I Drove Our MH For The First Time Last Night!!

[windboy]

Terry does most of the driving in our PVC, however, I have driven it a few times just so I have confidence if the need arose that Terry could not drive. Takes getting used to gear stick on dashboard. Jenny

 

[HKF]

Jen had to drive our 8.7 metre A class when I had a problem with my eye and couldn't drive, I did a bit to get her onto the main roads and then she was thrown in at the deep end driving us the rest of the way home, she did some more trips after that as I was stopped from driving for a while, much better to have a go when you want to rather than the stress of when you have to.

I found our 360 surround cameras a big help as I could offer advice re road positioning, Jen might not agree though

Wow, she did very well to deal with that situation!! We've been talking about taking me off the insurance because I can't drive ours and so wouldn't be able to in an emergency. So we're at the point of either take me off or I learn to drive it. If I can manage it, it'll be great. If not, I'll be off the insurance.

 

[Purrfecttune]

Just dont take too sharp turns. Use a large radius for turns and make sure you're out of any parking spaces before you turn

Turning out of a parking space too early is the easiest of all the mistakes to make. Have scraped the car doing this, when pulling out of a supermarket space beside one of the trolley stores

 

[Purrfecttune]

Well done! Supermarket car parks aren't the most relaxing places for manoeuvring a motorhome with their narrow lanes, cars emerging from bays and people dodging about with trolleys and feral children.

Especially some of the ones in Spain that have nothing but undercover spaces that are not high enough!

 

[HKF]

Turning out of a parking space too early is the easiest of all the mistakes to make. Have scraped the car doing this, when pulling out of a supermarket space beside one of the trolley stores

That's one thing that worries me. I've seen some people taking up 4 spaces just to avoid that but I can't decide if that's the right or wrong thing to do. It seems selfish but then again it's better than hitting someone's car. I suppose the best thing to do is wait until the car moves

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[funflair]

Wow, she did very well to deal with that situation!! We've been talking about taking me off the insurance because I can't drive ours and so wouldn't be able to in an emergency. So we're at the point of either take me off or I learn to drive it. If I can manage it, it'll be great. If not, I'll be off the insurance.

Sure you will be OK with a bit more practice, Jen/I found that she was sitting too far away from the edge of the road, she was OK on the motorway with a white line but lost the reference on back roads, we put up a bit of tape on the lower edge of the windscreen and she found it helped to use this as a aide for the edge of the road (we are left hand drive and this was in the UK)

 

[Purrfecttune]

It wasn’t my error - Cliff was navigating

After brushing past many leather jackets on one side and sheets and handbags on the other, we let ‘Co-Pilot’ take us through many Parisian streets and back onto the ring-road.

I think the most important thing is not to panic. I knew we’d get out, so I just followed her instructions and we did.

Motorways and dual carriageways are great. You can go at your own speed with no fear of the cars behind you getting impatient. You can overtake when you feel comfortable, or not.

Best of luck!

Absolutely good tip; whatever happens don’t panic! Earlier this year we ended up in a dead-end small square in Jerez. I had to move several chairs to enable a multipoint turn (thank goodness for the rear view camera) and on the way out, find the owner of a ‘just parked’ van before I could get past.

Julie was VERY nervous but I just took my time and did not make a move if I didn’t feel I had the space first.

 

[HKF]

Sure you will be OK with a bit more practice, Jen/I found that she was sitting too far away from the edge of the road, she was OK on the motorway with a white line but lost the reference on back roads, we put up a bit of tape on the lower edge of the windscreen and she found it helped to use this as a aide for the edge of the road (we are left hand drive and this was in the UK)

That's a great idea!

 

[Purrfecttune]

I'm worried that I'm going to smack the back end off or kill a pedestrian with the mirrors!!

I'm also a terrible passenger and worry that we're always too close to the kerb when my husband's driving. Maybe I'll be a better driver......who knows??

When I’m driving Julie invariably worries about me being too close to the kerb and pedestrians getting ‘smacked’ by the mirrors! But in the tighter streets, you have no option and simply ensure that the pedestrians see your mirrors (or pull out and around when possible).

 

[L' Hobo]

Turning out of a parking space too early is the easiest of all the mistakes to make. Have scraped the car doing this, when pulling out of a supermarket space beside one of the trolley stores

Get a few cone and put some sticks or something tall down the centre, a supermarket carpark on a Sunday afternoon after they close and practice.

If you touch the stick, they should move leaving the MH undamaged.

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[Purrfecttune]

That's one thing that worries me. I've seen some people taking up 4 spaces just to avoid that but I can't decide if that's the right or wrong thing to do. It seems selfish but then again it's better than hitting someone's car. I suppose the best thing to do is wait until the car moves

Whenever we stop at a supermarket we always try to choose two spaces end to end furthest away from the building and where possible, with at least one side not beside another vehicle. This should always give you plenty of space. Sometimes, it is easier to park on the road adjacent to the supermarket if it is a bit tight.

 

[L' Hobo]

When I’m driving Julie invariably worries about me being to close to the kerb and pedestrians getting ‘smacked’ by the mirrors! But in the tighter streets, you have no option and simply ensure that the pedestrians see your mirrors (or pull out and around when possible).

In London where a lot of visitors look the wrong way before stepping off the kerb thinking they are back home in a LHD country, on my Coaches, we put reflective yellow sticky tape down the mirrors, it also helps a bit when, at night, one meets another vehicle down a narrow rural road at night.

 

[Purrfecttune]

In London where a lot of visitors look the wrong way before stepping off the kerb thinking they are back home in a LHD country, on my Coaches, we put reflective yellow sticky tape down the mirrors, it also helps a bit when, at night, one meets another vehicle down a narrow rural road at night.

That reminds me, I must order a couple more Motorhome Fun stickers, one for each of the back of the mirrors

 

[Suenliam]

I can remember a few years ago when I was not very experienced in driving our last MH Liam had an operation on his hand which meant he could not drive. I was either me as driver or no 6 week holiday abroad. Bit of a no brainer and I came back unscathed (as was the MH) and quite proud of myself
Sue

 

[funflair]

That's a great idea!

Just remember it doesn’t work around corners

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[L' Hobo]

Sure you will be OK with a bit more practice, Jen/I found that she was sitting too far away from the edge of the road, she was OK on the motorway with a white line but lost the reference on back roads, we put up a bit of tape on the lower edge of the windscreen and she found it helped to use this as a aide for the edge of the road (we are left hand drive and this was in the UK)

Many years ago, a Driving instructor friend of mine, used to have a matchstick sticking up in the rubber inside his rear car window to assist learners to reverse back around corners on the test.
He had a good pass record, so I suppose it worked?

 

[makems]

As others have said you will soon get used to it and once you have a little confidence you will wonder why you ever worried about it. My wife used to do all the driving for many years when my eyesight was poor and she drove it all over Europe and we spent winters in Morroco up and over the Atlas mountains and down to the Sahara. This was the baby she drove for several years - picture taken in the Atlas mountains during a stop fro a cuppa:

 

[Purrfecttune]

Just dont take too sharp turns. Use a large radius for turns and make sure you're out of any parking spaces before you turn

This reminds me of a time many years ago when I worked for a driving agency driving 7.5 tonners. I was delivering groceries to the Shell petrol station shops and on one occasion I parked tightly beside one of the pumps (it was on the near side).

As I pulled away, I swung hard to the right, away from the pump and heard a loud clatter. The back end had swung IN and demolished the outer casing of the pump