Getting your other half to drive

G

georgendah

Joined
Jul 6, 2012
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Shrewsbury
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21,828
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Coachbuilt
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Just One Year
Has anyone else had some difficulty in persuading their other half to drive you van. We have a Chausson 628eb at 6.99m so not particularly long but my wife is very reticent to drive it. We have owned a motorhome for 9 years and never once has she been behind the wheel (she is 66 now)What are the best strategies to employ in persuading my other half that its not difficult and well within her capability levels?
Thank you in advance
Nev
 
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I think, in her shoes, I’d welcome a discussion as to why it would help you (tiredness on long journeys, in case you were ill/injured etc) and see if you a) she has any specific concerns then b) jointly discuss easy places to start - somewhere quiet and spacious. Although motorways can be straightforward the slip roads may not be.

Good luck to you both.
 
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If she doesn't want to drive I suspect no amount of inducement will change her mind.
Be aware though, if she's named on your insurance and you are unable to drive for whatever reason, the insurance / recovery company will expect her to drive the vehicle to your home. This could be in UK or abroad.
Worth bearing in mind.
 
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She has to really want to! I find my spatial awareness in a big vehicle is worse as I get older, but can be improved with practice. I first drove the van when I REALLY wanted to join the grandkids at the beach, & my husband couldn’t go! I practiced beforehand & then managed well on the day! Incentive see! I’m 66 as well, & it’s nots as easy as it was doing something new!

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Hi Nev,

I guess the question is why your wife has no interest in driving the van? Is it confidence or just doesn't want to? If she is lacking in confidence perhaps a drive to an industrial estate over a weekend (quiet time) where she can have a go...she may really enjoy it.
 
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I hurt my shoulder whilst driving in France several years ago with our previous motorhome and Liz had to drive it or we would have been stuck.
Previously she had not wanted to drive it but then had to and within a very short time got over any doubts she had had. I kept quiet that my shoulder was alright within a few days and she drove the rest of the holiday.
 
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I had a heart attack earlier in the year, treated effectively with a stent. No driving a car for one week but minimum of 6 weeks for driving the 3850kg motorhome and then subject to doctors confirmation of fitness. In practice it was 3 months before I got the required confirmation following a stress test. If my co-pilot had not got behind the wheel the best part of the season would have been lost. However with me in the passenger seat we have had 2 excellent holidays.

Best to be prepared for the unexpected. If your other half does not want to risk cancelling all your trips she may need to take over the driving if you are ill. Poo happens and staying home would not have suited either of us.
 
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Let her go out on her own👍
Sometimes it’s just that your sat in passenger seat being the sat nav!🤣🤣

Seriously thou I’m same age and we have 6,99 van, I drove this year in Spain and Portugal, luvd it and tbh was better than other half🤣🤣🤣

Go on, go for it but on your own first time 👍👏👏
 
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Dianne had to learn to drive ours after I lost the use of my legs. She did a days course which really gave her confidence. Happy to drive now even though we have hand controls fitted so I can drive.

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over the last 10 years we have been struck with illness in the south of France. once I had shingles in my eye and couldn't see and the next time id hurt my back. Both times I was incapable of driving and my wife had to drive all the way back. She did a great job but I can't state strongly enough that it is essential that your wife can drive the van. Explain to her how important this is.
 
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Have to agree with Bailey 15
I never had a problem but would have had if it had been a previous partner sitting beside me. Know so many women who start driving the motorhome when the 'driving is my job' partners suddenly take ill, and love it only to be relegated to passenger seat when all is well.
don't know how you can persuade her though, it is a personal choice, would the seating be ok for her, it can be interesting for us short ar**s.
Find John does a lot more of the driving now we have a comfortmatic gearbox. Not quite up to 50/50 yet though.
 
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Hi Nev, my O/H won’t drive ours, it’s a size thing, while she can I have no issues I know if ever needed she would
 
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Enrol her on a Motorhome manoevering course. We both enrolled actually and found it useful and informative. This was 7 years when I was 68. She will get a chance to drive on her own with the instructor and without you. That will help !
We did a CAMC day course.

