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Old 03-12-2020, 10:49 PM   #1
Charlie 3931fb
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HELP Wife wants to drive!

Dont know what thread to put this under. My wife wants to help me with the towing of the Montana. Does anyone know of a school that might help train here in towing. She is a good driver but when we are in tow she scares me to death. I think if there was a class that she might learn how to tow. Thanks for all your help in this matter.

Charlie
 
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Old 03-13-2020, 12:26 AM   #2
McRod
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I just tell my wife, and everyone that's asks, safety of the family is my responsibility. No one pushes past that.

If your wife wants to drive let her figure out how to get the experience, without you leading her, and without risking you, her, and your equipments livelihood.
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Old 03-13-2020, 04:19 AM   #3
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Find a large, empty parking lot and let her practice there. I have been helping tow for years. I have even backed it in a few times.

They offer a ladies driving school at the National Rally in Goshen. They teach hitching up, backing and driving. The backing part is very short and isn't all that helpful; it just gives you a taste. All it taught me was to never get dually, because I was unable to see the trailer wheels due to the back fenders sticking out. The driving around part is probably the most useful thing, not for me but for others. I already had enough experience with that.

It is a good thing if the wife knows at least how to drive it. If the husband becomes ill or gets too tired, it's nice to have a spare driver.
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Old 03-13-2020, 08:58 AM   #4
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Don’t let her go to the school of hard knocks.
Just joking. She should’ve have any problem. It’s not rocket science.
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Old 03-13-2020, 09:43 AM   #5
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My wife sometimes drives hour or two on the open highway. She doesn't want to do any towing in town off the main highway. But that works fine for us as it doesn't put any real pressure on her and does give me a break on longer trips.
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Old 03-13-2020, 10:34 AM   #6
Carl n Susan
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My wife tows the RV every so often. That is forward, not backward as she refuses to do that. I recently was hospitalized in Las Vegas, NV while we were camping in Lake Havasu, AZ. She hooked up the RV, towed it to Las Vegas (250 miles) and parked in the RV park without me. I was impressed.


Every spouse should know how to tow the RV! You never know when something will happen to you.
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Old 03-13-2020, 12:12 PM   #7
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I only wish I could convince my wife to drive on the interstates at least but she usually finds a reason not to indulge.



OP, with that said, possibly a semi trailer driver's school would take a couple hours or so and giver her a bit of classroom do's and don't and then some towing time with your 5er. Yeah, it would cost a few bucks but might be less stressful then you doing the instructing
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Old 03-13-2020, 12:25 PM   #8
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https://www.rvschool.com/school-locations/

haven't used them, but it is a place top start looking at.

Just remember, once she goes to school she will be able to tell you all that you are doing wrong.
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Old 03-13-2020, 02:54 PM   #9
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Originally Posted by jeffba View Post
https://www.rvschool.com/school-locations/

haven't used them, but it is a place top start looking at.

Just remember, once she goes to school she will be able to tell you all that you are doing wrong.
That's what happened to me after my 16 year old daughter went to driving school, now she's constantly telling me how to drive.
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Old 03-13-2020, 05:40 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Carl n Susan View Post
My wife tows the RV every so often. That is forward, not backward as she refuses to do that. I recently was hospitalized in Las Vegas, NV while we were camping in Lake Havasu, AZ. She hooked up the RV, towed it to Las Vegas (250 miles) and parked in the RV park without me. I was impressed.


Every spouse should know how to tow the RV! You never know when something will happen to you.
I 100% agree with this. You never know when the spouse will NEED to take the wheel.

My wife hasn't tried to tow our 5th wheel yet but it is planned to include hitching up and everything. I'm not sure I am the one to teach her though. That sounds like a potential hmmmm shall we call it disagreement......
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Old 03-13-2020, 06:00 PM   #11
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First, I'm a man, so I can say far too many men are controlling and feel they are the only ones who can do certain things. I know, I've been on one of them in the past. I refused to relinquish control to anyone else for any reason, let alone driving any of my vehicles, motorcycles, or anything I owned at the time.

Then came the day I got married and my mind-set changed. It was no longer all about me and "mine". It was about "us" and "we". It became very obvious, very fast, when we got our first band-new vehicle together that she needed to learn how to drive it. It was a 5 speed manual pick-up truck. She had never driven a manual before, ever. She definitely needed to learn. I had to swallow my self-egotism and just let her grind the gears a few times. In a very short while, she was driving as good as anyone ever could.

