[Archived]

TJ,

Check with Parliament Coach in Clearwater to see if they have any storage available. Other than that I cannot suggest any other options.

As to driver training, this is a question asked often and it is a problem. There is a lot more to learning how to keep the coach in its lane and how to make turns, so I would urge you to get the commercial driver license book from your local DMV and use that as a starting point to understand the laws, the systems, and procedures expected of commercial drivers. You likely do not need a CDL, but you should drive like a professional because a Prevost coach is big and heavy and it is not like driving a car.

You especially need to know the pre-trip inspection procedures and you will find in your search for a coach that those same pre-trip procedures will help you in evaluating coaches you are looking to purchase.

Driving skills on a coach are going to come from experience. the more you drive, the more capable you will become. You will quickly learn when to initiate your turns so you don’t run over the curb or hit another car. You will learn to respect your height, width and length and intuitively will know when you won’t fit somewhere, or when you have a spot you are not going to get into. You will learn stopping distances. You will learn you not only cannot stop very well which should be all the reason you need to never tailgate, but you also cannot accelerate very fast.

If there is a driving school near you that might be a place to start looking, but I am not optimistic about that. Perhaps one of your local school districts that needs traiined and licensed drivers can tell you how they get housewives looking for extra income to go from the lady of the house to a bus driver for the school district.

[Larry & Diane]

Lazydays near Tampa has a Class A driving class, you may want to check that out.

[Fred F.]

T J,

Go to http://www.gadgetguru.com and look at his videoes and then contact him. He started the same process about a year ago and purchased his first motorhome in October. We exchanged numerous emails, phone calls, and texts during that time. He should be able to provide you direction on this adventure.

Reese

[DON]

TJ,

Carole and I spent two years travelling to find a Bus Conversion. Prior to purchasing ours the largest vehicle we ever had was a 1986 Dodge Hightop custom van. No where close to the height of a bus.

We picked up the coach in Conover, NC and drove it home to Southern Pines, NC. That trip provided my first lessons in driving a Prevost. Ours is an XL – 40′ which is a little bit shorter than an XLII and H3-45. Still, when getting close to home I took roads I was well acquainted with so there was confidence the coach would fit. Well one dimension I had not thought about was clearance to the roof top. Now my dash has a 12′ 7″ dimension to the roof line. But there are other things mounted on the roof such as vents. I don’t have roof a/c units but just how much higher were things such as antennae? We have what are called “Live Oaks.” there was a short stretch of them on the one road home. The lowest branches struck the two antennae as I passed under them at slower than the posted speed limit. I should have known better as the parts of the trees closest to the roadway had been trimmed by tractor trailers into a ninety degree angle. I caled the Town and advised them of the unsafe conditions in this area created by their not keeping the tree limbs properly trimmed to the minimum clearance of 13′ 6″. They trimmed them up and of course over the years the trees have added back to the limbs, having become heavier and thus sagging has them back to about where they were the first time I passed under them. Fortunately the road is a three lane section so I hit the flashers, pull almost into the center lane and ease my way under the new limbs.

If you depend on GPS for navigation be warned the program may not have critical information such as restricted heights and weight limits. While on vacation in 2013 we were headed to a KOA close to Hershey, PA. The main street through the small town did not have any posted height restrictions. Well when I turned left from the main street to the road going to the KOA there it was a height restriction sign. I pulled over to the curb and Carole approached a house to ask for directions. We had to turn around and to back to a road we had just passed before turning left off the main street. Now making a U-turn with a 40′ coach with a 20′ pick-up as a towed vehicle on an old Pennsylvania small town is just an impossibility. The towed had to be unhooked, and fortunately a police officer directed us to a bus loop at the train station that would be good for making the u-turn. He did add that I could make it under the leading edge of the railroad bridge but the problem was the last beam would get me. Rising road grade was the culprit. He also said many trucks have been caught by the bridge.

So, start looking around your area for what appear to be low hanging limbs and select a route with maximum clearances to get to your storage facility or home. If you want to see what a low clearance bridge will do to a legal height vehicle there is a bridge in Durham, NC that has its own video website, 11foot8.com is the website. Box rental trucks are its primary victims but there are also tour buses and tractor trailers. Goes a long way to proving Jon’s statements there are no more drivers out there, only steering wheel holders!

Welcome to the PC board.

[Archived]

Before we bought our 45′ Prevost in 2014, we rented a 40′ Prevost to see if this motorcoach thing would work for us. Prior to renting the 40′ Prevost, I’d driven large U-Haul trucks a few times over many years and our Suburban and 24′ race trailer regularly; the enclosed trailer is as wide as the Prevost. The 40′ Prevost rental was my very first experience with true air brakes.

