New RV Owners

[campersam9]

This year in Florida we noticed all the new trucks and trailers . The one thing we noticed at night riding our golf cart people backing in to there site. OMG! They hit everting ground lights, lot markers, trees and trash cans.
Never before at Disney have we seen so much destruction. I can still here the sound of a 5 wheel hitting a picnic table.
We also noticed small SUV’s and trucks pulling a large trailer well past there limit. How can a salesperson sell a trailer over it’s weight limit?
We started out in a pop up and worked our way up to a 5th wheel. And we had some things happen. Today is not the same with the new Rv generation.

[bucko]

Originally Posted by campersam9

This year in Florida we noticed all the new trucks and trailers . The one thing we noticed at night riding our golf cart people backing in to there site. OMG! They hit everting ground lights, lot markers, trees and trash cans.
Never before at Disney have we seen so much destruction. I can still here the sound of a 5 wheel hitting a picnic table.
We also noticed small SUV’s and trucks pulling a large trailer well past there limit. How can a salesperson sell a trailer over it’s weight limit?
We started out in a pop up and worked our way up to a 5th wheel. And we had some things happen. Today is not the same with the new Rv generation.

I've mentioned this before, and with this thread, it is good to bring it up again:

My dad took me, the family car, some boxes, and our boat to a large mall parking lot one Sunday morning. He then set up the boxes, and had me practice backing the boat between the boxes from several angles, while he sat in a chair drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. After about an hour, we went home. I asked dad why he had me do this. He said I'd remember him someday and thank him.

Now with my class C and a small trailer in tow, I thank him each time I'm backing up.

Parents, teach your young drivers the same thing.

[TWP723]

The answer's easy, there are people just getting into the camp world and taking on more than they can handle. They buy what they think is the right vehicle for the job, when it may not even be close to what they need. Lack of RV education and confidence plays a big part in most of that kinda stuff I've seen over the years. We had a guy next to us last summer that just couldn't get that little 22 footer in the spot designed for up to 40ft. It took him at least 20 minutes just to get it in the spot. And even then, he was complaining that it was in crooked. I eventually chatted with him and told him that just because it's small, doesn't mean it's easy to handle. I told him I had more trouble backing in my 12ft pop-up than I ever had with the 5'er. And I don't even wanna mention my 8ft landscape trailer. I get more frustrated with those tiny trailers than I do with anything else. The next day when we got back from the store, there was a commotion down the way from us. Turns out, another guy was turning and clipped the oak tree on his passenger's side. Ripped the awning off and scraped her up pretty good. Overheard the conversation that it was their third time out. He was hauling a 44ft toy hauler. It seems like people that want to get into camping nowadays want to go straight to the top with zero experience. That's a recipe for disaster, especially if you're totally new to hauling.

[FrankieSaysRelax]

I did so much research before purchasing my TT. I was so afraid of making a mistake. Reading how salespeople really don't guide you in the right direction concerning size and weight limits, I'm very happy i did so.

[Funengineer]

Originally Posted by FrankieSaysRelax

I did so much research before purchasing my TT. I was so afraid of making a mistake. Reading how salespeople really don't guide you in the right direction concerning size and weight limits, I'm very happy i did so.

It’s all about the sale. They could care less if you’re inexperienced or don’t have the proper tow vehicle.

[RPR]

When I get behind the wheel my mind switches to 4D….length, width, height and clearance(passing, merging and backing) of course the older I get the more I think about leaving my mind in 4D HaHa

[66lincoln]

As a new owner, it's difficult to find a place to practice backing. I thought I would use the local school parking lot on a weekend. Nope, I was run off by school security as it violated the school's parking lot use policies. I tried the same thing at a shopping mall early on a Sunday morning hours before the mall even opened. Nope, run off by mall security as the mall considered it a liability of an inexperienced driver doing a potential damaging backing. So I tried a very large parking lot at two different business complexes after hours when the lots were empty. Nope, run off by on-site security who also keep an eye out for car groups that do burnouts and other mischief. I found one parking lot (strip mall sized) that would work and it's deserted at night. Nope, the property owner watches the security cams (RING or whatever service he has) remotely and called the police to tell me to leave. It's not as easy as it used to be to find large, unguarded parking lots to practice in.

