RVezy pro tip:<\/strong>\u00a0Not sure which RV is best for a new RVer? Check out\u00a0The Best RVs for First-Time Owners & Renters<\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Whether you are looking for driving tips for your new RV or you\u2019re preparing for your first RV rental road trip, these 12 tips for driving an RV will help you feel more confident.<\/p>\n Buckle up! It\u2019s time to roll!<\/p>\n Did you know that a simple oversight, such as forgetting to retract the steps or the awning, can lead to a costly insurance claim?<\/p>\n Every time you get ready to drive, walk around the outside of the RV. It doesn\u2019t matter whether you\u2019ve parked for the night or stopped for gas; make it a habit to check everything from top to bottom.<\/p>\n Preparing for a long drive? Get comfy!<\/p>\n Before you pull out of the driveway, take time to adjust your seat, mirrors, and steering wheel and familiarize yourself with any rear or blind spot cameras. Ensure you have a good view from every angle. Large RVs have cameras that can help you see what\u2019s happening behind and along both sides of the rig while driving.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t worry If your mirrors or cameras need some adjusting while you are driving. If that happens, find a safe place, like a rest stop or picnic area, to pull over and readjust.<\/p>\n Taking a road trip? Slow down and enjoy the ride! Just because you can drive your RV 85 mph (135 km\/h) doesn’t mean you should. RVs and trailers carry a lot of weight, especially when they\u2019re loaded with water. The heavier the RV, the longer it will take to come to a stop. Driving at a reasonable speed will help keep you and your passengers safe.<\/p>\n Did you know that some states, provinces, and territories have different\u00a0speed limit laws for RVs and travel trailers<\/a>?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Driving an RV requires concentration. The key to a\u00a0successful RV road trip\u00a0<\/a>is to operate within your comfort zone. Less is more when you drive an RV. A good rule of thumb is to drive no more than 330 miles (530 kilometres) in a day and arrive at your campground before 3:30 p.m. It\u2019s easier to navigate your RV and set up camp before it gets dark.<\/p>\n Renting an RV?<\/strong>\u00a0Think about adding a second driver to your rental before hitting the road. Switching drivers helps with fatigue, and when you rent an RV, anyone who takes the wheel must be an approved driver.<\/p>\n \u201cWeather and construction delays are fun,\u201d said no RVer ever.<\/p>\n While it\u2019s impossible to avoid storms or traffic completely, RVers can help reduce road-related delays by using\u00a0road trip apps<\/a>\u00a0for monitoring the weather and road conditions. Before you get in the RV, check the weather between your current location and your destination. If wind or a potential storm might impact your drive, adjust your route or leave at a different time to avoid potentially hazardous weather.<\/p>\n Did you know that several states use Twitter to update travelers on current road conditions?\u00a0The Colorado Department of Transportation<\/a>,\u00a0Oregon Department of Transportation<\/a>, and\u00a0Tennessee Department of Transportation<\/a>\u00a0all use Twitter to send out traffic alerts. While you are driving, have your co-pilot use Twitter or another app like Waze to monitor accidents and delays and help you find an alternate RV-friendly route.<\/p>\n Grab a sticky note and a pen. It\u2019s time to decorate your dashboard with something practical \u2014 your RV\u2019s dimensions.<\/p>\n Measure your RV\u2019s dimensions\u00a0<\/a>and use a laminated card or sticky note placed on your dashboard to display your rig\u2019s height, length, and width. Attempting to drive under a low-clearance area will not only destroy your RV but could also damage the overpass or bridge\u2019s infrastructure.<\/p>\n RVezy hosts and guests tip:<\/strong>\u00a0Traveling between Canada and the United States?\u00a0Convert the units of measurement<\/a>\u00a0and display your RV\u2019s dimensions using both feet and metres.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n You can avoid low-clearance areas by using the\u00a0RV Life Pro<\/a>\u00a0app or an\u00a0RV-aware GPS unit<\/a>. However, even with technology, drivers should know and display their RV\u2019s dimensions because in a pinch, will you be able to recall those measurements quickly?<\/p>\n Driving an RV on an incline, downgrade, or curvy mountain pass is different from driving an RV in a straight line. Although you might want to get the hilly part of your drive over quickly, your best bet is to go slowly. Driving too fast or overexerting your engine or brakes could lead to overheating.<\/p>\n Should you use your hazard lights when your RV can\u2019t keep up with the flow of traffic? Every state and province has different rules for using hazards.\u00a0Familiarize yourself with hazard laws\u00a0<\/a>before driving.<\/p>\n Off-tracking.\u00a0<\/strong>When the rear wheels follow a different path than the front wheels. The longer the wheelbase and the sharper the wheel cut, the greater the off-tracking.<\/p>\n Wheelbase.\u00a0<\/strong>The space between the steer and drive axles. Everything behind the drive axle is part of the rear overhang.<\/p>\n Steer axle.\u00a0<\/strong>The front axle.<\/p>\n Wheel cut.\u00a0<\/strong>The angle the wheels on the steer axle will turn in either direction. Higher wheel-cut angles have less of a turning radius.<\/p>\n Drive axle.\u00a0<\/strong>The rear axle and the turning pivot point.<\/p>\n Rear overhang.\u00a0<\/strong>The part of the RV that sticks out behind the drive axle.<\/p>\n Tail swing.\u00a0<\/strong>When the rear overhang swings in the opposite direction of your turn. If you turn to the right, the rear overhang swings to the left.