Sales vs towing knowledge

[ChooChooMan74]

Originally Posted by caper

What scares me the most are the drivers of cars that have never towed and will cut in front of you and slam on the brakes when in heavy traffic. You are always trying to keep the distance between you and the traffic in front at a distance that would allow you to stop with out pushing the trunk into the drivers seat. I had one young girl do this to me at a construction site. I was slowing down and she passed me at full speed cut in front of me and then slammed on her brakes in order to avoid hitting the slow moving vehicles in the driving lane. I had to do an emergency stop and only missed her back bumper by and inch.

That is when a drive cam comes in handy.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 using the FRF mobile app.

[ourflat]

Amen! I had a young woman pass me on the right shoulder when I was doing the speed limit last month down at Myrtle Beach, SC. She was in my blind spot when I put my turn signal on and started to execute a right turn. Needless to say, I finally saw her in my mirrors and slowed down to compensate for her misgivings. Just another day on the road!

[Platokidd]

Originally Posted by caper

What scares me the most are the drivers of cars that have never towed and will cut in front of you and slam on the brakes when in heavy traffic. You are always trying to keep the distance between you and the traffic in front at a distance that would allow you to stop with out pushing the trunk into the drivers seat. I had one young girl do this to me at a construction site. I was slowing down and she passed me at full speed cut in front of me and then slammed on her brakes in order to avoid hitting the slow moving vehicles in the driving lane. I had to do an emergency stop and only missed her back bumper by and inch.

Man I hate that when other drivers cut you off / pull out in front of you !
Ever have to do a quick evasive maneuver with 4 tons on your back

[WestTexas]

I do want to share a story that sheds an RV sales guy in a good light.

I bought a large popup and was getting ready to pull out with our Expedition. When the salesman noticed we didn't have trailer brakes he stopped us and offered to install some free of charge. We literally pulled in to their shop and they installed them for us. This was all done after the sale.

I'm a little embarrassed to tell the story because I wasn't up to speed then on things then.

[CZNEDY]

When purchasing a new camper, no matter what size it is, you can take advise from RV dealers. You can seek advise on RV forums. You can research towing capacities. You can talk to other RV owners. Bottom line is that you need to be informed when you buy an RV, but before you buy. If you rely on the salesman, he may not fully disclose all of the information, but if you are informed you have the slight chance of having an intelligent conversation with him. If he doesnt know, ask him to get one of the old timers from the shop to come out and talk about towing the trailer with your car, truck or mini-van. That guy will tell you what you need to know. But do it before you sign anything Here are a few more important things to think about:

Most of the posts on this thread are from people over 50. They spent their childhood camping trips travelling in the back of a Ford Country Squire all the way in the back jump seat without a sealtbelt with exhaust fumes blowing in the back window while their parents sat up front and took turns driving straight through to Disney World with a 8,000 + pound trailer in tow, with no weight distribution and no radiator cooler.


So before you trade your Honda Pilot in for a 1 Ton truck to tow the family camper, shop around and get some opinons on real towing situations, weight ratings and capabilities for now and in the future. The more research the better, but the more research you do, the more you will know and be confused. Just remember to wear your seatbelt

[Tigerbug]

So much in this thread makes sense.
Know your vehicle and it's limitations, know yourself and your limitations, know the specs of the trailer and it's limitations, know the road and weather conditions, and plan accordingly, and more.
Haven't seen anyone mention driving school which personally makes a lot of sense to me. Truck drivers do it why not RV drivers. Recall every one who every drove an RV of any kind down the road was a beginner at some point. Never made sense to me why people all gather round to watch the "newbie" back in for pleasure as if they were not there at one time in their RV "career".
Also,plenty of great sales people out there who do ask the right questions and give honest answers as well as those who don't. Blanket statements don't get to the real facts. And yes I'm a sales guy!
Funny thing is I just purchased a new truck and 5th wheel and many on these threads would make it sound as if I have no shot at getting it down the road safely. Again it's all about knowing the limitations as I stated above. I have pulled boats and cargo trailers over the years so there is a foundation to build on. Doesn't mean I should be headed on a 8,000 mile journey first time out. Our first trip is to a large parking lot at daylight so there is almost no traffic. Spend some time there getting used to things. Then 2 day driving school for myself and my wife. Although I will most likely do most of the driving it's about good planning and insuring she gets training and driving time behind the wheel. First trip out after that is about an hour away. Already looked at all of the roads down to the satellite view of every mile. Good planning I think makes a world of difference. Last, confidence but not cockiness goes a long way as well.
Travel safe