Emergency Motorhome Driving

Docj is right about the best route back to Dallas. Having previously lived in Dallas and a daughter in Colorado, we have driven this route many times, in both directions. A few years ago, we had a 37-foot diesel coach when my Dad took ill in Massachusetts. We were just outside of LA when this happened. Somewhere around Grand Junction, where my daughter lives, my Dad took a turn for the worse. My wife, who is an excellent driver, had never driven a motor home before. From that point until Massachusetts, we team drove back. During her first turn at the wheel, I watched for about 10 minutes. After that, I was satisfied that she was doing OK, I went in the back and took a nap. She did great on a 2-lane interstate out in the country. Anything more complicated than that (3 lanes, toll booths, cities) she was too uncomfortable to drive, so I did those parts.

The best way to Dallas includes a few short stretches of interstates with a whole lot of US highways. This route may not be the best one for her to learn to drive the coach. Good luck with whatever you wind up doing.

DaveRB55.....I'm in suspense! Any decision yet?

Hi Everyone,

Thank you for all your input and information.  I apologize for the delay in responding.  WIFI at our current park is one of the worst I've experienced and have already had my surgery.  Back on line now.

We opted NOT to drive home by ourselves.  My wife is a bit nervous about driving the rig and  I didn't want to put the added pressure of learning during a stressful situation.  While I've never had drivers training, I did drive cranes and other large vehicles in my earlier years. 

We secured a contract driver from the dealer that I purchased my used motorhome from.  This is the second time they have provided a helpful, after the sale service, so I would like to give them a plug here, they are National Indoor in Lewisville, Tx.  I will go back there should I decide to trade in to a different rig.  Very positive experience.

We got back to the Dallas area Thursday evening and the Motorhome  arrived about an hour earlier.  Was able to get to the Ortho surgeon on Friday and  had my Surgery on Tues 10/16.  So I should be fine in 10-12 Wks!  No pickleball for about 6 mos. ?  My foot is in a cast for 2 wks so getting around is tricky but I'm glad to have the surgery performed so quickly and be on the path to recovery.

I did have RV return coverage with my Coachnet service...however it is only good for 120 days after leaving home.  How do they know that?  They ask you and if you don't know better you tell the truth and are refused coverage.  Read the fine print.  I thought I had the premium service...lesson learned.  They do provide coverage for unlimited days after leaving home (fulltimers) however it is an extra 90/yr.  Had I known I would have purchased it.

The real depressing part of this is that after 7 mos on the road we were beginning to do a better job of longer term planning and staying at locations longer to reduce the amount of effort changing locations all the time.  Had the next 4 mos planned out and now  have to cancel some and when we finally do get to Florida there's not much I'll be able to do.  Oh well so it goes.  Finding the right balance is sometimes difficult.

Thank you all again.

Thanks for posting back, and I am glad you are on the road to recovery.  I know what is is like for an unexpected injury to derail ones plans, I fell and broke my back (compression fracture of L2) in 2010.  I spent 4 months in a full back brace, and the next several years recovering, even now I would say that I am only at 85-90% of my pre-fall ability level.

DaveR, I too am glad to hear you are home safely and are on the road to recovery.

May I take this opportunity to remind everyone that BOTH people need to be able to drive the RV in an emergency.  I don't mean to be obnoxious about it, but this really is IMPORTANT!  Everyone who travels in an RV should be able to take over when necessary and Dave's experience is a good example of things that can go wrong and why we all need to be prepared.  We also need to extend it to knowing how to hook and unhook utilities as well as anything you're towing.  Please don't delay because tomorrow may be your turn!

Again, Dave, I'm glad things turned out okay.  Take care of yourself and do your rehab.

ArdraF

May I take this opportunity to remind everyone that BOTH people need to be able to drive the RV in an emergency. 

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Although I agree with you, not everyone wants to drive an RV or can drive an RV. My DW has taken a lesson and has tried to drive our coach, but it is very stressful for her. Even in an emergency, as was shown in this post there were many alternatives to forcing someone in to a stressful situation.

ArdraF said:

DaveR, I too am glad to hear you are home safely and are on the road to recovery.

May I take this opportunity to remind everyone that BOTH people need to be able to drive the RV in an emergency.  I don't mean to be obnoxious about it, but this really is IMPORTANT!  Everyone who travels in an RV should be able to take over when necessary and Dave's experience is a good example of things that can go wrong and why we all need to be prepared.  We also need to extend it to knowing how to hook and unhook utilities as well as anything you're towing.  Please don't delay because tomorrow may be your turn!

