Could an RV keep you safe during a zombie apocalypse?
The Walking Dead may be coming to an end, but fans of the popular TV show still seem to have mixed opinions when it comes to (arguably) one of the shows first morale compasses. Sure, Dale could be a bit annoying and his concern for Andrea was borderline creepy at times, but love him or hate him we have to admit that our original group of survivors wouldn’t have gotten far without Dale or his RV!
Dale’s RV appears very briefly in the very first episode of The Walking Dead when, unbeknown to Rick, a small group of survivors (including Rick’s wife and son) pick up his radio signal from their campground outside of Atlanta.
We later learn that Dale rescued Amy and Andrea from walkers before joining with the rest of the group on the outskirts of the city.
Without Dale’s RV our original survivors might not have even made it to Atlanta. Rick might never have been reunited with Lori, Carl or Shane, and he may never have met several major characters including Glenn, Daryl, Carol and Andrea (ok Andrea may not be that big a character in the TV show, but she is the reason we later meet Michonne!).
Take a minute to let that sink in before we look back at the 5 times that Dale’s RV saved Rick and the other survivors in The Walking Dead TV show.
1. Season 1, Episode 4 - Vatos
The group spend most of season 1 at their quarry campsite, having made the journey to Atlanta in search of the refugee centre, only to discover that the city is overran with walkers. It’s here that the RV serves as a command centre and lookout tower. Dale spends most of his time sitting on top of the RV, keeping a careful eye on the camps' inhabitants through his binoculars.
Unfortunately, on one of the rare occasions that Dale joins the rest of the group on the ground, walkers make it into the camp, brutally killing several survivors. Whilst we were sad to see Amy go, Dale’s neglect of his duties did result in hillbilly wife beater Ed getting his just deserts. Had Ed lived, Carol may never have become the badass that she is today!
The RV may not have saved Amy or Ed, but by ridding Carol of her abusive husband, a chain of events was set into motion that would kick-start Carol’s evolution into the one-woman army who singlehandedly saved the other survivors more times than we can count (think Terminus!).
2. Season 1, Episode 5 - Wildfire
Having fought off the wandering walkers in the previous episode, the survivors are left with little choice but to leave the quarry campsite. With most of the group agreeing to seek answers at The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, the RV leads the convoy into the city.
Without Dale’s RV the group would’ve stood little chance of making it through the walker infested streets, nor the marauding gangs already stalking the city.
Had Rick and the others not visited the CDC, the group wouldn’t have met Dr Jenner and they would not have learnt the true extent of the virus, or its reach.
Later, Jenner’s suicide plan forces each member of the group to decide whether or not they truly want to attempt to survive in this brave new world.
3. Season 2, Episode 1 - What lies ahead
After narrowly escaping from the CDC, the survivors once again use Dale's RV to escape the fallen city as they head to Fort Benning.
The RV doesn't make it far before it's forced to stop. Abandoned cars litter the highway, making it impossible to pass. The group attempt to make a path, but the RV breaks down. Dale stops to fix the RV whilst the rest of the group scavenge for parts. It's here that the survivors encounter their first herd!
As walkers engulf the highway, Andrea takes refuge in the RV, whilst Dale is trapped on its roof. A stray walker wanders into the RV, cornering Andrea in the bathroom. Fortunately, Dale is able to pass a screwdriver through the sunroof, and as the walker breaks through the bathroom door, Andrea stabs it repeatedly in the head.
There's no question that on this occasion the RV saved both Dale and Andrea from a grizzly death!
4. Season 2, Episode 7 - Pretty Much Dead Already
For most of season 2, the group have been camping in relative safety at Hersel's farm whilst they continue their search for missing Sophia.
Upon their arrival, Hershel makes it clear that he expects the group to follow his rules if they wish to stay on his property. This includes keeping their guns safely locked inside the RV. Mostly, the group comply with this rule. Until Dale, having become increasingly concerned by Shane's state of mind, attempts to hide the weapons in the marshes. Shane finds him, takes control of the guns, and chaos ensues!
Now, you can look at this in several ways;
1) Had Dale not tried to hide the guns, Shane would have taken them from the RV and the outcome would've been exactly the same!
2) Had the guns stayed in the RV, the walkers might have remained locked safely in the barn. However, the survivors may never have discovered Sophia's fate and eventually the group would have fractured.
3) Had Shane not opened fire on the barn, the walkers could have escaped and killed everyone on the farm.
The point is this, if the group had not agreed to safely store their guns in Dale’s RV, they would not have been afforded the safety of Hershels' farm when they needed it. However, Shane's breaking the rules, taking the guns and the resulting chaos, forced Hershel to acknowledge the reality of the situation and the struggle for survival away from the farm – leading him to invite the group (minus Shane) to stay.
Either way, in a round-about way, this is another clear occasion when the RV helped to keep the group safe!
5. Season 2, Episode 13 - Beside the Dying Fire
In this episode gunfire attracts another (much larger) herd to the farm. Having become separated from the rest of the group, and unable to make it to the farmhouse, Rick and Carl head for the barn. Whilst Jimmy circles the farm in the RV taking down walkers, Rick and Carl douse the ground with gasoline before opening the barn doors and luring the walkers inside. As the barn bursts into flames, Jimmy drives the RV closer and Rick and Carl jump from the hayloft onto its roof. Rick and Carl run for safety whilst walkers force their way onto the RV, devouring Jimmy and allowing the RV to catch ablaze.
Sadly, that's the last we see of Dale's RV, however had Jimmy not used the RV to help Rick and Carl, they may not have escaped the burning barn or the walkers below, and we wouldn't have enjoyed 9 more (mostly) brilliant series of The Walking Dead!
We hope that you've found this article entertaining! If like us, you're preparing for the inevitable zombie apocalypse, we suggest that you take a look at our fantastic selection of campervans and motorhomes for sale (they're like RVs, but smaller, lighter and easier to manoeuvre around the countless walkers and other obstacles that you'll surely encounter).
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