RV travel alone

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lacey954

Member
Joined
Nov 16, 2019
Posts
7
Hi I intend to purchase a 30 ft airstream and was needing some input from single travelers. Pros Cons necessary equiptment. I am a retired female  have no RV experience so would appreciate any suggestions
 
Is there a reason for the Airstream in particular??  Trailer or motorhome??  one is a lot more work than the other, and could sour you on the lifestyle..>>>Dan

( Welcome to the forum)
 
Welcome to The RV Forum!

Equipment for a single RVer is really no different that what a couple needs.  It really depends on what kind or RVing you want to do.  Will you be going from one RV park to another where you have full hookups, do you want to get off the beaten path and boondock, or some combination of the two?

There are several ways to get up to speed.  Hanging out on Forums like this is one way.  Escapees offers their RV Boot Camp several times a year.  It's three days of instruction designed to get you up to speed on what to look for and how to safely operate an RV.  You don't need an RV to attend, just stay in a nearby motel.

Then there are groups for RVing singles.  I like the WINs (Wandering Individuals Network) at https://rvsingles.org/.  They organize informal circuits that travel around the country, stopping and exploring the local area for several days before moving on.  They're very good at finding free or low cost places to stay and you can join or leave the circuit at any time.

Joining a group like this is a good way to meet other single RVers and share their expertise about what works for them or doesn't.
 
Welcome to the Forum. A 30' Airstream is going to require a well equipped 3/4 ton truck, Diesel would be best; and be a handful for a first time RVr.  That's a tall order for first time, even myself who is seasoned pulling trailers and boats, it's a lot to do by yourself. I admire your passion.  Have you ever driven or backed up a trailer?  I'm not saying you can't, I'm saying that it will be a heck of a learning curve.  A 30-35' Class A would be ideal for you, pulling a small car.  There are other single ladies in this Forum, hopefully they chime in with their experiences. 
 
thanks for all your comments I like the look of the airstream as it will be my permanent home. I have always driven a truck was thinking of upgrading to a 250 that what I have been advised to do Did trailer a small boat years ago lol but I know this will be different will be doing both boondocking and parks so there seems to be alot of extras I will need figured I would spend a few months just driving and parking until I am comfortable will certainly look into the other forum that you mentioned
 
Utclmjmpr said:
Is there a reason for the Airstream in particular??  Trailer or motorhome??  one is a lot more work than the other, and could sour you on the lifestyle..>>>Dan

( Welcome to the forum)

If you are saying a TT or 5th wheel is a lot more work than a MH I will have to respectfully disagree. We fulltimed in a 5th wheel and could get set up in less than 30 minutes. We now have a small TT and can get set up in mere minutes. If you are referring to on the road ease it is a moot point since she is traveling solo. Purchase what you like and learn to live with it.
 
Comparing your 30 minutes ,or even half that, to my 10 seconds isn't a fair race... And we haven't started on the labor involved...
    >>>Dan
 
lacey954 said:
thanks for all your comments I like the look of the airstream as it will be my permanent home. I have always driven a truck was thinking of upgrading to a 250 that what I have been advised to do Did trailer a small boat years ago lol but I know this will be different will be doing both boondocking and parks so there seems to be alot of extras I will need figured I would spend a few months just driving and parking until I am comfortable will certainly look into the other forum that you mentioned
First of all welcome to the forum and congratulations on your choice to join the RV lifestyle. I know some of it will look to be overwhelming and somewhat intimidating to start with. Don't let it get you down. You said you have been looking at You Tube. Have you looked at this channel?https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw5WYtMXQ799GErKpvR_5Rw
They have live and travel in an airstream and have many tips and suggestions about life in a airstream.
If you are upgrading your truck I would go diesel at least a 250 HD.
What is the timeline you are looking at? What part of the country do you live in now?
Just a tease, https://www.pplmotorhomes.com/used-rvs-for-sale/travel-trailer
Let me know if you have any questions.
Bill
 
That is a big trailer, but if you are full-timing, you might find storage to be a problem as trailers do not have the "basement" storage that motorhomes or 5th wheels have.  I met a lady a couple of weeks ago that loved her airstream but found the storage to be a serious problem.

A motorhome is a lot easier for a single person to handle than a trailer, but good luck to you.

I've been traveling alone in a 32' motorhome for over 7 years, by the way.  Never had any problems with security or feeling lonely. 
 
Debating whether set-up is 10 minutes or 25 minutes is of small merit - it's not a race. A single lady may appreciate the physical labor difference, but even that can be minimal if the trailer has a powered leveling system.
 
