Wife driving with trailer on the back - Page 2

Cajun Po-Boy · 07-19-2013, 07:57 AM

My wife is unwilling & has no desire to drive our combo which works well for me as I always enjoy doing the driving

TURBS · 07-19-2013, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ragin Cajun

My wife is unwilling & has no desire to drive our combo which works well for me as I always enjoy doing the driving

I enjoy driving to, but then I miss beer thirsty and she doesn't

avolnek · 07-19-2013, 08:24 AM

I prefer to drive but wife has had a number of years on the acreage pulling all sorts of trailers... She can actually pull the 36' camper better than she can the 12' single place jet ski...

After taking two stabs at backing our camper into a site she hounded me as I do my damndest to not be "one of those guys" that take for ever to back in... Needless to say she says she can do better so I took her up on it... the next trip out I pulled up to the site and jumped out... She climbed in and did surprisingly well... Granted she had me telling her which way to turn the wheel and how far... but that's besides the point...

To me it is a HUGE benefit to have another body with you that can pull... what happens if for some reason you are unable to drive? Nice to have the second option, and I'd much rather her have some experience doing it in familiar territory than be 1000 miles from home her NEED to drive and learn fast!

I do feel like girl sitting the passenger seat of my truck though! Only if I'm stone cold sober... if I'm drunk I have no qualms with sitting there!

Oakman · 07-19-2013, 08:37 AM

I can't even get my wife to drive the truck period.

vizsla owner · 07-19-2013, 08:51 AM

My DW won't drive with the TT hooked up. She has pulled a little cargo trailer we have before but managed to jack knife it into the bumper of the old van so I think she is done with that.

My mom who grew up farming and hauling fuel pulls their race car trailer everywhere. She usually has to drive home after dad has raced all night.

I hope as my kids get old enough to drive I have the patience to let them pull the TT around to learn about it. That way they can continue to enjoy the camping life.

TURBS · 07-19-2013, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vizsla owner

My DW won't drive with the TT hooked up. She has pulled a little cargo trailer we have before but managed to jack knife it into the bumper of the old van so I think she is done with that.

My mom who grew up farming and hauling fuel pulls their race car trailer everywhere. She usually has to drive home after dad has raced all night.

I hope as my kids get old enough to drive I have the patience to let them pull the TT around to learn about it. That way they can continue to enjoy the camping life.

I've been learning all my youngin with the four wheeler and small trailer.
My youngest daughter "16" has completely grasped the concept!

Scratch · 07-19-2013, 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ragin Cajun

My wife is unwilling & has no desire to drive our combo which works well for me as I always enjoy doing the driving

Same here. It's a team thing where she plans & navigates while I get to drive & tend to the sewer.

tanddc · 07-19-2013, 11:35 AM

Wife doesn't yet but that will be changing soon. We want to go to the Black Hills next year and I want a backup driver. (After my stoke I find I tire quicker when driving). My only question is where is the best place for her to start. In town (small roads and slow speeds), highway driving (gig roads and fast speeds) or back road (between the two. If I ask her she will say neither but she really wants to do it. She can already hook up on her own.

hockeytownmom · 07-19-2013, 12:23 PM

I don't let my husband drive! And he's never backed in the HTT, he would scare me backing in the PUP.

**Janet H** · 07-19-2013, 12:31 PM

As a practical matter both should be able to hitch up, tow and park. A few years ago we were camping with another couple and he did all the driving. During our camping trip, he broke his ankle rather badly and after we hauled him to the hospital and he was a surgical repaired, there was the problem of how to get their camper home - over 800 miles.

He was on pain meds and she was a nervous mess. We put him in the back seat of our truck and my husband took him and our trailer home - a two day trip. I went with her and over those two days she learned to hitch, tow, dump, and park. We spent two days on the road and she did well.

She thanked me over and over for showing her the ropes and then giving her space and time to learn. Some things she had to do several times... backing into a camping space that was at a right angle to the loop road took a while but she figured it out. She also told me that her husband was always breathing down her neck when she had tried in the past and it bothered her, she didn't want to appear to be incompetent in front of him. He apparently had forgotten that he had to learn once as well.....

In my household I tow as often as my husband - and often alone. There are some things I'd rather NOT do, like go to the dump station, but I do them if I must. Another important factor is the physical strength needed to hitch up. The WD hitch we have on the truck is heavy and while I can lift it, it's challenging. We have different hitch setups on our vehicles now, and I've moved to an Anderson to cut down on weight.

Take home lesson: Make sure your partner can hitch and tow - you never know when you may need an assist.

**wmtire** · 07-19-2013, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janet H

As a practical matter both should be able to hitch up, tow and park. A few years ago we were camping with another couple and he did all the driving. During our camping trip, he broke his ankle rather badly and after we hauled him to the hospital and he was a surgical repaired, there was the problem of how to get their camper home - over 800 miles.

He was on pain meds and she was a nervous mess. We put him in the back seat of our truck and my husband took him and our trailer home - a two day trip. I went with her and over those two days she learned to hitch, tow, dump, and park. We spent two days on the road and she did well.

She thanked me over and over for showing her the ropes and then giving her space and time to learn. Some things she had to do several times... backing into a camping space that was at a right angle to the loop road took a while but she figured it out. She also told me that her husband was always breathing down her neck when she had tried in the past and it bothered her, she didn't want to appear to be incompetent in front of him. He apparently had forgotten that he had to learn once as well.....

