Soloing in a TT

I believe that salesman is trying to upsale you. uninformed people assume 5vers are better because they are generally more expensive. You do have to compare trailers fairly though. There are more 'starter" TT's available usually, but you can find a TT that is just as well appointed as a 5ver. Personally my TT is much nicer than a friend of mines 5ver and also the Class C my parents had. Granted it is not an entry level TT but one that is a step up.

I travel solo and use the "backup balls" like 2012 Coleman mentioned. As others have said an electric tongue jack is essential. I have a rear view camera mounted on rear of trailer that helps when I back up. I really feel more comfortable with the lower height of the TT when towing. I don't have to worry quite so much about overhead limbs while I am parking.

I have found pull-thru sites or sites that are easy to get into are available most places I want to go.. or maybe I just pay attention to site layout, when I make reservations or pick sites.

As a solo traveler, I have found I don't need a huge trailer.. I have a 28' total length trailer.. a Jayco 24RKS, it has room for me to do anything, and if someone (like my DS) decides to join me they can sleep on the sofa. I picked the floorplan for ME, not for lots of other folks. I plan to go fulltime in a few years and I still plan to stick with a TT that is only slightly larger than what I have now.

I did not say that I was in the majority, just what works for me. No putting tailgate up/putting tailgate down with the TT either. I have had a fifth wheel trailer, liked some things about it, but hitching and unhitching is not the big advantage that some people make it out to be. Especially alone.

My hitch rating is way more than I need at 2000 pounds (Non W/D)

TomG2 wrote:

Javi1 wrote:
Unless you have a smaller trailer that doesn't need W/D hitch then the 5'er is easier to setup and hook-up test pull or no test pull. ....snip............

My trailer is over 28 foot long and weights over 7500 pounds (which is not a "smaller trailer"). I don't need W/D since I use a 2500HD tow vehicle and I can be out the gate while the fiver is still removing his chocks which are necessary to do his test pull. I would not skip the test pull with my fiver, since a visual is not good enough for the hitch. I tow a lot, so I like to keep things quick, easy, and safe. (Not in that order)

You do realize that your setup is in the minority and that most of us who tow that size trailer DO use W/D bars... Oh and I tow with an F250 diesel 10K but my tongue weight is over the rating for the hitch without the bars.. wonder if yours is as well...??

Javi1 wrote:
Unless you have a smaller trailer that doesn't need W/D hitch then the 5'er is easier to setup and hook-up test pull or no test pull. ....snip............

My trailer is over 28 foot long and weights over 7500 pounds (which is not a "smaller trailer"). I don't need W/D since I use a 2500HD tow vehicle and I can be out the gate while the fiver is still removing his chocks which are necessary to do his test pull. I would not skip the test pull with my fiver, since a visual is not good enough for the hitch. I tow a lot, so I like to keep things quick, easy, and safe. (Not in that order)

I have traveled solo with a travel trailer for 20 plus years and never had a problem. Lived full time in a Northwood product, too! I did buy a product called the "tongue twister" that moves the trailer side to side about 4 inches so that an exact match between ball and coupler was not necessary. Most of the time I was able to back exactly perfect without too much of a problem, but if not a few cranks on the tongue twister and it was a perfect match.

http://www.amazon.com/BAL-R-V-Products-Group-28100/dp/B001Y8SREI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1376050527&sr=8-1&keywords=tongue+twister+for+rv

Unless you have a smaller trailer that doesn't need W/D hitch then the 5'er is easier to setup and hook-up test pull or no test pull. A 5'er is usually more stable to tow especially on windy days.

If I were soloing I'd have to really look at what I intended to do and where I intended to camp. Small trailers are great unless you have to spend a good bit of time in them and then the walls start closing in. Bigger trailer are more trouble to tow and to park, a lot of parks just aren't setup for trailers over 20 feet in length.

I have a marker on the back window of the SUV that lines up with the bolt that holds the tanks in place. Very easy to find the ball on the hitch.

Other than that, each class of rv has its advantages and disadvantages. I believe "setup" time is about equal between them all taking into account their nuances.

We love our TT and enjoy having a comfortable vehicle to tow with as well as a daily driver.

FYI, there are a couple of Single RV groups out there; LoW's (Loners on Wheels) and WIN's (Wandering Individual Network). Camping with either, there are always people around to help with parking, hitching, etc. Both groups are a lot of fun.

diver110 wrote:
the salesman, who seemed to be a straight shooter, said it is harder to solo in a TT than a 5th wheel.

That, IMHO, is pure baloney! I had both and don't favor either for being easier. Each take a little effort of some sort.

Another Solo here. I have had both style trailers. I have the mirror that hangs on my tailgate which gives me precise alignment. The other thing that can make the TT actually easier is an electric tongue jack. Fifth wheel trailers really benefit from having electric jacks. Eliminating the "Test pull" means one less trip in and out of the truck. Drop the hitch onto the ball, lift up the tongue jack, hook up electric and safety chains, and I am out the gate while the fiver is still verifying that his hitch is closed properly. The magnetic alignment sticks also work for hitching up.