On the driving part, when I first got my driver's license at the ripe old age of 16, is was my job to take the trailer (full of trash) to the local dump. So for the first year, I virtually never drove anywhere unless I had a trailer behind me.Later, in Uncle Sam's canoe club in the Badlands of New Mexico, I was licensed for absolutely everything in the motorpool EXCEPT the 5-ton wrecker. I drove weapons carriers, buses, vans, jeeps, sedans, 2x4, 4x4, 2x6 trucks, forklifts, and stuff I can't remember anymore.On the fun side, I've camped with the cub scouts, boy scouts, explorers, and military bivouacs. I've camped in Yosemite more than 20 years. My idea of camping really is backpacking but there is no enthusiasm around here for that.I've used a pickup truck with and without a trailer for camping.Back in '76, I rented a 50-foot long Open Road RV, my first and only RV experience until now when we bought our own.

As far as towing goes I learned by towing my sailboats. First a 13' laser, then a Catalina Capri 16.5, and now our Catalina Capri 22 which has about the same tow weight as the new TT. The thing that's different is that boats are aerodynamic and with all 3 I could see over, around or under the boat on the trailer. Can't exactly do that with an 8' wide wall behind you so I'm having to learn to park with just the mirrors. Luckily the TT storage spot is easier to back into than the one for the boat.As far as camping goes, DW has owned a TT in the past. Cruising in our Capri 22 is kind of like camping in one of those teardrop trailers: Not much headroom, not much power, and not much of a potty (we use a luggable loo and wag bags). The TT is a step up in that regard. Somehow I don't think we're going to get rocked to sleep like we do in the boat, though.

I have been camping since I could remember. My parents went often, first in a canvas tent, and later in a class a. I joined Scouts, so I did my share of sleeping under the stars. Camping in a tent with a baby in a bassinet is easier than most would think. It does get tricky when they learn to walk! I bored my sister and brother in-law's pop up once. Driving forward was easy, backing up was a nightmare! About 3 years later, I rented a class c. We only took that 40 minutes from home, it felt like I was driving something that was wider than the lane I was in. Everything rattled, it really was not a fun experience. Another 8 years go by and I have had enough of sleeping on the ground... I traded in my Fusion for a crew-cab pickup and a 28' travel trailer. it is kind of wild to think this is the second thing I have ever towed, I have learned a lot in the past 4 years.

Both hubby and I have had RV'S in the past but from 1995 until 2012 we enjoyed our tent. There was nowhere we would not go and any weather. My hubby even learned how to pack an open incision in a tent. Imagine in the bush, 5hrs from the nearest, phone, store or gas and having to sterilize everything around you and the equipment needed, 3x a day so you can pack an incision that was large enough for his two hands to get in? All in a tent he could not stand up in. We have done it numerous times. Anyway after going through the worst things possible and having everything down to an art, hubby decided it was time we did not sleep on the ground any more. I thought he was joking...apparently not since a 27/30' TT sits in our yard.

Went camping a few times, in my younger days but never seriously. Then, I did some at tournament sites trying to save money on a motel. Had some tents but never really did that much. Always too busy with other things on the weekends.Now that we are getting closer to retirement, we started thinking about getting out of here for the winters and how we would accomplish that. That's when we settled on the idea of doing it in an RV. So we found something that we really liked and could have it paid off by the time we retired. Started easy, doing a little local stuff but have gotten totally hooked in the last couple years. Now we can't wait to get out! We enjoy it more than we ever thought possible.

After a couple hundred of miles going down the road you become an expert so they say...Roy ken

What experiences led you to be able to do RVing?

loulou57
Explorer
Feb 26, 2014
Both hubby and I have had RV'S in the past but from 1995 until 2012 we enjoyed our tent. There was nowhere we would not go and any weather. My hubby even learned how to pack an open incision in a tent. Imagine in the bush, 5hrs from the nearest, phone, store or gas and having to sterilize everything around you and the equipment needed, 3x a day so you can pack an incision that was large enough for his two hands to get in? All in a tent he could not stand up in. We have done it numerous times. Anyway after going through the worst things possible and having everything down to an art, hubby decided it was time we did not sleep on the ground any more.
I thought he was joking...apparently not since a 27/30' TT sits in our yard.
danager
Explorer
Feb 26, 2014
I have been camping since I could remember. My parents went often, first in a canvas tent, and later in a class a. I joined Scouts, so I did my share of sleeping under the stars. Camping in a tent with a baby in a bassinet is easier than most would think. It does get tricky when they learn to walk!

I bored my sister and brother in-law's pop up once. Driving forward was easy, backing up was a nightmare! About 3 years later, I rented a class c. We only took that 40 minutes from home, it felt like I was driving something that was wider than the lane I was in. Everything rattled, it really was not a fun experience. Another 8 years go by and I have had enough of sleeping on the ground... I traded in my Fusion for a crew-cab pickup and a 28' travel trailer. it is kind of wild to think this is the second thing I have ever towed, I have learned a lot in the past 4 years.
Sinnettc
Explorer
Feb 26, 2014
As far as towing goes I learned by towing my sailboats. First a 13' laser, then a Catalina Capri 16.5, and now our Catalina Capri 22 which has about the same tow weight as the new TT. The thing that's different is that boats are aerodynamic and with all 3 I could see over, around or under the boat on the trailer. Can't exactly do that with an 8' wide wall behind you so I'm having to learn to park with just the mirrors. Luckily the TT storage spot is easier to back into than the one for the boat.

As far as camping goes, DW has owned a TT in the past. Cruising in our Capri 22 is kind of like camping in one of those teardrop trailers: Not much headroom, not much power, and not much of a potty (we use a luggable loo and wag bags). The TT is a step up in that regard. Somehow I don't think we're going to get rocked to sleep like we do in the boat, though.

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