BW's that don't drive

[Linkbeltspeeder]

Just want to share an experienc we had. Owned our 5er for ten years and when we first got it I kidded my wife into learning the basics and even had her highway driving a few times.She did a good job but not quite comfortable with it.We moved to Florida 8 years ago and almost imediately her health issues curtailed our rving.


Finally last year we got back on the road and made a few trips with me driving as usual. This year we went back to Long Island for a visit
(avoid the BQE)while there I injured my left arm and lost the use of it for a while anyway.

Although she hadn't driven the trailer in over 9 years my WW said she could do it if I could manage the fuel stops. Which we did. After the first hour or so she took to it like a duck to water and did most of the driving all the way back to Florida.In fact although when I was driving 62 was fast enough she had no problem doing 70!

What I'm trying to convey is that you wives shouldn't be afraid to get behind the wheel when conditions allow as you never know when you might have to do so out of necessity!

Good luck and safe travels,

Mike & Lou-Anne

[Teacher_s_Pet]

When my ICD (Implanted Cardioverter Defibrillator) "zapped" me two mornings in a row in October of 2009 in Tucson, I opted to not drive the Phaeton on a regular basis. Before this event we shared the driving. I have logged less than 500 miles at the wheel of the Class A, while Scottiemom has driven it close to 40,000 miles. I still get in the driver's seat in campgrounds and do the parking, since we found that it's a much quicker setup if she's giving the parking/spotting directions for the campsite. After about a year I began to drive the toad and later our B+ on a shared basis. On our recent trip to Alaska, my wife had major knee pain and needed a rest from driving. When we dis-embarked from the ferry on the west coast, I drove the B+ across Canada to within 200 miles of our Indiana starting point, when she took the wheel back for the Chicago leg.

[Dutch___Di]

We have shared the driving for 17 years of fulltiming. We started out swapping drivers every 2 hours and have never changed. We both love to drive and while the driver can "glance" at something interesting but can't really see all the beautiful things along the way. We do almost the same thing when we go out for a day of exploring. Dutch drives to the farthest point and I take over and we meander and stop at all the viewpoints heading back home.
Another big plus for us is that the "driver" isn't tired when we stop for the day. We open up then relax, go out for the night or visit with neighbors.
As far as learning every emergency in advance, there is no way to do that but I wouldn't give up the opportunity to drive on what might happen but that is just us.
A dual interstate is a great place to learn and the traffic can go around you if necessary and you do have shoulders if needed.
Our 3rd day out I was driving our Dodge dually with our Carriage behind and I mentioned to Dutch that there was a tunnel 5 miles down the road & I thought I should pull over as I had never "done" a tunnel. He said there was plenty of time to pull over. I reminded him again at the 3 mile mark and he had the same reply. When I saw the sign for 1 mile I told him I was pulling over. He said, "don't do that. You have to drive through a tunnel sometime, why not today. I gripped the wheel and stayed pretty close to the center line but made it through. I will say that once on the other side, I pulled over when there was room, loosened my grip on the wheel and said "Your turn". I had move confidence and knew Dutch was confident so now I to through big cities, little towns, bridges and tunnels. Oh yeah, I always seem to be the lucky one with construction too!!!! We do time if that if we have to drive at night I can do the driving.
I hope your DW eventually drives as it really is enjoyable. Di

[ol_Bombero-JC]

Thread topic = "BW's that don't drive"

As everyone else has done - guess the BW is really a DW..:B.;)

She doesn't.

~

[Johno02]

DW kept wanting to drive over to the right edge. On the trace, there is no right edge, as you well know! I stopped with the MH where it needed to be on the road, then places a piece of tape on the windshield where the center line was. Told her to keep that tape on the center line. Let her drive most of the way while I sat in terror of roadedge potholes. But, she did learn, and now is an excellent driver.

[Pete_k]

Johno02 wrote:
Great place to teach is the Natchez Trace Parkway here in the east.. Easy drive, very little traffic, two lanes only with no shoulders. At the other end, they can handle anything. Afert you get back out of therapy, both of you can go anywhere.

Hello Neighbor (Adamsville), And your right the trace is a perfect place for them to drive. My wife pulled ours last year while we were on the trace. But she can and would even make it home with the camper while shifting gears in the 10 Speed trans.

[Johno02]

Great place to teach is the Natchez Trace Parkway here in the east.. Easy drive, very little traffic, two lanes only with no shoulders. At the other end, they can handle anything. Afert you get back out of therapy, both of you can go anywhere.

