Driving Something 42' Long!

[haycabe]

Hi. I am new to this forum having just joined because I am considering
joining you Wanderlodge folks. You all seem to have such a great time! I
admit, however, to being more than just a little bit intimidated about
driving something this big. I live in the Columbus, OH, area and wonder
if any of you knows where I could get some training in the central Ohio
vicinity. Thanks.

Steve Hayden

[Jerry]

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "haycabe" <shayden@...> wrote:
>Hi Steve
I started out driving a 30' pace arrow, moved up to a 40' country
coach and now I drive a 43' LXi, and to tell you the truth I like
driving the 43 better than the rest. It handles better and I feel
better after 6-9 hrs of driving. As far as turning or backing up, yes
it takes more room but you quickly learn that part. Of course this
all assumes you have driven a motorhome of some sort before. If not I
know that there are courses you can take that would help, in fact many
of us could use a little help I would not worry about the length,
having a Bluebird is well worth it. Beside RV's are like Boats, they
never seem to be big enough.

Jerry
03, LXi 43'

>
> Hi. I am new to this forum having just joined because I am considering
> joining you Wanderlodge folks. You all seem to have such a great time! I
> admit, however, to being more than just a little bit intimidated about
> driving something this big. I live in the Columbus, OH, area and wonder
> if any of you knows where I could get some training in the central Ohio
> vicinity. Thanks.
>
> Steve Hayden
>

[Bob Lawrence]

How about getting a temp job driving a school bus? They trail you and
the larger buses are 40 ft.
Bob Lawrence
84 PT36
Tacoma, Wa.

I> admit, however, to being more than just a little bit intimidated
about
> driving something this big. I live in the Columbus, OH, area and
wonder
> if any of you knows where I could get some training in the central
Ohio
> vicinity. Thanks.
>
> Steve Hayden
>

[Scott]

Steve, do not be intimidated. They drive like a dream. I would suggest
that you could call the local fire dept and speak with the Chief. I am
sure someone in his dept is not only trained but qualified to teach you
to drive something this big. Probably for a few bucks..but you gotta
have the vehicle, unless you joing the volunteers and they will teach
you to drive the "big red truck"...then again your school district has
training classes for new schoolie drivers..but then you gotta have a
commericial license to get the endorsement..food for thought.

Scott B
86FC35
SC

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "haycabe" <shayden@...> wrote:
>
>
> Hi. I am new to this forum having just joined because I am considering
> joining you Wanderlodge folks. You all seem to have such a great
time! I
> admit, however, to being more than just a little bit intimidated about
> driving something this big. I live in the Columbus, OH, area and
wonder
> if any of you knows where I could get some training in the central
Ohio
> vicinity. Thanks.
>
> Steve Hayden
>

[Gregory OConnor]

Steve, School bus drivers are trained first rate. They have hours off
in mid day. Maybe you can find a driver to show you some tips. Dont
take advice from just any friendly RV driver because too often it is
just luck that kept them alive.


1-learn how to make a proper wide right hand turn ( If you are headed
north , and turning East- Do not go into fast north lane or oncomming
south bound lane.. proper way is to keep in your turn lane, start the
turn, and go into the west bound lane if you need the room to turn)

2- dont worry about people behind you. take it slow

Gregory O'Connor
94pt Romoland Ca

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "haycabe" <shayden@...> wrote:
>
>
> Hi. I am new to this forum having just joined because I am considering
> joining you Wanderlodge folks. You all seem to have such a great
time! I
> admit, however, to being more than just a little bit intimidated about
> driving something this big. I live in the Columbus, OH, area and
wonder
> if any of you knows where I could get some training in the central
Ohio
> vicinity. Thanks.
>
> Steve Hayden
>

[John]

Steve,

There are various RV drivers schools located around the country and
by doing a GOOGLE search you will be able to find some of them, here
are a couple of them;

http://www.rvschool.com/index.htm

http://www.rvrite.com/

You may also want to check with your local community college, for a
training course, sometimes they are offered there.

I personally got my training back in the early 70's, when I leased a
brand new truck on to a company that hauled mobile homes, this was a
weeks course of classroom and driving through Elkhart, Indiana while
pulling a 12' x 60' mobile home trailer, so it was a baptism of fire,
so to speak. I also spent a year driving a city bus later and that
helped me to learn how to drive with the drivers seat position in
front of the steering axle, which can be a problem if you have only
driven vehicles where you sit behind the steering axle. Learning how
to drive and make turns and using your outside rear view mirrors to
check the location of the 'Bird and the trailer, in my opinion is a
very important lesson to learn, since I pull the trailer 99% of the
time, this is the only way that I drive.

I find that using the outside mirrors is very important and now
driving my 62' long combination of 'Bird and enclosed trailer is not
that difficult. I find that the location of the rear view monitor TV
screen, which is located in the overhead dash, is in a very bad
position on my 'Bird, it requires you to look up and completely away
from the forward view of the road, so I never use it and only rely on
my mirrors, plus with the trailer hooked up to the 'Bird, this makes
the use of the monitor insignificant, unless I want to just look at
the front of my trailer and since I was trained to use the outside
mirrors, I'm more comfortable doing it this way.

