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04-30-2015, 08:07 AM
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#1
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Junior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 20
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Can your spouse/partner drive your rig?
My wife has always been reluctant to drive when the 35 foot travel trailer is in tow. She said she could do it if she had too. Recently she had to. I fell and broke my leg while on vacation. She needed to tow the trailer to a safe location, get it unhooked and secured to wait for someone from home to retrieve the trailer. This created a lot of stress for her as she had trouble maneuvering the rig in a small, crowded hospital parking lot. I ended up being in a hospital, 9 hours from home, for 5 days. Needless to say she will be getting "towing lessons" just as soon as the leg is healed!
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04-30-2015, 08:12 AM
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#2
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Phat Phrog Stunt Team
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 34,507
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Ms Amy tows our 36' fifth wheel.
Her @ the helm heading home from goshen last year.
TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded, 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "2 nights"
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04-30-2015, 08:13 AM
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#3
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Always Learning
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Four Corners, FL
Posts: 21,891
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Yep- my wife regularly does it. This is a great reminder why it is good for spouses to know how.
Hope your leg is better!
__________________
Officially a SOB with a 2022 Jayco Precept 36C
Checkout my site for RVing tips, tricks, and info | Was a Fulltime Family for 5 years, now we're part-timing on long trips
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04-30-2015, 08:14 AM
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#4
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Idaho
Posts: 9,839
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Yes, this is why I went with a FW easy to hook up and way more stable to tow with minimal effort.
__________________
2016 F350 6.7L LB CC Reese 28K 2014 Chaparral Lite 266sab
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." 2014 19 days camping 2015 17 days camping201620 days camping
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04-30-2015, 08:16 AM
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#5
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Shenandoah Valley of Virginia
Posts: 9,280
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Paul, I hope you have a quick recovery from your injuries.
Getting a spouse comfortable driving the rig is important !! You never know when an injury or illness is going to prevent the main driver from sitting at the wheel. I talked to an RV salesman recently who tore his Achilles tendon in Utah, and his wife had to drive their motor home back to the east coast, while he lay on the bed dopey from pain medications.
My missus has driven our rig for a short distance, but is really not familiar with the handling on the road, or the procedures for hooking up and unhooking. I have bought some pylons, so that we can go to an empty parking lot and do some practicing.
__________________
Chap , DW Joy, and Fur Baby Sango
2017 F350 Lariat CCSB, SRW, 4x4, 6.7 PS
2017 Grand Design Reflection 337RLS
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04-30-2015, 08:23 AM
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#6
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Broken Toe
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Imperial (St. Louis) MO
Posts: 3,745
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Drive it? She cant even get up into it! Short wives and tall trucks are not a optimal configuration.
Tim
__________________
FROG Member MO-0008-571 Since 20124444444444My Project Blog: https://cowracer.blogspot.com/
"Camper" 2016 Rockwood Signature Ultralite 8329ss
"Casper" 2017 Ram 2500 Laramie Diesel
..ProPride 3P Hitch - "Yeah. It's worth it."
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04-30-2015, 08:26 AM
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#7
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Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Idaho
Posts: 9,839
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Quote:
Originally Posted by TURBS
Ms Amy tows our 36' fifth wheel.
Attachment 75707
Her @ the helm heading home from goshen last year.
TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded, 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "2 nights" |
Towing is serious business, serious look required.
__________________
2016 F350 6.7L LB CC Reese 28K 2014 Chaparral Lite 266sab
"Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." 2014 19 days camping 2015 17 days camping201620 days camping
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04-30-2015, 08:34 AM
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#8
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Phat Phrog Stunt Team
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Iowa
Posts: 34,507
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ford Idaho
Towing is serious business, serious look required.
[emoji106]
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I believe we we're going through Chicago.
[emoji85]
TURBS
08 duramax tuned n modded, 32bhok Sabre
2015 camping "2 nights"
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04-30-2015, 08:38 AM
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#9
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Newport, MI
Posts: 210
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Sorry to hear about your leg & I hope you're feeling better.  I think you mean WILL your spouse drive your rig. Anyone CAN tow. If they're nervous, they just need to be taught safely and/or practice.
2014 Crusader 295rst
2014 F150 Fx4
__________________
2017 Cherokee Wolf Pup 17rp
2017 F-150 FX2 Sport
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04-30-2015, 08:43 AM
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#10
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: central PA
Posts: 978
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I made my wife drive just to get the "feel" of it. She lasted about an hour before she had to stop due to getting an anxiety attack. She was obsessed that the other vehicles especially the semi's were gonna hit us. No more driving for her... now that my son can drive, he's going to get lessons.