[fla-gypsy]

My wife is a school bus driver with many years experience and is certainly capable of doing it but refuses too.

[ReneeG]

DW here. I too drive, a little, when we take trips. DH even had me drive into a gas station and back out, around the back behind the drive in restaurant, where we stopped and ate, then back onto the interstate. I drove to the next rest stop where he took over. While he drives, he teaches me things like keeping an eye on the side mirrors checking that that we stay within the lines, letting off the accelerator going down a hill, and accelerating in anticipation of an incline, staying on the outside lane when making a turn, turning wide, how far back to stay behind others, how to pass safely, etc. It helps because you never know when I have to do it as he says.

[Bruce3404]

Your advice is sound. My wife has driven our 35' MH with toad only once, on I-5 between LA and Sacto for about 50 miles. The key is that she knows she can do it in an emergency. Best way to get her to comfort level is to drive around in a large empty parking lot and then out to a quiet road. It's all about confidence building.

[greende]

My wife does all the driving as she gets extremely carsick if she is not driving. We've been to Myrtle beach twice and all over Pennsylvania & New York. She will not, however, learn to back it up. When we get to the campground, we do the "Old Switcheroo".

[rvluversnc93]

I guess I very lucky my DW loves to pull the fiver. She can drive it as good or better tham me. She had friends that had a farm and grading buisness and learned to drive the big vehicles including pulling a low-boy trailer with a bulldozer on it. So I am very comfortable when she drives, but a funny thing is her mother isn't so comfortable....last summer the DW wife drove to Myrtle Beach and her mom prayed all the way down! We made it safe and hads some laughs. I am very proud she does tow the fiver and I know all the DW's out there could with practice. You go DW's and single lady's!

[sue_t]

Don't know what all the fuss is. I enjoy the freedom of hooking up and heading off on my own if I wish.

I like it when DH drives as I can focus on my photography. But if he's tired or wants a break, I'm more than happy to sit in. If/when it is dark out, I prefer to drive as there's no doubt my night vision is better than his.

When our dearly departed puppy became ill on a trip into Alaska and we had to make a 24-hour emergency drive to Vancouver B.C. and the only vet hospital in Western Canada that could treat the disease, I was the one who drove 10 hours through the night while DH slept. By 6 a.m. I was pretty tired so he took over as the sun came up.

[rockhillmanor]

Just want to share an experienc we had. Owned our 5er for ten years and when we first got it I kidded my wife into learning the basics and even had her highway driving a few times.She did a good job but not quite comfortable with it.

Best thing you could have ever done.

A car is one thing if only one spouse drives, but an RV, both need to know how to drive it.

I full time and I have seen both sides of this. I've seen DH's have a medical issue or whatever while on the road and the wife is like a deer in the head lights about what to do next because they have never driven their RV.

I have driven to date about 6 MH's for DW's that couldn't drive them after an emergency.

When I was looking to buy my first used MH I ran across 2 that they were selling it because the DH had passed away and although the DW wanted to stay on the road she couldn't because she never learned anything about it or driven it.

My best good feeling moment in my life was when I found the perfect for me MH from a full timer seller that the DH had died. I was talking to the DW and quickly learned she did not want to come off the road but she had never drove the MH.......I spent the next 2 weeks taking her out and showing her how to drive it.

I didn't get to buy the deal of the century, but I know there is one happy lady out there still enjoying the RV life style after facing the loss of her spouse. :C

There are tons of rally's across the US that always offer driving class's for spouse's so that in case of an emergency one can always get the MH where it needs to be.

To the OP: Kudo's to your wife!

[Vulcaneer]

My DW doesn't want to learn to tow the trailer. SHe explains it like this.

"Sure, I can drive it down the road. No problem there. But what scares me is some of the sticky situations we can get into. Or what happens when something goes wrong? No way you can tell me what to do in all situations. I don't want to get into a problem due to un-forseen circumstances, and put anyone's life at risk."

I try to tell her that nobody knows what is going to happen around the next curve. But all we can do is the best we can at the time. And that we all act upon things with instinct.

Her response..."Yeah, but I don't want to do the wrong thing by instinct. I can react with instinct in my little car. But with something that is 10 times longer, and 10 times heavier my instinct may be incorrect. The risk is too much."

I don't push it. But I ask her..."OK, but what happens if we're on the road and I cannot continue to drive for some reason?" To which see replies..."I'll call your brother or my son to comes get me. They can be here in a couple days. And I can live in the trailer till they get here. That is no problem."

And she is right. But, I still wish she would try it.