The Importance Of A Second Driver (1 Viewer)

[normanandsue]

Have just arrived in France on our way to Twin Lakes meet and arrived at Maileraye sur seine when I managed a heavy fall resulting in bruised ribs,and a bruised hand that meant I could not change gear. If Sue had not been willing and able to drive the motorhome we would have stranded so to all you partners who wont drive the motorhome, be warned a simple accident like this could spoil your holiday. Fortunately Sue was able to drive and we shall arrive at the meet not to discomforted by our experience.

 

[scotjimland]

Jan doesn't have a licence (yet), nor did my first wife, so for the past 40 odd years I've been on my tod.. hope my luck holds.
A co-driver would also be useful on long hauls..

 

[Spidey]

Totally agree we have had our motorhome for a year now and i have still not driven it :-(. But it is on my list to do this year

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[Reallyretired]

I have taken swmbo off the insurance, as she cannot and will not drive the mh. While she was on the insurance it was expected that she could drive and so the repatriation bit of the insurance wouldnt pay out.
Bruises pah! A year or so back I drove back with a broken arm on my gearchange side. Swmbo, a nurse, said I was being a baby and it was only a sprain. An xray on our return proved her wrong.

 

[jonsea]

My wife don't drive the van so this year I will put my son on the insurance this is just in case something happens while we are in Spain then he will fly out .We have spoke about it.

 

[Ralph-n-Bev]

I plan on driving our PVC as much as Ralph. Although I could Drive , I got into the habit of him driving our previous Motorhome.
I would have been able to if there was a problem though. But I'm going to start as I mean to go on. The Pug Boxer drives like a car anyway. You forget it's an xlwb. It's got 6 gears like my car and cruise control .
Me being on the PVC , Ralphs pick up and our sons car as a named driver, reduces the insurance quite a lot.

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[English Springer]

I'm glad to say the other half will and does drive the MH when asked to take over in any country. She prefers motorways but will drive in towns if needs must but she doesn't like me as a passenger so I (try to) keep quiet

 

[Wildbill]

my wife cant drive wont learn to drive
bill

 

[jockaneezer]

Val drives our van 99% of the time when we're away, while I do the map reading and criticizing other drivers

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[Findlaters]

Up until last year I included my wife on the MH insurance even though she had no intention of driving it, as it saved a few quid. When I phoned to renew last year I asked why it was cheaper with my wife on the policy and was told that if anything happened to me she would be expected to drive the MH home. As she would not be confident to do this, I took her name off the policy. It turned out to be a smart move as a couple of months later I had heart attack while down in Norfolk and the insurance company recovered the MH to North East Scotland. So the moral is, only put your wife on the insurance if she intends to drive it.

 

[Murphy]

Both myself and the wife share the driving, we plan out the legs of the trips and breaks, she prefers motorways or main roads and I tend to get start and end legs when roads tend to be narrower or more complex,
Ensures we both arrive relaxed and ready to get set up and get to pub in good time !

 

[Pikeman]

Wife is on the policy and we share the drive. I will drive short haul, but we now discipline ourselves on long haul to 2 hours on 2 hours off. It makes such a difference to enjoying the journey.

Keith

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[davidbaldam]

My wife wasn't confident enough to drive our van until last year when she went on a motorhome movability course with the CC now she drives the middle section on most of our trips and it was money well spent and I arrive on site quite relaxed.

 

[keith]

Once you are both over 70 it all changes unless you are both prepared, or able, to renew the C1 part of your license. No chance Jean could do that, so no option then, so get ADAC to take the strain.

 

[GeriatricWanderer]

My passenger seat is always empty.

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[Minxy]

Can't agree more with the OP! A few years ago we both got severe sunburn whilst canoeing down the Ardeche gorge (28.5km!) - we didn't realise how strong the sun was and the effect the water had on intensify the rays ... I ended up with burnt legs - worse on my thighs as, fortunately, my lower legs were more used to the sun, but hubby's lower legs, ankles and feet got second-degree burns! We visited a pharmacist who said "Ooooo la-la" in shock (yes they really DO say that!) and sent us straight round to the local doctor who took one look at hubby and took him straight in - she though he had actually been in a fire, she was all over him like a rash checking this and that as apparently severe sunburn/burns can cause heart problems!!!!

His ankles and feet swelled up and he had massive blisters developing a day later ... his new nick-name was Shrek feet - I couldn't laugh too much though as he was in severe pain! As my ankles/feet weren't as badly affected I could still drive so did the long run back up from Millau ... in a MH over 7m long which I hadn't driven previously (we hadn't had it that long) and I had never ever driven abroad at all, not even in a previous MH! It was still painful and I utilised a walking stick to hold the throttle pedal down at times when on long stretches of motorway etc, it was also very tiring but we eventually up to Calais ... I did it in 5 days and during most of that time hubby couldn't even get out of the dinette bed which we'd made up as there was no way he could get in the one over the garage! He was then off work for 2 weeks.

