New vs Used Class A

[scottydl]

Nobody starts out as a pro driving these things...   But it really does get easier the more you do it of course.  If you have any reservations hitting the road for the first time, your dealer can probably recommend (or may offer) driving lesson courses for beginner RV drivers.  Make sure you AND your wife learn how to drive it!

 

[Orick]

Hi forum

i am in the same situation,

i wil be 65 next year , and after talking with freinds and coach dealer

i am looking for 36 to 38 feets diesl rv

but i wonder how with no experience  is the difficulty of driving these rig

aince whe will be off from quebec, canada to south  of us for 2 months  trip in Jan and Feb at least

all advice are welcome

Michel andwife

Welcome to the forum!  We purchased our new 40' diesel pusher and it was our first RV of any kind.  Treat it with respect and you'll be fine.  We determined early on that I would be the only one driving our rig.  DW just isn't cut out for driving it. 

Good luck...

rick

 

[Alfa38User]

Salut Michel,

What coach brands and dealers are you considering?? You might consider buying down in the southern USA and importing. Much bigger choice / better pricing are available and, I am told, importing it is not a big deal. You can check the RIV Canada site for information on that.  http://www.riv.ca/importingavehicle.aspx

Bonne chance

 

[Kim (skyking4ar2) Bertram]

Michel,

As Rick says, treating them with respect and patience is the key. Getting some experience in a large open area is very helpful and confidence building.

Take a test drive with someone who has some experience and you will find the learning curve is not so steep.

Although I was familiar with larger vehicles, my wife was not, and she does most of the driving because she truly enjoys it and does just fine.

Good luck with your search !!!

Kim

 

[nbounder]

Almost all the responses are trally valid.  I, too, lean towards used, for all the reasons supplied.  Ther is another factor I've seen that supports those responses.  Seems the first year or 2 of a coach's life is spent getting things fixed . . .we call these items victims of infant mortality, and, luckily, most of the repairs are warantee covered.  Looks to me like the next 6 years are usually quiet from a 'things breaking' standpoint.  After that, you're looking at things just breaking on a random basis, just like any vehicle.  But - never mind all that - I bet you will enjoy the hell out of whatever you buy, just be sure the batteries are good and the tires are not over 5 years old - these are important issues.

 

[bnsonger47]

Michel,

The main thing to keep in mind when driving a diesel pusher is that it's big. Allow yourself some space. By that I mean that you can't take corners in a diesel pusher like you can in a regular automobile. Also, stopping distance is a bit different. Other than that, just do things wisely.

At Camp Freightliner last year there were 17 couples in attendance. Of the couples, the main drivers were the wives -- husbands were along for the trip and to handle repairs. One of the wives had just retired from teaching; in mid-50's. Another wife had retired several years ago. She and her husband were ready to spend their kid's inheritance by seeing the country by motorhome. If a woman at age 76 can start driving I figure a guy at 65 should be able to. (Accept the challenge.) That leaves one couple -- she had been the primary driver since purchasing their coach 16 years ago. In fact, she did all the driving including their tow.