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Old 08-07-2016, 04:26 AM   #1
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DP MH driving instructor recommendations?

Hi all -

We are moving into a 40' class a DP (from a 25' & S&B).

Has anyone taken a DP driving class with an instructor or company that you'd recommend? Also please let me know if there's any that we should skip.

Thanks!
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Old 08-07-2016, 05:01 AM   #2
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I know Lazy Days in Florida gives a short drivers experience class. I see them driving around the campground all the time.
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Old 08-07-2016, 05:02 AM   #3
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It would help to know what area you are in.
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Old 08-07-2016, 05:10 AM   #4
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Google RV Driving School. I know there are a few around and they usually have instructors throughout the country.
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Old 08-07-2016, 05:30 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by RV Wizard View Post
It would help to know what area you are in.
Thx yes sorry. Tried to edit original post but you can only do that within 60 minutes.

Preferably in the Midwest somewhere. We are picking the DP up in Michigan late October.

Or we could hit the school / instructor on the long way down to FL then TX via OH / NY / etc.
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Old 08-07-2016, 07:18 AM   #6
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My DW just graduated from RV Driving School. Both of us were very pleased with her instructor, Phil B out of Auburn, AL. (RVschool.com).

The instructor is the key...he or she makes or breaks the course. They appear to be contractors to the school and service an area of the country. The company is internet based and appears national. We found the company online and was comfortable with the information on the website so initiated the contact. Very professional from beginning to end.

We signed up and got a call from an instructor nearby within a day or so. He worked his schedule with ours and then drove to us for the class. He spent a couple of hours on the phone before the first visit just talking with my wife and I learning our level of experience, and then he proposed a plan that sounded perfect for her, tailored to her personal level of experience.

We have been traveling the last two years pretty hard....7-8 months a year on the road, so my wife was very comfortable with the walk around and that type of stuff. So Phil tailored the course to focus on basics of what she needed....getting the seat and mirrors right, talking about square turns and geometry, and convincing her she could handle this!

She drove 4 hours each day for two days....I sat in the back and listened. Since he was a local instructor, he knew the roads and tailored the drive to match her skill level and our ultimate requirements. She drove interstate mostly, but went through two rest stops and parked, through a truck stop and pulled up to the pumps, and through a Sams and pulled up to the pumps and I actually refueled us. She got three hours in the rain, and when she was done, she really felt confident about her ability to drive!

The company itself was also very professional. Good contact info and well thought out program and process. Not cheap for sure (seems like it was $600 total) but when we were done we felt we got our money's worth.

It is my understanding they are national...but as I said, the company is well organized...but the key will be the quality of the instructor. Ours was very adaptable, and did a great job overcoming my wife's anxieties and listened very carefully to our desires, and then tailored the course to maximize her training in the areas we wanted and needed. Hopefully you will have the same experience.
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Old 08-07-2016, 11:05 AM   #7
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Take a look at this school

School locations – Click on map icon to see the town & date availability | RV School
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Old 08-07-2016, 02:15 PM   #8
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go find a small company with several class A drivers... make arrangements for them to give you a few hours of instruction.. As a Class A driver myself and one who is versed with Class A coaches I'd have no problem in teaching a class.. one thing that's very important to me is understanding the air brake system and its care and upkeep to working safely...

Jut my thoughts...
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Old 08-07-2016, 02:48 PM   #9
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Check with your local transit agency or school district to see if any of their people can give private lessons. I was fortunate that, after retirement and before getting a Class A, I worked for our county's transit operator and got my CDL through them. I drove the routes for 18 months, then they extended their services, starting some at 04:30, adding longer inter-city expresses and running later in the evenings. I was an "extra-board" driver, filling in for temporary absences rather than having a regular route. The third time I was scheduled to end my day at 22:00 and start the next morning at 04:15, I told them where they could stick it.

On the plus side, with 18 months of regular daily driving of 35' coaches, our 32' Class A was easily handled, once I got used to sitting on top of the front wheels instead of 4' behind them!
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Old 08-07-2016, 07:24 PM   #10
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X2 on the RV Driving School. They have instructors in a number of places. I took the course a couple of winters ago in Arizona. Felt very comfortable with the instructor, she took the time to find out what areas we wanted to work on and spent time making sure those areas were addressed to our satisfaction.
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Old 08-07-2016, 07:30 PM   #11
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RV Driving School. Glyn Carson is a great instructor. Works Northern Ohio, SE Michigan. We did our course at Cabela's in Dundee, MI.


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Old 08-07-2016, 07:39 PM   #12
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Not sure what part of MI you are going to be picking up the coach, but you might try Preferred Driving and Testing, Inc. They are in Charlotte, MI. They provide a 2 day driving and classroom course for those attending the Spartan Training Academy in Charlotte. Excellent course of instruction.

Hope this helps, Brian
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Old 08-08-2016, 11:22 AM   #13
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Camping World offers a driving school. They apparently have a short course and a longer, more advanced course. The longer one takes an appointment. I believe both are free.
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Old 08-08-2016, 05:53 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by B52Guy View Post
My DW just graduated from RV Driving School. Both of us were very pleased with her instructor, Phil B out of Auburn, AL. (RVschool.com).
Thanks for this write-up. We are planning to do RV Driving School in the spring before next year's travels, and from your write-up this is exactly what we are looking for.
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