Most truck drivers earn their wings, so to speak, in truck drivers school. The industry has proven that the best drivers are those who have completed an accredited course that includes all aspects of the truck driving profession.

Many RV setups can almost match an 18-wheeler in size. In fact, most high-end luxury coaches these days are actually based on the same vehicle that is used to transport passengers commercially all around the country: the Greyhound bus. (Actually, this is true for practically any "coach" type bus you might be chartering for cross country travel. Prevost is the brand that immediately comes to mind, but there are others.)

So when you consider that many RV owners and drivers are well into retirement, or those who only get behind the wheel of such a large vehicle when they head out on the highway a couple times a year, the idea of some specialized RV training seems pretty reasonable.

Read: RV driving is different -- not difficult.

Some states even require you to upgrade your driver's license before you can operate an RV. For example, California requires that you obtain a non-commercial Class B license if your motorhome is over 40 feet in length.

A good RV driving school can teach you all the same skills that the professional truck drivers need -- including how to make a daily safety inspection to ensure that your RV is ready to hit the road, and how to handle your RV in many different situations.

Here's how to find RV training schools, seminars, and courses in your area...

Pulling a trailer, no matter what type or size, means you need to take on a whole new persona.

Quick movements, jack-rabbit starts, and last-minute stops must be removed from your behind-the-wheel activities.

Nothing will get you into trouble faster than momentarily forgetting you have this huge mass of weight behind you. In most cases, that weight is capable of easily pushing you where you don't want to go.

With today's very powerful diesel pickup trucks it's quite easy to have a truck matched up to a trailer that weighs well over twice what the truck weighs. Of course, the trucks are rated to handle this amount of load and it's perfectly legal. You just need to take this additional weight into consideration in how you drive.

All it takes is a walk through an RV equipped with multiple slide out room extensions and you’ll be ready to sign on the dotted line and make one your own. 

The feeling of openness and the ability to have more than one person standing in the RV's living room at a time will dismiss that closed-in feeling instantly.

A bedroom slideout is probably the most desired slideout of all because the bedrooms inside RVs are notorious for being cramped.

Having lived full time in RVs for over 3 years, the extra space provided with multiple slideouts really makes the difference between simply existing and living comfortably.

However, as with all things, there are some trade-offs when you choose a super deluxe model RV with huge wall expansions.  For instance, there are some times where the slideouts create more problems than they’re worth!

Fleetwood travel trailers have officially become limited edition RVs.

On March 9, 2009 Fleetwood stopped producing new travel trailers.

Here's the scoop...

Some common experiences on RV roadtrips...

Jenny caught her first fish today -- a walleye that weighed in at 3.5 lbs.  While she was out with dad in the boat, Jimmy fell asleep on the beach and oh what a sunburn!  Simple memories like these seem so clear and neverending at the time they take place. 

Today, we drove through the cornfields of Iowa.  We stopped and watched a bright yellow crop duster  swoop down, almost touching the ground as it flew back and forth across the field.  Like magic, it lifted up at the end of the field missing the telephone wires by what looked like inches!

The only problem: years later, as time passes by, these memories fade.  Kids grow up and move on with their lives.  Grandparents pass on.  The family evolves, and those precious moments from those earlier years often are forgotten.

So what a thrill it would be to be able to pick up a book, sit out on the porch and immediately return to special times from the past.  Wouldn't it be great to be able to relive those special moments?

This is the benefit of journaling your RV experiences in a travel journal! 

For those new to the world of RVing, there are numerous opportunities to be "taken in" by the glitz and glamor of RVs and the RV lifestyle.  Perusing RVs in a dealership’s showroom or at an RV show nearby can effectively cost you quite a few dollars! 

There’s an overwhelmingly large variety of RVs to chose from, and if you don't have a firm idea of what you're looking for, you can easily be lured into buying something that is a better deal for the RV salesman than for you! 

To play it safe, you should always have an idea in the back of your mind of what’s most practical for your particular situation. 

Like most auto dealers, RV salesmen work on commission. Therefore, the more money they can get you to pay for something, the more money they earn. 

Being knowledgeable in a car purchase is fairly easy.  With online pricing guides such as Kelly Blue Book, you can enter the sales lot armed with enough information to keep the final dollar figure within a reasonable margin of what would be considered a good deal. 

However, RVs are a different matter...

There is nothing scarier than having a trailer whipping back and forth behind you.  I speak from experience, as it happened to me several years ago.  I was towing a trailer with 2 motorcycles on it when it got out of control. 

That utility trailer forced me back and forth across 4 lanes of freeway before I was able to slow down and regain control!

Many states require trailer brakes on any trailer over 1,500 lbs.  This trailer was not required to have brakes, but it was still enough weight to overpower the mid-sized car that I was driving.

I learned that day that how you load a trailer is critical when it comes to safety, handling, and the ability to comfortably travel without worry.  That, and the importance of an Equalizer Hitch.