Amber B.

I’m writing to tell you about my exceptional experience at RV School in Durham, NC with Frank Gilyard. I am new to the world of RVing, and up until recently I had never towed anything in my life. After 2 days with Frank, I feel extremely confident driving and backing up. And not only that, Frank went above and beyond, teaching me things about my camper and the RV life. I have nothing but amazing things to say about this experience.

Thank you!

Linda C.

I was a little apprehensive when I decided I should learn to drive our 36-foot motorhome. It was intimidating to sit behind the wheel and know I would be on small backroads and major interstates and everything in between driving this behemoth. Friends asked why I didn’t have my husband teach me….my response….I wanted our 42+ year marriage to continue.

All that being said, it was the best thing I paid for since buying the motorhome. My husband did sit in on the classroom and drove in the dining area of the coach during my “on the road” training.

George did a very good job or explaining the ins and outs of driving the motorhome from a classroom perspective. His 5 safety principals are still in the back of my mind, as well as maintenance, brakes, tires, weight, using mirrors and cameras correctly, and many other topics to keep us safe on the road. This was a very important part of the “lesson”.

My on the road driving instructor was Chuck Urwiller, I can’t say enough positive things about him. He made me feel relaxed behind the wheel, without relaxing my guard. Before we left for our 85+ mile long driving lesson – we took a walk around the coaching where he showed me everything I should be checking to make sure we are safe on the road. Our drive included 2 lane roads, 4 lane roads and an interstate highway. We encountered a broken down “big rig” blocking most of an exit ramp, he taught stopping away back, to back sure he was broken down and how to maneuver around him. We pulled in and out of diesel lanes at a fuel stop, getting the vehicle weighed, getting on and off exit ramps, driving through the center of town-traffic lights, tight turns and all. All of these enforced George’s 5 safety principals and everything else we learned in class.

I feel much more comfortable behind the wheel and thank Chuck for that. He was professional, patient, knowledgeable, relaxed and had a great sense of humor. The fact that we used our own RV for the lesson personalized the experience and made this a highlight of my Perry, GA FMCA Rally week and why I would highly recommend this course, and Chuck in particular, no matter how long you have owned your RV.

Thanks to everyone who made this a highlight of my whole FMCA Rally Perry, GA experience.

Nancy M.

I had the pleasure of taking RV driving lessons with instructor Mark Merithew on March 9 and 10, 2023, in Mesa, Arizona.  I am a fairly new Class A motorhome owner and driver, and wanted to learn as much as possible before starting out on longer travels.  Mark was very encouraging with positive comments throughout the two days.  In addition to actual driving instruction, he also gave me tips on setting up and living in a motorhome.  He was excellent at answering my questions, and never made me feel like a question I asked was dumb.

The first day Mark came to the RV Resort where I was parked.  We had emailed ahead of time and Mark requested I keep the RV fully connected to the utilities so he could offer suggestions on my electrical, water and sewer connections.  Then I disconnected all utilities and we left the park.  We drove on city streets at first, working on staying centered between the lane lines.  We also practiced left and right turns, and where to best position the RV for making such turns.   We also practiced entering and exiting a thruway, then went to an empty parking lot to practice backing into a “camping” site.  Mark was very patient and was willing to adjust the lesson in backing to work on areas that I felt I needed the most improvement.

The second day we drove more on the thruway, using the cruise control, and then up into some hills, where I learned how to use my tow-haul feature to slow the coach going downhill.  The route also included roads that were narrow and had a steep falloff on the berm.  Mark was always pointing out things to look out for ahead, such as narrow or uneven berms, guardrails close to the roadway, overhanging tree branches (one of my weaknesses), and looking further ahead for a traffic light that may be changing.  We also entered a gas station to practice that fueling.

I was very pleased with the content of the lessons and Mark’s demeanor and encouraging attitude.  I learned a lot of very useful information, and would highly recommend RV Driving School and Mark Merithew. as an instructor.

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Jean N.

You have yourself a gem of an instructor in Dana.  He was an excellent teacher – very informative and patient and he has nerves of steel (lol).  Great learning experience for both me (the driver taking lessons) and my husband who learned just by sitting there and listening.

Thank you very much!!!

Mark G.

Good morning. We’re obviously new to the RV world and excited about all the travel opportunities!

I worked with Tim Armstrong, March 20 and 21, completing your two day class.

Comments:

1. Probably one of the most talented, patient and knowledgeable instructors I’ve had the privilege in working with over the last sixty years!
2. Tim’s attention to detail was great
3. We were able to cover multiple topics, real world driving and lots of first timers’ questions.
4. We even got a fuel stop in, extended slides etc..

I couldn’t have been more satisfied with your organization and Tim’s professionalism approach to driving an RV.

Thanks,