A Women's RV Forum run by Women RVer's!

I need Help Ladies. Here is my story. I lost my husband and had never pulled or 5th wheel.
I think ir is to big for me, I really don't need the room. It is a 35 ft Hitchhiker, with 3 slides.
To much for me. My question to all you ladies is what should I go to. I love to travel, and still
want to go. What should I trade mine in on. No problem pulling, what is the easiest to back up.LOL
Any advice would be appreciated. I am not afraid of a whole lot so let me have it.

Thanks

I think a motor home is probably the easiest to backup. I am sure others will chime in with their opinions/suggestions.

I tow a 35' 5th wheel. Still working on mastering the backing up, but that doesn't stop from hitting the road.

Anything is going to take practice backing up - a motor home because it's bigger than your car and you can't use your rearview mirror, just your sides. And a trailer and a fifth wheel are going to have a pivot point that makes backing up interesting. The thing to do is to get someone you trust that can back up well help you take your set up to an empty parking lot, set up some cones or other markers that you can see from your side mirrors then practice backing - straight and turning from either side.

Some time in the future I'm going to be faced with that problem myself
you need to find what works for you ....I love my 36 footer now sure if I'd want something
smaller but we will see when the time comes and hope that it is far off
the advice to have someone you trust teach you is excellent suggestion
sheila

I will be in your shoes sometime in the future. I have yet to pull our 5er, but I think I am actually going to go bigger, especially if my Mom goes with me. I figure I might as well learn to pull and back a bigger 5th wheel that is exactly what I want since I will be living in it full time. It won't make any difference as to what I learn with. Might as well have something I will be comfortable with for a long time.

You can do anything you set your mind to. Get what you want and what makes you comfortable. Good luck with whatever you get and keep us updated. We will love to hear your adventures.

Dawn

I had all kinds of problems just backing up a 16' Casita trailer... I practiced at the fairgrounds and got fairly proficient at it but never felt confident. It got to
the point I just stayed home rather than face the dilemma of not knowing what situation would face me when I reached my destination. I think I would feel more comfortable
in a small motor home but that's just me. Good luck with your decision.

After going to trucking school and driving a big truck for a 8 months I learned a really valuable lesson. the shorter the trailer the quicker it turns when backing up. Watching me trying to back up a small yard trailer with the yard tractor my Dad almost had a heart attack laughing at me go backwards every which way except the way I wanted to!

The best advice ever given to me was from another driver. "Steer into trouble". Everyone tells ya to turn the steering wheel opposite of the way you want to go.To me that was so confusing. The other driver asked me if I knew what to do in a skid? Well yeah I grew up in upstate NY and learned to drive in the snow the day I got my learners permit. Just like you would steer into the skid to straighten up out of the skid. Thus by steering into the skid and out of trouble. Steering into trouble when backing up a trailer gets you out of trouble. If the trailer is going left and it will get into trouble? Steer left, it will swing the trailer the other way. Also GO SLOWLY!!! Backing into your spot is not a race. Go a little bit at a time. G.O.AL. Is also a truckers term.Get out and look. It's a very good idea!!!

I was in your shoes 5 years ago and stumbled upon some great women on the forum. When my DH died, we had just bought a 35' Class A with 3 slides. It was way too much RV for one little old lady and 2 cats. The width of the A's intimidated me. All the replies I got from these gals said to do whatever I had to do. Get whatever I needed to get to be comfortable. Take the financial loss, if necessary. For me it was a Class C. At the time I needed the extra storage space I couldn't find in a B. Now, I could probably be happy with the Class B, but here I am 5 years later still driving Flitter!


I'm so sorry you lost your hubby and I'm glad you still want to continue the RV lifestyle. So, my dear, do what you have to do. Visit sales lots, try picturing yourself in each type out there. Take your time. And as others said, there are RV driving schools if you can't manage on your own. My son and I spent quite a few Sunday afternoons in a large parking lot practicing backing up, turning, finding where my pivot point was and how Flitter reacted to tight turns. Most of all - HAVE FUN!

Pooker

I would consider what kind of travel I wanted to do. I have a 23' class C with not very much storage but I can only take short trips. About the longest I can be gone is a week. If I could be gone for a month I would want more room. I always think that since my motorhome is so small if I want to go somewhere I can just unhook but once I get parked I seldom go anywhere. With a truck and 5th wheel you would still have a vehicle to get around in. My experience with pulling trailers is a small boat and a 5th wheel horse trailer. The 5th wheel was easier to back. I can tell you that boat got some cussing. You have a Hitchhiker which I think is one of the better trailers. Do a lot of research if you decide to trade. There are a lot of trailers and motorhomes that aren't well made.

Martha

I have a 30' Class C and I tow so I spend my life trying NOT to back up. Without the car its not so bad cause I can actually see out the rear of my rig thru my rearview mirror. My daughter says its easier to back up a 5th wheel than a trailer but I wouldn't know.

The easiest to back up is a motorhome of any size. It backs just like your car only longer. My 16' trailer is hard to back because it is so short and my van is long.
If the 5th wheel is more than you need or want than trade it for something else. No sense being miserable; you would end up not going.