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Before driving your
RV
Walk around
your vehicle. Check to see that all doors and hatches are closed, hoses
and power cords are stowed and all gear is properly stowed. Refer to your
"pre-departure checklist" from your RV rental company (if they
have provided one) for detailed steps to prepare the RV for driving.
• Look up, see
that you are going to clear tree branches, signs or other objects. Check
the tires. Look for fluids (water, sewage, oil) leaking.
• Enter your
RV and have a look around. Check for objects left sitting out, cabinet
doors unlatched, refrigerator especially.
• Once in the
driver's seat, check and adjust your mirrors and start your engine. Check
the engine gauges (gas, amp meter, oil, etc.) Turn on your headlights.
• Make certain
of the whereabouts of your passengers. A passenger in the front seat must
be wearing a seat belt. Elsewhere in the vehicle it is recommended but
not required.
• Make certain
that nothing has changed outside or your vehicle, like a car just parked
too close, or a child walked near.
• Check for traffic
from all directions.
• Pull out slowly,
deliberately, and merge into traffic.
On
the Road
Driving
an RV is much like driving a large car. You have power steering, power
brakes and good mirrors to make your driving comfortable and safe. Most
RV's also have surprisingly good visibility for the driver, although there
is always a blind spot directly behind you.
• By being constantly
aware of your surroundings, the vehicles alongside and behind you in particular,
you will have no problem with maneuvering in traffic.
• Give yourself
plenty of time for lane-changes, and use your signals. Do not dally once
you decide to make a lane change, and do not slow down to merge. It is
vitally important to match your speed as closely as possible to the traffic
around you.
• RV's are long,
large and heavy, and will require more stopping distance and maneuvering
clearances than you might imagine.
As a caravan we will
always be nearly the slowest vehicles on the road. We will pull over into
slow lanes whenever they are available (and there is traffic behind us
wanting to pass.) When three or more vehicles are stacked up behind our
caravan clearly wishing to pass, we will begin looking for a pull-out
to allow them to do so. It will be partly the responsibility of the vehicle
in the rear to keep the lead vehicle notified by radio when this is necessary.
Likewise, the lead vehicle will make other vehicles aware of upcoming
pull-outs or stops. We will nearly always travel in the far right lane
on multi-lane roads (required by law for slower-moving vehicles).
Your vehicle is much
wider and longer than even the biggest cars, and while you may begin to
feel like you can park or maneuver it anywhere, watch out!
• Take corners
(sharp corners, like at intersections or into and out of parking lots)
a little wider. Pull out straight, then turn, a little later than you
would in a normal length car.
• Keeping an
eye on the road ahead, watch in your side view mirror on the inside of
turns while you are making them at first. You'll soon have an instinct
for how far you must pull out (probably after running the rear wheel up
on a curb once… hopefully not after clipping a gate post!)
• Check side
and rearview mirrors every thirty seconds (no kidding), and be constantly
aware of the cars around you, what they are doing, and whether they are
keeping with you, passing or falling back.
• Keep a distance
of at least one vehicle length per 10 mph of speed between you and the
vehicle in front of you. (24 ft. RV @ 50 mph = 120 ft.) My Grandfather
used to tailgate sometimes and as a joke would say "look at this
idiot driving so close in front of me… !" Let those idiots stay
well out in front of you so you can stop for them in time.
• Be prepared
to be passed by large trucks (semis, lorries) going in both directions.
They will rock your vehicle with their "wake", but it should
not be necessary to correct your vehicle's direction by steering. When
you see them coming you should have both hands on the wheel and hold it
firmly, steady and straight ahead.
• If there is
a strong cross wind in the area you are traveling, you will notice "wind
shadows" when you go under overpasses or past trucks that block the
wind. Remember to try to maintain the wheels in a straight line, even
while the RV yaws or rocks back and forth. If you over-correct, you may
lose control.
• Rely upon your
passengers only to the extent you feel comfortable. They may tell you
when it is safe to turn, pull out, merge, etc., but remember, YOU are
responsible for the vehicle and everyone's safety. If they give you bad
advice, it is only your fault for taking it!
• When merging
into traffic or changing lanes it is essential to match the speed of that
traffic as closely as possible. This makes it possible to enter the traffic
lane into a smaller opening, and is far safer than expecting the traffic
to slow down or speed up for you. More often than not, it will be necessary
to accelerate to merge or change lanes. Always use your turn signals (indicators)
well in advance, but not too long in advance, either. And remember to
turn them off.
