Raven’s RV
The ongoing education and adventures of two rank newbie RVers

I’ve been blogging bits and pieces of my recent road trip over at Raven’s Roads if you want to check it out. :)

I had the idea of finding out what it would be like to drive the RV round about the time Don suggested it. We needed to refill our tank with water, so that seemed like a good solution.

You need to understand that while I passed my car driving test when I was 18, I’m 38 now, and I have never driven a car solo. I did some driving up until my early twenties, but I always hated it. Even now most times I start to have a panic attack when I get behind the wheel of a car. But I figured I’d give it a shot anyway.

Don walked me through the controls. I learned to drive stick, and this RV is automatic with hand controls, not a central column. Everything’s on the front. This is a bit easier, of course, once one gets the hang of things. The emergency brake is released by pulling a lever and set by pushing one.

I do not know how I will ever learn to drive Harvey. I feel pretty much entirely blind. The mirrors are ten miles away and Don was telling me to judge where the front was by seeing the nose of the rig. I can’t even see the hood when I’m sitting at the wheel unless I lean forward!

As to reversing…my goodness. We filled up at the faucet and then I drove it down to the group area to do a three-point turn. I have poor spatial awareness–it’s one of the reasons why I ride a motorcycle instead–and there’s me trying to make this huge vehicle turn around with its butt the best part of 30′ away. Don said that it’s fine to get out, measure/guess, and then go backwards based on that measurement. In other words, if you have seven feet to go before you take out the nice new fence post, you watch seven feet go by out of your front window and then stop. You don’t try to judge the seven feet at the back of the RV.

He held up a tape measure for me. ;)

I also learned that the RV had to be in motion before you turned the wheels, as otherwise you scrape rubber off the tires.

Anyway, I did the three point turn. I wasn’t really that scared, just very aware that I had no clue what the heck I was doing and that this is unlikely to change any time soon. ;)

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