Fast forward, we got our first pop-up, later travel trailer, later fifth wheel. In all situations, from towing with a mini-van, to a 3500 dually diesel, I've insisted she learn how to drive, handle it, navigate, back-up, hitch and unhitch completely by herself. And she's done so marvelous! Has she scared the stuffings out of me? Oh yes! On many occasions. Did I bite my tongue? Oh yes, on many occasions. Has he ever had a wreck, gone off the road, banged into something? Absolutely NOT. After all these years, am I still apprehensive when she takes the wheel? Yes. But soon relax.

She doesn't like to drive or tow the right, but I keep insisting she do, and keep her skills up. Why? For a very simple reason...

If I ever have a heart-attack and die! I know she has the skills and ability and talent and where-with-all to get both truck and fifth wheel back home and in the driveway safe .... WITHOUT ME!

Give your wife a break. If she want's to do it, let her. YOUR life may depend on her ability to drive for YOU in the event you become incapacitated for any reason.

She has to learn somehow. Swallow your male ego and just let her do it.
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Old 03-13-2020, 06:26 PM   #12
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I do not think there are any guys who after hooking up their 5th Wheel for the 1st time did not have there share of nerves moat simply do not show it as much as the DW. When we picked up our 5er in California I drove it back to Washington the last 100 miles I pulled over at a rest stop, asked her to empty her bladder, then asked her to try driving, she started to panic a bit but kept it together and after about 20 miles she was changing lanes and ended up with the confidence to to drive all the way home including 5 miles of suburb 1 and 2 lane to our residential street then I parked it. Now she cannot wait to drive again.

We have a 48' motoryacht and she has also learned to operate it in tight spaces. She will not try and dock it though. Understandably there are no brakes on a boat.

Funny though she would not try and drive our Class A she was intimidated by the width, with the 5th wheel I told her just drive the truck no the trailer.
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Old 03-13-2020, 06:31 PM   #13
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Originally Posted by Charlie 3931fb View Post
Dont know what thread to put this under. My wife wants to help me with the towing of the Montana. Does anyone know of a school that might help train here in towing. She is a good driver but when we are in tow she scares me to death. I think if there was a class that she might learn how to tow. Thanks for all your help in this matter.

Charlie
Let her start by going from one rest area to the next on a not too busy interstate. A nice easy cruise down the road. She'll do fine.
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Old 03-14-2020, 06:51 AM   #14
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My wife started pulling on a not so busy interstate. Pick an easy onramp and drive to an easy offramp. Usually at the start a 100 miles or so. Now I can take a nap while she is behind the wheel. She is can backup also, but still mostly leaves that to me. Helps she was raised on a farm.
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Old 03-14-2020, 07:13 AM   #15
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The wife , Helen has been driving all 6 of our RVs going back years since day one she never drove one till we got one. She drives , backs, hooks, unhooks dumps he can do anything any man can do and weighs in at maybe 100 lbs on a good day. The primary reason the ladies' do not drive is because the men do not want them to as it is a blow to their ego. Notice that most of the school bus drives are....ladies. It makes Rving a lot easier when you operate as a team.
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Old 03-14-2020, 09:12 AM   #16
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??

Wife said she would drive when I got drowsy as long as she didn`t have to turn.
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Old 03-14-2020, 03:16 PM   #17
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Charlie-- Sign yourself and your wife up for the National Fall Rally in Goshen in September. Keep watching for the sign up period and also jump on it when you see it here on the Forum. After you sign up for the Rally watch for sign up for the Ladies Driving Course they will be holding again this year and sign your wife up for it. It doesn't cost you anything except the Rally fee and the camping fee for the week. The class is limited to a certain number of ladies being able to take it so watch daily and sign up ASAP when the driving school is announced. It's a great way for your wife to experience the classroom and hands on driving taught by the Keystone Montana personal at the Rally. Hope to see you two there!
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Old 03-14-2020, 09:10 PM   #18
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My wife drives sometimes. Everyone had to start by pulling a trailer sometime, even you. It is 2020 and I don’t have a problem with her driving. She runs our finances, earns a good living that helps pay for what we have, and generally is an equal part partner/owner of everything we own. Sometimes I clean the house when she is out on the tractor. I feel much better knowing she can pull it if she has to. If I fell ill or broke a leg or something she could get us home. You should get her comfortable with it while you can help her instead of when she has to and you are not able to assist.
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Old 03-14-2020, 09:49 PM   #19
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Whats the problem?
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Old 03-14-2020, 11:59 PM   #20
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Originally Posted by Charlie 3931fb View Post
Dont know what thread to put this under. My wife wants to help me with the towing of the Montana. Does anyone know of a school that might help train here in towing. She is a good driver but when we are in tow she scares me to death. I think if there was a class that she might learn how to tow. Thanks for all your help in this matter.

Charlie

A 40' 5th wheel isn't the place to learn!


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