Single Person - How easy or difficult to hookup, unhook, when alone?

Hello all. I looked for a solo rv'ers section but didn't see one, so I apologize if this is in the wrong area.

I want to full time when I retire and have been researching RV's. I am single, so that brings me to my question:

What is going to be easiest as far a hooking up and setting up when it's only 1 person? I can't decide on whether to get a MH with a toad or a truck/TT or truck/5'ver combination. I would really prefer not to have to buy a big truck and use it as a daily driver once I get some where. But, just how easy or difficult is it for 1 person to do everything? I still have some time before I need to make a final decision. I am curious as to what other solo rv'ers have and why. Currently I am not planning on doing a lot of traveling but finding a spot and staying a month or two then going some where else and staying for a while.

Your thoughts and ideas are greatly appreciated.

Generally speaking, I think motorhomes are easier and faster to set up than trailers or 5vers. When you park a motorhome, all you've got to do is push a button to lower the jacks (assuming you have jacks) and many systems will automatically level the coach. Then you push another button (or buttons) to extend the slide(s) and you're pretty much done.

If the motorhome doesn't have jacks, and it needs to be leveled, you'll have to drive up onto some blocks (or similar.) That can add several minutes to the setup phase, but it's usually no big deal.  Connecting and disconnecting your towed vehicle can take a few minutes, so buying the right tow-bar can make that task a lot easier. Of course, the tow-bars that articulate to make it easier to connect and disconnect are significantly more expensive. 

Kev

I have been Solo since 2013 and have some mobility issues to boot.

I tow a car 4 down (Very easy to hook/unhook) and as for the rest of it,  No problems. (Save for an issue with one slide out controller... And even the back up method does not give me problems there).

I'd say doable less you are in really bad health. I'm not in the best and I do it.

5th Wheel.. Well a bit harder to set up and take down but not all that much.

I could use a nice cute oh say 60something female traveling companion though.

Biggest difficulty with any is solo moving the toad/trailer/5th into position to hook up.  And with a MH/toad, on occasion it is sure nice to have someone follow to an appropriate place to do the hookup.

I'm not single, but I am a female and can handle hooking and unhooking the motorhome as well as the car.  I don't believe I would get a truck and trailer of any kind if I were alone.  This is based on my observations over many years.  It's only my opinion, and I know others don't agree, but I really don't think I could handle a trailer as easily as the motorhome.  Also, from a personal safety viewpoint I think motorhomes are better for solo drivers because you can stop without getting out of the truck and walking back to the trailer if you're in a dicey area.  That's also nice if it's pouring rain - no getting soaked walking back to the trailer.

That said, there are times with both where there is difficulty.  Jerry had one time last year that was a bear to unhook the car.  The angle was such that he couldn't pull the pin out.  I moved the car back and forth and he finally got it loose with a hammer.  Such situations are the unusual rather than the norm, but they do happen.

Someone mentioned leveling the motorhome.  In addition to boards under the tires and leveling jacks, there's another option which is air leveling.  The chassis itself levels at the press of a button and no one even knows you've leveled.  It's an expensive option but the best of all possible worlds!  We were talked into air leveling by a friend and absolutely love it!  This is an option that either comes with the motorhome or doesn't and cannot be added later.

ArdraF

I travel solo with a truck and 5er.  I haven't had any issues, sometimes backing into a site just takes longer alone...other times there's folks around that will spot for you. 

I considered the MH route, but I'm only planning on fulltiming for a couple of years, and will always be a pickup guy. 

It's an expensive option but the best of all possible worlds!  We were talked into air leveling by a friend and absolutely love it!

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It's wonderful -- wish I had it. My Beaver had it, but Newmar doesn't make it available on their Ventanas -- have to go up (per salesman) 2 more tiers to get it. Of course it's a diesel-only option, too.

As to the OP's question about setup, other than putting the slides out on my motorhome (DW does that, to give her something to do and to speed things up a little bit (two minutes, or so), I do all the setup work -- it's not a big deal, nor does it take a long time, nor is it strenuous. On rare occasions when I'm solo, I obviously do everything. So, at least in a class A motorhome, it's no big deal. You could also ask Judy or Dear Miss Mermaid who both solo in a class C.

