How Do You Drive That Thing?

Before I delve into the topic at hand, let me fill you in on Perl girl. She is currently still hanging out in Richmond. Not because she needs a ton of work but rather, the truck shop is pretty darn busy. I did get the diagnosis on the electrical issue. If you read my last post, you’d know that I was very concerned about another major repair job. So what was the issue this time you may ask………….

A BULB

That’s right guys. When I got back home, I had the RV parked at the nearby campground so I could clean her out and do a bit of maintenance. One of the things I did was replace a burnt out bulb in the tail light. I took that bulb with me to the store and got what I thought was the exact same bulb. Well apparently I goofed and needed something 2 prong or another and that was causing my blinkers and other electrical things to act pretty wacky.

So with that mystery all sorted out, I asked them to check the tires as they are wearing to the inside or outside – I can’t remember which one. Basically from my research it seems I need an alignment. I’d also like to have the tires rotated so I can get as much good wear as I can out of them before they age out on me. And there’s no better place to have this done than at a Ford truck shop with all the machinery to handle my girl.

So there you have it my dear readers. I was hoping to take one last fall trip before I have to store her for the winter. We’ll see if I can make that trip reality.

But today, what I really wanted to talk to you about is a question that I get asked a lot, “How do you drive that thing?”. Perhaps it’s because I’m a woman driving a big ole’ 36′ Class A motorhome and most women cannot imagine doing such a thing. I’m going to share my experience for anyone who is fearful of undertaking such a task, whether you’re male or female. NEVER let that hold you back if this is a dream of yours!!

To start off, I just have to say that I really don’t feel that much different driving my 36′ RV versus my Honda CR-V or Pilot. In fact, in a lot of ways, it’s easier to drive the RV. Why you may ask?

VISIBILITY!!

It’s really all about what you can see and how well you can see it. The mirrors on my RV are positioned properly, are nice and big and do the job very well. Another plus driving a Class A over a C is the windshield is big and wide with nothing obscuring your view out the front or to the sides. You also sit up much higher.

So I’m sure you can see that visibility is NOT an issue. Another thing that I was very concerned with when I started driving Perl was how in the world I was going to change lanes. I was certain I was going to side swipe someone. But you see those great mirrors and the visibility they provide, right? It was almost a non-issue for me right from the start.

When I added the tow vehicle, I was a bit more concerned. Now there was a portion of the RV that I had to account for on my own. But I just made sure that anyone coming up alongside me was far enough away. I’ve never had a problem. I also have a camera that allows me to see down either side of the RV as well as things behind me.

If I click on my left blinker, I get a view of the entire left side of the RV and vice-versa for the right. If I’m just motoring on down the highway, I see what you see in the picture, my tow vehicle. This is also true when I’m backing up.

To be honest with you folks, I get the most benefits from the camera when I’m backing up and to make sure the tow vehicle is, well, still towing! I hardly ever look at it when I switch lanes. The mirrors provide all the visibility I need.

I think the trickiest part about driving the RV is making sure you don’t end up in any tight spots. Such as my fun hanging out in the cornfields in Pennsylvania and not being able to turn around. Good times.

Then there was the fun time when I ‘thought’ I had enough room to turn around…….and ended up having to unhook the tow vehicle at the bottom of a hill in the middle of the road. This was on our way to Yosemite. So, I’ve become a much better judge of how much clearance I have and what NOT to do when you’re hauling around a massive girl with 3500 pounds coming up behind her.

So we’ve covered visibility, avoiding tight spots and being careful where you turn around. The other thing you need to consider, especially if you’re traveling around the east coast is allowing enough clearance for the height of your RV. This can be tricky because this information can be hard to find. Low clearances aren’t listed on google maps or basic GPS units.

Rather then cover a topic that’s already been beautifully covered already, I’m going to send you right on over to a very good blog post that the Wheeling It folks recently did. The post is pretty thorough and provides some resources for navigating low clearances.

The folks at Family Motor Coach Association (FMCA) have a decent article on tips to improve your motorhome skills as well as a link to RV Education 101. This could come in handy for some of you out there.

Another thing I don’t see covered very often is how to handle ascending and descending steep grades. Climbing hills can be tedious but going back down them, especially when there are curves involved, can be downright nerve-racking. Especially when you have cliffs with large drop offs mere feet from you. Check out this video for some fun times we had descending Palo Duro Canyon in Texas.

I’ve found myself in these situations many times and most cannot be avoided if you really want to see some amazing things you might otherwise miss. My strategy is to, first and foremost, go slow! I don’t care how many cars are lined up behind me, my safety ensures everyone’s safety. I also use my lower gears as much as possible to slow me down. I apply my brakes as sparingly as I possibly can. And I avoid keeping my foot on the brake for long periods of time. This is covered nicely in this post by Back Road Travelers.

Some of this is just good old experience you’re not going to get unless you take the leap and just do it. We all make mistakes and the best way to learn is from life lessons along the way. There is nothing magical about me except guts and determination (and a little bIt of crazy, I’ll freely admit that). And if I can do it, SO CAN YOU :-)! So get out there and go RV’ing!

 {HUGS} from the Crew!

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