What Is RV Driving School?
Even if you have many miles under your belt, RV Driving School can teach you a lot.
There’s a bit of a learning curve when it comes to moving an RV from place to place. And there’s no shame in admitting that you might need some professional help.
Let’s get into the driver’s seat of this mobile classroom.
What Is RV Driving School?
RV Driving School employs trained and accomplished drivers who give personalized instruction on driving or towing an RV. Established in 1991, the school has helped thousands of RV owners improve their skills behind the wheel.
The owners are George W. Mayleben and his wife, Valerie, who were full-timers for a decade.
A certified Safe Driving Instructor, George has years of experience with RVs as well as semi-trucks, buses, and dump trucks. The comprehensive on-the-road instruction doesn’t use a cookie-cutter approach, and it’s not just for newbies.
Even veteran RV owners can pull away with eye-opening insights into smarter and safer driving.
RV Driving School Locations
Watching YouTube videos on safe driving techniques or having a Zoom session with a towing expert can certainly be helpful. RV Driving School, however, gives you practical, real-world, hands-on-the-wheel training.
Many of the instructors are full-time RVers, so they follow the seasons. You’ll see more classes in the northern states during the warmer months and farther south when it’s cold.
The RV Driving School’s website currently has a map showing more than 70 school locations.
How Does the Driving School Work?
They typically schedule the sessions near RV parks. This way, you can navigate through all of the various traffic conditions that you’ll encounter while you’re camping. Before you hit the road, they’ll do a pre-trip inspection of the rig.
They’ll show you the best way to adjust your mirrors and how to test and use your brakes. The experts will coach you on how to back in like a boss, no matter how narrow the site.
Negotiating turns is another big area to cover, and so are changing lanes and safely dealing with highway ramps. Driving in the mountains is an especially popular topic.
They’ll share techniques for driving defensively and show you the ins and outs of fueling up at congested gas stations. Teachers also can reveal how to use GPS better and how and when to change lanes.
The training is tailored to your specific needs.
The teachers design the curriculum based in part on your level of experience and your particular RV lifestyle.
Pro Tip: New to RVing? Try out these 11 Excellent RV Towing Tips for Beginners.
RV Driving School Instructor Qualifications
There’s a big demand for driving instructors, and the driving school is actively recruiting additional ones. As we said, many of the instructors are active RVers themselves.
The school requires they have a background in the operation of heavy vehicles, of course. They also need to be knowledgeable about different kinds of RVs and have strong teaching skills.
How Much Does RV Driving School Cost?
The private lessons are $595. That’s for eight hours of training broken down into two days of four-hour sessions. If there’s only one driver they’re training, the instructors encourage the driver’s partner to ride along.
Training for two people is $895, and that’s for two days of six-hour sessions, for a total of 12 hours. A particular problem area for many RVers is backing up.
For $325, you can get 3.5 hours of professional instruction (in a single session) focusing on backing up an RV.
RV Driving School Certificates Can Lower Your Insurance Rates
If it seems like a lot of money, think of it in terms of safety. It’s a small price to pay to help protect yourself and your family from an accident. And if your improved driving skills prevent even a small accident, you’ve probably saved more than what repairs would cost.
In addition, many insurance companies offer discounts to motorists who have completed RV driving school.
As proof of the training, instructors email a certificate that you can submit to insurance carriers.
Pro Tip: Ready to invest in an RV? We’ve got the answers on How Much Your RV Monthly Payment Should Be.
Does RV Driving School Provide RVs to Learn On?
The school doesn’t provide any RVs for the driving lessons. In fact, the instructors, who are usually traveling RVers themselves, customize the training so it’s specific to your vehicle.
It’s best to enroll in the training with the RV you’ll be using because it has its own unique traits. If for some reason that’s not possible, the school recommends that you rent a similar RV.
Can You Take a Training Prior to Renting or Buying an RV?
If you don’t own an RV yet, the RV Driving School can help you prepare. Besides the actual classes for RV owners, they offer seminars for groups on a seasonal basis.
Usually held on weekends, these events offer an intensive “boot camp” approach to learning the ropes.
Sometimes they coincide with popular rallies and other RV gatherings.
Are RV Driving Lessons Really Necessary?
Obviously, there are lots of RVers driving around with no expert training who do just fine. On the other hand, towing or driving a rig is a huge responsibility that you shouldn’t take lightly.
Taking advantage of all the available resources can put you at the top of your game. With RV Driving School, even steady, seasoned pros can pick up some new and useful skills and know-how.
If there’s an aspect of RV driving that’s outside your comfort zone, it can help you feel more secure.
Have you ever taken RV driving lessons?
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