[whatsnewell]

I have posted this precaution a few times, but here goes again. A few years back I blew an almost new front tire going 70 on I-10. It was a Country Coach and it was all I could do to keep from wrecking the coach or being hit. My wife and I both concluded that she was not strong enough to have controlled the steering wheel, and she never would drive again. Hopefully, the Newell is more easily controlled following a blowout and/or the spouse is strong enough to handle it. Many of you may not agree, but at last think about it.

Chester, I think that is Elaine's concern, too. Having a front blow out in a regular passenger vehicle at 70 mph is one thing, and can result in a bad accident, let alone in a rig that weighs 50,000+ lbs. I've put close to 40,000 miles on our coach, and had a blowout in the first 1,000 miles I drove. I was fortunate in that nothing bad happened....it did take a lot of upper body strength to get the coach under control (swerved hard into the left lane) and then on to the shoulder. I think our wives need to learn how to drive, and then do a lot of driving to get used to the coach in as many conditions as possible (side winds, head winds, panic stops, etc).....not just when it's comfortable for them, or us.

It took me a few thousand miles to get comfortable driving the coach. Driving a few hundred miles here and there out of the thousands that are driven will not get you to where you need to be. I am all for our ladies learning how to drive, but it needs to be a serious commitment, and we need to be willing to give up the steering wheel often enough for them to get comfortable.

That's my two cents and I'm sticking to it....