I am a 74-year-old woman who has traveled alone full-time for five years now.  I drive a 32' Class C with no toad.  When I go into town or out sightseeing, there is nothing to hook up and I don't have to worry about backing up with a toad on the back.  I seldom have problems parking my big rig, even in small towns, although I might have to walk a tiny bit farther than if I had a car. 

The advantage of a motorhome is that I back up into a spot, check the level and put a board or two behind the tires to drive up on.  Then I hit a button to put out the slides and plug in electric.  Takes less than five minutes unless I am very fussy that day.  Since I stay in mostly state and national parks, I fill the water tanks ahead of time and then just need to dump every 4 days--big advantage of traveling alone is that the water lasts a lot longer and you get to use all the storage space yourself! 

I'd say about 60% of the time, the site is "level enough" without having to use boards--like tonight for example. I tend to slowly keep moving, driving only maybe 100 - 200 miles a day and spending a few days or so at each campground.  I have an electric bike, as does Miss Mermaid, and sometimes I will go into a town and park and get my bike out to get somewhere, but really I seldom have to do that.

I'm getting creakier as I get older, and I do wish I had a tall person to do maintenance for me, but I love traveling alone and manage, even with my aches and pains.

When my wife and I get someplace she takes the little dogs out walking. About 30 minutes the toad is off and parked, MH is hooked with water, sewer, electric, cable TV, and the awing is out when she gets back. A few more minutes to setup TV channels and we are done. Well except for figure out what is for food tonight.

I think a trailer/5 er takes a little longer backing in right and getting level etc. But not much. My brother backs a 5th wheel in and has it setup in about 30 minutes. Boondocking, well, in a MH you pull up and turn off the key turn on the propane if not already done, turn on the water pump and put the awning out.

There is lots of good advice here, but let me add a little more. My wife has difficulty getting around so I pretty much do evrything.  I concur that a MH is far easier than a trailer and, from what i have seen, a FW.  You want to be able to flat tow.  Getting a tow dolly into position can sometimes be strenuous even if on a gentle slope. I cannot imagine my DW being able to cinch down the front tires.  Of course, a better tow bar like my Towmaster Sterling or some of the better Blue Ox versions,  will cost more, but it will make the process so much easier.

As for getting into the spaces, it will take a little practice, but if you buy a couple of orange cones to put out for a visual reference you will manage fine.  You need to have a back up camera and monitor to do this well, so be sure that what you buy is equipped with this.

I remember recently seeing a small Japanese lady who was camping solo.  She seemed to be new at setting up and did everything very well, but was struggling to get the cover off the sewer fitting.  She was pounding on it with a hammer until I volunteered to help with a pair of vice grips.  I say this to say that you will find many helpful people around.

The only thing that count on my DW to do when we hook up is to step on the brakes for me to test the connection to my dinghy brakes.  I wouldn't tell her this, but even that could be replaced by a strategically placed mirror on a stand. 

That said I count on my DW to be the supply master for all trips and it sure would be lonely without her.

Joel

Thank you for all your replies.  I am leaning more toward a MH/toad combination.  My current vehicle can be towed on a dolly, not 4 down, so that would be a little more involved.  I should consider getting a vehicle that can be towed 4 down.  I really don't want to buy a truck to pull either a TT or 5'ver. 

Also remember that there are large numbers of parks with pull through spots. You never have to back up at all and the dolly stays connected for the duration of the trip.

others have mentioned, but I thought I should reiterate

sometimes with a TOAD behind a motorhome, I have seen folks seem to have to unhook the car someplace other than the campsite.... maybe up near the campground entrance, in a parking lot, something like that.... perhaps because there's not enough room and the campground may have rules against blocking the road to hitch or unhitch
....then they drive into the campground following each other to the site.
Sometimes this can be quite a distance away.
I could see this as a potential headache for a solo

I don't yet have a toad so I have no experience with it.

