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RVers Choose Great Stays
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Story by Perry Mack
My first test drive of a Class A Motorcoach was almost my last day on this earth. It was time to upgrade from the travel trailer to a Class C. I had plans to travel south more often with the family and we needed more comfort and space for the long drives. A looked at a few and then I saw an affordable 39’ Class A. The basement storage was perfect for a family of five that traveled with windsurf and kite gear, and the large windows were so inviting.
“Would you like to take it for a test drive”, the salesman asked? “Don’t I need a special license”, I replied? “No, you’ll be fine”, he said confidently settling into the passenger and handing me the keys. I looked back from the drivers seat almost 13 metres (40’) to the rear of the unit. It looked like a long hallway in a big hotel. Like Brendan Fraser in the movie The Mummy, “I only gamble with my life, never my money”, I started the engine and made a right turn out of the lot. I was feeling pretty confident driving after about two minutes, which is when the sharp right turn after a long straight stretch snuck up on me. Without braking enough I cranked the steering wheel around so as not to end up in a farmers field, which put the salesman on the floor (seatbelts people) and the coach almost up on two wheels through the turn.
Who knew RV’ing could be so exciting? A couple decades later, thousands of hours and kilometres under my belt, I’ve learned quite a bit through experience and chatting with professional drivers. Here are the top tips for driving our big rig.
1. Be prepared. You never know when the unexpected might occur (that’s why they call it unexpected – believe me, I know). So make sure you are stocked with extra drinking water, an emergency kit including flares and caution signs, make sure you GPS maps are up to date and your roadside assistance is paid up.
2. Start with what I call the pre-flight inspection. Just like a pilot walks around his plane, walk around your RV checking that tires are inflated properly, all the basement doors are closed tight, all hoses and cords are stored away and that your route out is clear of obstacles both high and low (bikes and tree branches).
3. Although todays RV’s have powerful, loaded with torque engines, they are not racecars (see first paragraph). They are top heavy; don’t brake like a sports car not do they steer like one. By taking it slow you’ll save on gas and have more time to react to other drivers’ errors. Having the right of way isn’t enough, avoiding a collision is.
4. Motorcoaches have poor break-over and departure angles. For the non-off-road drivers, this means they can get hung up on steep bumps between the front and back tires, and steep, abrupt changes in the road. In San Diego, I needed fuel and pulled into a gas station, which was at a higher elevation than the road. I had a bit of speed on when the rear scrape guard hit the road. I was stuck – couldn’t pull forward or back up. Awesome.
5. Keep it steady. That high centre of gravity will play havoc with your driving if you make sudden lane changes or sharp turns. The coach could end up rocking back and forth resulting in a loss of control. Take your turns a little wider and a little slower.
6. If you’re hit by gust of wind, don’t over-correct, as this will cause the coach to sway. Take it slow and get it driving straight again.
We’re never too old to learn so it makes sense to find a big rig RV driving school near you, to get the latest tips and techniques to keep you safe, relaxed and confident on the road.