Motorhome driving tuition (1 Viewer)

[Diggerdi]

A while ago I posted on here that we have ordered a Pilote P650GJ to be collected at the beginning of March next year. Unfortunately, my husband has had a bad fall and has suffered a herniated spinal cord in his neck and as well as the immediate injury, he has no feeling whatsoever in his right hand and limited use of his left. He will be having an operation, but we don't know when. My problem is that if he is unable to drive when we collect the motorhome, I am going to have to drive it from Walsall to Manchester and then down to Vanbitz the following week! I have never driven anything bigger than a saloon car and was hoping to get used to driving it gradually, initially on a large, empty car park.

I may be panicking for no reason, he may well be able to drive then, but I want to take a short manoeuvering course in a similar sized vehicle, but all the ones I can see online require you to have your own vehicle. Does anyone know of a company in the Manchester area offer something like a 4 hour session where they supply the vehicle? I really don't fancy the M6 on a Friday afternoon as my first experience.

 

[DBK]

A while ago I posted on here that we have ordered a Pilote P650GJ to be collected at the beginning of March next year. Unfortunately, my husband has had a bad fall and has suffered a herniated spinal cord in his neck and as well as the immediate injury, he has no feeling whatsoever in his right hand and limited use of his left. He will be having an operation, but we don't know when. My problem is that if he is unable to drive when we collect the motorhome, I am going to have to drive it from Walsall to Manchester and then down to Vanbitz the following week! I have never driven anything bigger than a saloon car and was hoping to get used to driving it gradually, initially on a large, empty car park.

I may be panicking for no reason, he may well be able to drive then, but I want to take a short manoeuvering course in a similar sized vehicle, but all the ones I can see online require you to have your own vehicle. Does anyone know of a company in the Manchester area offer something like a 4 hour session where they supply the vehicle? I really don't fancy the M6 on a Friday afternoon as my first experience.

Try a local HGV driving school. The problem is you won't be able to drive a MH if you don't have it yet. But you might find someone who has vans which are the same as those your MH is based on. For example, if it's a Fiat find someone who has a Ducato van you can at least get some familiarisation in.

 

[Clarky]

I think the Caravan Club run driving courses for motorhomes.
They certainly have towing courses and I think they have extended to MoHo's now.
I did a towing course with them many years ago and it was excellent.

Richard.

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[DanielFord]

Both answers you have received are very good, I would lean more towards the Caravan Club.

Another alternative, Some kind funster maybe willing to show you the ropes in their own van. I would have offered, but you are based quite a long way away from us

 

[Langtoftlad]

I believe you need your own MH for the CC course.
http://www.caravanclub.co.uk/advice-and-training/training-courses/motorhome-manoeuvring-courses

 

[TheBig1]

just rent a box van for a day.

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[Madcaravanner]

February next year at the NEC the Caraan Club are giving away the chance to drive a motorhome on a first come first served basis as well as their towing course taster session
sounds Daft but Steph has booked a towing course when we are selling the van in April to part ex the motorhome

 

[clanjones]

We had all of the thoughts that you have when we first jumped in to motorhoming 18 months ago. We ended up with a 7.45 m van and were thinking of the CC course but as we were going to have to provide a motorhome to drive and we were picking the van up from 400 miles away it wasn't going to work in the right order!

The solution was that the dealer came out with us and spent 30 minutes with each of on road positioning and driving etc and that was it! The first drive down some narrowish roads was a bit stressful but so far no incidents. Perhaps worth a conversation with your dealer?

 

[Diggerdi]

Thank you for all your helpful replies. The CC and C & CC do only teach you in your own motorhome. I rang a local HGV driving school, but they do only teach HGV, not smaller vans. Speaking to the dealer is a good idea. We are buying from Hayes Motorhomes in Walsall and they seem very nice and we've only heard good things about them. Hopefully, it won't be necessary. Mike has an appointment with the consultant tomorrow so we're hoping to find out when they will operate - the sooner the better so he has more time to recover.

Special thanks to @DanielFord who would be willing to allow a) a total stranger, b) a woman driver and c) a complete large vehicle virgin to drive his pride and joy had we lived close.

