woman and driving and instruction - RV-Dreams Community Forum

GENECOP · RV-Dreams Family Member

woman and driving and instruction

Luvglass · RV-Dreams Family Member

We're 53 feet and Jo drives it all the time. We know many wives that drive the rigs. You've been reading too much with people describing their rigs as "BIG RIGS" and got yourself nervous. You get used to them after a very short time.

In the grand scheme of things, they're not even large, when you consider that the over the road trucks are 75 feet long and weigh 80,000 pounds. Jo's niece drives one from Florida to the west coast. There are schools, if you search the internet, but they're not all over.

It's no big deal, relax!

bjoyce · RV-Dreams Family Member

We were just at a rally where I think the woman drive the big rigs more than the men. Diane and I drive about 50/50. If training is needed try RV Driving School. We know the owners of the school and many of the instructors and it is well worth it.

janieD · RV-Dreams Family Member

We are waiting for our 5th Wheel and I'm a little like your wife about being nervous about the driving but I've decided I just need to learn. I think we will find a big parking lot somewhere and practice turning wide enough and the thing I worry the most about - parking.

Roz · RV-Dreams Family Member

RV driving instructors do not come any better, more professional or patient than Dennis Hill who now owns RV Driving School founded by Dick Reed.

As Bill Joyce provided the link, I shall say what Nike says - Just Do It. She will do great and gain the confidence from Dennis.

Charles

RodnReal · RV-Dreams Family Member

I drive our current set up with a duelly and TT which adds up to 57.5 feet and love to drive it.

Maybe I was a truck driver in a prior life but I took to it right away. I didn't have any fear of the hauling the RV, I actually enjoy it. I've even hauled it through the center of Houston, Texas.

A woman can do anything she wants Gene, all she needs is desire. Should Rod get sick while were on the road or just plain tired of driving, it's important for me to know how to be comfortable enough to handle the rig alone.

When we upgrade another 8' longer to our fifth wheel, I'll be ready to take on that challenge too.

-Connie

-- Edited by RodnReal on Tuesday 17th of November 2009 06:31:42 AM

Speedhitch · RV-Dreams Family Member

Well Connie you might want to work on Sherri and see if some of you will rub off on her. She tells me how to drive but does not want to try it herself..

Mallo · RV-Dreams Family Member

Speedy,

We were the same way until the Brideandjoy took the Dick Reeds driving class now she's very blase about driving.

Mallo

Roz · RV-Dreams Family Member

Speedy,

I heard that Sherri drives most of the time, but let's you sit and hold the wheel!

Charles

norsado2 · RV-Dreams Family Member

speedy that sonded like OUCH!!!!! to me john

thebearII · RV-Dreams Family Member

This question reminded me of two funny things that happened while trying to get my DW comfortable with driving the rig.

The first was the time I was trying to teach my wife to parallel park the fifth wheel.

We found a big empty parking lot and setup cones to mark the spot she was to park in. It was 45 feet in length. The fifth wheel is 38 feet long. This was practice so she could park in one of our favorite camp spots, just in case she ever had to drive.

After a few missed tries with me directing her, she asked me to be quiet and let her try it on her own. I watched as she went about backing into the spot. In no time at all, she put the truck in park, got out of the truck with a beaming smile and said "There I told you I could do it". It was in that moment that I realized why she was having such trouble following my directions to park. She had parked the fifth perpendiculiar, instead of parallel.

All along she thought she should be backing through the cones (cones on each side), not parking in the cones (cones front to back). Due to this little mis-communication my instructions weren't making sense to her while I was talking her through the parking manuever. Once she understood what was expected she was able to manuver into the spot like a champ.

Second- On a long drive one day, she asked if she could drive for awhile. I let her take over and thought it was a good time for a nap. I don't know how many miles we had travelled but I awoke to the truck swinging back and forth. I looked out the window and we were going around a long curve and the truck and trailer were swinging wildly from side to side in our lane. I looked over and she was over correcting each time the trailer would swing, so it kept getting worse and worse. I reached over and held the steering wheel still and everything lined up and settled down. We continued on our way and I went back to my nap.

My DW wife has no problems towing the fifth wheel, she's reluctant to take it into a town or campground with narrow roads. She has no problem out on the open highway. She does a good job with it.

Racerguy · RV-Dreams Family Member

I know it's going to bite me in the rear some day but I am the worlds worst passenger. I absolutely get sick to my stomach in the passenger seat. To bad because truth be known Linda is a better driver than I am. It's not just her, I can't ride with any one.Behind the wheel is the ONLY time I am a control freak.

Speedhitch · RV-Dreams Family Member

ROZ...you know that is true...I never was able to put my finger on it but now that you mentioned it I do believe you are correct. I am just a pawn in a much bigger picture. Thanks old friend for setting straight on that.

GeorgiaX · RV-Dreams Community Member

thebearII...

