One of the first things a new RV owner faces is the prospect of driving a vehicle much larger than a regular family car. It seems somewhat intimidating and many people may find the task a bit daunting initially. Sure, driving and parking an RV is quite different from driving a family because it requires some new skills, but learning them doesn’t have to be a stressful experience.
The level of skills required is directly proportional to the size of the RV: the larger the size, the more care a new driver must take while driving it. A lot depends on the category of RV in question: the smallest Class B and Class C motorhomes are barely larger than a station wagon or pickup, while Class A and fifth-wheel trailers are much larger. For the smaller vehicles, Class B and C, the only real concern is learning to trust the side view mirrors and getting used to the added weight. It is the larger Class A coaches and 40 foot fifth wheel trailers that are challenging for novices, those with no truck driving experience will face some difficulty mastering these vehicles. Although there are RV driving schools that offer driving lessons, driving a large RV shouldn’t be that difficult if you take a little care and practice the new skills needed to do so.
Here are some tips and techniques that can make the task of learning to drive an RV a little easier and smoother.
• Your first test will be driving your new RV home from the dealership, depending on your physical location this could be challenging. Plan your route to minimize traffic, lane changes, and traffic lights that will force you to stop and go.
• It would be a good idea to try to avoid heavy traffic and situations that will test your driving skills in the first few days. Consider the size of your vehicle and remember to leave plenty of room and turn wider. Have two or three practice sessions in open, low-traffic areas where you can work on your turns and also get used to your rearview mirrors.
• Parking is another test you will face, if possible try and practice backing up and parking in a large vacant lot, use traffic cones or similar markers to help you judge curbs and obstacles. Proper buddy coordination is a very important aspect of driving an RV, be sure to practice with your buddy, try to build mutual trust by practicing hand signals and/or learning how to use walkie-talkies.
• Driving on the highway will be the ultimate test of your driving skills. Driving safely on the highway will require you to develop a number of skills including passing, negotiating curves and slopes, and controlling your speed to meet conditions. Due to the weight you would be moving it will take you longer to speed up and slow down, braking skills are very essential and you need to calculate how long it will take you to slow down and stop from the speed you are traveling at. . Don’t try to drive on steep mountain roads on your initial trips; Start easy and move on to more challenging trails once you’ve learned how to handle the brakes and cornering.
• Practice makes perfect, the more you practice, the easier it will be to drive safely and confidently.