Ladies--Do you drive the rig?

[HamRad]

Irene,
I, too, was scared to try driving the rig in traffic. Then I just started doing it and the fear gradually went away. Still have moments but I've been in some HEAVY L.A. and San Diego rush-hour traffic and managed just fine. I've noticed a lot of times that folks will actually get out your way when they see that big rig. Margee gave you the best advice. Just go for it and do it with confidence. Keep practicing and you'll do fine.

HamRad

[ragdoll]

Yes, I figured if we were going to RV I was going to learn to drive it. I drive about 80 percent of the time and love it although, not crazy about construction zones , seems I am always driving when this happens, or those high bridges! LOL We try to be at the camp ground or through the big cities before rush hour but have made it through those also. I find people just don't pay attention to those turn signals - my husband says "just start moving over, what are they going to do except backoff" - I just give it time and then move. I have also learned to hook the 5er up, just in case I have to do it alone. Now backing is my downfall, I have got to make myself learn to do it - yes, I have tried but not a pretty sight! Will get it one of these days - I hope!

Safe travels.
Lorraine

[snowbunny]

My wife, Diane drove most of the way back from our first long trip (about 900 miles each way). I still do the backing up and parking in tight spots but she is a terrific driver all the rest of the time!
Thank God for that as I love following our progress on maps and identifying geographical features. And one of these days, with a GPS and a laptop.

[Just148]

I am very proud for those of you who drive with your rig behind you, I have tried to get Margaret to try it with no luck at all. Ladies it is something you should get use to doing in case of an emergency.
Go get emmmmmmmmmmmmm ladies!

[FireTruckerWife]

I want to learn to drive the rig, but if you look at the pictures under Salt Lake City Volvo, you'll see why I haven't learned yet. It's still "his" baby and hasn't shown any desire to teach me to drive 10 gears.

[ragdoll]

FireTruckerWife,

WOW, that is quite a truck - no wonder it is his "baby" A lot of gears but you will learn when he is ready to teach, just tell him in case of emergency you need to know .

Safe travels.
Lorraine

[Coro from Maryland]

Mary and I share the driving - 1 1/2 to 2 hours a shift.

We decided many years ago that if we were going to travel, we both had to feel comfortable driving our rig, setting it up, and breaking camp. It is one reason we have a 5er rather than an RV. Mary just didn't feel comfortable driving an RV. But she drives the pickup almost every day, and adding the Montana behind it made little difference to her. She sees it as just driving the truck - the Montana just tags along.

The only exception is backing up, which I do. She has tried backing up, but has not practiced enough to feel confident with it, so she bails out when it doesn't go right the first time.

[dbrill]

Back in May I drove from the campground in Williamsburg, VA to the first rest area on I64 west about 40 miles just to get a feel while avoiding I95. Then just a couple of weeks ago drove the whole 3.5 hours from Williamsburg back home. Next Don says I need to learn to back it into a site, he says he is going to set up something on the farm so I can practice.

Lisa

[Montana_70]

Bravo to all of you who understand the importance of both travelers knowing how to drive and set up or hook up and Bravo to those who do and are learning.

Since I'm female and and a solo act I have no choice. When i decided to get into this lifestyle and buy a truck and 5th wheel my towing experience was limited to a few trips pulling a U-Haul with a car. But all I needed to do was look up in traffic and look at that tiny lady driving a school bus full of kids and I knew that would be my real challenge.


At first I did question my sanity, but then I knew that the only way to conquer a fear is to go right through it.

I found that no backing experience is equal. Every situation is different. If I have a good spotter than it's pretty easy, if not more of a challenge. But I know I will eventually get her parked.

One thing that has served me well with towing is my early learning that mirrors are my friend. My father taught me very early never to turn around an look back when backing. Something you can't do with a 5th wheel anyway. But it taught me to use my mirrors. Watching your Montana tires from your mirrors as you go around a corner will keep you off many a curb. I try to get sites with driver side back in because it's so much easier to look down the drivers side and watch the Montana tires from the mirror.

Guys can stop reading now.

Ladies,

One thing I did do after I bought LadyRam and before I bought Miss Montana, was to "pretend" I was towing. I drove like I was towing. I went around corners like I was towing. I do believe that if you throw your mind forward and live it before you do it, it will come much more easily when you do.

[Montana_1741]

2004 3670RL. After reading all these posts it has given me a nudge to try backing in. My vehicle is a F350 Diesal four door which I drive every day. I zip right through traffic and brave the pickup line at the elementary school. I also see those little old ladies booking it down these Kentucky horse paths that they pave and call roads. Thats why my 1st grader doesn't ride the bus. My husband bought me this vehicle of choice that I wanted to accomadate any 5th wheel we might purchase, and we did the 3670RL last December. I have learned quite easily after driving a dulie to tow the Montana. Pulls true and very easily. I try to pay attention to whats ahead with such precious cargo aboard. I have not tried to backin yet but after reading these posts, I will start with the next trip. If I can pull the Montana through Cincinnatti forward, I can learn to backup into a site. I'm determined.

[D and M On The Road]

Excellent! Good for you. You can do anything you set your mind to.

[DiananColin]

Go for it ladies - you can do anything we males can do! Confession time: it was just as tough for us to get started. Maybe we started earlier due to the era of political correctness not being there when we were lads so we messed around with cars, trucks and engines etc. as it was the male thing to do (in my case it was farm tractors where I learned how to tow - probably at about age 11 or 12 as soon as I could reach the pedals). Each new rig presents new challenges and I still lose a bit of sleep before trying a new adventure. Whether it was a new TT or now a new fiver or in earlier times a new boat additional worry lines did appear (thankfully still room for a few more so more adventures are anticipated).

