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

JudyJB said:

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.

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May I just say that as a single 28 year old woman this is the most inspiring thing I have ever read. I full time park right now but will soon be on the move & I am definitely a little scare of going it alone. Kudos to you for being awesome. I feel your pain on the height thing though. One can only own so many step ladders.

To the OP I def think the motorhome is the way to go. I drive a truck as my daily driver but I don't mind it. I think the biggest point is the safety that Ardra mentioned. It would be nice to be able to just drive away if something wasn't right.

I've learned to line up with the trailer and successfully hookup without any help.  The most difficult part is knowing when to stop the truck so the the ball is in position under the hitch.  I sometimes have to get out of the truck two or three times and move the truck forward or back a small amount at a time before its positioned correctly.  As the years have passed by, its become easier all the time.  My average for backing and hooking up is probably about 5 minutes not counting the time it takes for the electric Jack to be raised after its hooked up.

We used to have a 37' 5er and now have a 17' TT. With the 5er it usually took,one try to get it backed in, same with the TT. The wife sits at the picnic table and waits for me to,get things set up and then she goes inside and gets her stuff done. Outside is my domaine and inside is hers. I've seen many folks pull up and one of them gets out and tries to spot the other into the spot which usually ends up in an argument.

Forgot to,say I'm 66 and wife is 65.

I am a 69 young disabled female veteran who travels solo. Okay I have two small dogs but they aren't much help with things other than reminding me what time dinner should be. ;D
After doing a lot of research I ended up with a MH. I am not very good at backing up a trailer so I knew that was not a good option for me. Plus I did not want to spend more for a truck and rig.  I wanted something that was easy and simple to use and operate given my disabilities. I started out with a used 2007 Itasca Cambria  Class B plus. Had a bunch of undisclosed issues so I traded up for a Vista LX 27N which turned out to qualify under the lemon law. So am now on a Vista LX 30T and so far I love it. It is a great size for driving, maneuvering and using.  It is very easy to set up I am usually able to park without help. I find that  the 27-333 foot range works best for me, it is a good size for one or two people and using by yourself. Just figure out your points of reference and also get a system for doing things in order that way you can go through a check list for setting up and taking down so you don't forget anything.I flat tow a Honda cr-v and it is easy to hook up. I further simplified set up by using the Air Force 1 braking system. If I go somewhere that I really don't need to tow a car, I have an electric bike to use.  I stuck with the winnebago because I had joined the local WIT club and everyone is super friendly and helpful. When I have gone without the group there are always people around to help you out. There is a group of women rver's called solo women rv, just google  women rvers. 

May I add that I also know two ladies over 80 who travel alone.  One drives a Class A and the other just bought a new trailer and truck, so age is not that big of a problem. 

Actually, my biggest handicap is that I am only 5'1" tall.  I need long handled tools to do everything.  And I have a foam booster seat I made so I can see out of the front window when I drive!  I REALLY wish I could replace my driver's seat with a power version. 

A couple of years ago I had site next to a fellow that appeared to be in his late 60's that only had one arm. He did a fine job of piloting his 35 foot or so Class A, and managed the hookups with little difficulty other than perhaps taking a little longer. With the help of a couple of inverted 'V' plastic pipe supports, he even handled unhooking and hooking up his toad with relative ease. About the only other concession to his limitation that I noticed was the "suicide knobs" on the coach and toad steering wheels.

JudyJB said:

May I add that I also know two ladies over 80 who travel alone.  One drives a Class A and the other just bought a new trailer and truck, so age is not that big of a problem. 

Actually, my biggest handicap is that I am only 5'1" tall.  I need long handled tools to do everything.  And I have a foam booster seat I made so I can see out of the front window when I drive!  I REALLY wish I could replace my driver's seat with a power version.

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I feel your pain!! Adjustable pedals were the main selling point for my truck. I believe you can have them installed aftermarket! it helps you sit a more safe distance from the wheel and you could probably sit up higher without straining.

Been solo for 7 years now. First a 19' TT, then a 34' TT.  Now 25' Class C, usually with Harley Softtail in a 5'10' open trailer.  Ocaisionally a challenge, but usually do just fine. 

Another group of solo female RVers worth checking out is Sisters On The Fly (SOTF). 

Have you considered a smaller size class a or c?  The toad or parking problem go away and you improve drive ability.  Also because of a shorter wheelbase leveling should be even easier.

I see 24 footers on the road with no toads fairly frequently.  Also, you would have to check but if it uses the e450  chassis it should have more power to weight than the 31 footers.  My 31 foot e450 is a tad on the slow side and getting 8 mpg is my dream!

I have been traveling alone in a Class C motorhome for over 7 years. No car, just a bicycle with an electric assist front wheel kit.

Some people need to be in their car each and every day to feel good about going a zillion little places, but I am not one of those. I don't like traffic yet I chose to live in a motorhome so I could sample beauty in numerous places.

I have been blogging about my adventures most of the 7 years. Typically I pick beautiful parks where I can enjoy nature. I stock up in route. Living alone it's easy enough to store 2-3-4 weeks of food.

I have to level with boards, not fun, but doable. I try to get level sites whenever possible but since I prefer grass over pavement, this can mean dragging out the boards to level.

Some places are super wonderful and feel the need to assist solo travelers with their hookups. Hey, I have no complaints when they do that!

I love my lifestyle. The savings of having no car for 7 years is astounding.

