Whether they love rock 'n roll or not, owners of the big "Class A motor homes" can thank the likes of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Who for their rolling home away from home. Mega-bands like these once spent almost every waking moment traveling to gigs in rented buses, but success made these rock titans long for something a little more comfortable. They soon bought their own buses, sending them out to aftermarket coach-builders who turned them into customized homes on wheels. The modern Class A motor home was born, and most still drive like their charter bus forebears.
Sit in the driver's seat. Adjust the seat position, steering wheel position and pedal position so that you are comfortable and have a clear view of the road and mirrors.
Adjust the drivers' side mirrors so that you can see the passenger-side headlight of a car parked 100 feet behind you. Adjust the passenger side mirror so that you can see the driver's side headlight of the same car. Adjust the mirrors vertically so that the horizon line falls in the center of your mirrors.
Check your brake light, turn signal, headlight and hazard light function by having an assistant watch while you activate them. Check your tires for damage or low air pressure before departing.
Put the motor home in park and place your right foot on the brake pedal. Allow the engine to idle until the air pressure gauge on your dash reads in the green (usually between 90 and 120 psi). Hit the switch to raise your motor home's air suspension to its full ride height, if so equipped.
Release the parking brake by pushing in the large parking brake switch on your dashboard. This switch my be either octagonal and red, or yellow and diamond shaped, and should say "pull to engage" somewhere on the face. You should hear the hiss of air moving through the system.
Check for traffic, bystanders and obstacles through your windscreen and in your mirrors. Check the mirrors even if moving forward--you never know what's coming up beside you. If driving forward, place the gearshift in drive and slowly accelerate the way you would a car.
Reverse the motor home by getting out of it first and looking for obstacles behind you. Plan out your reversing route. Get back in the driver's seat, check your mirrors again and put your foot on the brake. Place the gearshift in reverse and slowly let off the brake to modulate vehicle speed.
Turn tight corners by slowing down to under 10 mph and "swinging out" before turning. Drive the motor home straight into the intersection until the front wheels are at least five feet past the edge of the curb. This will give the rear tires some room to follow the front through the turn radius. If you turn the motor home as soon as you reach the curb, you'll wind up driving over it with the inside rear tire.
Navigate more gentle corners at a speed just low enough to prevent excessive body roll, but not so low that you obstruct traffic flow. You could use the old "coffee cup" test to determine your motor home's optimum turn rate. Set a coffee cup in your cup holder and fill it with water to about 1/8 of an inch from the brim. The goal is to keep all of the water in the cup regardless of cornering or braking conditions.
Pull on the brake actuation button to set the parking brakes. You'll hear a loud hiss of air venting when the brakes set.
