,

Take one big valium with a glass of wine before you get on board. You'll love your new RV once again.

reddog24,

Glad to hear you're still reading. As with any forums, there is always some "filtering" readers must do.

And nice rig by the way. :)

First of all, you didn't mention why your husband hit the soft shoulder. It could have been driver error, but then there also could have been something in the road he was trying to avoid. Was it windy? I've driven in some winds which make it feel like I'm driving a sailboat down the road. And until your used to it, even a passing truck can give you a sideways push. Have you spoken with him about this incident? Is he aware of your fears? I'd give him credit for getting the rig back on the road safely without damage. Not an easy task in a vehicle with which he has very little familiarity.

As others have pointed out, driving a Class A is different than driving a Class C. Not necessarily harder, just different. It takes practice. I echo the recommendations of others for you to take shorter trips in the motorhome to gain experience in different driving conditions. Going out to the mall? Take the RV. Those types of things. Also, your class A is almost 13 feet tall, which, I'm willing to bet is 2 - 3 feet taller than your class C. The floor height is higher, the weight is well over double. All of these things will cause it to ride & handle differently than your Class C. It just takes some time.

You were driving this home from the dealer. In my (limited) experience, the techs at the dealership air the tires up to their maximum listed inflation pressure. If the tires say 110 psi, that's what they put in them. In most cases, that is WRONG. The correct tire inflation pressure can only be determined if the rig is weighed. When I drove ours home, it rode very hard and I could feel the front tires bounce over bumps & expansion joints. When I got home, I checked the tire pressures and they were all 110 psi. I weighed the rig, and using the tire manufacturer suggestions, the proper pressures are about 85 psi front, 80 psi rear. WHAT A DIFFERENCE in handling. So another suggestion is to check your tire pressures and weigh the rig loaded and ready for travel. If it still has issues, then you can look into an alignment and possible suspension mods. But checking the tire pressures is free (if you have a gauge...and you should) and a weighing at a truck station should be around $10.


On our ride home from the dealer, the person that was driving behind us driving our car home, said that every underpass we went under I hit the brakes. I don't think I do that anymore :) , but it's part of getting used to the rig. I wasn't used to driving a 12' tall vehicle, and my brain kept saying "you should approach that overpass with caution".

Likewise, as has been said, with a class A, you have to position the vehicle a bit further to the center of the road than your car or class C. Once you are aware of that it becomes automatic.

The view from the front passenger seat of a Class A is awesome, but also a bit unnerving until you get used to it. During our first year, I took a scenic winding back road along the Maine coast, instead of the inland highway. Great view, but it was tight and I joked that wifey could've delivered the mail, she was that close to the edge of the road.

So I suggest you discuss these concerns with your hubby. Take some short drives around town, and just slowly get used to the feeling. I suggest you be belted up front so that you get used to the passenger position. Plus, an extra pair of eyes on the road ahead can't hurt.

I would also recommend that you try driving it a bit, even if it's just around a mall parking lot for starters. There have been times when we've been in stop & go traffic, wifey will get behind the wheel to allow me to stretch my legs and use the restroom. When the traffic clears, I get back behind the wheel and we're good to go.

Good Luck,

~Rick

reddog24 wrote:
I appreciate all of you that have posted helpful replies. We have a new 2013 Tiffin 35QBA.

Nice!!

Back to that alignment thing: I had been told that the motorhome mfrs buy the naked chassis, which has the steering aligned to its naked state. Then they add the body and all the "stuff" inside the body, and that added weight throws off the alignment. So you load it up, fill with water/fuel, etc - then take it back for a realignment? Now it's possible that a quality company like Tiffin already does that for you??

All I know is that it made a nigh-and-day difference in the handling of our Class C.

The law requires a CDL license to drive a Greyhound, but ANYBODY can walk up to a huge RV and drive it off the lot. I have never understood that.

I appreciate all of you that have posted helpful replies. We have a new 2013 Tiffin 35QBA.

Dunno if you're still reading after some of the flippant, unhelpful, shamefully idiotic responses you got at first. Most of the folks here are more mature, thoughtful, & helpful.

But I'd suggest that the severity of the swerve _might_ be due in part to something mechanical, anything from incorrect tire pressures to needing some suspension work or add-ons. This is especially true if the unit was 2nd hand.

Consider replying with the make and model of both the coach and the chassis it's on. Someone here may have had a similar coach and know if there are inherent handling issues and how to fix them.

But I agree with the advice to ride in the front, with the better seat & belts.

Jim, "Mo' coffee!"

I have been told by many driving instructors that when something happens when you are in a vehicle the best thing is to get back behind the wheel and drive. I have had to use this advice a few times plus have had my family do it too. Just start out slow. If you are on a 4 lane just do 50 mph. As you get more experience with your motorhome you will start to feel more comfortable driving it. When you first buy a new rv the worst thing to do is start looking around at things when you are driving. Do this when you are parked.
As also mentioned load it like you will be driving and get it aligned. They are aligned when the chassis is built but not after the house is put on. It will make a world of difference. Everyday go out and look at it. Believe it or not after a while it will look smaller. When we first got our 35 ft it looked like a 45 footer. We now have just gotten a 41 foot diesel pusher and it looks like it is 65 feet long. This too will look smaller after a couple of months.

Late 2013 I took my first shakedown/trip in my 19 year old 33’ Class A RV from San Marcos TX to Tucson AZ during a late November winter storm. It was 900 miles and not much fun. Since I was a newby I started out keeping the speed between 55 and 60. I’ll normally try to somewhat accommodate other drivers on a 2-lane road, but on a 4-lane highway to heck with them, they can go around me. As I became used to the machines idiosyncrasies and the general newness of driving it, I slowly increased my speed. By the time I hit the Arizona border the weather had cleared, it had become sunny, and I was cruising along at 70. I’d become so comfortable with it that I had to keep checking my speed as it constantly crept up to 75. It just takes time, no need to be in a hurry.
Steve

All I can say is to count your blessings...DH got the MH back on the road. Both of you are alright. All RVer contend with some sort of emergency every now and again. Rest assured that DH did and can handle emergency situations. Good luck with your plight.

OpenRangePullen_Ford wrote:
I cant help someone drive what they payed a $110k+ for. Just drive it...

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