Chicks towing trailers

[polkadotsuitcase]

I got lots of practice over the years with backing by putting in/taking out DH's boat. I think he's on the water more than he's on the land, so that was a LOT of practice!

When I inherited the camper, my plan was to take it to a big, empty parking lot early some weekend morning, set out markers, and practice backing it until I felt comfortable.

But I think it's one of those things that, after you do it often enough, you just kind of get the feel for it. Well, that and your spotters learn how to shout louder.

 

[Born 2 Fish]

You mean we're not the only ones who fight on a camping trip?

Okay,,I may have lied about that one,,,but you gotta remember,I'm a fisherman.
(we really do get along very well) (is that another lie ?)

 

[LORNADUCK]

Couldn't tell you how many times I've offered her to drive the TT,,she just refuses.
Yup,,when I get mad I tell her, "Look, if you don't like the way I drive, then YOU pull the stink'n trailor !"
Shuts her up everytime ,

OMG sure your names aren't Rich and Lorna!!!

 

[des1954]

Well, that and your spotters learn how to shout louder.

We use hand signals. (no....I don't use the signal indicating I think he's #1) I always make sure I'm in hubby's line of sight in his mirror when he is backing up. Saves a lot of shouting. We ruled out walkies the first time we backed in a diesel MH. Can't hear a thing over the engine noise.

 

[AuburnJen92]

We use hand signals too, however, I have to admit I have told DH his is #1 several times!

(we don't argue at all on trips)

 

[Tnbob]

We use hand signals too but her stop hand signal kinda looks like the Queen waving to an adoring crowd and my being her #1 is usually implied without a hand signal.

 

[AuburnJen92]

I bet Bob gets "the look"

 

[auntie]

I often wish we had a motorhome instead of a tt. I have towed the tt a very short distance and was not at all comfortable doing so. Just made me nervous. I did drive a big conversion van for years, and think I'd probably feel more confident driving a motor home, as opposed to towing a tt.
That being said, one of my neighbors tows a 5th wheeler. She LOVES it. She tows from Long Island to the Florida Keys every winter. Takes her mother-inlaw with her! Her husband flies down and meets them. When they come home..she backs that baby into the driveway one, two three..no problem.
When I told her I wish I had her confidence, she said she thought it was easier to tow the 5th wheel they currently have as opposed to the tt they previously had.

 

[kampfirekim]

Okay,,I may have lied about that one,,,but you gotta remember,I'm a fisherman.
(we really do get along very well) (is that another lie ?)

I think you were tellin' the truth and only added the laughing smiley at the end to cover your butt! (DH and I get along really well too, but sometimes, every now and then when nothin's goin' right, the kids are whining and complaining, it's HOT!!!!!....I just wanna say, "To the moon, DH...to the moon! One of these days...POW! Right in the kisser! ) ...and I'm sure the feeling's mutual.

We use hand signals too, however, I have to admit I have told DH his is #1 several times!

(we don't argue at all on trips)

I bet Bob gets "the look"

DH def gets the look....now that I know about the #1 signal he might get that too! (I always thought it meant something else) Fortunately we don't argue on ALL trips either.

 

[KimIce]

Here, on other boards, and IRL there seems to be a common chorus: Women don't/don't like towing trailers (or driving RVs). My DH is a bass fisherman, so any time he can possibly be out on the water, that's where he is. That means if I want to go camping (and I do, I do, I do, I do!), then it's up to me and the kiddos to hitch and haul our 30ft trailer.

We're in NC, and I've towed from NY to FL and states in between, just the kids and me. And I always get the same thing when people find out: Gap-mouths, wide eyes, and "You pulled that YOURSELF?" (I usually say, "No, it's too heavy. I used a truck.")

But honestly? It is really and truly no big deal. You hitch it. You haul it. My question: Is the RV gene really supposed to be exclusively hitched to the Y chromosome? (Okay, now that I typed that I can see how the Y does look like a hitch...while XX is what you draw on someone's eyes when they're passed out...maybe I've found my own answer.)

But really, what's up with the whole "chicks just decorate the inside of the RV, men tow it" thing? It's fun to do both! Really, really fun! Why, sometimes I pretend I'm towing when I'm really just running down to the grocery store...

So come on, gals! Fun stuff!

I agree with you 100%
I don't see any difference in me towing my horse trailer or our 5th wheel, but people seem to think there is a difference between the 2. It just amazes.

 

[freshlybarked]

We have a small vendor business and travel to dog shows with a 5 x 8 utility trailer. I am the one who pulls it out of the garage and hooks it up to my SUV and drives it to the destination. I have also driven our MH on long trips for a few hours at a time. I am also not a girly girl. I like pretty, but always pitch in for camping and messy stuff. Doesn’t really bother me. When we had a boat I told my husband there were 2 kinds of women - one piece suits and bikini women. I was a one piece woman. Didn’t have to worry about something falling out when I was doing the work. I always wanted to be the decorative type, but it’s just not in me.