[klinner28]

I will say that Fort Wilderness is the toughest place of all of the parks we've been at to park the RV... the roads are narrow with a lot of curves. One time we got there at 1am and if it wasn't for the sheer luck that the site across from us didn't have a tow vehicle parked, we were not backing in that night. We're headed there in a few weeks and hope the neighbors are around to move their vehicle when we arrive.

[muckinfuss]

Originally Posted by bucko

I've mentioned this before, and with this thread, it is good to bring it up again:

My dad took me, the family car, some boxes, and our boat to a large mall parking lot one Sunday morning. He then set up the boxes, and had me practice backing the boat between the boxes from several angles, while he sat in a chair drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. After about an hour, we went home. I asked dad why he had me do this. He said I'd remember him someday and thank him.

Now with my class C and a small trailer in tow, I thank him each time I'm backing up.

Parents, teach your young drivers the same thing.

Years back, when I was taught to drive an 18 wheeler, the first thing I was instructed to do was back up straight for 100 ft. When I was able to do that, back in alley dock. When able to do that, back in blind side alley dock.

Now these three maneuvers were done with a garden tractor and small attached trailer!!!! Give it a try some time. You find out left from right real quick.

Yes sir. Once I could do that, I was ready to learn how to drive a truck and use mirrors. In my experience, no one get taught much these days....they think U-tube is the be all and end all. That's why they destroy stuff.

[ARoamer]

Originally Posted by muckinfuss

(Snip)
Yes sir. Once I could do that, I was ready to learn how to drive a truck and use mirrors.

I am still amazed at the number of RV ers I saw last summer towing without trailer mirrors on their TV!

[RogerR]

Back to dealers. Never, not once, has a dealer/salesman asked what I going to tow my new (to me) trailer. Only once did they ask about WDH but then gave me a hard sales pitch on the one they sold and said my Andersen was no good (but I love it after over 15,000 miles of mountains, high winds, etc.)

[Yooper906]

Originally Posted by muckinfuss

Years back, when I was taught to drive an 18 wheeler, the first thing I was instructed to do was back up straight for 100 ft. When I was able to do that, back in alley dock. When able to do that, back in blind side alley dock.

Now these three maneuvers were done with a garden tractor and small attached trailer!!!! Give it a try some time. You find out left from right real quick.

Yes sir. Once I could do that, I was ready to learn how to drive a truck and use mirrors. In my experience, no one get taught much these days....they think U-tube is the be all and end all. That's why they destroy stuff.

Great post, this the same way I learned, backing into farm elevators with 40 ft trailers when I got my licence at 16. And when I turned 18 backing in doubles, because it's really easier than unhooking. But these were bottom drops, just had to back over a pit. Experience and practice is everything and had my Dad or Uncles riding with me in the early years. Never forget them as in "Watch your F mirrors, Go slow" Or "wtf?" Pay attention!

I'm 74 now, and miss those days and the people.

[SallyJane]

When we bought our 5th wheel the insurance company checked to see if we had the correct tow vehicle for the job.

Since I hadn't backed up any trailers in over 10 years I watched a few videos on the subject and got pull throughs until I was ready to back into sites...I was looking for an area to to practice but ran into the same issues the other poster did.

[alwalk63]

I have sold trucks for over 20 years and there are far to many salespeople that don't understand all the information they might need to know when recommending a proper tow vehicle. There ARE plenty who do, and one of their struggles is the number of times they have people telling them the 1/2 ton will pull their trailer fine who won't listen and take on board our advice. Or those who go shopping without the key information about the trailer.
Luckily there are forums such as this to help educate the newbies.

When buying your tow vehicle buy from a professional!

