Keith Stewart admits there isn't much parallel parking done in an RV.
Usually much larger than an average car, recreational vehicles have been a popular mode of transportation since the 1950s, and allow their occupants to travel with at least some of the comforts of home.
RVs come in many sizes, and they are generally user-friendly, notes Stewart.
"They're really easy to drive," he says, adding it's just a matter of getting used to the size.
Stewart is an RV technician and owns North Shore RV Centre in North Vancouver. He explains that there is no special licence required to drive an RV unless you are operating a large A-class, which is a bus style that may require another licence depending on the vehicle's weight and if it has air brakes. Class-C is the most common type of RV. Stewart has driven his father-in-law's A-class and has owned various camper vans since 1999.
"I like the convenience of both aspects of an RV as well as a vehicle you can use regularly," he says of the Volkswagen Eurovan he has owned for the past nine years.
Aside from esthetics, not a lot has changed on the manufacturing level for RVs in some time.
"Most RVs have basically the same features," says Stewart.
Personalized features tend to depend on what suits the type of user, such as families who might want bunk beds for kids, or an older couple who only needs enough space for themselves.
The last big change was the introduction of slide-outs, which happened about two decades ago, notes Stewart. Slide-outs are push-out rooms that could be part of the bedroom, living room or kitchen. They are another box to push out the side of the vehicle to create extra space inside.
Basic care of RVs is fairly simple these days. Just like owning a car, it's beneficial for RV drivers to have an understanding of the basic mechanics of their vehicle in case something happens on the road and an RV technician is not available, notes Stewart, but special mechanical knowledge isn't necessary to operate an RV.
Unlike a car, however, all RVs have holding tanks for toilet waste, as well as a separate holding tank for sink water and fresh water. Those tanks have to be dumped in specific dump locations provided by campgrounds, some gas stations, or some government places. The holding tank has to be emptied when full, but not necessarily every day, says Stewart. It depends on use. Chemicals also have to be added to the holding tanks to keep odours down.
"It's super straight-forward. You can get pre-measured amounts (and) you just drop a package into the toilet, flush it down," explains Stewart. "A lot of the products are made to be convenient for everyone to use."
One aspect of RV care that is important is maintenance on exterior seals. "People tend to forget about that aspect and discover that when they find the water it's expensive to repair."
A typical car won't have a water leak, but a typical RV will leak water at some point through the seals, says Stewart.
"It's a big, square box that's held together with screws and sealant and glue, and (it's) flexing and moving down the highwa. Going on gravel roads, what have you, will eventually open up some of those seals and potentially cause water leaks."
When it comes to power, Stewart says RVs are just fine going uphill. There are lots of different engine sizes and they are powerful, depending on the manufacturing level.
"If it's built on a decent-sized chassis that's meant for the purpose of an RV then usually they're quite capable of going anywhere," says Stewart.
Despite some differences from cars, RVs are a popular choice of transportation for many people and Stewart understands why.
"There's so much beautiful nature out there that everyone wants to get out there and see it. It's a convenient way to take your house with you and have all the conveniences of home being out in the middle of the bush."
This story originally appeared in the North Shore News special section called Car Care, which focuses on auto-related content.
