? For Solo Women Towing Wizards

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by karwask

Like many of us, though, as we age, the getting all of the water oriented things connected with a tight connection and no leaking is often an issue so will look at the stuff you use and might have some shopping to do on Amazon today.

You're welcome, Karen.


If you're like me, once you start using them, you will be very thankful. Those garden quick connectors are wonderful! About the area that it can leak at now is at the 45 degree elbow connector at the trailer. I'll think it's tight, but when I slowly turn on the water, there will be some leakage. So, I grab my rag (after turning off the water, of course - learned that the hard way - HA!), dry the connection and tighten it even more. That usually does the trick.


Setting up at a campground can wear on your body, as does getting ready to leave. I try to do as much as possible the evening before, if at all possible. That helps with the body aches.

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by M Scott

Hi, Laura; Thanks for sharing your suggestions - about the brass water connection, did you get a 45 or 90 degree? Do you keep it attached all the time? Concerned about it hitting bushes.
Thanks for a reply.

You're welcome, Marilyn.


45 degree. I don't leave it on mainly because it's now an open connection, compared to the cap that's normally on there when not hooked to city water. I don't feel like having water slosh out while driving (heck if I know if it really would, but I have wondered).


It doesn't stick out very far so I don't think you'd have to worry about hitting bushes with it.

[LarryB.]

Originally Posted by Vicki Hale

I'm 63 and also new to towing a camper. I had trouble getting my truck in position to hitch the trailer until I bought a set of Hitchin' Rods Trailer Hook-Up Guides. I bought them off Amazon for $35.99. They would be easy to make at home if you did not want to spend that much.
Long story short, I have been able to back up and hitch the camper on the first try every time when using these rods. It was worth every cent for me!

I also am a solo Casita RV’r. Using a pair of these “Magnetic Trailer Alignment Kits” from Harbor Freight in conjunction with the backup camera on my TV, I can easily hitch up in less than 5 minutes. Unlike the picture, I put one of the guides directly on top of the ball on the tow bar. When the RV hitch nudges the guide on the trailer ball from vertical to horizontal I am within an inch of the perfect position to complete the hitch.

https://www.harborfreight.com/magnet...kit-69778.html

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by CPrice

So grateful to be part of this great community. Going to my first RV show tomorrow and can hardly wait.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone...

Hopefully you learned a lot at the show. And your knees were probably aching afterwards from going in and out so many rigs.


Although you probably didn't see any fiberglass rigs. I know I never did at the shows I went to in the Seattle area. But, you can learn a lot of what you like and don't like in the rigs. And apply that to what you really want.

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by Lady Scamp

Hi NW Cat Owner
Does one have to buy 4 of those wheel levelers at $94 each?
Thanks

You only need one or two, depending on how many wheels your trailer has. You only need them on one side and one per tire. There's also the BAL levelers, which I tried first on the Escape 21, but they weren't wide enough. Someone else tried them on her Escape 5.0TA and they didn't fit either, but the KoJacks were wide enough. I forget the size of my tires but supposedly they were supposed to fit the BALs, but they didn't.

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by LarryB.

I also am a solo Casita RV’r. Using a pair of these “Magnetic Trailer Alignment Kits” from Harbor Freight in conjunction with the backup camera on my TV, I can easily hitch up in less than 5 minutes. Unlike the picture, I put one of the guides directly on top of the ball on the tow bar. When the RV hitch nudges the guide on the trailer ball from vertical to horizontal I am within an inch of the perfect position to complete the hitch.

Oh, good tip on using those! Thanks. I thought about getting those, but the strip of reflective tape has worked well for me, so I'm sticking with what I'm used to.

[Pat Stipe]

Once you get it hitched, and you are ready to hit the road, you need to review your plans. In Cali, towing speed for a trailer is 55mph. I know a lot of people exceed that limit, but you can’t stop on a dime, and stuff happens. On average, I am lucky to travel at 50mph most days. If I am going 150 miles, it will probably take me 3-31/2 hours, depending on traffic. In winter, that means I may arrive after dark. Parking after dark, alone, can be a long term project. You will need to get out and check, often.

Always keep a small flashlight handy.

