Driving and reaching all controls

[wannavolunteerF]

I was reading a review of Class A that I think I want to buy for FT in MH magazine. Reviewer commented he couldn't see backup/sideview camera monitor without a lot of stretching from driver's seat. I am now concerned that as I am shorter than many folks I may find that to be the case with lots of Class A's. I am 5'4" if I stand real straight. I also know I have short arms and legs, so will have to adjust seat forward to reach pedals. I am accustomed to driving F150 as daily driver, and have driven a class C, but now am worried about driving a Class A. Is this likely to be a problem? Am I going to have a hard time finding one I can adjust to see mirrors, camera monitors correctly?

[Scottiemom]

I am the DW and I do all the motorhome driving. I am barely 5' tall. We have an 06 Tiffin Phaeton and I can adjust everything, mirrors, pedals, seats, etc., so that I can see everything very well. We did add side view cameras to see down the length of the motorhome when we turn. A big bonus is the pedals can be adjusted forward or back. I don't have any problem and am very comfortable in the driver's seat. I have sat in some seats in other motorhomes where my legs just dangle and that could not be changed without modifications. If we ever purchase another motorhome, it will either have to fit me or be modified to do so. But there are many out there that are no problem for us short people.

Dale

[cvbdsl]

jwmII wrote:
Many new cars are coming with adjustable pedals. I bet there are some motorhomes out there with the adjustable pedals. There always has been a seat for every a$$ out there. Keep looking your seat is there too.

Yep, even my 2003 Dutch Star has adjustable pedals, so they have been around a while.

Chris

[rolling_rhoda]

My seat adjusts fine, but both MHs we've owned have seat belts mounted in the captain's chair quite high, so they come across the side of my neck, not my shoulder. I'm 5'7" and the chairs are Flexsteel, btw.

[jwmII]

Many new cars are coming with adjustable pedals. I bet there are some motorhomes out there with the adjustable pedals. There always has been a seat for every a$$ out there. Keep looking your seat is there too.

[Danc55]

We just purchased our first MH, after 20 years of RVing in everything from pop-ups to fifth-wheels. We did a lot of research and chose the new Winnebago 36Y and love the layout and all the upscale features (Res Refer, W&D, full paint and large alloy wheels, Studio-Loft, hidden TV in the buffet, etc.). But, I too have a hard time seeing the Nav/Camera Screen, especially in daylight, as it is not angled toward me. I don't find that it is out of my line of sight, as the reviewer in the MH article reported, just washed out by reflection.

I am wondering though if there is any kind of visor that could be mounted over it to keep the light from reflecting and washing out the display. Any ideas out there?

[JimM68]

Go to the shows, dealers, and generally sit in as many motorhomes as you can. You'd eventually come up with a list of those that fit, and those that might fit with a little work, and those that will never fit.

Most motorhomes are built on the same few chassis.
And many of the non-chassis items can be moved around.

Just this past week, I relocated 5 switched in my Monaco DP, putting things I never used, such as the pedal in/out, far away, while things I did use, such as ICC flash and fog lights, moved to right under my left hand.

The ones I did just moved.
I've 2 empty slots way up to the left of the steering wheel, but the ones I needed had enough wire to go where I wanted then to go.

The 2 missing ones are traction control off and cruise cancel, who cares really? I'd never want to turn off the ATC, and cruise off or decel gets it done for cruise cancel...

[hipower]

It is a fact of ownership that sometimes we have to redo what the factory did that doesn't fit our needs.

I've shimmed the front of a seat that didn't have enough support under my legs to suit me. It didn't take much, but the difference was amazing. Our current coach (Dutch Star) had me moaning about not being able to see the oil pressure, engine temp and trans temp gauges while driving without craning my neck. Finally it irritated me enough to do something about the gauge placement. I pulled the gauges and moved them around to other locations and finally got them where I was able to see the most important ones at a glance.

There isn't anything that can't be adjusted for with a little effort.

[frankdamp]

It all depends on the chassis the RV is based on. If it's on a real "bus" chassis, like a Gillig, MCI, etc., it will have a large range of adjustability (double jointed steering column with telescopic adjustment, good driver's seat with vertical, rake and enough fore-aft that you can easily reach the pedals) and can be set up for just about anyone.

The transit coach operator I worked for had drivers ranging in height from 5'0" to 6'10" and they could all fit all the coaches except those based on Ford E450 cutaways.

Truck chassis, like the F53 or Workhorse, often don't have telescopic adjustment and have a much more limited angle adjustment (one joint at the floor. Frequently, RV seats don't have a very big range of fore/aft adjustment and usually no height adjustment. My wife, who's just under 5' tall, can't even come close to being able to drive our F53-based MH.


down-home:

In my UK home town, back in the inter-war years, our coal merchant changed over from horse-drawn carts to trucks. One driver had been with the company for over 25 years and the owner didn't want to lay him off, so he trained him to drive a truck. About a month after he started, he hit a wall at the bottom of a hill. A witness said she saw him standing on the driver's seat, pulling hard on the steering wheel and shouting "WHOA, WHOA".

[down_home]

Wife drives our Revolution. She has the seat all the way forward, pedals adjusted out as far as they travel, and the seat tilted slightly forward.
She uses cruise a lot. She enjoys it though. Next time you see her dancing or whatever in the seat going down the road hoot at her. Make her pay attention.
Reminds me of an Uncle. Drove a coal truck at age nine. he jumped down on the pedals and back up on the seat time and again. Sheriff, Uncle Jim, brought him home several times.
I hope he is still shifting away and jumping on the pedal where he is.

[Old-Biscuit]

Sound like a trip to the local MH Dealer lot and some butt time is in order.

So get some sit time and mess with all the controls.

Then you will have actual info vs magazine/internet stories

[doxiemom11]

Ours is mounted in the dash, but dash and monitor are tilted towards the driver. It is not centered in the middle, but the right side of the monitor is at the middle of the dash. You will just have to try one out to see.

[Pirate1]

wannavolunteerFT wrote:
I don't expect to be able to adjust radio, heat, GPS, etc without being stopped.. as they are likely too far away. Review in MH magazine of Winnebago 36Y, stated that combo stereo/radio/backup monitor could not be seen with neck stretching as it was placed in center of dash. As I have never driven a Class A, I wondered if that was something that is commonly an issue? I will be traveling by myself, so won't have the advantage of a navigator to work them.

It is rediculous where the builders put electronics. My radio was low in the center days. Backup monitor low too. Moved everything around to where I could see and use them without driving off the road.

[robbiesgram]

As was suggested earlier, go and sit in the drivers seat, adjust everything to fit you and verify what you can and cannot see/reach. I'm 5'3" and drove our 36ft Winnebago Journey DP all the time, usually towing an F150 or a Crown Victoria. Many times by myself. Just had to adjust the seat, mirrors, etc just like have to do in any vehicle.

[wannavolunteerF]

I don't expect to be able to adjust radio, heat, GPS, etc without being stopped.. as they are likely too far away. Review in MH magazine of Winnebago 36Y, stated that combo stereo/radio/backup monitor could not be seen with neck stretching as it was placed in center of dash. As I have never driven a Class A, I wondered if that was something that is commonly an issue? I will be traveling by myself, so won't have the advantage of a navigator to work them.