Are you new to RVing? We’d love to help you get on the road and set for success behind the wheel. Our RV tips for first time RVers can help you avoid rookie mistakes and feel more confident on your road trip. Take a look below!
Take Multiple Test Drives
One of the best ways to get comfortable hauling or driving an RV is to haul it or drive it! Get familiar with hitching and unhitching your RV. Drive in an empty parking lot. Practice making turns, backing up, and putting on the brakes.
You’ll find that there are just as many unique sensations hauling an RV as when you first learned to drive a car – and it can take some getting used to. Don’t make your maiden voyage with your RV be the first trip you take. Give yourself time to practice maneuvering and getting a feel for it.
Slow Down
Give yourself some extra time for the journey. Anyone can make dangerous and risky mistakes by driving too fast, and the size and weight of an RV can increase those risks. If you slow down, you can give yourself a bit more reaction time as traffic ebbs and flows. Practicing braking can also gives you these advantages. One way to enjoy the journey as much as the destination is to just slow down and plan to take a bit longer to get there. You won’t regret it!
Cut Down Distractions
This is stating the obvious, but safety should come first in all respects when hauling a new or used RV! Don’t ever drive while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and be cautious about using any medications that might make you drowsy, give you blurred vision, or impede on your driving ability. Texts can wait until you pull over – keep your eyes focused where they need to be and not on any texting or social media.
Respect Mother Nature
Inclement weather has a way of increasing risks while driving, or at least giving you extra obstacles like storms or heavy winds to navigate. If the weather is getting bad, you might be better off pulling over or delaying the drive to let it blow over. Have a good source of weather information, like a NOAA weather radio, or the radar pulled up on a phone once you’re pulled over.
Keep Practicing
Plenty of short test drives can help you get comfortable pulling your RV, but it’s going to be repeated road trips and vacations that help you maximize on all that it has to offer. Contact us today. We’d love to help you pick out the perfect RV for your family, and answer any other questions you have about the RV life!
