Learning drive motorhome NZ: complete beginner guide

Learning to drive a motorhome doesn’t have to be a daunting experience. Armed with a few of the tips below, you will feel like a motorhome maestro in no time at all!

In this article, our travel experts will talk you through the basics of learning to drive a motorhome. Everything that you need to know is covered, including:

• Driving a motorhome

• Turning in a motorhome

• Braking in a motorhome

• Parking and reversing in a motorhome

• And a heap of extra motorhome tips for beginners!

If you’re interested in learning to drive a motorhome whilst travelling or road tripping around New Zealand, you can find a great range of easy-to-drive motorhomes for hire on Camplify. At the end of this article, we’ll show you some of the best motorhomes for you to learn in whilst travelling around NZ.

Learning to Drive a Motorhome Driving

Stay Calm and Cautious

When learning to drive a motorhome, you might need to unlearn some of the habits you automatically perform when driving a car. For example, rather than looking over your shoulder to check blind spots, you will likely have to rely more heavily on your side mirrors and rear cameras.

Take things slow and drive at a steady speed that feels comfortable. Focus all your attention on the road and the flow of traffic around you. Avoid being distracted by the radio or conversation. Driving a motorhome will be second nature in no time.

Put Enough Space Between You and the Vehicle Ahead

Compared to a car, a motorhome takes a lot longer to stop because it is much heavier. To compensate for this, you want to put at least twice as much distance as you normally would between you and the car in front.

Stay Centred in Your Lane

In a car, it’s quite easy to tell how you are sitting in your lane. It’s tougher in a motorhome because of the width of the vehicle. Because of this, some motorhome learners overcompensate and position the vehicle too far towards the outside lane. Use your side mirrors to check how far you are from the centre line. If your left-side tyres are consistently running off the road, you may be too far left. Ideally, you want to position the motorhome about a foot off the centre line.

Watch Your Clearance Height

If you’re used to driving around in a car, you probably never give clearance height a second thought. But when learning to drive a motorhome, you must always consider how high your vehicle is. Know your clearance height and always check the recommended height when driving into car parks, under tunnels, across bridges, etc.

Slow Down in High Winds

Motorhomes are much more vulnerable to being pushed around by high winds. When winds hit the side of your motorhome, this can cause you to wobble on the road. Do not jerk the steering wheel and fight against the winds. Instead, slow down and make small steering adjustments as if you were passing a truck coming the other way. And if the winds are too heavy, simply pull over and enjoy the howling spectacle until it dies down.

Merge Slowly

Motorhomes do not accelerate as quickly as a car. They are much larger vehicles and take time to maneuver. When learning to drive a motorhome, don’t go racing ahead in merging lanes to try and push in front of traffic. Instead, slow down until there is plenty of space in the lane beside you to merge safely and slowly.

Take Breaks More Often Than You Would in a Car

Driving a motorhome is more tiring than driving a car. The size of the vehicle means that your muscles can start to ache slightly after a few hours of tightly gripping onto a vibrating steering wheel. Plus, it’s more mentally draining as a learner given that you will be paying extra attention. Plan your road trip so that you only have to drive short distances each day (no more than 400km a day). Try to take a break at least once every 150km or every 2 hours.

Turning

Take Your Turns Long, Wide and Slow When learning to drive a motorhome, remember that the vehicle is a lot longer than a motorhome. Make sure you turn the vehicle slowly and widely. You want to put as much distance as possible between the motorhome and the corner point you are pivoting around. Also, when going wide, start your turn earlier - otherwise, you might turn too wide into the opposite lane.

Braking

Give Yourself More Time to Brake

As you learn to drive a motorhome, you will realise that it takes a lot longer for a motorhome to come to a stop. Always remember that you need to brake earlier in order to compensate for the weight of the motorhome. Start braking twice as early as you would in a car. And if your motorhome has a manual gearbox, downshift the gears to help slow the vehicle.

Parking and Reversing

Have Someone Help You Park

Learning to park a motorhome can be a tricky business. Because the vehicle is so long, it is always best if you have someone outside the vehicle to help guide you into the parking spot. Even the most experienced motorhome drivers use this trick. If you’re travelling solo, don’t be afraid to ask someone for help.

More Handy Tips

This isn’t our first time teaching budding explorers how to drive a motorhome!

Check out our Essential Tips for Driving In New Zealand and our Motorhome Tips for Beginners for more learner lessons like:

• Always turn the motorhome’s gas tank off before driving.

• Pack paper towel between plates to prevent rattling.

• Empty the motorhome water tank before driving.

• Plug the drains in your motorhome before heading off.

• And much more!

Great Motorhomes for Learners in New Zealand

If you’re interested in learning to drive a motorhome whilst travelling around New Zealand, you’ve come to the right place. Camplify has an amazing range of easy-to-drive motorhomes available for hire in NZ. Plus, when you hire through Camplify, you don’t have to worry about making mistakes - every Camplify hire comes standard with:

• Comprehensive Hire Insurance

• Nationwide AA Roadside Assistance

• 24/7 Customer Support

To help you make the right choice, we’ve handpicked the following motorhomes which are perfect for learners and beginners:

Your Kind of Camper

This fully automatic and self-contained Mercedes Sprinter only requires a standard license. It’s spacious on the inside yet compact on the outside - perfect for beginners learning to maneuver corners!

Carado T449

This brand new self-contained motorhome is a great option for small families who are new to living and driving in a motorhome. It has an automatic 6-speed gearbox which is perfect for driving in NZ conditions. Plus, you only need a standard license to drive it!

Roller Team Zefiro 685

This large and luxurious self-contained motorhome is designed for large families and learner drivers. Besides being fully automatic, it also boasts a tiny turnaround radius and oversized rear-view mirrors for exceptional visibility when merging lanes and reversing. All you need is a standard licence and you’re good to go!