<\/p>\n It\u2019s essential to understand how an RV turns. All vehicles have some level of off-tracking during a turn. In an RV, the off-tracking is more pronounced because of the longer wheelbase and tighter turning radius.<\/p>\n In addition to off-tracking, an RV\u2019s rear overhang swings in the opposite direction of the turn. The more the tail swings, the more aware you\u2019ll need to be when making turns.<\/p>\n Once you understand how your rear overhang moves, you\u2019ll be able to adjust your turns to avoid hopping a curb or hitting something with the rear overhang.<\/p>\n In a perfect world, all RV-friendly fuel stations would look and operate like\u00a0Buc-ees<\/a>.<\/p>\n Since big RVs and small fuel stations don\u2019t mix well, and only a few states have Buc-ees, RVers need a different way to find fuel stops that accommodate large RVs.<\/p>\n The Next Exit\u00a0<\/a>is an excellent resource for RVers who drive interstate highways within the United States. The Next Exit gives drivers an overview of gas stations, restaurants, hotels, and shopping at each exit and highlights the RV-friendly fuel stations in red.<\/p>\n Another option for RVers is to use an app for locating the RV-friendly truck stops like Pilot Flying J and Love\u2019s. The\u00a0GasBuddy<\/a>\u00a0app finds fuel stations near your location and provides updated fuel prices as well as fuel discounts. Other apps like\u00a0AllStays<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0RV Life<\/a>\u00a0also have search features that help RVers locate the closest gas station.<\/p>\n Have you ever taken a detour on a road trip because you saw a billboard advertising the world\u2019s best burgers?<\/p>\n Like all road trippers, RVers get hankerings, but we have to be more selective about where we stop and park because of the size of our vehicles. To avoid a tight turnaround or a car full of disappointed kids, use Google Maps satellite view to see an aerial view of a parking lot.<\/p>\n Google Maps is also a helpful tool for boondockers. After\u00a0finding a free place to camp<\/a>, just switch to satellite view to see an aerial view of your potential campsite.<\/p>\n Do you own a drone? Drones work the same way as satellite view, but they can help you scope out a campsite in real time. Many boondockers use drones to check if the terrain is safe or find a spot away from other campers.<\/p>\n Before flying a drone in the United States, make sure you understand the rules for flying an unmanned aircraft in the U.S. The Federal Aviation Administration\u00a0(FAA) publishes drone guidelines on its website<\/a>. Canadian campers who want to fly drones should visit\u00a0Transport Canada for drone-flying guidelines<\/a>.<\/p>\n Driving an RV takes practice, and practice makes perfect.<\/p>\n Backing up a motorhome or trailer can be challenging if you\u2019ve not done it before. Thankfully, you don\u2019t have to back up your RV at the campground unless you want to.<\/p>\n The easiest RV driving tip to follow on this list probably alleviates one of the biggest newbie RVer fears \u2014 backing into a campsite. Until you become more comfortable backing up your RV, choose campsites with large, pull-through driveways. Even experienced RVers like campsites with pull-through driveways, so no one will even know you’re a newbie driver.<\/p>\n Will you be driving your RV with a partner, kids, or a pet?<\/p>\n Before leaving on your first trip:<\/p>\n Make things a little easier for yourself and assign the older passengers in the RV duties such as storing items, locking the outside storage bays, or helping you read the campground map.<\/p>\n The best tip for driving an RV is to keep practicing.<\/p>\n Driving an RV isn\u2019t the same as driving a car or riding a motorcycle.\u00a0Each RV class<\/a>\u00a0handles differently, and it\u2019s important to choose an RV that fits your comfort and experience level. Build your confidence; take an RV driving class or rent a\u00a0small RV<\/a>. Then, when you\u2019re ready? Rent something bigger.<\/p>\nWalk around the RV<\/h2>\n
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Adjust and get comfortable<\/h2>\n
Enjoy the ride<\/h2>\n
Monitor the weather and road conditions<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ghost-cdn.rvezy.com\/2021\/07\/bad-weather-highway.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nKnow your RV\u2019s dimensions<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ghost-cdn.rvezy.com\/2021\/07\/sticky-note-for-rv-dimensions.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nGo slowly on inclines, downgrades, and mountain passes<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ghost-cdn.rvezy.com\/2021\/07\/steep-hill-sign.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nReview your driving directions<\/h3>\n
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Climbing a hill<\/h3>\n
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Going downhill<\/h3>\n
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Familiarize yourself with the RV\u2019s mechanics<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ghost-cdn.rvezy.com\/2021\/07\/RV-Icon-Tail-Swing-infographic.jpg\"){kind=icon}
<\/figure>\nPutting the mechanics into motion<\/h3>\n
RV driving tips to help manage turns and tail swing<\/h2>\n
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Find RV-friendly fuel stations<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ghost-cdn.rvezy.com\/2021\/07\/rv-gas-station.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nCheck out an aerial view<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ghost-cdn.rvezy.com\/2021\/07\/rv-park-aerial-view-google-maps-satelite.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nBook campsites with pull-through driveways<\/h2>\n
Prep your crew<\/h2>\n
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Keep practicing<\/h3>\n
Still apprehensive?<\/h3>\n