80+ and still pulling a travel trailer or Fifth Wheel?

Just turned 71. Plan to go from a fiver to a MH in a few years. Hoping that it will mean less work.

Just returned from a long trip and decided to clean the rubber roof before stowing. Of course that means washing the sides afterward. 85 degree temp day. That's when I realized that I'm not as young as I once was.

If the guy, at 83, can still handle the physical part, I would bet he could still do the mental part.

Your rights end where others begin is my motto.

So when you start to endanger others on the road, then it's time to pull off, regardless of age.

I too beleive it is a very personal decission. I know a fellow who is in his mid 80's, drives his 36' MH and pilots a school bus every day of the school year.

My neighbor just came home from a 2 week road trip pulling his 24 ft TT. He just turned 89 yesterday. He said that was my last trip pulling the trailer and his son is selling the truck and trailer.He is in great health but says he feels his responses are getting too slow. I shook his hand and patted him on the back. His kids say they will take him camping anytime he wants, so he says I'm blessed.

My mother passed at age 86. The last two years of her life was not good. However, prior to that she had just returned from a long trip and she often took long trips in her class A. She spent 9 months of her time on the road. I think she did a great job driving, parking , camping and enjoying the one thing in her life that mattered.

When you get there, tell her the class A is still waiting for her. Her LOWs chapter still meets and greets and they miss her almost as much as I do. They mostly are all in their late 70s and 80s with a couple in their nineties.

Well, both my stepfather and father in law are 87 and both still pull trailers over the road. My SF has bad eyes, macular degeneration and blood pressure issues. Pulls his 5th wheel 10 - 20 weekends a year. Doesn't that scare you? It does? Then you'll love this one. My FIL pulls a trailer loaded with a back hoe almost everyday of the year, in the winter he pulls a tractor with a plow to do roads. He can't hear, has no eye site better than 20/100 and has a pace maker, yet New York state still allows him to drive with a commercial license with no medical certificate because he owns his own company! Oh, I forgot to mention - he's diagnosed with Alzheimer's and has to call home for directions to get back 75% of the time! I NEVER drive when within 100 miles of Rochester for this reason. I can't get them to cancel his commercial license - afraid they might get sued, I guess.

Popsie wrote:

Dog Folks wrote:
I would think the decision to come off the road should be up to him and his health professionals. They can make an objective opinion about his physical and mental abilities to continue towing.

More power to him.

Good answer, any two people at any particular age may vary greatly in many aspects of their capabilities.

X-2 on the "good answer/s".

My 87 year old neighbor still snow skis and (ocean) surfs.

Was chatting about this recently with a friend.
We're both in our early 70's.
Another friend had recently hopped down from a low wall, twisted (or broke) his ankle.

My thoughts - yeah I did the same off a low wall (about 2') in a pk lot to save time walking around.
No bad results - but it sure didn't feel good.
Mental note: Hmmmmm - don't do that again.

Lots of us remember what "we used to do" and figure we're good to go.
("Think" like we are still 18 or 21).

The friend said he remembered when *his* dad was in his 70's remarking
that he couldn't go down to the nearby stream to fish anymore - as he couldn't climb over the rocks and boulders to get there.

Moral of the story - (hopefully) you realize/know your limitations and plan ahead - whether it's for work (chores) or pleasure.

BTW - stayed in a park in Moro Bay many years ago. There was an on-site RV storage facility with "delivery" to the campground sites.
Watched the delivery guys drop off and set-up a long TT.
Several hours later a *very* elderly couple arrived at the site in their car to camp!.:C..:C

~

Dog Folks wrote:
I would think the decision to come off the road should be up to him and his health professionals. They can make an objective opinion about his physical and mental abilities to continue towing.

More power to him.

Good answer, any two people at any particular age may vary greatly in many aspects of their capabilities.

We have three friends that we met some 10 years ago in the rv park we stay at every summer. There ages are 78,85,87 . Two tow a large fifth wheel ,and one has a 30' trailer. Naturally the only thing that is going to stop them is a health issue, but until then I don't see anyone of them giving up rv'ing . They are all in good health.

I'd much rather have an 80 y/o pulling "a little slower" than someone like the younger guy who posted a while back wanting to know out how he can tow his trailer 75 mph.