Again, Dave, I'm glad things turned out okay.  Take care of yourself and do your rehab.

ArdraF

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Dave, glad to hear all is well...well, as well as can be expected.

As for the other part of this, some people think that anyone and everyone should be able to hop behind the wheel and go.  I will tell you there are people out there I would not want behind the wheel of a 40' coach, or a truck pulling a 35' trailer.  My wife is one of them.  No matter what people think, there are some that not only will not do this, they shouldn't.  I can't say what we would do in an emergency if i couldn't drive, but I will tell you that my wife will not drive my truck, let alone the truck with a 5th wheel connected to it.  It will not happen, and if it was forced on her, there would be a disaster somewhere.  Some people, whether male or female, just cannot do it, and it should not be forced on them.

Ed, I sure agree with that post.  While my wife does drive and enjoys it I know of a couple of wives who said it would be the last thing they would want to do.  For me, the last thing I want to do is another MRI.  Never been claustrophic even in a missile launch control center 30 feet underground but that MRI scared the wits out of me.  If there is to be a next time I want a double dose of whatever drug they give to calm one down......lol

Bill

This would be a good time to look at FMCA. https://site.fmca.com/fmca-about
Bill

Ditto to Ardra's comment.  A couple of years, my son and his family were headed to Disneyland from northern California.  I was driving my motorhome with my daughter-in-law's mother staying with me, and my son was towing their 28' trailer with his wife and two kids in the pickup truck.  First night was in Bakersfield, parked next to one another.  My son's MIL and I woke up the next morning to find my son had gone to the hospital overnight with abdominal pain. 

To make a long story short, my son was hospitalized for 8 days for pancreatitis and had gall bladder surgery.  We sent kids back home with MIL in a rented car, but I stayed around to help out.  The big problem was that not only had DIL driven while towing trailer only a couple of short times, she also did not know how to hook up sewer or operate some of the systems.  Son had only hooked up water and electric the night before, so I hooked up sewer and dumped their tank, plus got the lights working inside after the wrong switch was flipped.  Solution was to find nearby storage for trailer and transfer everything in garbage bags to back seat and rear of trailer.  Son was in pain and had stitches but managed to drive it the mile to storage, and his wife then drove them home while I continued on my travels. 

So, every adult in the family not only needs to know how to drive but also how to hook up and operate everything!!  And, I am a 75 year old, short woman with a bad back. I know not everyone wants or can do this, but at least they need to have a plan for emergencies and should know how to operate the systems.

It is good to know about the CoachNet coverage since I travel alone and don't want to have to call my kids in an emergency.

Ditto to Ardra and Judy said. It really is important that the other adult knows how to drive, and its alot easier to learn when theres no stress than it is during an emergency. There are some places in this country that even Verizon wont work. If theres a medical emergency, someones gonna have to drive the rig to get help. In some cases, its a matter of life or death where a few minutes makes the difference.  Most of the people not wanting to learn are really just intimidated. You drivers all know how easy it really is once you practice. Please encourage them to learn. Any of them would feel guilty forever if something happened to you because they didnt.

cadee2c said:

Ditto to Ardra and Judy said. It really is important that the other adult knows how to drive, and its alot easier to learn when theres no stress than it is during an emergency. There are some places in this country that even Verizon wont work. If theres a medical emergency, someones gonna have to drive the rig to get help. In some cases, its a matter of life or death where a few minutes makes the difference.  Most of the people not wanting to learn are really just intimidated. You drivers all know how easy it really is once you practice. Please encourage them to learn. Any of them would feel guilty forever if something happened to you because they didnt.

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If it were only that easy.  But I am here to tell you, it's not going to happen.  Yes, she is intimidated.  She freaks out watching me park the thing.  And I'm not going to force it on my wife.  It will end up being a bigger disaster than any emergency would have been.  I am not going to create an emergency trying to prevent one.  You have to trust me on this.  I fully understand about being away in a place where help may not be readily available, but what I am saying is, my wife pulling the 5th wheel ain't gonna happen.  It's a consequence she (we) will just have to deal with.  And I know there are others like my wife out there. 

I don?t understand why people want to force someone to do something they are not comfortable with. Just because you are comfortable driving an RV doesn?t mean everyone else will be. As this post has shown there are alternatives in an emergency. The best option in an emergency is 911. There will always be options as to what to do with the RV later.