Question for the Women - Do you drive your RV or tow a 5th wheel?
Terry and Jo said
09:28 PM Apr 11, 2012
Rosie,
Much will change with some experience. The more one gets to drive them, the more comfortable one will become with them. Going beyond the idea of taking a class, once you get the RV, take it to a large church parking lot (or similar place) and drive it around some. Take some traffic cones or other type of marker and practice driving between them. Do the same by backing up into a set of markers simulating an RV slot.
While my wife Jo hasn't developed the skill of backing up our fifth wheel yet, I have no concerns on her ability. She has driven farm trucks and pulled horse trailers and such and has no problems with driving the rigs. When we were researching for our RV, we considered both motorhomes and fifth wheels. As for the motorhome, we took a couple for test drives to get a feel as to whether she would be comfortable driving something that big.
She had no problems, and I suspect the same will be your experiences. If you've driven and backed smaller trailers before, you will find that a longer trailer is actually somewhat easier to back up because with the longer trailer, one has more time to make corrections in the steering.
The biggest issue, even for me, will be backing into a near 90 degree situation. Just take your time and cooperate together to get directions on which way to turn.
Which is easier? Hard to tell. Many of the 40' and 42' motorhomes that we looked at had an excellent turning radius. By the same token, a truck and fifth wheel, with the ability of articulation also works well once one gets the hang of it.
Terry
-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Wednesday 11th of April 2012 09:31:09 PM
Rosie RV Thumper and Dog Dog said
03:33 AM Apr 12, 2012
I am pretty anxious about driving a class A or towing a 5th wheel with what seems destined to be a dually. From your experience, was it difficult to learn? Do you have any tips? I've seen posts about classes for driving the beasts and will be looking for one when we finally get our RV. I also keep wondering if one is easier to drive than the other.
Please chime in!
Rosie
MaryBee said
05:50 AM Apr 12, 2012
Well...I don't have much experience with driving our fifth wheel yet, I have driven it a short distance and it really was not to bad actually.
On our last trip a month ago, my DH decided he wanted me to finish driving the last few miles to our home. Now mind you, we live in a rural area so I did not have to deal with any traffic or anything like that, it was me and the road by ourselves.
I was scared stiff, but I hopped behind the wheel of our truck and off we went. I had to get a feel for "not crowding" the center line of the road and I tended to drive "slowley" LOL....but our fiver really handled well and I hardly knew our 33 foot rig was behind us.
Turning corners was not that bad, I took it wide but again I did not have any traffic or I probably would have been scared.
I plan on driving a bit more, "little bits at a time" as I think it is very important incase you are in a situation and are forced to drive for some reason or another. (I hope that never happens to me). My dh is concerned just in case something would happen to him on the road, that I am able to get us to safety if need be and that is probably a smart call. Weather I will be able to do it is totally another issue, but I think I probably could if need be.
I am happy just being the "navigater", but I will practice from time as it sure won't hurt.
patoneill said
05:55 PM Apr 12, 2012
Rosie, I understand your concerns about driving because I have the same ones!
We just bought our first 5th wheels and a humougous truck. The hood is taller that me :(
I have taken a test drive of a class A motorhome and did not like it at all. It was way too physical. Even if our new truck impresses me with its size, I feel more comfortable to drive it. But that's just me.
This week-end, my husband is going to take me to an empty parking lot so that I can get familiar with the truck.
The trailer is going to be delivered to our storage. Then, we have found a RV driving school. One where the instructor comes to us. He will meet us to our storage and we will have a full day of private instruction mid May. I'll post a review if you'd like.
There is another school where they require you to drive to the instructor. Well, we take lessons to learn how to drive... so asking us to drive 200 miles to meet the instructor is beyond my understanding.
I'll be honest and say that I consider myself a bad driver (as in I am barely able to park straight). But even if I was a good driver I would put driving lessons on the top of my priority list.
Even if my husband is going to do most of the driving, I believe this is important that I am able to do it as well. You never know what can happen...
Patricia
Ckerr said
04:01 AM Apr 13, 2012
I was totally comfortable pulling a 40 ft 5th wheel with a F350. Granted I never backed it into a spot, but pulling down the highway and through town and even big cities at rush hour wasn't a big deal for me. I also had a 35 foot motorhome for a while. I blame it on coming from a family of truck drivers... a certain amount of genetic predispositioning. lol Now we have a much smaller bumper pull and I'm not at all comfortable with that.
We're looking for either a MH or most likely a 5th wheel now. My fiance and I both agree that we will do a driving school when we find our rig. He's a lot more nervous than I am, but I think it will be good to have a neutral 3rd party teach us the ins and outs of things like parking...
