Hi Gals!
I have to jump in here and respond to Cathy who said..."Poor Sandy didn't know a thing about the outside functions. The RV had to be left here. I heard that fellow LOW instructors are taking care of the RV until Sandy returns to decide what to do."
I'm afraid you were misinformed. Sandy *did* take their Excel 5th wheel and Ford F-550 (medium-duty truck) to Oregon, where she's now spending time with friends and family. They were in Benson when Dave died suddenly. Friends Beth and Mike Myers, who were at the Escapees park there, helped Sandy check out the rig, such as tire pressure, etc. and make sure it was road-worthy before she left. Then Beth rode with Sandy and Mike drove their Jeep following them from Benson to Casa Grande, where Don and I met them and helped Sandy set up for the night. Chris Christiansen (another single lady) rode with Sandy to Medford and flew back a few days later.
I considered Dave and Sandy Baleria some of my very best friends, and spent the Christmas/New Year's holidays with them the past 4 years, as well as lots of other get-togethers on the road as full-timers. Sandy always did at least 90% of the driving, but she wasn't as familiar with the outside duties. Still, she's capable of handling them, just needed assistance because of the severe shock of Dave's sudden death. I'm still in close touch with Sandy, who's having a terrible time accepting her fate, but I hope she won't give up RVing.
And, on another note, backing up is a matter of practice. Get out in a wide-open parking lot, agree on those hand signals (and make them BIG so they're easier to see in a mirror), set up some cones or boxes or garden hoses to outline imaginary campsites, go *slow* backing along a straight line first, then making small turns to get the feel of what happens when you turn the wheel 1/4 turn to the left, then to the right, and practice, practice, practice!!
To know which way to turn, I'm always amused when a spotter makes circular motions with his/her hands and expects the driver to know which way that means to turn. One tip that helped me was to put one hand at the bottom of the wheel and have the spotter point in the direction he/she wanted the rear of the trailer to go. I then pushed my hand in that direction. You don't have to think left/right or driver/passenger, or which way the truck is turning; just push toward the direction the spotter's pointing.
As some of you know, I managed my Montana alone for about 4 years. When I started out I couldn't back it in a straight line. Over the first several months I got pretty good at backing just from doing it. And I had a different spotter everywhere I went, so I simply gave them the directions I just described and it worked every time. I even parallel parked it a couple of times. I wish I had known about RV Driving School (
www.rvschool.com) when I first started. When I switched to a motorhome last year, I took the course and can't say enough about the boost it gave my knowledge and confidence. I highly recommend it, even for experienced drivers.
And Margee, I *have* seen people back a 5th wheel in perfectly the first time, but they're ones who do it often. And you're right, 5th wheels are easier to back than motorcycles.