So if you are on the insurance then drive the MH! We couldn't have anticipated what happened and whilst I was okay driving it would have been easier if I'd been familiar with it beforehand!

 

[scotzsue]

Have always done most of the driving, am a bad passenger lol This lets john have a few more beers when abroad as I wont drink after 6pm if driving the next day and don't much like drinking in the daytime, alcohol that is.

 

[GWAYGWAY]

My wife can drive but will no,t she says I will criticise her driving, I do not when she drives the car so why would I do in the van.
She used to own a long wheel base Transit and that is only what we have now but with a long overhang. If I buy another small van then she may, but I am not holding my breath.

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[RowleyBirkinQC]

I'm fortunate, SWMBO drives fire engines for a living and has an LGV licence. Conversely, I rarely drive a car, mostly hurtling about on motorcycles. So whilst we can and do share the MH driving, I'd say she is more competent than I in a vehicle of that size.

However, she's a bit "driving Miss Daisy" on her Kawasaki though, not big on lean angle

 

[Petrol_headz]

We share the driving usually i drive on my own to somewhere and set up and make a start on the wine as paul works late he then turns up later on in the car to a fully set up van and tea ready for him.
on way home paul drives van i drive car. It works for us.

 

[DP+JAY]

I know there are one or two exceptions but the general theme here seems to be that many of the ladies are reluctant to drive their 'vans despite being capable. Despite the fact that Jay used to tow a caravan, & drive a 7.5 tonne recovery truck all over the country, she is very reluctant to drive the camper.
I wonder why? she says she doesn't know herself.
Dave

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[old-mo]

I managed a heavy fall resulting in bruised ribs,and a bruised hand

Hope you are feeling better, Norman...

You will have to have a few day`s rest when you get there, and catch up on the quiz`s..

 

[gozomike]

Sorry to hear of your fall and hope you are soon feeling better. It's good to hear you are able to continue with you trip.

See you both at the Kent show.

Mike

 

[Jim&jo]

Hi Norman,

Sorry to hear of your accident and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Having only just bought our camper, we have discussed this and my partner will be taking her first drive this evening after the rush hour traffic has died down. It's a fair bit bigger than her Fiat500 but she knows that it is better if we can both drive it. Fingers crossed!

James

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[buttons]

Improvisation, I once had a serious back problem that I had an operation for as soon as I arrived back from Norfolk. I couldn't bend or sit so I drove back the 140 miles standing up. There was just myself and my youngest who was around six, being a single parent at the time there was no other option. I was able to see the road through the over cab bed window. We laugh about it now but it was a pain at the time. I spent the day at Blakeney leaning across the sink watching my son through the window catching crabs then we set off after midnight propping myself up against the back of the seat. They don't make them like they used to.

 

[bernardfeay]

I am not going to make a comment about why I do all the driving.

 

[madgeD]

That was the main reason for downsizing to a PVC , I was getting increasingly worried that my hubby might feel unwell or something untoward would happen and I would be thrown in at the deep end , I was very nervous moving the bigger van, the hand brake for one!!

Although he is still reluctant to let me in the driving seat, I have driven it (after he had a paddy) and got out of his seat when we were parked and said "you drive then" I did with no problem!! his only complaint is I don't drive fast enough for him , well tough Im not going to drive faster than I feel comfortable on the wrong side of the road.

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[madgeD]

My wife can drive but will no,t she says I will criticise her driving, I do not when she drives the car so why would I do in the van.
She used to own a long wheel base Transit and that is only what we have now but with a long overhang. If I buy another small van then she may, but I am not holding my breath.

You men are your won worst enemy !! He cant leave me alone and keep quiet , yet he hates it if I tell him his speed when I think he is doing more than he should!!

 

[Jill]

I'm glad to say the other half will and does drive the MH when asked to take over in any country. She prefers motorways but will drive in towns if needs must but she doesn't like me as a passenger so I (try to) keep quiet

I drive at regular intervals to keep my hand in although OH does the lions share as he's useless at navigating.
I drove alone a lot in France last year while hubby and son cycled between campsites and purposely stayed off the motorwway. I wasn't confident of managing the tolls by myself.

 

[RowleyBirkinQC]

You men are your won worst enemy !! He cant leave me alone and keep quiet , yet he hates it if I tell him his speed when I think he is doing more than he should!!

I actually quite like being a passenger when Cindy drives, I just relax and be nosey at what is around us. I only get nervous when she attempts to encourage slow moving traffic in front to speed up via her close proximity

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