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Wheelbase matters + wife driving

Yahoo Message Number: 6649
I'm on my 5th RV, finally decided to quit screwing around and get something I'd want to keep for a while. Hence, Allure 36'! Took our first trip in it this weekend over freeways and mountain roads and just loved it.

I've had short wheelbase rigs, two, and long wheelbase rigs, two and IMHO there is simply no comparison in handling. Long wheelbase rigs are inherently much more stable in crosswinds or when being passed by the usual speeding truckers. We just sold a 33' and moved up to 36' and see little difference in driving, but sure love the extra space.

As for wife, mine, all 5 foot 1 and 1/2 inches of her, tosses this rig around like it was her Subaru. I did have to coach her a little on the air brakes and on leaving more room since this rig is much heavier and needs more room to stop. Also gave her a little coaching on the use of the exhaust brake and downshifting for grades. That was it!

She loves driving it which is fine by me, I love riding in the passenger seat with my feet on a pillow on the dash enjoying the scenery. Sometimes I have to insist she takes a break or she'd just keep right on truckin'.

Her driving makes RVing so much more pleasurable for me that I will not buy a rig she can't drive or doesn't feel comfortable with. She got in this one and drove it right off the bat like she'd been driving it for years. She has driven the Million Dollar highway in Colorado and just drove Taos Canyon this weekend, serious twisties and mountain grades.

Dan & Ann

1998 Allure #30180

Re: Wheelbase matters + wife driving

Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 6651
After 15 years of Rving we are finally thinking about a toad due to our changing schedule and needs. We would like to tow a Chrysler Mini-Van, four down, but have already learned that it might be as simple as we would have believed. A REMCO pump apparently is required to lubricate the transmission, auxiliary braking may or may not be required, how do the lights and turn signal work etc.

The towing vehicle weighs 47,000 pounds and has a 500HP engine along with a 7 way connector for the electrics. What is involved with the fitting of the tow bar? What powers the REMCO pump and where is it plumbed in? Does any of this drain the toad battery significantly? Any commentary would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Peter & Marian Harrison
2000 CC Intrigue #11066

Re: Wheelbase matters + wife driving

Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 6654
I tow my 2002 LXI T & C with the Remco and it works great, the light connnector has the power for the pump in it and I have never pulled the fuse and never had a problem with running the battery down . dave spain 99magna

Re: Wheelbase matters + wife driving

Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 6661
Lucky son of a gun!!!

On Thu, 16 Oct 2003 00:12:35 -0000 "mainecoons0" dhhouck@...> writes:

Wife Driving

Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 6683
My wife has always driven her share on our RV's. It makes it easier to do those 600+ mile days when you need to like we had to do this past week. Went from Balloon Festival in Albuquerque NM back home to the Poconos of PA in 3 days, 2100 miles. She prefers to not drive off the interstate or US highways except into truck stops or large parking lots but she can do it if needed. I feel that you should instruct your "other half" to be able to drive especially in case of an emergency. Good friends of ours who full-time the other year had a perfect example. He never wanted his wife to drive and therefore she never tried, and still doesn't. He ended up at a Good Sam rally with a burst appendix and was rushed to a local hospital. Friends drove there RV to the hospital parking lot and then had to leave her there. She had no problem staying in the RV except she could not move it anywhere to drain and refill the tanks for the 4+ weeks she was parked there. Then when he was able to leave he was only allowed to drive about 2-3 hours a day. Made for a tough go for them for over 2 months.

In fact my wife helps with the hook-up and un-hook at campground and home with water, electric and even sewer connection. She helps connect the toad by driving it into alignment and then setting up all the "4 wd neutral" etc and then all I do is double check her.

Hey I figure she gets her share of enjoyment from all of it so she has to experience it all too! And yeah I hear about it when she "breaks a nail!"

Bill-PA-CC Prevost 40' XL 1998

Re: Wife Driving

Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 6684
After years of RVing we've learned that our best solution to driving and docking is the following:

I drive. Always. And I prefer smaller roads to the interstates so we can see the country our CC allows us to see and we can avoid that rushed feeling interstate driving seems to instill.

Then, when we dock, my wife parks the coach and I direct.
We like to camp in national and state parks where often the spaces are small. Our style of camping is the main reason we downsized from a 40' single galley slide (HR Imperial) to our double slide 36' Intrigue. The 4' shorter length and 22" shorter wheel-base drastically improved our ability to get into these smaller preferred campgrounds. And the double slide over the single makes the smaller coach actually more livable.
So. When we get to a campground, since I seem to be better at giving directions (that's another story!) and my wife better at following them, when we're ready to dock, I slip out of the driver's seat and my wife takes over. I hop out of the coach (sometimes but not often with a walkie/talkie) my wife carefully follows my hand and voice signals, and since she is soooo good a maneuvering the coach when going slow, we can put our coach just about anyplace.

This works for us. Any other suggestions from other folks?

Tom Sims

Intrigue #11419