Rosie RV Thumper and Dog Dog said
04:40 AM Apr 13, 2012
Thanks for your replies. I hear the larger the thing you're backing up, the easier it is to do. Good thing because I cannot back my John Deere with the trailer attached. Glad I'm not in this alone. Sounds like a driving school is a great idea and will help build confidence. Rosie
cejones4210 said
01:24 PM Apr 13, 2012
Hi, we do not have a 5er yet, but we have a HD 2500 crew cab that we use to pull our 25' trailer. And up until Nov, we had a 30' trailer also. I probably do 90% of the driving and do the parking and backing with hubby directing where. I also grew up around trucks and have felt very comfortable with them. Drive as much as possible because the more you do the better you will be and more confident. I even taught our (at the time late teens) daughter to pull a trailer. Go girl! I want to be able to do it all even the hook ups because if, heaven forbid, something should happen with DH, I could get us where we need to be. Practice, practice, practice. Also did I mention my DH prefers NOT to drive, but take pictures while I drive.
Rosie RV Thumper and Dog Dog said
02:51 PM Apr 13, 2012
Candy, I will probably do a lot of the driving and hook ups, etc. as my DH has health issues and many times won't be able to help. We are planning to get a 5er with remote leveling and as many easy or automatic systems as possible. Thanks for your reply. Rosie
cejones4210 said
03:33 AM Apr 14, 2012
Rosie, all I can say is, go for it. Sharing the dream and going for it is what counts. Hopefully we can see you down the road. I'll have to remember remote leveling when we look for a 5er. Best wishes, Candy
ahoweth said
02:43 PM Apr 14, 2012
My late wife drove them all. She started with bumper pull trailers, (2) then graduated to 5th wheels, (2), then graduated to our motor coaches, of which there were 4. She was an excellent driver but could not read a map to save our lives. She backed them, pulled them and did it all. If she could do it, you can do it too!!
rvingft said
05:44 PM Apr 15, 2012
You are a woman, so are GREAT at multi-tasking naturally! Always remember that.
I took 2 classes MANY years before I pulled m first RV. Lazy Days (Florida & now in Arizona) teach classes to people for a small fee in a Lazy Days RV, so you do not have to OWN your RV before you take their classes.
RV Driving School is operated by full-time RVers who attend some of the different rallies around the country - and will teach you for a fee - in your own motorhome. Some of their trainers may even be RVing within driving distance to you now. Contact them at http://www.rvschool.com/rvschool/Home.html
Another suggestion is to find an RVer who will mentor you. Have them work with you a few weekends showing you how to park, back up, connect. Etc. It will give you confidence and knowledge to help you make a decision.
Look for solo female RVers who are active bloggers. You will read about the challenges they face and how they overcome them. Here is a gal I am currently following that I really admire. She is a retired teacher, who boondocks, is a solo and has 2 canines to keep up with! http://rvsueandcrew.wordpress.com/
Edit by moderator: Activated links. Terry
-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Sunday 15th of April 2012 06:36:38 PM
Rosie RV Thumper and Dog Dog said
02:22 AM Apr 16, 2012
Terry, Thanks for the suggestions and the link to RV Sue and Crew. I'll take a look. We are learning so much from all of you. Thanks again, Rosie
nessiekatt said
03:15 AM Apr 16, 2012
You will do fine
I recently drove my fifth wheel from Sacramento to Garner State Park in TX. Actually my son drove it to Phoenix because I had just gotten released from the dr. because I broke my hand in January and he felt more comfortable doing that first leg with me. He flew back to CA and I drove by myself to TX. I had no problems, even with the few hills, staying overnight (dry camped at an Escapees Park in NM and a Walmart Parking Lot in TX.) and got to the Park early for my first Workamping Gig.
Back last August we both took a class to learn to drive my 5ver. The advise that sticks out was to stay off the paint (keeps you in your lane) and take the wide turns slowly.
Terry and Jo said
04:54 AM Apr 16, 2012
Rosie RV Thumper and Dog Dog wrote:
Terry, Thanks for the suggestions and the link to RV Sue and Crew. I'll take a look. We are learning so much from all of you. Thanks again, Rosie
Rvingft is who provided the links. All I did was go in and "activate" them. If links aren't inserted properly, they won't work right.
Rosie,
Much will change with some experience. The more one gets to drive them, the more comfortable one will become with them. Going beyond the idea of taking a class, once you get the RV, take it to a large church parking lot (or similar place) and drive it around some. Take some traffic cones or other type of marker and practice driving between them. Do the same by backing up into a set of markers simulating an RV slot.
While my wife Jo hasn't developed the skill of backing up our fifth wheel yet, I have no concerns on her ability. She has driven farm trucks and pulled horse trailers and such and has no problems with driving the rigs. When we were researching for our RV, we considered both motorhomes and fifth wheels. As for the motorhome, we took a couple for test drives to get a feel as to whether she would be comfortable driving something that big.
She had no problems, and I suspect the same will be your experiences. If you've driven and backed smaller trailers before, you will find that a longer trailer is actually somewhat easier to back up because with the longer trailer, one has more time to make corrections in the steering.
The biggest issue, even for me, will be backing into a near 90 degree situation. Just take your time and cooperate together to get directions on which way to turn.