Im comitted to the classic airstream dont want to tow any car I will have enough to do ans as far as storage I am downsizing big time it might be a problem as JudyJB has suggested but now not so much the newer classics have a leveling system power jack etc. so some of the set up should go smoothly with plenty of practice I watch loloho on you tube I think they are very informative but I will look at your suggestions Wild Bill thank you
 
A 30 ft Airstream Classic weighs in at about 10,000 lbs when loaded, so definitely in the 3/4 ton (F250/2500) truck arena. Or a SRW (single rear wheel) F350/3500.  I strongly recommend a diesel as well.  The truck should have a tow rating in the 12,000+ range and an OCCC (payload) somewhere north of 2200 lbs. (Most diesel 250/2500 should easily meet those specs).  A quality weight distributing hitch is wise as well, e.g. an Equal-I-Zer, E2 Fastway, Reese Straitline or similar.

I personally feel a hydraulic leveler system and electric tongue jack are well worth the price and they can be readily added to a new or used trailer if needed.  If you expect to camp off-grid (no shore power hook-up) at all, you will probably want an inverter and additional batteries., and maybe some solar too.  If you expect to always use campsites that have at least minimal power available, I'd skip the inverter, at least initially.


For fulltime living the trailer should have a 50A shore-power electrical system. You can get by on 30A, but it's smarter & easier to avoid the hassle form the git-go.
 
lacey954 said:
Im comitted to the classic airstream dont want to tow any car I will have enough to do ans as far as storage I am downsizing big time it might be a problem as JudyJB has suggested but now not so much the newer classics have a leveling system power jack etc. so some of the set up should go smoothly with plenty of practice I watch loloho on you tube I think they are very informative but I will look at your suggestions Wild Bill thank you

I think you will do fine with setup. It really doesn?t matter how long it takes you, however, the setup for the Airstream shouldn?t be that big a deal. Unhook, level, jacks down, power, water, sewer and then adult drink time. Have fun!
 
If you have some experience with pulling a trailer, already, you'll be fine, there. It takes some practice to get started, but the principals don't really change that much because of length of the trailer.

If you don't have trailer experience, rent a Uhaul for a day or two, and practice in a parking lot to get a feel for the basics.

And you can find driver training courses that will get you all you need to know.

 
Let me address another side to solo travel, I am married, but about 1/3 of my travel is solo travel, being on my own for typically 1-2 weeks.  For example my recent 25 day trip where my wife was along for the first 12 days, and my college age son joined me for the last 3 days. 

I find that my daily routine in the RV is different when I travel solo vs with my wife or son, for one thing I find there are a lot of seating positions i don't use when travelling solo.  My coach has 7 possible seating positions (3 captains chairs, 2 dining table chairs, and a 2 position J sofa with integrated recliner).  When travelling solo I find I never use the captains chairs except for the drivers seat while driving, only ever use the rear dining table chair, and one end of the sofa.  In comparison when my wife and I are together the seating positions are a lot more dynamic depending on what is going on, and I will toggle back and forth between which dining table seat I am using depending on what else is going on (facing forward vs aft).  Much the same can be said about other routines which vary depending on occupancy, for example when travelling solo I can easily go a week between needing to dump the tanks without doing active water conservation, vs 3-4 days when my wife is there.  As such if I am only spending 1 or 2 nights at a location I will be much more inclined to dry camp, or not bother hooking up water and sewer, making setup much quicker, that 10 seconds or so someone mentioned above having a motorhome with levelling jacks.  Though honestly it is often more like 2-3 minutes, pull in, spend 15 seconds levelling, another 30-45 seconds closing off the curtains, plus about a minute to walk outside, and plug in the electric cord.
 
My issue with traveling solo is not where Im going to sit in the trailer lol is is a back up camera necessary, when I buy the truck what does everyone think of the pro ride hitch from what I understand there isnt much sway with these I am not a helpless female being a nurse for 30 yrs has made me pretty good at putting stuff together but I want as few problems as possible I dont want to have to worry about much of anything except putting out the chair and starting the blender.
 
lacey954 said:
My issue with traveling solo is not where Im going to sit in the trailer lol is is a back up camera necessary, when I buy the truck what does everyone think of the pro ride hitch from what I understand there isnt much sway with these I am not a helpless female being a nurse for 30 yrs has made me pretty good at putting stuff together but I want as few problems as possible I dont want to have to worry about much of anything except putting out the chair and starting the blender.
I think you are headed in the right direction. "is a backup camera necessary" I am going to say yes. You can get a wireless one for the trailer and some of the ones that come on the new trucks are realey good.
True you could get buy without one but maneuvering the trailer and hooking up would be much harder without one. Remember when backing in to a spot. if you have any concerns STOP get out and go look. Look UP to be aware of low wires, tree limbs.
Bill 
 
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