I'm pretty new at this stuff having had my travel trailer for just a year, but I find that the set up and take down at an RV park is already getting pretty easy. Not being good with backing up a trailer I pretty much demand pull through sites wherever I go, and so far it is worked out fine that way. If the site is relatively level I don't unhitch for the night, and although I travel with my wife I take care of the hitching and unhitching, attaching power and water and sewer by myself and usually in about 5 minutes total. Two things that I have make the process much simpler. First is the back up camera on my tow vehicle. I can see the ball on the trailer hitch and my coupler and usually line it up right on the button on the first try. This has made hitching up by myself an easy task. The second item is an Anderson Leveler. This simpler piece of plastic makes it very easy to level the trailer side-to-side, but I will admit that having a second person to watch the carpenter's level while I ride up the Leveler makes it much simpler than doing it myself. The Anderson Leveler is a simple curved piece of heavy duty plastic that allows you to raise the wheel of one side of the trailer as much as about 4 inches without having to pile up boards and use trial and error to get the trailer level. Its the best $40 I've ever spent for my RV travels.

Mount one of these on the front of your trailer, then leveling side to side is a one person job. No more carpenter's level.

https://www.rvupgradestore.com/Camco-RV-AccuLevel-p/14-8470.htm

I recently saw this for the first time.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BH5MAA/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I3LU4XQNQ6QF9H&colid=98Q0GL0BGDQF

And thought it might be an option for my daughter's popup.
Does anyone have any experience with them?

The easiest hookup is a motorhome with a towed car.  You want an all-terrain towbar with extendable arms that stows on the motorhome when not in use, not one that uses a ball hitch and stows on the tow car.  An all-terrain towbar swivels from side to side to accommodate uneven ground, this also lets you lay both arms on the ground and lift them up one at a time instead of having to raise both arms at once when you hitch up.

Drive the car to an approximate position behind the motorhome, then lift one arm at a time and extend it to reach the socket on the tow car.  Insert the pin to connect them together, then do the same on to the other arm.  Then do the rest of the stuff to make the tow car ready (connect the electrical and safety chains, connect the towing brake system, put the transmission in neutral, unlock the steering and maybe pull a fuse or two) and you're set to go.

After connecting the hitch, I gently back up the tow car until one arm locks in the extended position.  Then when I pull forward I execute a low speed S-turn, turning left and then right to make sure both arms are locked in place.  This also lets me look in the side mirror and watch the tow car's steering wheel and front tires turn back and forth to verify I unlocked the steering column.

With a 5th wheel trailer, if you can turn around and see the hitch platform from the driver's seat, it's easy to back the hitch underneath the trailer pin.  Once the hitch is connected, retract the landing gear, plug in the electrical plug, connect the breakway cable and you're good to go.

If you can't see the 5th wheel hitch from the driver's seat, or if you're hitching a conventional trailer, you either use Big Larry's method of backing in small increments or install a backup camera and use that to line up under the the hitch.

There are lots and lots of RVing singles, the majority of whom tow cars or trailers and manage the hitching process by themselves.

Before you decide... you might go to a RV dealer and take some demo drives or even rent a RV and drive it around in order to get some first hand experience with the options.  Or, you could join FMCA (as an example) and find a chapter in you vicinity and go to a meeting and ask your questions.  Chances are that folks will be more than willing to give you tips, answer questions and do a demo.  Reading these posts can never be a substitute for hands-on experience. 

PopPop51 said:

I recently saw this for the first time.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BH5MAA/_encoding=UTF8?coliid=I3LU4XQNQ6QF9H&colid=98Q0GL0BGDQF

And thought it might be an option for my daughter's popup.
Does anyone have any experience with them?

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For a pop-up, I would carry a single step chock. Easy when you only have to worry about one wheel.

I just purchased my TT end of June and am full timing. My TV has a backup camera. That takes the work out of backing up to the trailer. I may have to get out a couple times to get the ball under the hitch correctly. I have an Equalizer 4 point hitch. The most difficult task for me is sometimes it is hard to get the bars up on the supports, particularly if the trailer and truck aren't quite level. Other than that the whole process is pretty simple. When backing in I do have to get out a few times to check that I'm clear of obstacles etc. I haven't investigated a backup camera on the trailer but that would really make backing in much easier.

Debra17 said:

When backing in I do have to get out a few times to check that I'm clear of obstacles etc. I haven't investigated a backup camera on the trailer but that would really make backing in much easier.

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I used to carry a tall orange traffic cone in the truck. I would walk back to the lot I was parking in, pick the place for the driver rear of the TT to stop. I would then get lined up and back aiming my TT drivers side bumper at the cone. If I couldn't see it I was too left and if I could see too much of it I was too far right. Once the cone tilted or fell I was done.  Once you are going straight back you have just one mirror to focus on (drivers mirror) and an orange target. This may help you to not have to get out often to check your progress.

Here's a trick to backing our TT that I still use.  When backing, place your driving hand at the bottom of the steering wheel (6 o'clock position).  From that position the direction you move your hand is the direction the rear of the trailer will go.  Left is left and right is right.  Give it a try in an open lot and see if that makes you feel more comfortable backing up...

vito55 said:

Not being good with backing up a trailer I pretty much demand pull through sites wherever I go, and so far it is worked out fine

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Debra17 said:

have an Equalizer 4 point hitch. The most difficult task for me is sometimes it is hard to get the bars up on the supports, particularly if the trailer and truck aren't quite level.

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Do you have a power tongue jack? If you do, you'll never need to lever the bars onto their brackets. Here's how:
Once the ball is locked in place, use the tongue jack to raise the nose of the trailer (and  along with it the rear of your tow vehicle) until both bars easily slide on. Now you can fully retract the jack. Easy-peasy. (Unless you're manually cranking your jack. This maneuver still works, but cranking to lift both your trailer and the rear of your tow vehicle is a back-breaker)
At every encampment I silently bless the RV salesman who showed us this trick on our delivery walk-through.