I was told by our insurance rep that borrowed autos are covered under "comparable insurance clause." As such unless the person borrowing has equivalent RV insurance, he/she would not be covered driving that RV. At least that is what I was told.
I am not a good passenger with my wife driving it and she is very competent at handling it. No way I could let someone else drive, I would be a nervous wreck. I had a work colleague ask if he and his family could rent it from me for a two week trip. The answer was no. I could not even ask someone for the loan of such a thing.
2007 Four Winds Hurricane 34B (Ford Chassis) Bunkhouse
2007 Chevrolet Cobalt LT (5-speed manual)
SMI Stay-In-Play & Blue-Ox Aventa LX
Growing up, my father let me drive his 32' Winnebago with 4 of my friends to Florida over Spring Break--but that was in 1973. I cannot believe that anyone would do that today. About 15 years later, my Dad and I bought a second MH. About 4 years in the partnership, and against all verbal agreements, he let my sister take it on a vacation with her family. Although it did not break down on her trip, it required significant maintenance during the next trip which I took with my family. All of our relationships survived intact, but I will never let anyone outside of me and my DW--and possibly my DS--drive my current MH.
The easy answer is to just say no. That said, I have no problem letting my children use the MH. So far only one has used my MH for a vacation. My son-in-law, a bus driver has asked for perhaps a future vacation, and I have no trouble with the request. I will insist that we go out for at least a day and go through a campside hookup and a pack up and return. We have a very close family unit, and even if they should wreck the rig, their safety would be my only concern. (really). I would never, ever, rent my MH or permit others to borrow it. Liability is far to high (I live in California, enough said), I would have a hard time forgiving damage caused by error, and even more important, my close friends would never ask. Again, that said, if a close friend, (and I don't have too many of those) needed the MH for an emergency, I would somehow make it available. If they were in a hospital, and the family needed to park/camp close by, why not. Guess what I'm getting at is that it is hard to say NEVER. Almost never works most of the time.
Besides, I have a very large home in Southern California that fell down, completely, in the Northridge earthquake. It gives a whole new relevance to the idea of irreplaceable. If it doesn't say "I love you" it is replaceable.
Ok, I'm getting teary eyed. Happy Trails to all.
No, we put that practice to rest immediately upon buying the unit. The learning curve with one of these things is way too steep to trust to one's kids.
chuckster11 wrote: No, we put that practice to rest immediately upon buying the unit. The learning curve with one of these things is way too steep to trust to one's kids.
And the learning curve never stops. I was moving the MH back to the place where we have a shore power source last night after changing the oil and doing other things to it and I side swiped a service pole that was moved nearer to the driveway. Yes I tired and should have had better lighting to be backing up the MH. Thankful the damage was fixable with lacquer thinner but had I messed up the end cap and bumper I could have technically totalled our MH. Thankfully I was cutting the wheels so it was a glancing blow and not a direct impact.
I do think a bus driver of a long school bus would find driving a similar size MH second nature unless it would be the hight thing and just the complex nature of a house truck.
I know only one person that has the requisite Class B license and I'm the one that asks him to drive it. Everyone else I know is afraid of it (45' Dynasty).
HobbyHauler wrote: Just tell them that they will need to purchase the proper insurance and have the correct license required by your state and then you will consider their request assuming they can demonstrate competency with some other large vehicle first.
In my state the only stipulation is age, usually 21, if they have their own insurance and license they already have enough if they are also old enough.
We were once new behind the wheel too, we took the risk without additional insurance or endorsments on our licenses. Yet many of us went out and test drove them before we bought them.
However, my answer would still be no to family and friends.
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