In my household I tow as often as my husband - and often alone. There are some things I'd rather NOT do, like go to the dump station, but I do them if I must. Another important factor is the physical strength needed to hitch up. The WD hitch we have on the truck is heavy and while I can lift it, it's challenging. We have different hitch setups on our vehicles now, and I've moved to an Anderson to cut down on weight.

Take home lesson: Make sure your partner can hitch and tow - you never know when you may need an assist.

Excellent post, Janet..............and a lesson for all.

doghouse · 07-19-2013, 12:48 PM

I just want to say all of these posts are awesome!! I have enjoyed everyone. We have taken our trailer out only once for a week and only 18 miles down the road to the state park. Monday we are heading out on a 2 hour trip to another state park. (we have only owned the trailer for 2 months). He does very we'll with pulling and backing it in and I am anxious to learn because My grandchildren and I usually go on vacations without him when he can't get off work...he works at a state park and they don't normally like the employees to take off in the summer.... when my grand kids are out of school. I am just really nervous about the backing up part! Thank you all for your posts..It gives me a lil more confidence in myself

RVChick · 07-19-2013, 01:09 PM

When we owned our 31 ft Class C, I drove it on the highway with a car towed behind. I know how and love to drive our Chevy 3500 dully and I can tow a trailer with a small tractor with it.....now we own a 40ft 5er and I have no desire to even try to drive it. I am nervous enough just riding in the truck! I admire so much, when I see a girl driving a big rig! You girls ROCK!! I know I should be able to do so in case anything happens.....but I know my limits, and this rig is too much for me! And....I am not ashamed to say so!

**Terier** · 07-19-2013, 02:20 PM

I brought a set of those hitching rods. In my case the rods just didn't work out as well as hoped. Then I brought a truck with a good back-up camera so hitching is much easier.

I also like seeing ladies towing and setting up camp.

My cousin Laurie tows and has more experience with road conditions that I do so she grins if I cancel plans due to wind or heavy rain. However, other than driving she cannot do any of the setting up or breaking camp tasks. She really needs to learn because her husband memory isn't what it used to be.

In the beginning I had many challenges but have overcome them one at a time. I actually regretted buying my TT because it was too much work for my medical limits. Learning tricks of the trade & seeking out other ways to get the task done within my means was the key for me. So glad I didn't sell the trailer.

FandRChambers · 07-19-2013, 02:39 PM

Wow sounds like some lucky men out there. My wife pulled the truck up about 30 feet one time, driving straight so I could close the storage gate. She just started driving the dually period, but I'm determine to teach her. Like someone mentioned above, in case of emergency be good to know she could get us home without leaving the 5er behind.

**Terier** · 07-19-2013, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FandRChambers

Wow sounds like some lucky men out there. My wife pulled the truck up about 30 feet one time, driving straight so I could close the storage gate. She just started driving the dually period, but I'm determine to teach her. Like someone mentioned above, in case of emergency be good to know she could get us home without leaving the 5er behind.

Good point.

It can also open up a new world of camping freedom if the wife wants to take advantage. If nothing else, in case of an emergency there will be another option than leaving it behind.

Prothos · 07-20-2013, 08:18 AM

i would have no issue with wife driving, she drives a school bus for a living. she has a little issue backing up the tv/tt

jlgail4309 · 07-20-2013, 10:04 AM

Wife took trailer to get tires installed before trip. She did a great job.was able to leave right after work. Big help.I have enjoyed reading the post I going to let my wife drive more.thanks for the posts

MOD Guy · 07-20-2013, 10:38 AM

As a kid back in the 70's/80's I remember my Mom always sking my Dad to let her drive some when we were on vacation (we were gone for weeks at a time in the summer). At the time we had a 454 Chevy Suburban and a Starcraft pop-up. The Burb was my Mon's daily driver, and she could handle it with no problem. My Dad always told her no. Back then, most trucks had a bench seat. My Mon was much shorter than Dad, and he said he did not want to sit with his knees in his face since she pulled the seat up so far!

It took my wife a bit of time to get used to the size of our Trailblazer EXT, and it is her daily driver. I have incouraged her to drive with the trailer some, and she has a couple of times, but really does not want to do it. I would love to have someone else take the wheel for a while on longer trips, and I keep telling her she needs to know, just incase something happens.

I think I will try and get her behind the wheel again on our next weekend trip!

rockfordroo · 07-20-2013, 10:40 AM

My wife not only tows, but...

Shortly after we were married (1980), I had changed the oil and filter in our Toyota Corrolla on a Thursday night. Friday she was to pick me up at work and leave for Fla. Friday morning she was driving around and the oil light came on. She added a quart of oil, drove home and found oil all over the filter. She called me at work and told me she'd crawled under and saw oil coming out between the filter and the engine. I told her I'd get a ride home and figure out then. She was anxious to go to Fla, so she crawled under again and changed the filter herself (never did it before, just watched me.) Then she came a picked me up and we left for Fla as planned. She told me the gasket was "split." I'd never heard of that before. Two weeks later when we got home from Fla, I inspected the old gasket. I turned out the filter gasket of the old filter had stuck to the engine and I didn't notice, so the new filter had had TWO gaskets (no actual "split"). The oil leaked out between them. In my 40 years of changing filters, I've never seen this occur before or since (although you can bet I look for it now!).

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