Driving Something 42' Long!

[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
> > >
> >
>