I have been RV-ing for many years and now, at 79 years old, have a new health issue that could cause death at any moment. An Aneurysm in my stomach could burst and cause me to pass out and die within 20 minutes. I can accept this, but I don't want my death to cause injury or death to others if this should happen while I am driving my Motorhome. My girlfriend is a tiny lady and afraid to learn to drive the RV. So if we are to continue traveling we need to find another way. Has anyone heard of an emergency device that would allow the passenger in a 42' Class A coach to take control in an emergency situation and steer the coach safely to a stop? Pulling the air brake knob at 65mph is not the answer as it would lock-up the brakes on all wheels and cause the motorhome to skid out of control and perhaps smashing into nearby people and/or vehicles. Any ideas would be welcome, thanks... Larry

Larry...what can I say? STOP driving ANYTHING and have that problem taken care of. Unless.....can you spell "t r o l l "? I can't believe this....you knowing and writing...STOP DRIVING ANYTHING.

If your ladyfriend is afraid to drive it, she sure as heck is not going to be able to "steer it to safety" should you die at the wheel. I know with AAA's, they have to wait till they are at a certain point before they will fix them, but you need to have a heart to heart talk with your doctor about getting it fixed if that is possible.My husband has a serious heart condition and he quit driving the big rig when he thought his condition could interfere with the safe driving of the vehicle. I now do all the driving of our 40' Class A towing our Flex. He drives the cars and our small B+ motorhome. Those would all be easier to manage if he should have an incidence driving.So my advice is to go to something smaller she can handle easier and wouldn't be afraid to take over.Also, you are misinformed about the air brake. The manufacturers tell you to reach over the driver and pull the air brake in an emergency. It will slow the rig down gradually and allow a person to take control. It would be scary for sure, but that is what they say.Dale

For what it's worth, Google has a Larry James Wood in Las Vegas that is 79 years old. Welcome Larry and keep on RVing."burst and cause me to pass out and die within 20 minutes"...pretty sure that's enough time to park it on the side of the road. Pulling the parking brake at high speed is NOT going to lock up the drive tires. Go out and try it...you can push it back in. At a slow speed, less than 20 mph it may lock them up but with a tag you are still going to stop straight ahead.

I'm just going to follow this thread.

Driving with Health Issues | Good Sam Community

TNGW1500SE
Explorer
Jul 02, 2017
can't be a real post
wa8yxm
Explorer III
Jul 02, 2017
Take your Girlfriend and RV (Get someone else to drive if you can) to a shoping mall after hours when the lots are EMPTY and let her drive it around the mall a few times.. Odds are very good she will find it is not all that much difference than driving a car.. Oh it is BIG, I mean BIG, even professional OTR Semi Drivers say RVs are BIG, that's because they are six inches wider than a Semi truck.

But put her in an enviorment where there is nothing to hit, and let her drive it a few laps.. I think she may adjust.

But then I do have a problem in that I give people too much credit for adjust-ability. Or rather adaptability.
fireman41
Explorer
Jul 02, 2017
I have to pass a DOT physical every two years. If I don't pass I can't drive truck anymore. I am almost certain that your condition would cause you to fail. I suggest that you hang up your keys.
Shearwater
Explorer
Jul 01, 2017
I'm sorry to hear that.
LarWood
Explorer
Jul 01, 2017
Shearwater, you are correct. It is an Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm and I am seeing a Vascular Surgeon. My "AAA" is not "normal" and cannot be fixed with a stent. Open-cut is the only choice in my case and even that comes with a lot of serious risks. Recent CAT scan shows it is now up to 5.9cm. The surgeon feels that if it should rupture there would be pain and I would have time to pull over, but I have heard from others that sometimes there is no pain, just passing out, so I choose to not drive the RV.
Shearwater
Explorer
Jul 01, 2017
I am assuming from your description that what you have is an abdominal aortic aneurysm. What kinds of doctors are you seeing? You should be talking to a board-certified vascular surgeon who can assess the danger from an ultrasound or CAT scan. The size of the aneurysm is critical to prognosis and that should be your guide.

The procedure of choice is insertion of a stent through arteries in the leg. This is far less stressful than standard surgery.
mgirardo
Explorer
Jul 01, 2017
Is downsizing to something your girlfriend is comfortable driving an option

If she is afraid to drive the motorhome, I can't imagine she'd hold it together enough to take over in an emergency situation.

You might want to find a shop that does custom work on Trucks and Buses to see if they have the ability to add a second steering wheel and pedals. That might be an option if your girlfriend thinks she can stay calm enough in an emergency to safely pull over.

-Michael
rockhillmanor
Explorer
Jul 01, 2017
God bless. You will be in our prayers that all goes well with whatever surgery you decide AND that you can be back on the road RV'ing as soon as possible. :C
LarWood
Explorer
Jul 01, 2017
Most insurance companies won't cover the open cut operation until it gets to 6.0 centimeters. Mine is not quite there yet, but even though the risk of rupture (followed by death) is quite low, I still do not want to take the chance in hurting anyone. Therefore the Motorhome stays in storage.
LarWood
Explorer
Jul 01, 2017
Thanks to all who replied, but I guess I should have made one thing clear... I have ALREADY stopped driving the motorhome... and have not taken a trip since last summer. Thanks to those who informed me that the emergency brake would NOT lock up the wheels. (It was a truck service manager that told me it would) Fixing the aneurysm is a bit difficult in my case, but I still may take that risk...and until I do, the motorhome stays in storage. So, feel free to drive anywhere you want... because I will NOT be on the road with you!