Do not trust your gps system. I have had it route me off a highway, onto a dirt road if I accidentally checked “fastest route”. I checked Hwy 14 to the I-5 as my route once, and wound up on Angeles Crest Highway and a scenic tour of beautiful downtown Pasadena in between those two points. Carry a paper map with you to double check what it is telling you.

Carry a spare phone charging block and cord. If your phone navigation system is going to stop working, be assured, it will be at the worst point possible on your trip, like downtown Phoenix during rush hour.

There are several women’s camping groups out there. There may be one in your area. Some are nationwide. It is nice to have a group outing several times a year. Some are full timers, some solo, some workcamp, and some just go to events in their area. Rvingwomen.org has women from all walks of life, and welcome guests or prospective members at their activities.

As a 67 year old, I would not recommend a popup camper to purchase. I sold mine last year. All that cranking just got to be too much for me. I had a lot of anxiety about the lift system failing in the middle of a trip. I do miss the extra room at times.

[CPrice]

How did you my knees were killing me NW Cat Owner?

I was so disappointed that there was not one FG unit at the show other than a Bigfoot truck camper. It was fun to go to the show and look at all the rigs. It surprised me how poorly some units are made.

Hopefully you learned a lot at the show. And your knees were probably aching afterwards from going in and out so many rigs. One thing I knew for sure when I left was that I wanted quality more than lots of eye candy and size.

I drove down to FL on Tuesday to look at a 19' Scamp. I'm in Love with this cute and small 5th wheel. The particular unit was the Deluxe layout which has a very narrow opening into the bed loft. It felt way too tight for me. I'm looking at pictures for the Standard layout and I like that opening into the bed loft much better.

I also feel like the 5th wheel will be easier to drive.

I'm trying to find a 21' Escape 5th wheel to look at so I can see if the extra 2' make a difference.

Thanks again, everyone! I'll keep you posted!

[CPrice]

Thank you, Pat! Great tips especially about all the hand cranking.
Looking forward to going to events and joining groups.
Safe travels out there....

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by Pat Stipe

In Cali, towing speed for a trailer is 55mph. I know a lot of people exceed that limit, but you can’t stop on a dime, and stuff happens. On average, I am lucky to travel at 50mph most days. If I am going 150 miles, it will probably take me 3-31/2 hours, depending on traffic.

Always keep a small flashlight handy.

Carry a paper map with you to double check what it is telling you.

One thing I do like about towing in CA is that I can go at that lower speed limit and not have anyone peeved that I'm going too slow! I've seen a few rigs with a huge sign on the back stating what their max speed will be. I'm always amazed (or rather, I'm thinking "idiot") when I see someone hauling a trailer going like a bat out of hell down the highway.


When I look at googlemaps for route times, I always add at least an hour or two, depending on how long of a drive it is. Besides not going the speed limit (most likely), you're not going to be hitting the fast food drive throughs for food. Heck, most don't even have room for you to safely take your rig in (and out!) their parking lot. You're going to take more rest stops as it's tiring on your body to pull a trailer. I do lots more two handed driving and you're paying way more attention to surrounding and upcoming traffic. And it's more stressful as you need extra braking room and most drivers don't realize why you're leaving that gap in front of you.


I have a headlamp that is very helpful if you need to use both hands while needing some extra light.


Went to AAA last week to stock up on maps for my next 2 big trips. Love paper maps! I would never rely exclusively on my GPS for directions.

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by CPrice

How did you my knees were killing me NW Cat Owner?

I was so disappointed that there was not one FG unit at the show other than a Bigfoot truck camper. It was fun to go to the show and look at all the rigs. It surprised me how poorly some units are made.

Experience of going in and out of rigs at both shows and dealer lots!

I'm not surprised you didn't see any fiberglass at the shows. I wasn't even aware of them until I got back from renting a motorhome (Jayco) for a month and hitting the road from Seattle to Sacramento and then back along the coast. I did see one Scamp at an OR campground, but I didn't know what I was looking at. After I got home my dad asked if I had looked at getting a fb trailer as he had toured the Scamp factory at some point.

Before that I had been to some shows and lots of dealer lots but never found anything that really grabbed our interest. They had so many things I didn't like, so I guess it was good to learn that. But when we toured the Escape factory, we liked what we were seeing.

And if you really want to learn how cheaply those stickies are made, read some of their owners's forum. I joined some and wow - the things they were having problems with! I realized they weren't for me when someone posted "it's the nature of the beast" in regards to problems with their rigs and how everyone should get used to it. Um, no thanks.