 

[BradyBz12]

Another chick behind the wheel here! I drive the bulk of our camping trips - including the 1300mi+ (each way) to WDW. We just moved up from a 21' hybrid to a 33' TT... a bit of an adjustment there! But we also moved up to a bigger vehicle and have a good tow setup so it really wasn't as bad as I thought it might be.

That said... I do leave the backing in to DH. I could do it, but I'm sure I'd waste the better part of the day. Although I could probably also sell popcorn to my neighbors while they pulled up a front row seat to the show!

I haven't taken the TT by myself... yet. I'm seriously considering it this October for a girls weekend at a local campground with my SILs. If I can find a pull through site I'm there for sure!!

 

[heatherwillmom]

Since I have hauled horses in trailers I think a travel trailer or Motorhome will be easy. At least I hope so!.Towing horses long distances is hard. They get tired, sick, thirsty..at least the travel trailer is just a trailer!

You are right. I have pulled a horse trailor for years & a 30 ft travel trailor. The camper is easier because that's nothing moving inside it. You don't have to worry about "live cargo."

 

[des1954]

We use hand signals too but her stop hand signal kinda looks like the Queen waving to an adoring crowd and my being her #1 is usually implied without a hand signal.

Teach her to make an "X" with her arms when she wants you to stop!! She can apply for a job as Cinderella the next time you're at the Fort and waive to her heart's content in any of a number of parades.

 

[des1954]

We have a small vendor business and travel to dog shows with a 5 x 8 utility trailer. I am the one who pulls it out of the garage and hooks it up to my SUV and drives it to the destination. I have also driven our MH on long trips for a few hours at a time. I am also not a girly girl. I like pretty, but always pitch in for camping and messy stuff. Doesn’t really bother me. When we had a boat I told my husband there were 2 kinds of women - one piece suits and bikini women. I was a one piece woman. Didn’t have to worry about something falling out when I was doing the work. I always wanted to be the decorative type, but it’s just not in me.

I hook up our 8'x16' utility trailer, load the GEM car, and tow it to the Fort all the time. I don't need a stinkin' man, and I haven't been a bikini babe in.....well...let's say a long, long time!!

 

[4mickey2]

i drive our mh with the 2 gc's on the trailer. it isn't a problem. like the rest of you, anything he can do, I SURE CAN DO!

the only problem i have is that dh can drive for hours and i mean 6-10 and not hit any construction. i get behind the wheel and it never fails in 10 miles there is 20 miles of construction. one lane and bridges...

just never fails but, i handle it just fine.

 

[3gr8kids]

I'm usually the "tower" in our fam. I tow horses and our camper, and I agree with PP in that I much prefer to tow the camper, not only because the horses move around, but I believe it's more nerve wracking knowing that I'm towing live cargo. If it's the camper we're pulling, DH will share the driving, but not if it's the horses.
Tow on sistah's!!!!

 

[doombuqqy]

We started out with a 5th wheel from a friend of ours. We LOVED it, I just sucked at backing. 2 years later my husband wanted a nicer 5th wheel ( I wanted a MH) he did a great swap with our 5th wheel and a ski boat. He looked at a couple of MH but he was afraid to drive them and thought parking would be a nightmare. I drive big trucks for a living (ambulances-International chassis *he drives a lil ol police car) so it is second nature to me. He came across a deal on craigslist that was just to good to pass. So needless to say he loves to lay on the couch enjoying adult beverages and wathching TV while I am driving.We take turns driving, I would love to just sit in the passenger seat but they are my Disney trips he just gets to enjoy them and he drives to slow The only hand signal I need when backing is the stop signalI agree that the toll lanes are to narrow and I have never had a TT but have heard they are difficult to manuever so to you gals that wrangle those every trip you are my hero

 

[tlh0726]

When I inherited the camper, my plan was to take it to a big, empty parking lot early some weekend morning, set out markers, and practice backing it until I felt comfortable.

But I think it's one of those things that, after you do it often enough, you just kind of get the feel for it. Well, that and your spotters learn how to shout louder.

This is exactly what I did when I purchased my pontoon boat, took it to a big empty parking lot BY MYSELF and just kept backing up into parking spaces from every angle and the entire length of the lot.

I took our current MH on a test drive before DH went to look at it. If I was happy with it, then he would stop in and take a look.

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

This is exactly what I did when I purchased my pontoon boat, took it to a big empty parking lot BY MYSELF and just kept backing up into parking spaces from every angle and the entire length of the lot.

A handful of campers can watch you back into a site, but there's nothing like the pressure of a long line of people waiting to put in/take out, watching you try to back a big boat down a narrow boat ramp, is there?! I normally don't give a hoot what other people think about me, but for some reason before I got the hang of backing, that was the most stressful part of the whole boating experience...