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[Speve]

Don't know if this is any help but you could hire or borrow a van for a day and go on a course.
Link Removed

 

[rb62]

You'll get nothing but the best service from Bill and Chris at Hayes,

 

[EyUp]

just rent a box van for a day.

Bugger, beat me to it
Thats what id do.

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[Ike]

Hi
There is a really good female hgv/LGV instructer close to Preston called Tracey Walker she's online,check out her website if you had a lesson in a class 2 hgv or lgv with a good instructor ,it would give you the confidence to drive your new mh , this could be the least stressful option. Andy

 

[wigster]

Fill it with fuel and do the nc500 the wrong way round . Take your time and you will be fine honest , controls as light as a car just a bigger box to think about , slowly slowly and mirrors

 

[MitchandJenny]

My wife drove ours to Thetford and back perfectly when I had my Brain Fart..
Its just as easy as driving a car, but needs a bit more care when cornering due to "sway" and roll..
You will be fine, but good luck to Hubby with his Op;
Mitch.

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[Jim]

just rent a box van for a day.

I agree, rent a luton van, it will handle very similar to what you are buying. get all the insurance and go and drive it. They soon shrink around you and you'll be fine. Best of luck to both of you

 

[Jaws]

Same as others have already said really.. But I would also emphasis the fact motorhomes are really no different to cars to drive..
All the controls are light and easy, and it will probably take you less than 20 minutes to get to grips with the size.
The only thing I would caution you about is the length when going around a corner.
Give the kerb ( or if turning right the corner apex ) a wide berth so you do not 'cut the corner' with the back end

 

[MR. FUSION]

I had a quick look I think that model is on a wide track chassis, so the rear wheel axle is considerably wider than the front.So you need to develop a technique in going wider around sharp corners to take that into account.

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[GWAYGWAY]

When I bought mine I got an automatic gearbox and the Mercedes van is only 2.2 mtres, much narrower that the Transit base on the Chausson. I thought that getting this would encourage Wifey to actually drive it so that I might have a rest from driving now and then.
BUT NO she will not drive it. lacks confidence, yet she had a long wheelbase transit as a vehicle before I met her and had also driven a double decker bus!!!!!!! To big she says, cobblers I say. The transit felt big to me to start with and it shrunk as I drove it after a few miles it was just normal. How do I persuade my IAM qualified wife that she can drive it? It is only 7 mtrs long and 2,2 wide A class Hymer and the auto box make it so easy as all the stick wiggling has gone that made traffic driving a pain. She will not consider doing it with someone else with her either, I it seems might criticise her???????????

 

[treetops1]

Just remember if you are driving anything over 3.5 tons you need a C1 on your licence . I always say if you can drive a car you should be ok in a motor home , Just take things slowly and enjoy .lol

 

[Diggerdi]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions and advice. I'm sure I'm worrying about nothing. We've been to the hospital today and he'll have the operation within 4 weeks and only be in for 2 days, do hopefully he'll be fit and well and able to drive again by March - as long as he gets the use of his hands back, which is his worst fear. You're a lovely bunch of people on here and I'm looking forward to meeting some of you at future rallies ☺

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[Puddleduck]

So pleased that it looks like your hubby will soon be fit and well again.

I prefer to drive bigger vehicles - apart from "right of size" you get better visibility and you really do become "Queen of the Road". The first time I drove our old Hymer (size of a single decker bus) I was terrified but after the first 10 minutes it was great - even around Paris in rush hour

 

[DanielFord]

What @Puddleduck said
I have to say, I find it much less stressful driving the motorhome than I do the car. In the motorhome, I will generally be in lane 1 on the motorways, watching all the people getting stressed at all the morons not moving out of lane 3 when they shouldn't be there, whilst I am plodding along thinking, I wish I could go fast enough to warrant being in lane 3!
The steering in the motorhome is much lighter than in the car, and surprisingly so is the clutch (my car has a stupidly heavy clutch pedal)
The golden rules (in my book) for driving the motorhome are:
1) Watch the overhang at the back, look in the mirror when turning away from something.
2) Swing wide on corners
3) It's heavy, and takes a long time to stop, so the 2 second rule should be at least 3!

