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Driving an RV for the first time, any tips?

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Cogman

Cogman

Lifer
Should I make sure that I inflate the tire to the wheel wall pressure?

I'll be doing mostly Freeway/highway driving with it, nothing too complex. Still, It will be the biggest vehicle that I've driven (over 20mph).
 
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Always inflate to tire pressure in manual or where ever it says that's not on the tire and inflate it while the tires are cold. You should practice driving it cus going from something small to something big is awkward at first cus you need to learn how wide and long it is.
 
I own a 30' Class C Motor Home. I have driven it several thousand accident free miles. The things that I notice the most are turning radius and braking distance. If you take a few minutes to practice turning and braking, you will do just fine.

As for tire pressure. Look inside the drivers door. There should be a lable there with the recommended tire pressure. Inflate the tire to that pressure.

c3p0
🙂
 
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Leave enough room in front of you. Don't tailgate. Count three after turning on turn signals before making a turn or changing lanes. Picture yourself as driving a brick. Measure how tall your rig really is. Do a walk around every time you stop. Keep an eye out for overhangs, ramadas and, sun screens at gas stations, restaurants and, banks. Be aware of narrow/bad shoulders along the road. Try to keep all water tanks at a minimal level while driving. Keep movement of any passengers to a minimum while driving.
 
Be careful when turning, make sure to always go wider than you would with a car. Check and double check when changing lanes to make sure you don't crush anyone. Watch out when braking, distance is longer obviously. Don't go to fast on tighter turns, obviously you can fall over. Signal early. Check height and make sure you don't shave off your RV from low bridges.
 
Is it automatic? If so, it should drive like any other car. Manual with hi/lo switch is a bit tricky (10 speed), but it's like 2 5 speeds on top of each oyther
 
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turning radius and responsiveness are the two main things to watch out. Just remember you are not driving a Civic 😛
 
MagnusTheBrewer said:
As long as you remember you aren't driving a car.
Click to expand...

Not any different than any car - just need to be cognizant of the size of the vehicle and turning radius (again much like with any car you drive). Even a trailer with a short tongue tends to be trickier to maneuver than an RV.

Convex mirrors help a ton btw 🙂
 
Drove a 27ft truck from TX to CA with my boss awhile back. Biggest vehical I've driven before were those conversion vans so this truck was a totally new experience. Told my boss I'll only do highways and freeways with absolutely no small city roads. Lol

First thing you'll notice is the numb steering response. You can probably turn the steering wheel 2-3 inches to each side and the thing will still be driving in a straight line. Brakes will feel like they're not working so keep your distance especially when going down hills. Last is you won't be able to see shit behind you and will have to totally rely on your side mirrors so you better make sure they're adjusted correctly.
 
There are a bunch of good tips in here.

Brake well ahead of when you'd normally brake until you get a good feel for the RV's braking. Those beasts can take a while to stop. Slow down more for turns, and make wider turns. Never put yourself in a position where you need to back up (e.g if you're parking, make sure you can just pull forward somehow, drive around the building, etc.).

Driving one gave me some appreciation for what it takes, and now I don't bitch about old people and their RV's nearly as much anymore. 😛
 
Keep in mind you sometimes have to pump up the brakes a bit before really stomping on them. Make sure things inside are 'emergency stop' safe..
 
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