Diana certainly towed the TT but to be honest she prefers to be the navigator as she is well practiced in telling me where to go! She WILL tow the fiver but we have only just done one trip with it so far (back from the dealer)

Ladies, you can do anything us poor males can do (and a few more things as well) but as our Quebecois freinds would say "vive la difference!"

[Gypsy]

I'm loving reading all the posts on this thread and sorry I didn't catch it earlier. Like fla native, I do it all myself as a solo traveler (we need to meet!).

After my husband passed away a few years ago, I decided to pursue my lifelong dream of seeing the lower 48 states at ground level, a perfect transition from a career that involved flying everywhere, including around the world, but rarely seeing anything other than hotels and client locations. I chose a 5th wheel rather than a motorhome (the more popular choice of most solo women) because I had more experience with them and I like the more home-like environment, the extra space, only one engine to maintain, better fuel mileage, etc. A few years ago I had a 22' 5th wheel that was easy to manage, as long as I didn't have a really difficult backing challenge. Hitching, unhitching, hooking up and unhooking were no problem. Just as long as nobody asked me to back up in a difficult space, I was fine!

Well, I got over that hurdle pretty quickly with my Montana 3295RK (recently replaced with my current rig - see signature below) when I encountered some real backing challenges in not only campgrounds but also friends' driveways. With lots of help and expert advice, I learned I could do anything I made up my mind to do! And any woman can do the same. It doesn't take brawn, strength, testosterone or any other manly quality to drive a truck or back a trailer. It just takes a mindset that says "I can do it" and a little 'moxi' or whatever you want to call it. And a lot of practice, practice, practice in an empty parking lot where you can't hit any trees or picnic tables.

Women, I'm telling you, if you want to or need to learn, you CAN! And if you think you'll never have to drive that truck and pull that 5th wheel, consider what might happen, heaven forbid, if your husband falls victim to a heart attack or aneurism somewhere on the road, and you don't have time to call Uncle Charlie or Cousin Joe to come and get you. If you can drive and pull the trailer to the next town, at a minimum, at least you can feel more in control. And think about continuing the RV lifestyle if you find yourself alone. I can't imagine any other way of living, and it helps me face each day without my husband when I encounter the challenges and rewards of the full-time RV life. I've met some of the most wonderful people on this planet through this way of living, whom I never would have encountered if I'd stayed in my house alone.

Good luck to all you women who want to be resourceful!

Sharon

[Montana_70]

Sharon,

Very well said. Bravo for you too! It is all about making up your
mind. I see you are in SD. You're retired. I'm not. So you'll have to come here. Tried to do a devil but it won't take. It's at the bottom.

With backing this is what I tell the spotter. Tell me which way you want the trailer to go or which way you want me to turn the wheel. Don't do both. One or the other.

I'm telling you, ladies, with a GOOD spotter you can back anywhere as long as you are in sinc. If you don't have a spotter you can back in anywhere as long as you are willing to get in and out of the truck a lot in some places. Just think about where you want to put the trailer and you'll put it there.

Tip: If you have to idle a diesel, idle in Neutral. Keeps the turbo heat down. Never idle in Park.

[Gypsy]

fla native,

I'm actually headed for your state today! I'll be in Lake City, FL for about 2 weeks, getting a new solar system installed and learning how to operate the controller, inverter, etc. Reply privately by email to me and let me know where you are. If reasonably close, perhaps we can meet in person.

Sharon

[Montana_2013]

Yes, I have driven our rig. We had a 2003 2955Rk,pulled it with a 2003F250 diesel 4x4. Usually try to only pull on the interstate. It was a little hairy at first but now I am more comfortable. I havenot pulled into a campground and don't really want to. Just need to remember that there are blind spots. Would not advise driving the first time on a 2-lane highway.
Ladies, good luck.

[sreigle]

BJ, Sharon is a super nice person. She's one of the many of those we met at the rally.

Vicki prefers not to drive the rig. She feels she can do so in an emergency but has no desire to do so otherwise. I've spent a little time while on the road pointing out some of the things she'd need to know, such as starting the turn a bit later, having her watch the trailer wheels in the mirror, etc.

We have good friends, non-MOC members, who share the driving duties. But when it comes to backing into a site, Linda takes over. Bob can't do it and prefers not to. We've seen a number of situations where the woman is doing the backing, whether that's because she's better at it or she happened to be behind the wheel on arrival, I don't know and doubt it really matters. In my opinion, ability to drive the rig and/or back into a site has nothing to do with gender but more with making the effort to learn, getting past any fears, and getting the experience. I've been wrong many times before but this is just what we're seeing on the road.

[Gypsy]

Thanks for the comment, Steve. You and Vicki are pretty OKAY yourselves!

It looks like fla native and I are too far from each other to get together - Florida is a big state! But maybe somewhere down the road...

We've had a lot of rain in Lake City the past 2 days, remnants of Matthew. Hope it dries out soon. A bit too warm and humid for me. But everything's green and beautiful!

Sharon

[vickster]

GypsySCM -- What an inspiring post (10/09). You are my IDOL, my ROLE MODEL! Vickster

[Polaris Family]

Yes, I drive probably just under half the time. I've always enjoyed driving and towing doesn't change that. I learned to back using a lawn tractor and small trailer many years ago. A little trick I used was to hold the steering wheel at the bottom or 6 o'clock, position. Then if you want the back end of the 5er or travel trailer to go to the left (toward the driver's door) turn the wheel to the left (toward the driver's door). Maybe everyone here already knew that tip, but if you're like me reminder's are great! Hope everyone that wants to learn to tow does so, male or female.