[MACDC]

Originally Posted by bucko

I've mentioned this before, and with this thread, it is good to bring it up again:

My dad took me, the family car, some boxes, and our boat to a large mall parking lot one Sunday morning. He then set up the boxes, and had me practice backing the boat between the boxes from several angles, while he sat in a chair drinking coffee and reading the newspaper. After about an hour, we went home. I asked dad why he had me do this. He said I'd remember him someday and thank him.

Now with my class C and a small trailer in tow, I thank him each time I'm backing up.

Parents, teach your young drivers the same thing.

_________________________________________________


I had a somewhat similar thing. Asked if I take the boat out with some of my friends. My Dad said 'if you can put it back where it came from you can use it". So he watched me and I did it. It wasn't my first time with the trailer but it was harder than I had ever tried before.

[Bayoutalker]

Originally Posted by 66lincoln

As a new owner, it's difficult to find a place to practice backing. I thought I would use the local school parking lot on a weekend. Nope, I was run off by school security as it violated the school's parking lot use policies. I tried the same thing at a shopping mall early on a Sunday morning hours before the mall even opened. Nope, run off by mall security as the mall considered it a liability of an inexperienced driver doing a potential damaging backing. So I tried a very large parking lot at two different business complexes after hours when the lots were empty. Nope, run off by on-site security who also keep an eye out for car groups that do burnouts and other mischief. I found one parking lot (strip mall sized) that would work and it's deserted at night. Nope, the property owner watches the security cams (RING or whatever service he has) remotely and called the police to tell me to leave. It's not as easy as it used to be to find large, unguarded parking lots to practice in.

Wow, I have never had that kind of trouble finding a place to teach others. I just went to an empty parking lot and did what we needed to do. I stayed away from poles and other objects of course. Your area must have had some real trouble with those car clubs tearing up the place to justify that much security.

[Hollander Mutthaulers]

Uninformed no-delayed-gratification people succumbing to the ads and salesmen's lie, "Sure, you can pull this with that!"

Pretty much the same as 4WD ads of people driving through mud, snow, mountains, rocks as if they're on a highway. The fine print should say, "Vehicle stuck and broken down half-way through ad". I grew up on Montana logging roads and have driven hundreds of miles of jeep trails around Moab and the rest of Canyon Country. Real 4WD vehicles with a confident experienced driver will do the job in the back country, but not some careless, naïve person speeding along with a big ignorant grin on their face destroying the environment in the process. There's no tread lightly in those ads!

As with those who don't do the homework on RVs, I always wonder how many people destroy their vehicles, get injured, or die because of irresponsible ads.

There! Finally! Got that off my chest!

And, yeah, go to a parking lot, back up, have your wife yell at you how to do it, make steering "backwards" muscle memory and backing up will be no big deal.

[CAG]

The forest here is full of them. As one AZG&F manager said. "The forest is full of bozos".

[hamerjk]

I still say it is the sales person is the problem. They do not care what you drive. I had 2 different trailers they both had different weights. They never discussed what I was going to pull with. I found out later I should have had a bigger truck to pull both. The sales person needs to tell them what they need to pull their rig. Most places do not care they got their money.

[imjustdave]

Originally Posted by 66lincoln

As a new owner, it's difficult to find a place to practice backing. I thought I would use the local school parking lot on a weekend. Nope, I was run off by school security as it violated the school's parking lot use policies. I tried the same thing at a shopping mall early on a Sunday morning hours before the mall even opened. Nope, run off by mall security as the mall considered it a liability of an inexperienced driver doing a potential damaging backing. So I tried a very large parking lot at two different business complexes after hours when the lots were empty. Nope, run off by on-site security who also keep an eye out for car groups that do burnouts and other mischief. I found one parking lot (strip mall sized) that would work and it's deserted at night. Nope, the property owner watches the security cams (RING or whatever service he has) remotely and called the police to tell me to leave. It's not as easy as it used to be to find large, unguarded parking lots to practice in.

where do you live? that's crazy town. wonder if they thought you were going to camp very common in Seattle