Yes, there have been a few issues with the Escape, but overall we're very happy with it, especially knowing it'll probably outlast us.

Good luck in your search, Cheryl!

[Robert Mac Kinnon]

Hi Laura koo -doos for you getting out and enjoying life whenever we can The back-up camera is a great idea but not everybody can afford them. If you have a wheel type jack and put a mark on the up/down rail for the height clearance with a marker or more permanent a piece of good tape ie electrical.Locate it at an inch or two above the ball height that way you always know your going to not be bumping into the housing. Once your close enough within reason and on a reasonable flat surface just a little persuasion left/right back/forward plop it's on the ball. I don't have one on my cargo trailer and i'm forever running back and forth checking to see if i'm close!!! Mind you having someone guide you back is most likely to help aid you for a safe and sure success. As mentioned before a little practice goes a long way. Lowe's has a REESE MFR # 74410 and it folds. I have a beachcomber and i'm basically starting from scratch once I gut the interior. This allows me though to assemble a unique 1 of a kind camper. You know what they say work smarter not harder!

[NW Cat Owner]

Originally Posted by Robert Mac Kinnon

I have a beachcomber and i'm basically starting from scratch once I gut the interior. This allows me though to assemble a unique 1 of a kind camper. You know what they say work smarter not harder!

I'm not an expert on fb trailers and I don't recognize very many when I see them on the road (in terms of what brand they are), unless they say in big bold letters! (And I can't chide anyone for not having that as I don't on mine - I have lots of black cat decals on it.)


I do flash my lights when I see 'em coming towards me on the road though.


So, I had to google what your trailer looks like. You gonna give it a custom paint job?


I tell ya, I greatly admire those that do that sort of work. Not my cup of tea or coffee or water or whatever! Good for you.

[slowpat]

Originally Posted by ZachO

It's a very good point that's been brought up a few times now and is something I'm finally needing to learn myself: it's not about brute strength.

Not that I've ever been some huge bulky guy, but I've realized as I'm now in my 40's that it helps to do things smarter, instead of harder. I can pick up my canoe, hold it over my head and walk up to my truck and slide it on the roof. But one misstep and I could easily mess up my back. So I don't do it that way anymore.

The most physical part of working with my trailer is the tongue jack, and an electric jack takes care of that problem. Whether it's cultural or genetic I don't know, it seems like in general men find it more natural to pick up the skills associated with towing, but obviously anyone can do it. I see plenty of women driving semis.

I don't think it is "picking up". From what I've seen and heard, women are more cautious and will listen and learn. Men tend to jump in and take charge no matter what their expertise. One expert timber faller said at a public forum, the he now preferred to teach women to fall trees because the women realized how dangerous it was and listened carefully. I heard the neighbor who taught me to drive tractor when I was 12 that girls were more cautious than boys and that was a good thing. Things always change, though.

My favorite men helping without being asked was a good thing. I was trying to back my teardrop into a specific spot and needed to shift it over just a tad.
While listening to which way it needed to go, I heard nothing but felt a shaking of the trailer, then WE GOT IT was hollered out. The three loggers had picked my trailer up and moved it over the foot that was needed. That was great. That little teardrop was a pain to back up. I think it would take more guys to move my Casita like that.

[Krashdragon]

Some good suggestions above..
1. Take an rv driving course
2. Install a backup camera
3. When backing up, keep you hand at the BOTTOM of the steering wheel. Take your time, it's not a race. ( Guys have problems with that part.)

As far as age, I learned how to drive a semi at age 69. Trucking is one of the few areas women are paid the same as men. Still full time trucking at age 76 since I have to pay off the new 3/4 ton pickup I just bought for a tv. Then I have to buy an egg (fiberglass).
Most of all, Have fun!

[CPrice]

Originally Posted by Krashdragon

As far as age, I learned how to drive a semi at age 69. Trucking is one of the few areas women are paid the same as men. Still full time trucking at age 76 since I have to pay off the new 3/4 ton pickup I just bought for a tv. Then I have to buy an egg (fiberglass).
Most of all, Have fun!

Wow! You are amazing! Maybe I should start with learning how to drive a semi then I won't have to worry about driving my 19' Scamp!! Thanks for the encouragment!!