Best camper trailer for a woman?

[Rzrbrn]

Also attend an RV show or two. Can't hurt and might be a real eye opener. Also keep in mind this is a molded fiberglass forum. Those "other" RV's have forums that are just as supportive and dedicated as we are and outnumber use about 1000 to 1. All of these use the same appliances that our RV's do and some are even well built. Before you buy is a great time to just poke around the RV industry and have fun. Once you buy you are in many ways locked into what you purchase.

[Rzrbrn]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

Pulling any trailer takes thinking ahead. Any time I pull into a business, before I pull in I work out my exit. If I don’t see an exit route, I don’t pull in. Fast food and gas stations are two examples. I’ve bypassed many gas stations for this reason. Most truck stops have auto pumps with more than adequate spacing. But when in doubt, don’t pull in.

Bill is on point. I carry a five gallon fuel can, and expect to use it in those situations where I am on my last gallon of fuel in the tank and the fuel station is too tight to pull into; I have been that close more than once. Park your RV nearby, walk up to the pump, fill the fuel can and, if necessary repeat, until you are comfortable with the amount of fuel in your tow vehicle. I have also passed up exploring a neat road or two because I did not think I could make it with the fuel that was left in the truck tank. Sometimes we plan a route, but more often we just poke around, whatever takes our fancy.

[Iowa Dave]

I worked where we had daily deliveries into a loading dock. It was a wide open unencumbered parking lot.
Our driver was an incredibly talented driver. After I started working there, it wasn’t long before I noticed him watching the over the road drivers back into the dock. He’d say a number and then put on his gloves and head for the forklift. I asked him what the number meant. “That’s how many tries it took him to get backed in” Del said.
So a daily “contest” with unwitting participants was born. The high record was 19 when I retired. That’s a semi truck and trailer, over the roads all the way from Mississippi to Iowa hauling 40,000 pounds of product
And weighing about 80,000 lbs. and these are professionals. And the backwards record was 1. That’s a guy who pulled nose into the dock and came into the shop and announced he was ready to unload.
So single or married, male or female, you can learn to safely handle your rig and back in to camping sites
Easy does it and G.O.A.L. Get out and look. Empty school parking lots and using your mirrors on a Sunday are great. I taught my kids in a soybean field out at the farm after picking in the fall. Used 2 liter pop bottles for guides. Only works if you’re part Bohemie.
Iowa Dave

[Rzrbrn]

Dave you post is very much appreciated. I really like the 1x. Guy thought outside the box...er... loading dock.

[pegski]

I’ve had a 17’ Casita, now tow a 13’ Scamp and camp w two women that have an 18’ Bigfoot and a 23’ something (not fiberglass) and she is 5’ tall. They definitely spend more time unhooking, etc. The difference is that we can all tow but I can get in anywhere where each one of those trailers has to find spots for their sizes. We all like to be able to unhitch and drive around but it’s harder to pull over on a street to sleep. I think it boils down to how long you’d be out. If it’s just for days at a time, go smaller and skip bells and whistles. My friends live in theirs so they need a bath and shower, I do not. I always find facilities.

[garycarolyn]

Originally Posted by Olga

I know this may sound silly to some of you, but I need a bit of advice. What is the best Fiberglas travel camper that would be easy for a woman to tow? I’m new to this lifestyle and am a bit concerned with navigating mountain roads and different terrains by myself. Is there a specific model that rates best in that regard? I guess I am looking for a lighter camper.

check out BexCatHerder on Youtube, she travels out west in a 13' old Casita. She just lifts the tongue and puts it on the hitch. There are many other single ladies who travel in vans and small RVs too.

[Jon in AZ]

If you don't need an onboard bathroom (there is room for a porta-potty) and you want something really compact for easy towing, there is the Meerkat. It's not all-molded fiberglass (sides are aluminum skin over aluminum frame, roof is molded fiberglass), but it's one of the lightest trailers you can buy with stand-up headroom. About 900# empty, you could reasonably expect a road weight of 1100-1200#. That makes it towable by a number of compact crossovers, like the RAV4, CR-V, and Forester.


You can occasionally find a vintage Eriba Puck, which inspired this modern knock-off.

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by Olga

I know this may sound silly to some of you, but I need a bit of advice. What is the best Fiberglas travel camper that would be easy for a woman to tow? I’m new to this lifestyle and am a bit concerned with navigating mountain roads and different terrains by myself. Is there a specific model that rates best in that regard? I guess I am looking for a lighter camper.

Welcome to the forum. As you can see, there's a lot of enthusiastic folks who'd like to help.

It would be really helpful if you told us more about what sorts of travel you would like to be able to do.

Weekend trips? Long trips for weeks or months at a time? Camping out in the boonies? Staying at RV parks with full utility hookups? Party of one, or will there be more people, or perhaps pets? Do you have a tow vehicle that you would like to use or are you willing to buy a different one? Do you want to carry a bicycle or some other sports gear? What parts of the country (or beyond!) would you like to see?

All of these things will help people give you more focused answers.

[tua]

Originally Posted by thrifty bill

Pulling any trailer takes thinking ahead. Any time I pull into a business, before I pull in I work out my exit. If I don’t see an exit route, I don’t pull in. Fast food and gas stations are two examples. I’ve bypassed many gas stations for this reason. Most truck stops have auto pumps with more than adequate spacing. But when in doubt, don’t pull in.

This is an excellent strategy!

