Not new to camping but new to going it alone
Hi all, I bought an 80's 18 foot travel trailer, a Bendix Citation. I can't find much info on it. It's getting some work done...front corner has come apart and needs fixed, and the electrical nee...
Forum Discussion
I'll try to give some more general hints that may be helpful.
The first camping "trip" you make should, if possible, be to your own driveway, with the goals of getting a feel for how things work and making a list of essentials you need to get.
As far as pulling the trailer, take it easy and don't cut corners too closely, and I suspect you'll get at least somewhat comfortable before too long. Do try to relax a little; it's very wearying to drive with hands clenched tight on the wheel and muscles all tensed up, and while that's natural to do when one is somewhat nervous it doesn't really help in the actual control of the vehicle.
I'd practice backing up (carefully and slowly) in a big empty parking lot. There's definitely somewhat of a knack to backing a trailer, but it's not too terribly hard to learn at least the basics. You do have to think ahead a bit to make turns, first getting the vehicle and trailer angled with respect to each other appropriately before actually making the turn.
Positioning oneself in a campsite unaided can be a bit of a challenge. Don't be afraid to get out and look as often as necessary. I'd much rather fellow campers think me an overly cautious newbie for doing so than prove that I'm an insufficiently cautious newbie from failing to do so. If possible, avoid arriving after dark as that makes things a lot trickier.
If you do arrive after dark, I find it helpful to have a few of the little pop-up battery powered LED lanterns available to unpack and place out at key points to provide references for getting around, sort of like lighthouses work. I might put one on the near corner of the picnic table, or one where I want the end of the RV to end up, or one by the edge of the ditch next to the access driveway.
Finally, have fun!
The first camping "trip" you make should, if possible, be to your own driveway, with the goals of getting a feel for how things work and making a list of essentials you need to get.
As far as pulling the trailer, take it easy and don't cut corners too closely, and I suspect you'll get at least somewhat comfortable before too long. Do try to relax a little; it's very wearying to drive with hands clenched tight on the wheel and muscles all tensed up, and while that's natural to do when one is somewhat nervous it doesn't really help in the actual control of the vehicle.
I'd practice backing up (carefully and slowly) in a big empty parking lot. There's definitely somewhat of a knack to backing a trailer, but it's not too terribly hard to learn at least the basics. You do have to think ahead a bit to make turns, first getting the vehicle and trailer angled with respect to each other appropriately before actually making the turn.
Positioning oneself in a campsite unaided can be a bit of a challenge. Don't be afraid to get out and look as often as necessary. I'd much rather fellow campers think me an overly cautious newbie for doing so than prove that I'm an insufficiently cautious newbie from failing to do so. If possible, avoid arriving after dark as that makes things a lot trickier.
If you do arrive after dark, I find it helpful to have a few of the little pop-up battery powered LED lanterns available to unpack and place out at key points to provide references for getting around, sort of like lighthouses work. I might put one on the near corner of the picnic table, or one where I want the end of the RV to end up, or one by the edge of the ditch next to the access driveway.
Finally, have fun!
