Learning curve to drive van?

[bluegoatwoods]

A van has one advantage over other vehicles; you can either see, or very nearly see, all four wheel wells.  Once you have firmly in your mind the relative positions of yourself and the four wheels, you only need some minor adjustments in your perceptions before you know the relative positions of yourself and, for instance, the far corner of your rear bumper.  

Add on good mirrors if necessary.  Some of the stock mirrors on modern vans and pickups are a bit smaller than they ought to be.  I don't even insist on a convex mirror, myself.  But if they're flat, then they need to be big.  They ought to be big in either case.  Tall pickup style mirrors would be pretty good.

Be willing, when checking your blind spots, to lean well forward, well back, well to the left and well to the right.  This is how you get full use out of the mirror view.  It'll be surprisingly wide if you're willing to look around a bit.

This advice is meant more for after you've practiced in parking lots and you're starting to actually ride around.  But speaking of parking lots, the advice to just park out where it's not crowded is good.  Don't try to get up close to the store.

 

[highdesertranger]

one more time, with the proper mirrors you don't have any blind spots on the sides of a vehicle. get the proper mirrors adjust them and learn how to use them. as far as the blind spot directly behind you, who cares what the guy behind you is doing if he is going to rear end you there is nothing you can do about it anyway. stop driving according to what the guy behind you is doing, rear facing camera on all the time, why? that's just a distraction. pay attention to what is in front of you and beside you. it amazes me how many people never learned this stuff. highdesertranger

 

[bullfrog]

The movie "Gumball Rally" the first rule of Italian driving "What is behind me is not important."

 

[lenny flank]

^^ Well, it can be pretty important if you are backing out of a parking spot and don't wanna run some pedestrian over.

 

[bullfrog]

I guess if you are "urban" boondocking, out here as long as I stay in the tracks I made coming in I'm good!!! LOL!!!

 

[QinReno]

I have a Savana too, and it is indeed blind as a bat to the rear--especially with no rear windows. One reason why I always pull into a parking spot that I can pull out of, so I never have to back it up.

I was flabbergasted after getting the Savana on how poor the visibility is around the back. The mirrors don't help nearly as much as people seem to think. On looking at my van, the mirrors hardly stick out much further than on the regular cars around here. OTOH, there is a pickup truck next to it, and it's mirrors stick out about 2X as far as on my van. HUGE difference. Plus I've never liked those dinky little convex mirrors. They are really only good at close distances; the images are just too small.

I do always pull through parking spaces when I can, so I can get out by going forwards, but that mainly works at big box stores that have large parking lots. Sometimes you are just stuck with where you can park, and have to back up. The mirrors do NOT really help with cars coming crosswise from the sides, and especially that everyone is in such a hurry anymore.

And if you pay attention, you see that people are "always" driving in other people's blind spots. Mirrors are NEVER 100%. My van cost over $20,000, while a rear-view camera costs about $30. Duh.

 

[closeanuf]

I drive a Chevy pickup with a camper shell and I put the fish-eye mirrors that I got at Walmart in the rv section.  They are the right size for my old eyes.  I have them on both side stuck on my outside mirrors.  I would suggest you get some of these mirrors and put them on the vehicle you drive now so you can get used to them.

 

[tx2sturgis]

Install a backup beeper, honk three times, then 'haul ass' in reverse.

What could possibly happen?

(thats the way the UPS drivers do it!)

 

[Artsyguy]

As others have said:
Learn to use mirrors - it’s not bad once you do it, you will naturally be more cautious.

The worst part is if you have no side window on middle passenger door - this becomes difficult when merging into another road that intersects at 45 degrees!!!

You will learn to not put yourself in those situations. You will have to turn the van perpendicular to be able to see out passenger window.

Practice makes perfect!
And take your time, don’t let others force you to take chances!
I’d rather listen to someone honking at me because I’m overly cautious than hitting another car because of carelessness.

You’ll get it!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

YES!  THIS!  Always approach intersections as perpendicular as possible.

 

[New Life]

Thanks, everybody. I keep reading (not just here) that the main thing is to have proper mirrors, properly adjusted. That makes sense to me. I mean, look at how many people are driving huge rigs and not having accidents every day. Once I get my rig, I'm gonna reread all your suggestions so can apply them to that specific vehicle. I'm gonna practice, practice, practice. I already readjusted my mirrors on my Yaris so can start getting used to driving w/ mirrors correctly adjusted and try not to turn my head to look out the windows that might not exist if I get a cargo van.
Happy travels, y'all.

 

[highdesertranger]

that's the attitude. you will do fine. highdesertranger

 

[Sikafishn]

Little 2" convex mirrors in the.lower outside corner of the mirrors helps cover blind spots and could save a passing bikers life. Might want to install a back up camera too. They're pretty affordable any more. Have a friend who mounted one just above the trailer hitch.

 

[Seminole Wind]

i find that with the added height i can see much farther down the road in all directions. this allows me to drive and react to what is happening ahead rather than reacting to the few cars near me.

i started driving full size van in '86. i learned that just like you assume a gun a is loaded until you prove that that it isnt. you treat blind spots like there is someone in them till you PROVE there isnt. and then just like a gun you still are not careless and proceed as there IS someone in the blind spot.

if you need to merge to make a turn or something and can not prove the path is clear. then miss the turn, then go back around and make another pass. i have made 3 right turns just to go left many times.

plan ahead, dont wait till the last min to merge or get lined up for a turn or off ramp. give yourself plenty of time, drive defensively.