Here are three golden rules for test driving your next potential RV.

1. Don’t judge the RV by its cover, but get acquainted with it. This walk-around inspection helps you get familiar with the size of the RV, which is crucial for understanding how to drive it. Once you have a full grasp of how big the RV actually is, you’ll remember these details when it comes time to turn, park or back into a tight space.
2. Check your perspectives. Most RVs are outfitted with side mirrors. Treat these like you would in any vehicle: ensure that you can easily see the correct views from a seated position in the driver’s seat. If you need more coverage, consider picking up a universal towing mirror, which easily attaches to your RV or (if applicable) your towing vehicle. The last thing you want is to be on the road and suddenly realize that you can’t see down the side of your vehicle!
3. It’s not a race, so go slow and steady. It’s always fun to go back to physics class – okay, maybe not fun, but worthwhile. Isaac Newton’s law of inertia is helpful to remember: an object in motion will stay in motion unless disturbed by an outer force. Since your RV is a heavy rig with a high center of gravity, it will have a strong momentum when you’re driving, and it will take a strong brake – i.e., “outer force” – to adequately slow it down if you’re driving at a high speed. There’s always the chance that you’ll need to come to a sudden stop out on the open road, so remember to go slow and steady on your test drive. This will save you from an accident and will give you a better understanding of the new rig you’re thinking of purchasing.

Have any other questions about test driving? As always, feel free to contact your local Fraserway RV team.