Community Forums

SeeTheUSA · 01-29-2006, 05:49 PM

I'm really surprised! Have owned an RV only since last August and I've discovered other RVers RARELY wave back after I give them a "howdy" wave.

My experience with other "vehicles," (for example antique cars, street rods, and vintage Mustangs) nearly always rendered a friendly return wave . . . shoot, even a wave from my little Scion to another Scion will usually get a friendly response.

What gives? Am I violating some unwritten RV rule? Do I need to learn to be more unfriendly? Y'all seem pretty friendly here . . . is it just those non-iRV2 rascals?

SeeTheUSA · 01-29-2006, 05:49 PM

I'm really surprised! Have owned an RV only since last August and I've discovered other RVers RARELY wave back after I give them a "howdy" wave.

My experience with other "vehicles," (for example antique cars, street rods, and vintage Mustangs) nearly always rendered a friendly return wave . . . shoot, even a wave from my little Scion to another Scion will usually get a friendly response.

What gives? Am I violating some unwritten RV rule? Do I need to learn to be more unfriendly? Y'all seem pretty friendly here . . . is it just those non-iRV2 rascals?

ArtB · 01-29-2006, 06:18 PM

I think it depends where you are. A non divided road level and straight I almost always get a return greeting.

Driving I10 or I17 through Phoenix, or down and up Salt River Canyon, I hardly see anyone else because I'm trying to stay alive. Don't give up. Art

Kablewizard · 01-29-2006, 06:50 PM

I know what you mean. I own a motorcycle (Honda Goldwing)and if you ever see two motorcycles pass, 9 out of 10 times they wave. I have never heard of it or seen it with RV's but most times we are on divided highways, and its hard to wave when your being passed by a 18 wheeler.

I think I am going to put my CB back in and keep it on the RV channel to shout at others and keep it friendly, I don't believe we would curse or use all those special amps and stuff the truckers do.

Have fun and I will look for your wave.

Miles · 01-29-2006, 07:45 PM

I was thinking of putting the CB back in this year also. We plan on a lot more trips this year. The wife will retire in June so we can go more. Took it out from my last TV never put it back in. When we travel in a group we have been using walkie talkies.

Rich & Zara · 01-29-2006, 10:20 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by SeeTheUSA:
I'm really surprised! Have owned an RV only since last August and I've discovered other RVers RARELY wave back after I give them a "howdy" wave. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

It could be that I'm watching the road and the vehicles nearby more than looking in at other drivers. No flame intended but I feel the first and second to be more important than looking to see who is waving. Now if I see you while walking in an RV park or the likes, then I might beat you to the draw with a wave and smile.

Rich

and Zara

Brigadoon · 01-30-2006, 02:15 AM

SeeTheUSA,

I know what you mean. I belong to the motorcycle and Jeep crowds and there is alot of waving going on there, but I'm not going to give up on the RVers. I'll continue to drag a wave out of some of them by waving first. Maybe the RVers just need practice in waving!

Hitchhiker · 01-30-2006, 02:44 AM

Warren and Debbie,

It's all in the technique, instead of a full wave you're supposed to just raise your index finger from the steering wheel.

Kidding aside, I've noticed when I get outside of our little rural community very few will return the raised finger wave. (No, I'm not using the wrong finger.) When I'm in my Jeep the other jeepers will usually wave, they're about 8 out of 10.

Some RV'rs will, I'd say they're about 3 out of 10. But, as said earlier in the thread, it's usually on the rural two lane roads and hardly ever on divided highways.

Sometimes, if I recognize the same brand RV coming toward me on an interstate or divided highway, I'll flash my lights up a couple times to catch their attention. Usually, by the time they figure out why they were flashed, we've already passed each other and they've lost the opportunity to return the gesture.

Let's all keep waving and/or flashing, maybe it'll catch on better as time moves forward and build up the camaraderie we all enjoy when using our RVs.