The owner (who was off working as a construction crane operator at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN) had his friend show us how to operate the coach. After a quick overview of the coach systems we’d need for our trip, it was time for my “driving lesson” a few minutes after sun set . He talked me through firing up the coach, waiting for the air pressure to come up, how the transmission worked, getting the lights on, and off we went. We were in a residential area of Kaukauna, WI and the “driving lesson” amounted to leaving the subdivision, going out onto the nearby county road, then a state highway, through a roundabout, and back into the subdivision. 20 minutes max. We left Cathie’s car in the coach owner’s driveway and headed home, mostly via the Interstate.

We’d left my car at a park and ride near West Bend, WI and had to retrieve it. There was a commuter bus turnaround in the park and ride so that worked out slick. I got home and drove the coach into the driveway “head first” … remember it was pitch black out. The next morning I turned the coach around, hooked the 24′ enclosed race trailer up, and we headed from Grafton to Gingerman racetrack in lower Michigan. Through downtown Milwaukee (where a jerk merged in front from a ramp and stood on his brakes), through the Chicago Loop on I-90/94, and up into lower Michigan. Lots of stop and go traffic. Tried not to change lanes often.

Cathie said I kept driving on the shoulder. The hardest time I had was getting placed properly in our lane, something that has taken me thousands of miles to do. Got back home from the race and I backed the coach and trailer into the driveway … 67′ feet of it into a 14′ wide driveway! I was pretty proud of myself.

Before returning the coach I had to fuel and dump the tanks at a modest sized convenience store in Kaukauna near the owners house … difficult to get into, difficult to manuvuer around in, but we did it. Returned the coach to owner’s house without any marks on it.

That trip sold us on buying a Prevost, we were hooked. Next time I drove a Prevost was when we picked our coach up at Jeff Rowe’s ETLC shop to bring it home. Never drove it before we bought it. It was located 18 miles from Jeff’s shop and seller drove it to ETLC after we had agreed on a deal so Jeff could zero it out.

Jon’s suggestion about going to a school bus company and having them run you through the school bus driving training program is a good one. They would probably be more than happy to do that for a fee. At the end of the training you should be able to get a Class B CDL with school bus endorsement (you’ll need to obtain a DOT physical and pass the written test).

You might say … “I’m afraid I can’t pass the DOT written or CDL driving test.” In my opinion, if you’re afraid you can’t pass those or actually can’t pass them … I really question whether you should be driving a large motorhome. I’ve passed the DOT physical (where they paid special attention to my sleep apnea and quad-pass in 2014) and am working on the written. Once I’ve got the written behind me I’ll go for the driving test and get at least a Class B and maybe a Class A.

Check out the GadgetGuru’s YouTube videos. He found a guy in I think Pennsylvania who provides motorhome training. Check out the LazyDays training near Tampa as suggested.

Another thing you can do is rent a Penske 26′ box truck (largest I’ve seen available for rent) and drive it around for a day. Put your significant other in the passenger seat. If the BBC (front Bumper to Back of Cab) is say 10′, the truck is 36′ long and its as wide as a Prevost coach will be. Will probalby have air over hydraulic brakes, not true air brakes. Drive it around town. Drive it on country roads … town roads. Drive it in and out Wal-Mart a few times. Drive it through the diesel lanes at local filling stations. Drive it out on the highway. Go through a few roundabouts with it. Drive it on the Interstate. Do a bunch of on and off ramps both right and left. Back it into yoru driveway at home a few times (with the help of your SO). If at the end of the day you’re comfortable with the truck, you’ll probably be a successful Prevost motorcoach driver. A few caveats through: (1) In the truck you sat well behind the front wheels, in the Prevost you’ll be ahead of the front wheels (takes getting used to in tight quarters, easy to drop a front tire in the grass or over a curb), (2) the wheelbase of the Prevost is much longer than the truck, takes much more room to turn (the 36′ truck will give you a taste of a long wheelbase though) (3) you’ll have quite a bit of overhang in the back of the Prevost (especially on a 45′ coach), you have to account for the swing of the back of the coach so you don’t hit something … like the coach next to you when you pull out of your parking space at a place like ETLC.

Good luck in your search and keep us posted.

[Chas]

Dick, I feel like Carnac the Magnificent……………………….I predict your dues are going up again………

[Archived]

Dues for Dick have been tripled.

[Archived]

Interesting subject. Ditto all the above.

Years ago we did the Lazy Days training for fun… only a couple of hours long as I recall. Mary took a 3 day driving school for ladies at Foretravel in Texas three years ago. Your local DoT folks might know of trainers.

We moved from GA to SC two years ago. SC requires a class F license which is a CDL without the medical requirement. Curious … DMV did not check my driver’s license when I registered the motorhome in SC.

So I studied all the CDL stuff on-line at the SC Dot’s website then took the SC test at a facility that can handle trucks. A great refresher. Roughly a 1/2 hour computerized test. A 3/4 hour manouvering/backing test on a large lot behind the facility. Then a 3/4 hour on-road test with the toad hooked up. Although I’d been driving Class A’s for years this was a great experience and refresher. I aced the course. Now need to pass the test every five years or no license.

