RVs shorter than 40 feet do not require a special driver's license. But special driving techniques are definitely required — and the same goes for driving full-size pickups, vans, trucks and limousines:
When turning, plan ahead and take turns as wide as possible without crossing into other lanes.
If you turn as if you're driving a passenger car, you run the risk of cutting over the curb and smashing the center of the RV into whatever is near the corner.
The next most common problem is to forget the height — as tall as 13 feet including a roof-mounted air-conditioning unit. So don't pull into a fast food drive-thru or parking structure unless you're certain you've got room to spare up there.
Make friends with your side mirrors. The lower wide-angle convex and top large-format mirror may keep you from making a terrible mistake when merging.
A 30-foot RV weighs more than six tons and takes longer to stop. Allow extra following distance.
The long wheel base makes the front and rear wheels track in very different paths while turning.
Before renting an RV, double check with your insurer and auto club for coverage.
Always allow an extra six inches of clearance, in case road crews have repaved without changing the sign.
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