DW wants to learn to drive our 5er...

My DW has no problem at all driving our truck pulling the 5th wheel. As long as it's going forward. Reverse doesn't exist for her when the trailer is hooked up. She could do it if she had to but if not necessary she won't.

Also I don't know how but it seems when we are on a trip and she starts driving we hit rain, hard 30mph rain. She mumbles and grumbles and keeps driving while I sleep. Me, trust her driving, sure.

rockintom wrote:
I'm blown away about the small number of woman that drive the RV. I just don't understand it. We're in our 10th year of FTing and we didn't leave our stick and brick without my bride know all aspects of RVing. We swap off driving every hour to hour and half. She does a great job. Again, I don't understand it. Would someone please explain this to me? rockin'

My wife drives the fiver once in a while, we started out "small", years ago we had a little 14' aluminum fishing boat. She wanted to learn how to tow so we started with that. Then she wanted to learn how to back the boat trailer down the ramp so we worked on that. All in all she picked up backing very quickly.

I would feel very confident having her back into a camp site, although I do 90% of the driving and all of the backing, she very capable of handling the rig around in campgrounds.

Maybe some women are intimidated by the sheer size of the vehicle, we have friends with a class A and she's just now working up the courage to drive it with the toad on the back. I think it's a comfort level that has to be reached, nothing more nothing less.

Dan

Wish my husband would let me drive. I've driven boats and horse trailers but still haven't driven the trailer yet!

Just keep the speed down and the turns wide. No worries.
Getting the trailer hitched or unhitched is a whole other lesson.

I'm blown away about the small number of woman that drive the RV. I just don't understand it. We're in our 10th year of FTing and we didn't leave our stick and brick without my bride know all aspects of RVing. We swap off driving every hour to hour and half. She does a great job. Again, I don't understand it. Would someone please explain this to me? rockin'

gbopp wrote:
Just a thought.
If your DW has no experience with trailers, maybe you could borrow or rent a box trailer. She could get some towing experience with something smaller before pulling the 5er.

It may help her get accustomed to having something behind her and judging her turns, etc..

Towing a $20 a day U-Haul might be a great idea. Get some practice backing up the trailer, remember the secret to backing, by putting your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel, and then turn it the way you want the back of the trailer to go.

And if it is a open top u-haul, you can practically see over the top of it while backing up. Practice in a Wal Mart or mall parking lot before it gets crowded is a great idea.

Fred.

I have never seen a steering wheel in a fifth wheel. Sure there are several driving classes. If it builds confidence, then go for it.

You might start practicing by having her back the car into the garage, and also to some parking spots at the mall - ect. She will learn the skills of using the mirrors to back up, and you can see the sides of the car better. I can back into a tiny parking space much easier than pulling in, and getting out of that parking spot is SO much easier when you are backing into it.

You can give tips, such as explaining how much space is required while towing - about 2-3 trailer and truck lengths, more if at freeway speeds.

Keep looking at the mirrors every 10- 15 seconds while driving, you can figure out how close you are to the sides of the road, and if you are centered in your lane.

Fred.

My wife pulls the 38' 5er and has her class A license as well. Take her and the rig to a large church parking lot on a Saturday and start her out there.

Ken

Just a thought.
If your DW has no experience with trailers, maybe you could borrow or rent a box trailer. She could get some towing experience with something smaller before pulling the 5er.

It may help her get accustomed to having something behind her and judging her turns, etc..

Did you have an RV driving class? or did you just learn on your own by doing it?

Take the RV to a large parking lot and let her maneuver it around, back it up, do whatever she needs to do to feel comfortable and then take it out on the roads. When we got the popup, we had my brother-in-law take BOTH of us to teach us the ways. It was easier for me to take instruction from someone that was NOT my husband and we didn't argue or fight about too much or too little guidance.

If you give her a "LITTLE" guidance, or better yet, get another RV'er that is NOT you, to give her some guidance, she will be fine.

I have pulled all of ours from popup to hybrid, to bumper pull travel trailer and now the fifth wheel. I can pull it, I can park it, back it, set it up, take it down and whatever needs to be done. I don't like some of the jobs, like dumping the sewer, but I CAN do it.

Several years ago, DH got sick while we were on vacation, ended up in the hospital for 3 days and I had to take it down and drive it home with him laying in the passenger seat. I sure would have hated that if I hadn't known how to take it down and drive it.