My wife Joyce is one of the better drivers I have seen with our 31' TT + Excursion combo. When we got the first rig, we did exactly as you did and went to a large, open parking lot. In 45 minutes of practice, I had her parallel park, back up the length of the parking lot straight, and as a final flourish, had her doing backwards figure eights. I think she did 3 complete figure 8's before she tired of that exercise.

We have also adopted the use of the RV Headsets to help us back up more efficiently. The diesel is too loud to yell back and forth and now we have an established set of commands that keep us accurate.

Practice makes perfect whether going forwards or backwards....

FedExMan · RV-Dreams Community Member

Pauly hates when I want to drive...professional OTR truck driver in his previous life...He is the world's most agitated passenger...It really pi$$ed him off when I drove him home from the hospital after his hip surgery in January. I hooked up the car to the MH, dumped the tanks and put everything away, and off we went. I was bored driving from San Antonio to Weslaco, and just happened to "rest" my foot on the lower dash and he went totally ape sh*t. If he is NOT totally, completely "in charge" he gets onery.

dennise

phyllen · RV-Dreams Family Member

I drove our rig once and know I will need to do it a lot more once we hit the road.

The one time was on the Interstate going through Mississippi. I knew when we got around Meridian there would be a lot more traffic so I pulled over for Len to take over.

It is important for the woman to drive too. It is best to know how now instead of waiting for an emergency. So, come January, watch for Phyllis behind the wheel.

UniquelyRV · RV-Dreams Family Member

We are considering attending the Escapees' Boot Camp in January in Quartzite. Has anyone on this board gone through it? If so, what did you think of it? Does it include driving instructions?

TXRVr · RV-Dreams Family Member

I have one question. Why would anyone need to learn to parallel park an RV? It can't even be done with a MH and a toad. It seems like a sure way to have an accident.

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

As a former professional driver, I would just add one comment that will apply to ANYONE driving an RV, whether truck and fiver or motorhome and toad.

NEVER take any thing for granted. Just when you think that nothing will bother you, then "IT" will happen. As a friend once told me, "Always be SOMEWHAT afraid and stay that way. Overconfidence is a killer."

Even with all my experience on every kind of vehicle from motorcycles to 18-wheelers, I always try to stay focused. Sometimes, I do goof up and catch myself just "tunnelling" down the road. (Tunnelling meaning just looking ahead and driving without seeing what is around and behind me.)

I don't know how many times my cell phone had rang when I am driving and I take it out and hand it to Jo. I have only talked on the phone about twice in my life while driving. Phones are a distraction and distractions are killers as well.

Terry

Terry and Jo · RV-Dreams Family Member

TXRVr wrote:

I have one question. Why would anyone need to learn to parallel park an RV? It can't even be done with a MH and a toad. It seems like a sure way to have an accident.

I'm not sure if it is so much to have the ability to actually parallel park on a street, even though I have done it once or twice when I didn't have an area to park next to relative's homes. More times than not, I let everyone out and then park elsewhere and walk back to the house.

I think most would attempt parallel parking for the event of parking in a crowded RV park (see Howard and Linda's recent stay at Betty's), or maneuvering into a home "camper pad". The driveway to my home is kind of an "S" curving driveway. I have to back in out of the cul-de-sac to get on my pad. Otherwise, learning to back and park in a large parking lot is common. I even did it with my son and his wife one time when they borrowed our camper for their honeymoon.

One other time that backing was critical for me was when my wife's sister had heart surgery. We were waiting in the mountains for them. They were going to stay with us for a couple of days. Instead, they contacted the sheriff's office near us and had them notify us of her surgery. We left early from our vacation and drove to Wichita. We heard that the hospital had an "RV" parking area. Yeah, right. It was nothing more than a normal vehicle parking lot with NO pull through option. Once I had pulled in though, there was no backing out. I had to do the forward and back maneuver a lot of times to get turned to where we could park and be able to just pull out.

As for toads, I would never even try backing with one. That is another reason I like the idea of a fifth wheel over a motorhome.

Terry

ahoweth · RV-Dreams Family Member

My wife drives the motor coach 99% of the time. She is an excellent driver, slow to anger and takes directions well, unlike me. She is observant and cool headed most of the time. While I am a good driver and do drive from time to time, I have my faults. Knowing these things to be true, why would I not have her drive most of the time! It is not a macho thing, it is all about safety!

Besides she cannot read a map enough to tell what direction she is going. When I drive, I am on my own!

Luvglass · RV-Dreams Family Member

Al,
You should think of getting a GPS, and then you won't need a map while you're driving.

dream reachers · RV-Dreams Family Member

Jeanne is a good driver but feels more comfortable towing on the interstates. She does fine driving the truck [medium duty] when trailer is not attached with or without me along. She is a good navigator, we use a GPS but don't always rely on it since it doesn't know we are pulling a trailer. We use maps, and check clearances and grades when off the interstates.