Ken Lenger · 01-30-2006, 03:53 AM

Didn't your dealer show you the secret RV wave. It always works for me.

Loren · 01-30-2006, 12:30 PM

Well, since we own a Bounder, I am surprised when another Bounder owner doesn't wave back

However I am also surprised when another brand of motorhome gives me a wave, but I do wave back if I have time

Occasionally my wife will tell me that someone waved, but I was watching traffic (or was it that blond on the sidewalk

) and didn't see it.
Loren

PhilG · 01-30-2006, 02:48 PM

This topic has come up before and I just don't get it. The irony is this: We RVers are some of the friendliest people in society. If ya don't believe it --- just raise the hood of your vehicle in a campground and within minutes you'll have several people offering a helping hand. And then try it again when ya get home to your suburban neighborhood and you'll be lucky to get the neighbor's dog to come over and "water" your tire.

Just doesn't make sense that the same friendly people are RUDE on the road and won't wave back. I don't buy into the "busy driving" excuse because it happens way too often -- way too many RVers who don't wave back. Just weird!! (the irony....not the people)

Garth · 01-30-2006, 04:15 PM

It has nothing to do with being rude. It has everything to do with being a responsible driver in traffic.

You're not driving a little motorcycle or light Miata that can stop on a dime. You're driving an enormous and heavy RV that takes a long time to stop while being surrounded by little stop-on-a-dime cars. Paying attention to the road is of greater importance than trying to see the driver, inside of an RV, shaded by the dark RV interior, while on the other side of the interstate.

Combine that with your rates of travel, where you have an effective passing speed of 120 mph when opposing traffic is each going 60 mph, and it's hard to catch the wave. Even if you do see the other person waving, you're long past each other by the time your mind senses the act, makes the decision to raise your hand, and then do it. The time to do all of that has been tested and averages 1.5 seconds for someone of a quick mind who is prepared to act.

How far do you think the RV has effectively traveled at 120 mph for 1.5 seconds? Without figuring out the numbers, I could see the vehicles being well past each other before someone can respond.

So, IMO, repsonsible behavior on the road takes precedence over a friendly gesture. If the time and conditions warrant a friendly gesture, then that is great. However, those conditions rarely occur on the interstates or highways.

Tom and Patty · 01-30-2006, 06:47 PM

We wave at all RV'ers

. We wave from our Gold Wing too

! Heck, even Harley and Gold Wing riders wave at each other

. Now if the road is winding, rough or it's windy I'll keep both hands on the wheel.

I don't think it's rude not to wave, but I'm not irresponsible by waving

either. I don't believe anyone keeps both hands on the wheel 100% of the time (JMO). I don't keep eye contact to see if the others wave.

We have helmet laws(we always wear helmets..law or not), phone laws, pretty soon we will have anti-waving laws

. TIC

264 feet, 132 feet apart

wagonmaster2 · 01-30-2006, 07:00 PM

Don't stop waving. Its not that we're unfriendly, but in my case by the time I see the wave and I react with a return wave both RVs are way past each other. A lot of the time there is enough of a reflection in these large windshields that I don't see the wave ( and for concentrating on other oncomeing traffic). Lots of time the DW will say "they waved at you" but I didn't see it. We used to have one of those ugly looking '93 Bounders (and I dearly Loved it) that you could see coming two miles down the road and I always managed to be ready for a wave. Maybe there are getting to be so many RVs on the road that the wave hand gets worn out by trying to wave at every one. Anyway I always feel good after a wave whether I can get it returned or not, at least its nicer than the one finger wave we get from car drivers every time we go thru or to Colorado because we aren't doing 10-15 MPH over the speed limit. We know some very nice people in Colorado, but after traveling in practically every state in the Union I have never gotten the finger in any other state (and Coloradans have told me this too). Guess locals are in too much of a hurry to enjoy what a beautiful state they live in.
Wagonmaster2