Driving a motorhome on the wrong side of the road

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Tom

Tom

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Having traveled between the UK and the USA for nearly 40 years, I'm used to switching between driving on the right and left sides of the road and vice versa, although it wasn't always free of surprise moments. However, irrespective of the country, I always drove a "correct side drive" vehicle. Imagine taking a right side drive coach to the UK and driving it on the left side of the road  ???  Add to this the narrower streets and it must be a wild ride.

Maybe some of our British forum members can explain what the challenges are and how easily they adapted.
 
When we were traveling to and from countries that drove on different sides of the road we just kept the driver in the center of the highway. Works good as long as the car steering wheel is on the proper side for the country dirven in.
 
Works good as long as the car steering wheel is on the proper side for the country dirven in.
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That's the whole point of this topic Ron - 'wrong side drive'. They drive on the left in the UK, but many Brits import coaches built to drive on the right side. Keeping the driver in the center of the highway would be downright dangerous in those cases; The driver needs to be next to the curb.
 
Tom said:
That's the whole point of this topic Ron - 'wrong side drive'. They drive on the left in the UK, but many Brits import coaches built to drive on the right side. Keeping the driver in the center of the highway would be downright dangerous in those cases; The driver needs to be next to the curb.
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That is why I mentioned it only works if the vehicle steering is configured properly for the location being driven. 
 
Well... You know, being a "Yank" I think the right side is... Well,  The right side and the other side is the wrong side.

I am fairly sure you can order a "Cross Drive" rig no matter where you order it, but not 100% on that.

I used to drive English Fords.. One of the things I noticed about them was they were designed so as to make it fairly easy to convert the drive side, Hydraulic clutch for example
 
I am fairly sure you can order a "Cross Drive" rig no matter where you order it, but not 100% on that.
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Monaco builds coaches for the UK market to a different set of specs for export. Haven't heard of anyone being able to buy one here. In any event, many of these folks are buying used coaches and shipping them home as is, after first driving around North America for 6-12 months.

If they were able to order a 'wrong side' drive coach and take delivery here, it would only be good in the UK. They'd have driven with the steering wheel next to the curb for 6-12 months, be OK in the UK, then when they crossed the channel tunnel to mainland Europe, the steering wheel would on the curb side again.
 
In college, I used to deliver newspapers in a right hand drive former post office truck.  The right hand drive was great for dropping off newspapers to curbside racks and for throwing newspapers into driveways out the right side door (I'm right handed).

As far as driving it on the right side of the road, it's really not too big of a problem. No harder than keeping your right wheels on the pavement while driving a conventional truck.

The only real disadvantage is not being able to see around a vehicle in front when trying to pass.
 
We ought to ask someone working for the Post Office.  See them all the time delivering mail in "wrong" side vans.
Looks  real awkward.  Think it would mess with your head alot switching daily from one side to the other.
Jim
 
Hi Chaps

The only problems I have come across are the following :-

1) Ensure the blinds are open behind the co-pilot seat - this is important when approaching roundabouts or slip roads off motorways as these roads tend to bend to the left and you will be looking out that side window for oncoming traffic. It does mean that you approach these situations more slowly and you can often see the way is clear and move on without stopping.

2) If we pull over on the side of a street it means we have to exit the RV in the centre of the road. The main problem is opening the door and having the steps come out - it does make a quick exit more difficult.

3) Because RVs are rare on the roads here, you will get other vehicles drive past and half the occupants will have a good look - and often the other vehicle will pull in right in front of you for a better look. This can be a bit of a pain, especially when approaching road junctions etc.

Other than that, I've had no problems.

Paul
 
Thanks for the insight Paul.

Entering/exiting roundabouts and motorway slip roads (aka freeway ramps) can be hairy at times, and I can't imagine doing it in a coach while sitting next to the curb. This is definitely a lot different than our local mail lady driving a small Jeep and stopping at every mailbox in the street.

...we have to exit the RV in the centre of the road.
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Definitely a time for chivalry - let the other half go first.

....you will get other vehicles drive past and half the occupants will have a good look ...
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Ah yes, rubberneckers. The only difference is that yours turn their heads the opposite way from ours  ;D
 
I went to a campground in Russia back when it was still part of the Soviet Union (1989).  Mostly folks were in little cars and little tents, but there were a few pseudo class B campers.  As I looked at the few RVs there, I kept thinking "The same folks who built Sputnik built these?"

I have not driven a car outside of the US and I can't imagine driving my Tioga on the left side of the road on purpose!
 
... I can't imagine driving my Tioga on the left side of the road on purpose!
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LOL Becky. On my trips to the UK I've occasionally found myself on 'the other side' of the street, but fortunately not going the wrong way on a freeway. As we exited the airport on our last trip I went anti-clockwise around a roundabout (everyone else there goes around clockwise). A bus driver waiting to enter the roundabout gave us a strange look, my wife gave him a "dumb tourist husband" gesture, and he laughed.

I can't imagine navigating the narrow roads in a motorhome, and defintely not with the steering wheel on the wrong side.
 
About 12 years ago, we went to the American Virgin Islands.  Virtually all of the vehicles had the steering wheel on the left AND they also drove on the left side of the road.  There sure seemed to be a lot of dinged up cars.
 
Back in 1949 we moved to Japan with the Army and my parents brought their Chrysler with us.  I'll never forget the first time my mother went driving alone in the car.  Our houseboy Tanaka went running down the street after her yelling "Mama-San, Mama-Son.  Wrong side of road!"  Luckily we lived on an old kamakazi airstrip and the runway was the road, so she had plenty of time and width to adjust to the other side of the road.  She drove all over Tokyo in that car so I guess she adjusted.  Thanks for the memory.

ArdraF
 
I had best of both countries a streering wheel on both sides of the vehicle
shame it was a road sweeper  LOL
Ian
 
You converted the road sweeper to an RV?  ;D
 
It was the same size LOL now all new ones are just left hand drive
 
Ian,

I recall when I was a kid, the local village police sergeant retired and bought an old ambulance. He converted it to a camper.

A few years ago we had a forum member who bought an old milk truck (aka Divco) to convert. We still have a file in our library describing what he was trying to do: Divco conversion - Ray's dream.
 
Having the steering wheel on the left in our Fleetwood Discovery will be very helpful once we have completed out American Tour

ad we start to tour the rest of Europe. :)

Trouble is we enjoy America so much that could be quite a date away.  :) :) :)
 
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