Which is easier? Hard to tell. Many of the 40' and 42' motorhomes that we looked at had an excellent turning radius. By the same token, a truck and fifth wheel, with the ability of articulation also works well once one gets the hang of it.
Terry
-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Wednesday 11th of April 2012 09:31:09 PM
I am pretty anxious about driving a class A or towing a 5th wheel with what seems destined to be a dually. From your experience, was it difficult to learn? Do you have any tips? I've seen posts about classes for driving the beasts and will be looking for one when we finally get our RV. I also keep wondering if one is easier to drive than the other.
Please chime in!
Rosie
On our last trip a month ago, my DH decided he wanted me to finish driving the last few miles to our home. Now mind you,
we live in a rural area so I did not have to deal with any traffic or anything like that, it was me and the road by ourselves.
I was scared stiff, but I hopped behind the wheel of our truck and off we went. I had to get a feel for "not crowding" the center
line of the road and I tended to drive "slowley" LOL....but our fiver really handled well and I hardly knew our 33 foot rig
was behind us.
Turning corners was not that bad, I took it wide but again I did not have any traffic or I probably would have been scared.
I plan on driving a bit more, "little bits at a time" as I think it is very important incase you are in a situation and are forced
to drive for some reason or another. (I hope that never happens to me). My dh is concerned just in case something would
happen to him on the road, that I am able to get us to safety if need be and that is probably a smart call. Weather I will be able to
do it is totally another issue, but I think I probably could if need be.
I am happy just being the "navigater", but I will practice from time as it sure won't hurt.
Rosie, I understand your concerns about driving because I have the same ones!
We just bought our first 5th wheels and a humougous truck. The hood is taller that me :(
I have taken a test drive of a class A motorhome and did not like it at all. It was way too physical. Even if our new truck impresses me with its size, I feel more comfortable to drive it. But that's just me.
This week-end, my husband is going to take me to an empty parking lot so that I can get familiar with the truck.
The trailer is going to be delivered to our storage. Then, we have found a RV driving school. One where the instructor comes to us. He will meet us to our storage and we will have a full day of private instruction mid May. I'll post a review if you'd like.
There is another school where they require you to drive to the instructor. Well, we take lessons to learn how to drive... so asking us to drive 200 miles to meet the instructor is beyond my understanding.
I'll be honest and say that I consider myself a bad driver (as in I am barely able to park straight). But even if I was a good driver I would put driving lessons on the top of my priority list.
Even if my husband is going to do most of the driving, I believe this is important that I am able to do it as well. You never know what can happen...
Patricia
We're looking for either a MH or most likely a 5th wheel now. My fiance and I both agree that we will do a driving school when we find our rig. He's a lot more nervous than I am, but I think it will be good to have a neutral 3rd party teach us the ins and outs of things like parking...
Rosie
I will probably do a lot of the driving and hook ups, etc. as my DH has health issues and many times won't be able to help. We are planning to get a 5er with remote leveling and as many easy or automatic systems as possible. Thanks for your reply.
Rosie
Best wishes,
Candy
You are a woman, so are GREAT at multi-tasking naturally! Always remember that.
I took 2 classes MANY years before I pulled m first RV. Lazy Days (Florida & now in Arizona) teach classes to people for a small fee in a Lazy Days RV, so you do not have to OWN your RV before you take their classes.
RV Driving School is operated by full-time RVers who attend some of the different rallies around the country - and will teach you for a fee - in your own motorhome. Some of their trainers may even be RVing within driving distance to you now. Contact them at http://www.rvschool.com/rvschool/Home.html
Another suggestion is to find an RVer who will mentor you. Have them work with you a few weekends showing you how to park, back up, connect. Etc. It will give you confidence and knowledge to help you make a decision.
Look for solo female RVers who are active bloggers. You will read about the challenges they face and how they overcome them. Here is a gal I am currently following that I really admire. She is a retired teacher, who boondocks, is a solo and has 2 canines to keep up with! http://rvsueandcrew.wordpress.com/
Edit by moderator: Activated links. Terry
-- Edited by Terry and Jo on Sunday 15th of April 2012 06:36:38 PM
Thanks for the suggestions and the link to RV Sue and Crew. I'll take a look. We are learning so much from all of you.
Thanks again,
Rosie
You will do fine
I recently drove my fifth wheel from Sacramento to Garner State Park in TX. Actually my son drove it to Phoenix because I had just gotten released from the dr. because I broke my hand in January and he felt more comfortable doing that first leg with me. He flew back to CA and I drove by myself to TX. I had no problems, even with the few hills, staying overnight (dry camped at an Escapees Park in NM and a Walmart Parking Lot in TX.) and got to the Park early for my first Workamping Gig.
Back last August we both took a class to learn to drive my 5ver. The advise that sticks out was to stay off the paint (keeps you in your lane) and take the wide turns slowly.
Rvingft is who provided the links. All I did was go in and "activate" them. If links aren't inserted properly, they won't work right.
Terry