As far as everything else.
I grew up boating and other things, and have been able to back a trailer since I was oh....maybe 14 or 15...
I got really good when I used to tow a mobile test lab built into a goosneck trailer for work, long haul all over the place to paper mills and saw mills.  It was basically like a 5th wheel RV...

When we had our popup trailer I always preferred to just do it by myself.  My wife learned a long time ago when she asks "can I do anything to help"  the answer is going to be "tend to the kids and do something fun" (which really means stay out of the way)

Before buying the MH, we went back and forth a long time between bumper pull travel trailers, 5th wheels, and MH's....
I am very good at backing, hitching, unhitching etc... but still....EVERY single time I see someone towing a trailer, especially when in a CG, I am thankful that we landed in the motor home.  It's funny... I get a since of relief come over me almost every time!!!
because...
I came straight form a very high labor thing with the popup....but with the MH.... you back in or pull in..... set the parking brake..... shut off the engine..... and walk two feet to the couch if you want, or go to the fridge for a cold beverage....
If it's raining or I'm tired, I don't even have to plug it in right away if I don't want to... well unless its hot and we need AC..... but you get the idea...

Brad mentioned the toad needing to be unhooked far away.  I think in many years that's only happened to us once and it was because of the campground's narrow access roads.  Our pull-through site was pull-through but very difficult to access with drop-off drainage ditches on each side and we were glad we unhooked the car early.

Tow dollies come with their own set of problems such as having enough space to park it at the campsite or needing to drop it off elsewhere.  I've observed some real major hassles with wet and muddy tie-down straps that took an hour to release.  They're also not easy to maneuver around once unhooked.  We knew someone who finally bought a little motorized vehicle to move his dolly around - and then had trouble finding a place to park it, plus he couldn't take it with him.  All in all, I think a four-down tow is much easier.

ArdraF

Lots of good MH replies here, but let me add a trailer-tower's comment in case that option is still on your table.
I travel solo for about half of the 8,000 miles/2 months per year we average. Solo encamping/decamping and hitching/unhitching is a non-issue. Nothing involved requires lifting more than about 10 pounds.
Solo or not, an electric tongue jack should be considered mandatory equipment.

I think in many years that's only happened to us once and it was because of the campground's narrow access roads.

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We've had a few because of that, and two or three that were the campground rules to unhook before leaving the check-in spot. Guess it depends on where you are.

PopPop51 said:

Lots of good MH replies here, but let me add a trailer-tower's comment in case that option is still on your table.
I travel solo for about half of the 8,000 miles/2 months per year we average. Solo encamping/decamping and hitching/unhitching is a non-issue. Nothing involved requires lifting more than about 10 pounds.
Solo or not, an electric tongue jack should be considered mandatory equipment.

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I'll agree i travel solo for work and don't have any problems backing requires getting out to look a few more times but you should do that anyways.

Another problem with unhooking a toad is that often campground roads are narrow and you have to block traffic temporarily. 

And if you pull a toad, it makes getting into and out of gas stations a little more challenging because of the difficulties backing up.  Many people do it without problems, but I decided to go toadless and buy one later if I needed it.  And I never really needed it. 

And unless you plan to stay somewhere a long time, in other words you are in travel mode instead of parking mode for a month or more, you might want to start off without any toad at all.  I have managed nicely for 5 years and I do a lot of shopping and visiting museums and such.  My bike takes me around campgrounds.

We have a travel trailer. When getting it in or out of storage, I do it alone.  And at the storage facility, it is pretty tight parking between units. At the camp, My tell my wife where I want the TT to stop and she signals when I have it there.  She goes into the  TT and starts putting things away while I unhook, put down the stabilizers and tell her when she can put the slide out.

One of the features of our hobby/lifestyle is friendly folk. In just about any campground you pull into, there will be plenty of people willing to help you out. Also don't be afraid to ask for help from either your neighbors or the campground host/employees. If you had to unhook your toad at the office, for example, they probably would not drive it to the site for you (insurance reasons) but I'd be willing to bet they would come pick you up in a golf cart and bring you back to the office to get it!