__________________
2000 Cherokee 29BH with 6V batteries, LED lights & 400 watts of solar power, flipped axles and raised. 2007 Tundra 5.7L DC-LB with lots of mods. C-co, 8/158th AVN Maint.
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04-30-2015, 08:49 AM
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#11
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Valencia, Ca
Posts: 200
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I brought this same question up to my wife. She has yet to pull our trailer. I think it's time to learn! You never know when the time will come when you have no choice. Jerry
__________________
2005 GMC Sierra 2500HD, Duramax CC/SB
2022 Rockwood 2613 BS
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04-30-2015, 09:01 AM
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#12
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Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2014
Posts: 438
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Have towed a 28 ft travel trailer with no.problem. Dh will not let me tow our 27 ft travel trailer. Only difference is the weight distribution hitch. Did not have one on the 28 footer Now backing may be a horse with a different color
__________________
Sandy and Steve
Chooie, Baby, Grizzly, Sophie the 4 fur babies
2018 Rockwood 8301WS fiver
2003 Ford F-250 super duty diesel
Vinemont, AL
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04-30-2015, 09:05 AM
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#13
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Jefferson County, MO
Posts: 5,452
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My wife's legs are too short to reach the pedals effectively, so no she doesn't drive the truck with or without the trailer. That's why I bought Good Sam Travel Assist, a good idea for folks my age.
__________________
Bob and Joyce
2013 CC Silverback 29RL
2010 Ford F250 XL Crew Cab 6.4 liter diesel
ATU Local 788
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04-30-2015, 09:11 AM
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#14
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 10,833
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My wife doesn't tow, she says she can and has towed travel trailers before we met. I am sure she can tow but being a nervous driver on 4 lane roads with any vehicle not the best option. This summer on two lane blacktop she is going to tow. In a younger life my Father had a heart attack while travelling in Quebec in the 60's, my mother had never towed before, from that point on she was the driver for the next 10 years.
__________________
B and B
2022 Venture RV SportTrek STT 302 VRB Travel Trailer
2018 Heartland Landmark 365 Louisville 5th Wheel
2015 Heartland Bighorn 5th Wheel
2013 FR Rockwood 8289WS 5th Wheel
2012 FR Rockwood 2703 SS Travel Trailer
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04-30-2015, 09:11 AM
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#15
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Junior Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: lansing, kansas
Posts: 25
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I do it all. But then I enjoy pulling the 5 er around. KC,Ks., to Cincinnati is a tough haul, usually 9 hrs just TV, 11 or so with trailer. 9 mpg gets you to stop often, LOL. Good idea to get her to learn, bad idea to make her !!
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04-30-2015, 09:12 AM
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#16
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Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: Lower Michigan
Posts: 1,471
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I wish my DW could, she has major neck issues and sometimes the ride is too much.
__________________
Bill & Pam
2014 Trilogy 3650RE
2015 F350 PSD
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04-30-2015, 09:32 AM
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#17
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Texas
Posts: 1,015
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I told my DH that want to try and tow out near the airport (no I am not crazy there is very little traffic going east LOL). I have towed before BUT nothing as big as this trailer 32'. I have towed the popup thru the heart of the city after a major flood, towed car dollies and utility trailers. Wish me luck!!!
__________________
Deb and Phil
Anna Belle
2016 Toyota Tundra
2011 Greywolf 26rl
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04-30-2015, 10:01 AM
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#18
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Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 148
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My wife normally drives - she probably tows the camper (31') as well as I do.
__________________
Craig & Lynn D'Angelo
Delaware
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04-30-2015, 10:02 AM
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#19
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 5,423
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Would love the wife to be able to drive our rig, she did drive the pick up and wood trailer but that's about it, with the Kenworth she plans to be like ET & phone home just hope we are safely off the road.
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04-30-2015, 10:03 AM
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#20
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(Dry Huunday)
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Eastern North Carolina
Posts: 2,298
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Yep mine can tow and "break camp", one of the first things we did was have her do a complete set-up & break down so that she would know what needed to be done.
I, on the other hand have no clue where the cookies are "supposed" to be kept so my solution is to eat them all! 
__________________
Beau & Sue
FurKid Express
2015 Coachmen Catalina 303RLS
2016 Chevy Silverado LT 2500HD Duramax
The more people I meet, the more I like my dogs!
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