Towing and the single person

[cameront120]

For those of you who travel solo, I'm curious if you've had any problems when it comes to towing and maneuvering your trailers into camping spots. I've not travelled with my trailer yet (I'm using it to live in while I build my house), but once the house is built I do want to travel with it and am wondering if going solo will present any unsermountable problems. Any tips, suggestions or words of encouragement from any of you who also travel solo?

Thanks!

[Boondocker]

Nope, you will be fine. You have to get out and look where you are backing alot is it. On the upside, you never get in a snit with your travel companion (unless you need meds....).

[azflycaster]

Always plan ahead. Do not drive into a place you can not drive out of. Avoid backing up at all costs. If you must back up, look in all directions, including up!

[Kevbo10]

Originally Posted by azflycaster

Always plan ahead. Do not drive into a place you can not drive out of. Avoid backing up at all costs. If you must back up, look in all directions, including up!

i always travel alone, and the above advice is sound. even "hitching up gets easier and easier". the only "scratch" i have, i did going "forward" and you could do that with three people in the TV.

kevbo

[Silverhobby]

For the most part I have been a single traveler. I do look for and request pull-thru campsites if available. I was in a great TN State park with plenty of trees once. The camp host told me the site was a pull thru. To pull thru would have required chain-sawing a few trees to move forward. I backed out the next morning after a restless night of "how the heck am I gonna get out of this site?"

[Smokin Camel]

I've only had mine out a few times but no problem. Use your mirrors a lot, get out - even if you do not think you need to. I will repeat what was said about watch your overhead pay attention to what is hanging. Watch your corners. Practice backing up in a large parking lot, four to six cones are a great help.

Get a good hitch up - unhitch list and use it, you do not have the luxory of a second set of eyes to catch a missed item (like a cable dragging on the pavement, ask my PO --not parole officer!)! One last tip---get a pair of those tennis balls on an antentea, for lining up when you hitch up, saves some time; or you could spend the $$$$ and get a camera and display screen (I am thinking about that for the future!)

To insure quality control decide on no beer until the hitch or unhitch is done! (If driving after either reward yourself by delaying the beer and substituting two beers after the driving part is done -- unless you went to shoot skeet, or some finely tuned activity....the reward can always be tripled! at the appropriate or almost appropriate time!

[85MH325]

I frequently travel solo. It's no problem.

Roger

[Silvertwinkie]

I too have traveled solo. If you are use to backing up, the only difference is that you must stop every few feet and look (more often if you are unsure).

Go for it.

[str8strm]

When I see someone who has come into a campground alone, I will usually ask if they would like assistance backing in. I'm sure I'm not the only one out there who is willing to help out. It's best, of course, if you develop the skills to handle it alone if possible. I remember, when I was a kid, my dad having a hitch on the front of the car. In tight spots, he would unhitch, connect to the front hitch, and drive it in! Ron

[davidz71]

Don't be afraid to get out every few feet if you are not sure how things are going. I backed into a site at 1000 Trails near Natchez Trace and was doing OK until I hit a limb someone else had broken off. I thought I was going to miss it but messed up. It put a 3/4" deep X 3" dent in a curved upper corner panel. A little slower and another check would have prevented this.

[Fyrzowt]

There seems to be a common theme here - get out and check often while backing.
Hmmm. The stories that could be told. (usually by the spouse)
Dave

[Pahaska]

I tow solo even when my wife is in the right hand seat. As they say here in Texas, "Bless her heart, but she just don't understand maps or trailers."

I do use a GPS to aid in navigating. I would actually rather back in a space by myself as try to interpret her signals.

Hitching up alone is no problem. I simply line up the lock on the bed cover wih the center of the trailer. I usually lightly bump the hitch and then pull forward a few inches; I seldom have to get out more than once to check.

[cameront120]

These replies are all very encouraging. Thank you all so much!

[SteSpot]

Do you know how to spell "back"?

The correct answer is "SLOW." Also one secret to backing up is to make small corrections not big ones....easier to back up with small corrections than to fix a big correction. Hope that helps, pj.

[BamCamper]

I almost always travel alone and find that people are more than willing to help if you just ask (and often even if you don't). Yes, if you are backing up alone, go very slowly, make small corrections, and KEEP getting out and checking. But I find that it is so much easier with a spotter. Sometimes there is a small marker or something low that is hard to see. There usually seems to be a parking pro or a helpful neighbor at every campground. It's a great way to meet your neighbors.

[moosetags]

I have set up and hooked up solo on a number of occasions. I actually like it better. I don't feel as pressured as when someone is "helping" me. A solo set up just requires getting out of the truck a number of times to check things. I figure that I can use the exercise anyway.

[sos10]

I have 2 cameras connected to my GPS.. one on the rear of my Airstream.. perfect for backing up and also as a rear-viewer when driving... and one on the rear of my car.. just above the hitch... hooking up is a piece of cake.

[ArtStream]

Lights, Camears, action...
With my setup, it would be hard to hook-up (but not impossable)
I have 2 hard wired cameras which I installed.
#1 (the ball cam) is for hitching up
#2 is mounted inside the AS, and points out back.

The system was around 300 bucks, with 2 cameras and it's worked for 3 years now. I keep the rearview on whenever I'm driving.

The physical hook up is not a problem. Reese bars/Airhitch
60,000 towed miles.

Michael

[5cats]

Originally Posted by Artstream

The system was around 300 bucks, with 2 cameras and it's worked for 3 years now. I keep the rearview on whenever I'm driving.

Hey Michael, that sounds like a good system -- good being reasonably priced and useful -- any chance you'd like to share more details about it, including make and how you accomplished the wiring? I'm particularly interested in how you ended up crossing the hitch for the trailer camera, if it's not wireless...

Cheers,
-jd.

[rickandsandi]

The best way is to make friends as soon as you pull up to your site. As mentioned I always offer help and never feel bad when they say no thanks and the hit the fire pit!