 

[Hils and Glenns]

Hi I had a couple of hours instruction with a very nice instructor called Mike in Conset near Durham. I think he does the CC courses too. I would highly recommend him. He helped me with getting used to the width of an A class, driving by wing mirrors, reversing and parking. It was a good thing I had the lessons as my husband ended up having his C1 revoked. So I do all the driving now.

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[sedge]

Hayes are great to deal with as has already been said. They're also invariably helpful with queries and questions - if ever they can't give you the exact or ballpark answer immediately, when they say they'll have to get whatever info and ring you back, that is in fact exactly what they will do! Refreshingly reliable in this day and age LOL

You'll know what the prognosis is in plenty of time before March, but in the absence of an actual motorhome I'd recommend you take a bit of tuition in a Ducato van. Yes the rear wheelbase of your Pilote is about 4 or 6ins wide than the front than a normal 'white Ducato van' same as ours, but if you treat the outside edges of the door mirrors as your mental guide, then from the Moho drivers seat, look in the bottom bit (the extra piece of mirror) at the bottom of them - you'll see the bottom of the rear bodywork clearly be able to see how close it is to that hedge or sapling and hopefully not too flippin close to that tree trunk or solid wall LOL (Oh - and the door mirrors are obscenely expensive to replace when someone twats them and doesn't bother stopping, by the way ......)

If I could have found a 'quiet empty carpark' to practice on 7 years ago in our first moho - then I would definitely have had a go instead of being permanently scared of needing to do it in an emergency until I persuaded my husband to remove me from the insurance last year. Don't do what I did, please !

 

[two]

I'd approach Hayes and see if they could deliver it to you. I've had all mine delivered to my home, because I didn't trade in, and one was a journey of almost 200 miles.
You should have some leeway for getting the alarm fitted (up to 6 weeks) so, if you keep the fitters informed, you may be able to slip the appointment to one that suits you better.
Try not to worry, it won't help, but do ask. You never know what form any help might be but there won't be much if you don't ask.

 

[haganap]

I live in Cheshire and an a former driving instructor.

I have a 7.5 meter A Class which is a monster.

If you pay to be added to my insurance for the day and stick some fuel in and drive over to Sandbach , I would be more than happy to take you out for a couple of hours.
Only issue is my van is an auto and a 3.0l Mercedes so will be slightly different..

Just let me know.

Cheers

Haggers

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[clanjones]

Glad the prognosis is more positive fingers crossed! We both drive our motorhome so hopefully things will fall in to place for you but I would still push on with learning to drive it. You would be surprised how easy it becomes, especially if you are going away for 3 months.

One thing we are never afraid to do is get out and help the driver when reversing and be aware in car parks, make sure you leave your self enough room to turn - the over hang will swing out. We normally park in the farthest corner away and straddle a bay to give us enough swing room.

 

[Melvin]

I drove buses /coaches for living before retirement and I think you have the right attitude towards your new situation .l would get a reversing camera fitted before you take delivery and make sure that that mirrors are set up correctly ie so you can see down both sides of your van as well as what's behind you. Also in a lot of situations be prepared not to be able to stick strictly to your lane and take up as much space you need to complete your manoeuvre . As others have said have a practise in a hire van of similar size is a good idear and you should be fine.

 

[Puddleduck]

[QUOTE="haganap, post: 2107937, member: 974"
If you pay to be added to my insurance for the day and stick some fuel in and drive over to Sandbach , I would be more than happy to take you out for a couple of hours.
Only issue is my van is an auto and a 3.0l Mercedes so will be slightly different..

Just let me know.

Cheers

Haggers[/QUOTE]

What a brilliant offer!

If you are on the insurance please make sure you are willing to drive the van ...... you never know when you might have to. It's happened to a few Funsters that the usual driver has, for whatever reason, suddenly been unable to drive and the usual non-driver has had to take the hot seat. Better to be ready and prepared than a jelly if you have to drive.

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