Gun Storage For RVs: Staying Safe And Legal

Recreational vehicles (RVs) allow you to traverse the country with great comfort. Whether it’s a road trip, weekend getaway, or a visit to your friends, you may want to carry along your firearm for protection or fun.

But you understand that guns are never carried just anyhow. You must ensure they’re stored in a manner that guarantees safety for the owner and the public too. Simply locking your car’s doors isn’t considered secure storage.

Your vehicle in itself isn’t a gun safe. But the law allows you to store your gun in your RV, as long as you follow the storage rules. Find below some tips to store guns in your RV.

1. Choose The Right Storage Solution

Below are some factors to consider when choosing a safe for your RV:

Size And Weight

Your RV doesn’t have the luxury of space, perhaps like your home. So, it helps to choose a compact safe. A closet or drawer space is ideal for hiding the safe while still providing quick access. If you can’t store it out of sight, you may want to try concealment furniture. Also, ensure the safe isn’t so heavy to the extent of exceeding your RV’s weight capacity.

Secure Mounting

Driving in bumpy conditions can make you ruin precious items, including your gun. That’s why you must securely mount the gun safe. It shouldn’t bounce around in your RV. If you opt for a gun wall mount, make sure it’s firmly secured to the studs. To note, RV walls aren’t designed to carry too much weight. So, ensure the studs can bear the weight of the safe.

Apart from wall mounting, you can also use mounting hardware to fix the safe to a solid surface like a countertop, desk, or night stand.

Durability And Construction

Your safe should be built with durable materials and constructed solidly so it doesn’t succumb to the jostling around during travel. Heavy duty steel is usually the ideal material for gun safes. You’d also want reinforced hinges and a secure locking mechanism to ensure your safe is never breached.

Security Features

Your gun safe should have anti-theft features to prevent unauthorized access. Moreover, you may be traveling with children or guests in your RV, more reason why the safe should be secure. Regarding visibility, ensure it’s hidden or disguised with concealment furniture. But even so, it should be easily accessible. Go for secure entry methods like biometric locks, keypads, magnetic keys, or combination locks. Lastly, interior lighting is important to allow you to open the safe at night or in dim lighting.

2. Understand The Law

There are many laws and regulations around carrying firearms in RVs. Mark you, there are federal laws that apply across the country and also state laws that vary from one state to the other.

The federal law that should be of concern to you whenever you traverse state lines with a gun in your RV is the Gun Control Act of 1968. This is usually abbreviated as GCA or GCA68. Fundamentally, anyone can carry a firearm across state lines except the following.

• Those who are mentally ill
• Veterans who were discharged dishonorably
• Prison escapees
• Those convicted of domestic violence crimes
• Those who have given up their U.S. citizenship
• Convicted lawbreakers
• Those using controlled drugs like marijuana illegally
• Illegal aliens
• Juveniles, unless they’re traveling specifically for target practice or education.

It’s good to confirm you don’t fall under any of the above categories. The Gun Control Act 1968 also states that you don’t need a permit to move a gun across state lines in your RV. However, it must be unloaded and in a locked container, but not the glove compartment or center console. Furthermore, the gun plus the key to the locked container must be out of reach of the drivers and passengers.

Beyond the federal laws regarding crossing state lines, you must also follow the laws of the states you’ll be traveling through. No kidding, state laws vary greatly. Make a point of researching the laws of the individual states before kicking off your journey.

Many states allow you to transport your gun without a carry permit if it’s enclosed and unloaded. However, this might be useless in case you want to defend yourself against criminals as you travel in your RV. So, if you want to carry loaded and accessible guns, you’ll need to apply for a carry license.

Conclusion

You can indeed travel safely with your gun in your RV. The most important thing is to understand the laws surrounding this in the various states you plan to travel through. Remember, gun laws change time after time, so it’s helpful to keep updated. Enroll in RV and firearm safety courses and participate in RVing communities to get insights from other gun owners.