The SC DoT tester who did my road test said the the ‘Feds’, whatever that means, were pressuring the states to enforce motorhome license regulations and require testing. A friend of mine had just move from NC to SC with his Class A at the time I did my test. When I related my experience he sold his 42′ motorhome knowing he would not be able to pass the test.

These things are big and very heavy. I wonder if insurance would pay up in case of an accident involving an improperly licensed driver?

[Doug]

Thanks for all of your wonderful suggestions. Some keep mentioning a special license. I’m confused about that since what I’ve read online states that a special license is only required for “commercial” buses. Since these are private coaches, as I understand it, a regular license is all one needs. That may be incorrect, I don’t know. I have decided to take the confidence course at Lazy Days. Since it’s very close to me. They train with a 30-40′ coach. And after you complete the course they give you a certificate. At least it will give me some basic training. I believe that only after driving the coach for awhile will I truly know what I’m doing I guess after that. The Gadget Guru videos were informative and had a lot of good information. I look forward to continuing to engage with those of you with more experience.

TJ Newland

[Archived]

The type license you will need is dependent upon your State of residence. You will not need a CDL. You may need a non-commercial class B license, but that depends on your State of residence. Some states only require a standard drivers license.

[Archived]

I live in Michigan which does not require anything but a regular driving person license so is that accepted by other states that require a class b like California since I would only be passing through?

[Ann]

Correct…legal in your state…legal everywhere. Geo.

[Will]

Thanks. In about 16 months we will need to consider which state to call home when we go full time. It can’t come soon enough.

[Tim]

In TX vehicles w/GVWR over 26,000 Lbs requires a class B, class A if you pull a trailer w/GVWR in excess of 10,000 Lbs. Maximum combined length is 65′.

[Gerald]

Dan: Thanks so much for taking the time to read to the end of my lengthy post. I’m very flattered that you took the time given all the other demands on your time.

Jon: My membership is still still a bargain at 3x your recent upcharge to me. I’ll write a check on the ice and you can redeem it in the spring.

All: We started the quest that resulted in a Prevost coach looking for a truck conversion to pull the enclosed race trailer that we could live in at the race track as well as travel and “RV in”. My short list was a 35′ to 40′ 379 Peterbilt with a 500hp to 600hp CAT engine and huge chrome pipes (45′ if it had a lift-gate and “garage” for the race car integrated into the conversion). We looked at three different 379 Pete conversions that ranged from rough and tacky to great … for a bunch of guys in their 20’s and 30’s who were going dirt late model racing three nights a week. At that point the hunt went in another direction that also began with a “P” and had lots of hp.

We were on a truck conversion forum for a long time and the issue of “driver licensing” came up from time to time. Like many have said, right now the rules are pretty much based on what your state of residence says. In Wisconsin our Prevost is licensed as an RV so I don’t need a CDL to drive the coach with a toad or pull the 10,000# enclosed race trailer (which actually has a GVW of more than 10,000# and probably has weighed well over 10,000# a few times). But last week I couldn’t help my neighbor borrower his brother’s large box truck to haul a large heavy duty steel trailer and his very heavy SkyTrack from one job to another because I don’t have a CDL. Honestly the Prevost and the toad or race trailer are much more complicated and difficult to drive than the box truck, trailer, and SkyTrack.

The “RV loophole” in heavy vehicle CDL/DOT licensing has been a HUGE boon to the RV industry and the RV lifestyle. Without it I think the number of RVs sold over 26,000# would have been dramatically less.

I’m working to obtain my Class B CDL, and would like to obtain Class A. My position on this is that if I didn’t think I could pass the DOT physical, written, and driving test for a Class B … then I should not have bought the coach.

While the accidents by non-CDL licensed RV drivers appear to be somewhat limited, I think (pretty strongly) that anyone driving a motorhome of significant size (certainly over 26,000#) should be required to hold some sort of license that demonstrates his or her proficiency with a large vehicle has been judged by someone knowledgeable; like a DOT examiner. Kinda like flying an airplane.

I didn’t have the advantage of growing up on a farm or coming from a family that had large equipment, my family was in the funeral business. The first hearse I drove was a 1968 Cadillac S&S … one of the last on full commercial chassis … let me tell you I “thought” that thing was huge. But not as huge as a Prevost coach.

I’m a little suprised that during the eight years of the Obama administration it’s US DOT didn’t come through with regulations (1) creating a special CDL license for RV’ers to obtain and (2) a national requirement to hold that license if the RV is taken across state lines. Actually, unless the RV exemption over 26,000# is in statutory or case law, the US DOT probably could have eliminated the RV exemption by a regulatory change.

I don’t want to scare anyone away from buying or retaining their Prevost. If you can successfully drive your coach, you should have little or no trouble passing a CDL test … at least that is what I’m planning on.

I’ll keep you posted.