First time towing, the trailer started to sway. I eased off the accelerator, drove slowly home, and got a sway control. My ignorance almost caused an accident. That was ten years ago.
Since then, despite ten years of towing many thousands of miles a year on all kinds of roads (LA freeways, rural highways, mountain roads, dirt forest roads), no problems at all. Is towing more dangerous than not towing? Yes, I think so, because you are less maneuverable than an ordinary vehicle. But it is really worth the slight increase in risk.
I have not yet (yet!) had an accident or a ticket in 47 years of driving. (Knock on wood.) Why? Mostly good luck -- bad stuff can happen in a heartbeat, whether you are towing or not. Stay off the phone. Concentrate at all times. Be ultra-conservative. Only the paranoid survive.
Your terrible experience with the ambulance could happen to anyone at any time, towing or not. I would not let that prevent you from enjoying camping with your family. Unless you are already an experienced camper, you have no idea how much fun this is going to be. In retrospect, I wish we had not waited until the kids were grown to begin RVing, but I did not know what I was missing.
The best advice that I can give you is to ask a lot of questions on this website, especially during your early newbie stage. In the pre-Internet days, it would have been impossible to take advantage of so much collective wisdom. Yes, there is some misinformation here, and yes, there are a few unpleasant and opinionated participants. But the vast majority of us are well-intentioned, and you can learn from our mistakes.
Sorry for the long rambling reply. Bottom line -- just do it. (Carefully.) ;)
