As summer begins, and a growing number of families plan theirvacation trips driving recreational vehicles, GMAC Insurance issuedits top five claims and safety tips to vacationers taking uprecreational vehicles.

GMAC said that the growth in recreational vehicle (RV) use isbest illustrated by figures put out by RVIA.org, which said salesare at a 27-year high and RV travel is expected to outpacetraditional travel by 34 percent.

At the top of GMAC's RV claims list is refrigerator fires causedby leaky propane tanks. The company said it receives at least 400claims per year from this risk. A rig can burn up in as little assix minutes, the company said, from this.

The carrier advises customers that they should have theirpropane tank lines and connections checked by a certified RV dealereach year.

Rounding out the top five were hitting gas station overhangs andbridges by forgetting an RV's height; failure to retract steps andawnings before departure; tire blowouts; and animal infestationfrom inactivity during winter.

Among some of the recommendations: create reminders andchecklists, keep tires clean and properly inflated, and start theRV every week to keep the critters away.

More information regarding RV insurance claims and a pre-drivingsafety checklist is available at the GMAC Web site atwww.rvinsurance.com.