I also found that after I purchased my 'Bird, I took a tip from one
of the Wanderlodge forums and found a parking lot with a perimeter
road that was not used on the weekends, I then placed the 'Bird in
the middle of the right lane and then noted where the center line
between the two lanes "CROSSED" a point on the dash, I then placed a
piece of masking tape, that I could see in my peripheral vision,
where that imaginary line would cross the dash and that in turn
helped me to keep the 'Bird in the middle of the lane without having
to constantly check the mirrors, on my 'Bird the point on the dash is
between two gages, so now I don't need the tape, but I can see the
two gages on the dash and the line on the road.

While I was in the parking lot, I used the marked parking spaces to
practice backing into, taking some large cardboard boxes with you to
place at the corners of the parking space will help you identify, if
you are overrunning the width of the space, as you are manuvering
back into the space, as they will move when you touch them and you
will be able to see this once you are parked in the space, setting
the width of the boxes to 10 feet minimum is probably more realistic,
for the average camping space, that you would have to back into.

"REMEMBER SEPTEMBER 11, 2001"
John Finn
'82 35FCRB
BLUEBIRD WANDERLODGE
TO VISIT THE "FINN'S INN EXPRESS" REMODELING ADVENTURE
GO TO;
http://www.pbase.com/image/24977457
HOPKINS, SOUTH CAROLINA

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "haycabe" <shayden@> wrote:
> >
> >
> > Hi. I am new to this forum having just joined because I am
considering
> > joining you Wanderlodge folks. You all seem to have such a great
> time! I
> > admit, however, to being more than just a little bit intimidated
about
> > driving something this big. I live in the Columbus, OH, area and
> wonder
> > if any of you knows where I could get some training in the
central
> Ohio
> > vicinity. Thanks.
> >
> > Steve Hayden
> >
>

[bluesteelll]

Hey Bro, are you feeling any better about all of this? I would
suggest taking a commercial driving course if you can find one in
your area. But, these guys are giving you really good advice. It's
a pussycat. Remember, I will let you drive when you're out here and
you will find it a lot different than the old BB.

See ya in a few.

Bro

Dick Hayden - '87 PT 38 - Lake Stevens, WA

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "John"
wrote:
>
> Steve,
>
> There are various RV drivers schools located around the country
and
> by doing a GOOGLE search you will be able to find some of them,
here
> are a couple of them;
>
> http://www.rvschool.com/index.htm
>
> http://www.rvrite.com/
>
> You may also want to check with your local community college, for
a
> training course, sometimes they are offered there.
>
> I personally got my training back in the early 70's, when I leased
a
> brand new truck on to a company that hauled mobile homes, this was
a
> weeks course of classroom and driving through Elkhart, Indiana
while
> pulling a 12' x 60' mobile home trailer, so it was a baptism of
fire,
> so to speak. I also spent a year driving a city bus later and that
> helped me to learn how to drive with the drivers seat position in
> front of the steering axle, which can be a problem if you have
only
> driven vehicles where you sit behind the steering axle. Learning
how
> to drive and make turns and using your outside rear view mirrors
to
> check the location of the 'Bird and the trailer, in my opinion is
a
> very important lesson to learn, since I pull the trailer 99% of
the
> time, this is the only way that I drive.
>
> I find that using the outside mirrors is very important and now
> driving my 62' long combination of 'Bird and enclosed trailer is
not
> that difficult. I find that the location of the rear view monitor
TV
> screen, which is located in the overhead dash, is in a very bad
> position on my 'Bird, it requires you to look up and completely
away
> from the forward view of the road, so I never use it and only rely
on
> my mirrors, plus with the trailer hooked up to the 'Bird, this
makes
> the use of the monitor insignificant, unless I want to just look
at
> the front of my trailer and since I was trained to use the outside
> mirrors, I'm more comfortable doing it this way.
>
> I also found that after I purchased my 'Bird, I took a tip from
one
> of the Wanderlodge forums and found a parking lot with a perimeter
> road that was not used on the weekends, I then placed the 'Bird in
> the middle of the right lane and then noted where the center line
> between the two lanes "CROSSED" a point on the dash, I then placed
a
> piece of masking tape, that I could see in my peripheral vision,
> where that imaginary line would cross the dash and that in turn
> helped me to keep the 'Bird in the middle of the lane without
having
> to constantly check the mirrors, on my 'Bird the point on the dash
is
> between two gages, so now I don't need the tape, but I can see the
> two gages on the dash and the line on the road.
>
> While I was in the parking lot, I used the marked parking spaces
to
> practice backing into, taking some large cardboard boxes with you
to
> place at the corners of the parking space will help you identify,
if
> you are overrunning the width of the space, as you are manuvering
> back into the space, as they will move when you touch them and you
> will be able to see this once you are parked in the space, setting
> the width of the boxes to 10 feet minimum is probably more
realistic,
> for the average camping space, that you would have to back into.
>
> "REMEMBER SEPTEMBER 11, 2001"
> John Finn
> '82 35FCRB
> BLUEBIRD WANDERLODGE
> TO VISIT THE "FINN'S INN EXPRESS" REMODELING ADVENTURE
> GO TO;
> http://www.pbase.com/image/24977457
> HOPKINS, SOUTH CAROLINA
>
> ////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
>
> >
> > --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "haycabe" <shayden@>
wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > Hi. I am new to this forum having just joined because I am
> considering
> > > joining you Wanderlodge folks. You all seem to have such a
great
> > time! I
> > > admit, however, to being more than just a little bit
intimidated
> about
> > > driving something this big. I live in the Columbus, OH, area
and
> > wonder
> > > if any of you knows where I could get some training in the
> central
> > Ohio
> > > vicinity. Thanks.
> > >
> > > Steve Hayden
> > >
> >
>