Getting the Most from a Motor Home Test Drive
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Getting the Most from a Motor Home Test Drive

Purchasing an RV motor home can be a sizable investment. Doing it correctly requires time, patience, and good planning. Whether you are buying your first motor home or your fifth, whether it is a new or used RV, the most important investigative tool that you can use to ensure that the RV is suitable for your family, is the test drive. Companies that specialize in insuring RV motor homes have issued step-by-step guides of how to properly test drive an RV.

Let your dealer know that you wish to take a test drive. Make an appointment, allowing enough time for the dealer to prepare the RV for a test drive. Plan for an extended test drive that will give you time to address all driving conditions. Plan a route, along with the dealer’s representative, and indicate how many people will be participating in the test drive. If the dealer is having you test drive a demonstration vehicle, make sure that its weight and engine size are the same as the RV that you are considering buying.

If the motor home that you are test driving is an older used RV, request that you start it yourself. Sometimes engine problems can be disguised when the RV is warmed up before you take it for the test drive. Check that the clutch operates smoothly. Any bite at the top limit of pedal travel could indicate a worn clutch, and should be replaced by the dealer. Check that the steering does not pull to one side. If it does, tracking may need to be adjusted. If you find that the steering mechanism has a lot of play, you may wish to reconsider your purchase, as this can indicate a serious problem.

Take your test drive with the same number of people that you expect to have on your routine travels. If there are small children, ensure that travel seats will fit. Check that the heat and air conditioning function adequately while driving. Make arrangements with the dealer to load your normal equipment, such as bicycles, scooters, etc., to ensure that weight distribution is not a problem. Fill the water tank before the test drive. If possible, make an appointment with a local weight bridge to check out the RV weight and weight distribution.

Make sure that your planned test driving route is rigorous enough to give you a general feel for the RVs capabilities and comfort. Drive it in both urban settings and on country roads. Make sure that you travel several challenging hills, both up and down. Make sure you feel comfortable with the clutch and brakes. If you will have more than one primary driver on your trips, let each driver participate in the test. Check out the radios, stereos, and TVs as you drive to ensure that they will be functional for passengers on long trips.

Drive the RV to your home and to the area where you intend to store it. Make sure it fits in your driveway. This is a good time to practice your parking skills. It is also a good time to determine how convenient and simple it is to hand the discharge of waste from the RV when at a campsite’s service point, or when none is available.

Practice parking the motor home in different situations. Try parking in town centers, in shopping malls, and gas stations. Does the RV have power steering? If not, can all potential drivers handle the steering? Can you park the RV when you are all alone? Make sure that the means on entering and leaving the RV are adequate for all potential travelers.

Make sure that any after-market accessories work properly. How do the added accessories affect you vision. If the RV has a rear bicycle carrier, or if you plan to add one, will the added length affect your ability to maneuver and park?

Simulate all driving hazards that you might encounter on a routine road trip. Simulate conditions of poor visibility. Check that you can negotiate both left and right 90 degree turns. Can to see well enough to determine that it is safe to pull into traffic, or must you depend upon a passenger to guide you? Do passengers obscure your rear and side views?

Focus on RV generated noise. Drive on a bumpy road to try to find any rattles or squeaking. Make sure that your added equipment is secured to ensure that any noises are coming from the vehicle and not your equipment. Make sure that cabinet and door latches hold.

Finally, before you make you final purchase decision; determine what the best source for ongoing service is. Usually it is the dealer from which you purchased the RV, but not necessarily. Consider the replacement cost of major spare parts and routine servicing costs over the active life span of the vehicle.

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