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Can't agree more with the suggestions to enrol on a course. I did one when we got our first new MH - 6.8m. Half day with the instructor from the HGV training place got me driving the MH through residential estate roads with parking on both sides and reversing without any problem. I thought they might have been a bit patronising being used to lorry driving instructing but my instructor was superb. I am now the main driver of our campervan. The down side is that I had to get a sat nav as Liams map reading failed when we frequently got to a T junction "which was not marked on the map" :giggler:
Sue
 
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Mention "what would happen if away from home and I was hurt and couldn't drive"........ Some insurance will expect the other driver to take the wheel?

Big field or car park and get them in the seat.
 
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It is so sad that many feel unable to drive these larger vehicles.
I have never had a problem driving anything but do think a lot of it is about mindset and making mistakes.
A course is a good idea if someone wants to drive because having your other half in the passenger seat may be off putting.
My Dad was a driving instructor and he didn't teach me but my grandad did (also an instructor)
Once you have got your head around the size and manoeuvrability then it is exhilarating.
I love being high up and taking things slower than I would in a car.
As some of you know our N&B has gone to Select Motorhomes Ltd in Devon to be sold but I can't wait to get back behind the wheel of a big vehicle.
Happy and safe travels. 🥰

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My problem is the opposite. When we got our first MH 9 years ago, we both did a Camping and Caravan manoeuvring course up in Coventry. That course is the one and only time my husband has driven the van! I should say he doesn’t drive our small car very often as he prefers to cycle everywhere locally.
 
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Jev88 said:
Mention "what would happen if away from home and I was hurt and couldn't drive"........ Some insurance will expect the other driver to take the wheel?

Big field or car park and get them in the seat.
Click to expand...
Most insurance companies will not repatriate if the named driver is there. There was a thread about this a few weeks ago.
 
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My other half drove our Eura Mobil RHD Alcove Auto. 7.5m long
She drove our 8.4 m Frankia A Class RHD Manual, once in Holland but struggled to reach pedals (petite)
She happily drove our LHD Auto La Strada Nova M

But she was happy for me to buy our current LHD Manual Fiat, on the understanding I never asked her to drive it.

So, I took her off the insurance as a precaution.

She likes, these ......

www.serenityleisure.co.uk

Used 2012 Concorde D-Liner 890G | Serenity Leisure -

Serenity Leisure - | 2012 Concorde D-Liner 890G
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Used 2008 Concorde Charisma 890F | Serenity Leisure -

Serenity Leisure - | 2008 Concorde Charisma 890F
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And would like to full time in one. But wouldn't drive them, so........
 
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Management had a good start towards driving our motorhome having driven my Landrovers. She preferred to wear her walking boots to drive the Series 3 and the 90 because it gave her more weight to press the pedals. Being not much above five foot high she had a struggle to reach down to the handbrake. Luckily there’s not meany hills in our part of Lincolnshire but she put the wind up a few people disappearing below the dash to pull the handbrake on.
 
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A discussion about why she won’t drive is important. A day course with CAMC or CCC well worth the cost. There have been several threads on here about OH not driving, largely, I’m sorry to say women. If a man can do it, so can she. I, female, have towed caravans when women didn’t do such things and I drive our 6.4m PVC and prior to that the coachbuilt. I’m 71 and been driving the motorhomes for four years. There are lots of women on here who will give her a big cheer when she does her first drive.
 
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My wife did a taster session with the Camping and Caravan club instructors at the NEC show in February, this took away a bit of the fear factor in driving a 7 meter van ( especially as it wasn't our van ). She's just done a day course at a local training centre and was happily driving the van on narrow country lanes etc at the end of the day, would recommend to any nervous drivers.
 
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Mrs LW was much the same until we had an adult conversation that was based on me not being able to drive whilst on a trip and the alternatives if she wouldn’t drive which are more scary than her driving.
She has since driven the last three MH’s we’ve had 7.99m/8.5m/6.99m she started on a quiet dual carriageway to get the feel and went from there. 5’4” tall 74years old.
Okay, she doesn’t drive all the time but always does a few hours on a 1600 miler to keep her hand in.
 
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We are both 73 my wife has driven our vans in the past and used to tow the caravan. She has never been keen on driving an A Class even though it is easier than a normal coachbuilt, she had a short drive in the last one but has never driven the current one which is a bit bigger.

I was going to get her a couple of hours at a local HGV center in our van they have their own track. Then Covid came and not got back to it but I mentioned it a couple of weeks ago and I think she is tempted so fingers crossed.
 
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