visit. (we have a starting point here of general laws)
One of the first self defense weapons thought of while on the road is a hand gun. I hate having to use a gun for self protection for any reason and I base this on just two main reasons of which you can add a large number of sub-reasons:
1. With one’s use, the result is often final.
2. No matter what, if you have to use one, your life is changed forever.
Just look at current news regarding the use of a gun and you will see point #2 above.
Don’t get me wrong; when I was working as a police detective and later as a Sergeant, there were times I had been glad to have one. In fact I felt like something was missing if I didn’t have one with me. But I also remember when one was used off duty, the person that had to use it, went under much more scrutiny and stress.
I would recommend that non-lethal self defense weapons be used instead.
With that said, I would like to move on to carrying a Stun Gun or Taser for protection in your RV.
Know the differece between a Taser and a Stun Gun.
You can have a gun in your home and it is thought of in California, on a case by case bases, that when you live in your RV, it is considered your home for that period of time. Although this may be true, when you cross state lines, it may as well not be true.
On the other hand, Stun Guns are legal to carry in California almost anywhere and when you cross state lines they are most often also legal there.
Plan ahead of time and check the laws in states and cities you plan to visit. (we have a starting point here)
I just returned from a trip in my Fifth Wheel and although I carry Pepper Spray, Stun Gun and Taser, I really had not thought much of how I might need them in my RV. On a current trip something happened that made me rethink that.
It was a normal family gathering. We had a number of family members join us for a few days and after they left, we stayed a couple of extra days to have to ourselves and to clean up the campsite area. Since this is the beginning of the camping season not many campers stay due to school, work, or other obligations. This trip was similar, except that only one other camper was in our campground area and he was unique to say the least.
During the day he was always by himself and was either gone in his car or in his camp site. However at night, he went into a behavior I can only describe as weird.
There is nothing illegal about singing at the top of the lungs , dancing, or constant walking to and from the campground restroom, but it made us take notice. It was the next thing that made me think defense is something we needed to plan for.
This camper drove around the campsites in his car at night and would stop and parked on the road near our campsite ten to fifteen minutes each time. He never left his car, but there was no reason to just sit there. There is nothing illegal about this, but it does give an uneasy feeling. And when it is during sleep time in a park full of animal and bird noises, it gets hard to sleep without a plan of some type.
Here are some tips that I use for myself to make it a little safer and to help protect yourself and family in an RV.
Have a Stun Gun, Taser, or Pepper Spray handy at all times. Know how to use them before you need them.
RVs have a number of ways to get out, but only one or two doors for easy entry. Keep them closed, locked and never open them unless you know who is on the other side of the door.
If you do open the door, have your stun gun Taser in hand at ready if needed. Remember you have the high ground; it will be difficult for someone to climb up in an offensive attack.
It is our nature to go out to check on things when there is a noise. If at all possible at night, have valuables locked up and wait until the morning. Property can be replaced, a life cannot.
Why not check? It may not be what you think:
- If it is a person and you leave the RV, you have lost your high ground and he, or they may also be armed with a weapon.
2. The noise is the unknown. We normally camp in Black Bear country. We see Bears all the time and know what to do if we see one. This time we were in the foot hills just an hour from home. What we did not know was that there had been a Mountain Lion seen several times in our campground area.
Have a Plan:
Have a cell phone with you and check to see if you have service where you are camping. If you do, have a plan for someone to call for help if needed. If you don’t have service, have a plan to contact someone who knows where you are at all times. If you miss the contact time, have a plan on what that person will do.
Planning, practice, and training is a way to take care of problems that may come up ahead of time. This is just one type of safety planning for your trips, but when you have it in place as a routine, it becomes a background task. And if it is ever needed it can fall into place to help you feel safer and more secure.
We have a large number of Stun Guns, and Pepper Spray products and information for you at www.ForSecuritySake.com. Feel free to give us a look and while you are there, we invite you to join our family and friends by subscribing to our free email news letter.
Be safe out there!