• There are a
lot of animals crossing roadways in Oregon, especially in the morning
and evening. If you find one in your path, do NOT swerve to miss it…
hold your steering wheel rock-steady and use your brake. Better that the
animal should die than you're your passengers or other motorists. When
a large RV begins to swerve it can be deadly, and nearly impossible to
bring back into control.
Parking Tips
Parking
and moving in and out of tight parking lots are possibly the most intimidating
maneuvers for new drivers of RV's. Some very important tips follow.
• Get quickly
out of traffic. Remember that you have a lot of extra vehicle sticking
out behind you, and do not let it hang out in the traffic lane! Do not
begin pulling into a parking lot until you know that the vehicle in front
of you has moved far enough to allow you to get ALL of your vehicle in.
• Remember when
turning left across traffic you have extra vehicle length to get past
oncoming traffic. Wait for a good opening.
• Look for spaces
to park where you can pull through to leave, avoiding backing out.
• Look up! There
will rarely be parking lots with overhead obstacles, but many campgrounds,
driveways, and side streets may have them. (When you look up, remember
that your RV may have an air conditioner out of your view on top that
is even higher than the body of the vehicle itself.)
• Be aware that
your vehicle's rear end protrudes quite a long ways out beyond the rear
wheels. This means that when you turn your vehicle to the RIGHT, the rear
end is arcing out to the LEFT and may clip a mailbox, gate post, sign
or person.
• Watch out for
dips in the roadway. Human and inanimate. Pedestrians always have the
right-of-way, and they often are oblivious to their surroundings (unlike
small animals, which will nearly always scamper quickly to safety when
you approach.) Dips formed by depressions in the road surface may damage
the underside of your vehicle.
• When it really
seems necessary you may allow a passenger to get out of the vehicle to
assist you in parking (see next section on Backing and Maneuvering.)
Backing and Maneuvering
Tips
This is where the most trouble occurs for drivers. In backing and other
tight maneuvering it is most important that the driver remember that HE
(or she) ALONE is responsible for the safety and security of the vehicle
and passengers. In many cases he or she will want and ask for assistance.
In some other cases he or she will be offered assistance when it is not
wanted. In all cases, the driver must know without a doubt that when he
or she moves the vehicle, it is a safe move.
• Drive the vehicle
into a position where you are prepared to back or otherwise maneuver into
a tight spot.
• If you are
not fully confident that there are no obstacles to moving into your desired
position, get out of the vehicle and walk completely around it. Look up,
look down, look around. Even if you are blocking traffic in a campground.
• Do not rush.
• Maneuver slowly,
with as little acceleration as needed to move.
If you feel you need
help, have a passenger you trust to assist, give directions. You should
have already established with this person (absolutely only ONE helper
at a time!) how best to direct you. Have the helper stand where you can
see them, and give very simple (non-verbal is best!) directions. Move
forward, move backward, left, right and stop are all the directions you
should need (left or right means the back of the vehicle needs to move
left or right.) It is vitally important that the person helping you also
knows to look up, look down, and look around! And keep in mind that just
as you cannot see all you need to see, neither can they, and you must
also continue to look where you are going while watching them.
Special Circumstances
Although we do not expect inclement weather, you just never know in Oregon.
We've seen mountain passes with snow in July and August, and rain or hail
falling so hard it was truly impossible to drive in. These cases are exceptionally
rare during the time that we will be traveling. In the event of foul weather,
we will communicate by radio as to the best course of action. In the event
of mechanical troubles on the road, we will do likewise.
Some more common concerns
follow.
• On long steep
downhill grades, do not apply brake pressure constantly. This can cause
your brakes to be damaged or brake fluid to boil, with subsequent brake
failure. It is best to maintain a moderate speed with the vehicle in a
lower gear (2nd or 3rd.) There are only one or two grades where this may
be necessary on our trip and we will notify you of them.
• On steep uphill
grades your vehicle's automatic transmission will downshift for you, but
it is prudent to keep an eye on the temperature gauge if the weather is
hot.
• If the weather
does turn sloppy, be aware that all vehicles are less maneuverable, take
more time to stop, and will slip on pavement more easily. Be careful!
Closing
Keep in mind these are only tips! You will find that every day brings
new challenges and experiences as you travel by RV, and only with time
will you gain the confidence to take on big city traffic, tiny back roads,
and narrow parking spaces. Practice makes perfect. Extreme care also makes
perfect at the beginning, and it's always better to be a little late and
safe than on time and sorry.
Use good common sense,
and try not to get yourself into uncomfortable situations. If you are
having difficulties with traffic or a particular maneuver, contact us
by radio, and we'll do our best to help.
- Jon Barton, Tour
Pilot & Guide
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