[Mike_L]

I don't look at this as lady friendly or gentleman friendly trailers. I also don't believe that men are better able to handle trailers than women. I've seen ladies hauling huge trailers with big diesel tugs that I wouldn't be comfortable driving and they did just fine.

The "best" trailer is one that you like, has the features you want and you are comfortable towing.
As previously mentioned, nobody is born knowing how to haul a trailer, it is a learned skill, for both men and women.
I would never buy a camperized van or motor home. If you want a trailer, that is what you should buy. A camperized van or motor home is actually a trailer plus a vehicle. Do you want another vehicle to license, insure and maintain or will your current vehicle, which you are already licensing, insuring and maintaining suffice?
Take your time, determine what you need and what you would like to have. What is the towing capacity of your vehicle? Where will you be going, how long will you be on the road and where will you be camping? Will hook ups be available?
It's better to figure these things out before you buy so as to get the unit you want.

[Glenn Baglo]

Always wondered what 'full-timers', living in a motor home, do when the vehicle goes into the shop for mechanical work. Where do they live while waiting weeks for parts, or their turn for attention?

[Mike_L]

Kind of like socks in a dryer, maybe they just disappear? LOL!

[Jon in AZ]

Originally Posted by Glenn Baglo

Always wondered what 'full-timers', living in a motor home, do when the vehicle goes into the shop for mechanical work. Where do they live while waiting weeks for parts, or their turn for attention?

I don’t recall the OP saying anything about full-timing.

As to what others do, I suppose it depends on what the problem is. As long as the coach is drivable you camp somewhere nearby until the part or repair slot becomes available. If say, the fridge doesn’t work, you buy an ice chest until you can arrange repair. Make do, just like at home. If the coach is not drivable, you detach the dinghy or rent a car and get a motel.

Full-timing has its risks, requiring creativity and flexibility to respond to inevitable problems. It’s not for everyone.

The issue isn’t confined to motorhomes. Towed rigs have their own logistical problems if you’re full-timing and either your trailer or your tug is out of commission.

[John in Santa Cruz]

Originally Posted by Rzrbrn

...
I had a very difficult time getting gas when towing the Casita in CA. The gas stations simply have no room to pull a truck and even a short trailer into the gas islands. A Class B or smaller Class C would have been much more pleasant to maneuver...

while I've seen some stations that would be problematic, I've never had any issues finding gas stations with plenty of room for my F250 longbed + Escape 21 combination, which is about 42 feet long overall. When on the road on long distance trips, I stop a lot at truck stops. I definitely avoid convenience stores like QuikStop, 7-11, as their pumps tend to be cramped. I like the Costco stations that have diesel, they have big wide aisles, and enforce one way traffic, so you don't get people trying to cut into a pump from the other direction.

[ShelbyM]

Yes, you can run into problems like that any time you are traveling away from home, no matter what your vehicle. Have to be prepared to use rental cars, motels and tow trucks and hope that you don't have to.

[Deva]

About four years ago, I decided I wanted to do travel nursing. Originally thought I would get a Casita or smaller Escape because I had an FJ Cruiser with a 5000lb towing limit. After a lot of hemming and hawing, I bought a Chevy 2500 cargo van. You know, the kind every plumber and electrician used to drive? Cheap, proven engine, and ubiquitous.😃 I bought this to live out of short term until I bought my casita or escape, now looking at the larger escapes because my tow rating was 10,000lbs. I loved the ease of driving, parking (even though I got the extended body), and gas mileage. While traveling about, I had a fiberglass camper top put on in LA at Fiberine Van Tops. A year later, I had a kid in Reno do a very simple build. When I’m working, I overnight in the hospital parking lot. Days off, I’m on dirt roads exploring. I found the my favorite way of camping is Boondocking or urban camping, which is 100% easier with a van. I rarely pay to camp.

The moral of the story is that what you THINK you want may not be what you ACTUALLY want. Try to think ahead when purchasing whatever you decide on. Also, look at resale. If you find you absolutely hate towing, backing up, hooking and unhooking up, and paying exorbitant campground fees (going up all the time, and more and more difficult to “reserve”), at least you can turn around and recoup some of your money when selling the TT. I think everyone here will attest to the fact that well cared for fiberglass trailers retain their value well.

If it all works out as planned, GREAT!

The fear of towing, and of change itself, is real. But I guarantee if you “just do it,” you will become a more confident and independent woman. There will be bumps in the road, scratches and/or dents on vehicle/trailer, and other “battle scars.” This will give your whole rig the character it needs to let everyone know you have been doing this for AGES! Good luck, you’ve got this! ✌🏼

[slowpat]

I learned to back up trailers while being raised as a farm kid. Those flat bed farm trailers did not back up easily, or maybe it was the tractor? Or the operator? My first RV was a Little Guy 5 wide teardrop. It was hard to back up, especially with my manual shift Colorado 4 banger. The clutch would heat up easily. I've told this story before, so most on here can close eyes.

I pulled my Little Guy to a Montana kind of chainsaw/logging get together. It was at a boy scout camp in the woods and the parking area was small. I was trying to be precise and back into a small spot where it was kind of level. I had 3 loggers watching. On the third try, I felt a weirdness in the way the trailer moved, then a yell of WE GOT IT. The three loggers had lifted up my little trailer and placed it where it needed to be.

I can't do that with the Casita, but it is a heck of a lot easier to back up than the Little Guy. And, as far as gas stations go, I pay attention to where I can get in and out easily and not price. Gas stations can be problematic as somebody is apt to wander up and start asking questions about your trailer.

Oh, and I don't have the Colorado anymore.