RV travel alone

I don't know that a back-up camera is "necessary" - I got along for years without one.
But now that I have one, It certainly makes life a lot easier.
I highly recommend getting one.

Thank you for your input Issac and wild Bill I do watch loloho the site you suggested and the couple are very informative I live in ft lauderdale area and have been to ft myers to airstream dealers so pretty much know what I want just truck add ons Im indecisive about Will be buying a truck after first of year I know all you guys love your diesel trucks but Im not sure about that Too many energy sources,gas for generator propane  solar batteries deisel for truck I dont know if I want all that. I do understand mileage is better and climbing mts etc but Im not convinced for me

A generator is one thing you haven't touched on. If you plan on doing any boondocking, you will need a generator. Most travel trailers do not come with a generator. Most class Cs and As do come with one. Not many 5th wheel trailers have them, but almost all fifth wheel toy haulers do have them. Maybe you don't plan on doing any Off grid camping, Walmart overnights, or boondocking in general. If you do, you will have to deal with a generator big enough to run air conditioners, as well as hauling fuel cans. This can be a problem for a single person. You could buy two smaller generators that will run together the make enough electricity. Maybe you are only staying at rv parks, I don't know. If I were full timing , I would not consider a travel trailer, or any other rv that did not have an on board generator. I wouldn't consider traveling in an rv without an onboard generator. I owned several travel trailers, and hauled around a 3500 watt generator and gas. Its much easier to just push the button, and have power to run air conditioners, or a microwave. Good luck in whatever you choose.

lacey954 said:

Will be buying a truck after first of year I know all you guys love your diesel trucks but Im not sure about that Too many energy sources,gas for generator propane  solar batteries deisel for truck I dont know if I want all that. I do understand mileage is better and climbing mts etc but Im not convinced for me

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I wouldn't recommend getting a diesel unless your RV is so large there's no alternative.

I tow a 29 ft. Sunnybrook trailer with a Ford Powerstroke Diesel pickup, and the truth is the gas V-10 engine would tow it just as well.  The trick is not to get a truck that is just barely able to handle your trailer, but to get more truck than you need.  No one has ever complained about having too much truck.

Find the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) for the trailer you're interested in, then choose a truck and engine combination that gives you at least a 20% cushion above that.  For example, if your trailer has a 8000 lb. GVWR choose a truck that can tow a 10,000 lb. trailer. Not loading the truck to it's rated maximum gives you more power, better braking and handling and a more pleasant towing experience.

Ford's Towing Guide https://www.fleet.ford.com/towing-guides/ is a good place to start.  Similar towing guides are available from Chevrolet, Ram, etc. but Ford's is the most comprehensive.

Why would you want a gas engine instead of a diesel?  As others have noted, modern gas engines like the Ford V-10 can last for 150,000  or 200,000 miles or more, about as long as the medium duty diesels you'll find in a pickup truck.  You just have to downshift and let it rev up when you need extra power to climb a hill, etc.  Ford's new V-8 engine that will replace the V-10 in 2020 promises diesel-like low end power and I'm looking forward to see if it will be a suitable replacement for my current truck.

Modern diesels aren't the simple, reliable engines of old - they're loaded down with expensive high maintenance emission control equipment like DPF filters, exhaust gas recirculation, etc..

Everything about a diesel is more expensive.  They cost more up front.  You have to buy DEF fluid for the exhaust filters and do regular filter maintenance.  Even something as simple as an oil and filter change costs more - diesels hold 2-3 times more oil than gas engines and their oil and fuel filters are more expensive.

Finally, diesel fuel is messy and smelly.  It doesn't evaporate like gasoline when it's spilled and it will get tracked into your truck or RV.  Unless you wear rubber gloves, it's smell will linger on your hands for quite a while after fueling.

lacey954 said:

Thank you for your input Issac and wild Bill I do watch loloho the site you suggested and the couple are very informative I live in ft lauderdale area and have been to ft myers to airstream dealers so pretty much know what I want just truck add ons Im indecisive about Will be buying a truck after first of year I know all you guys love your diesel trucks but Im not sure about that Too many energy sources,gas for generator propane  solar batteries deisel for truck I dont know if I want all that. I do understand mileage is better and climbing mts etc but Im not convinced for me

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The reason "you guys love your diesel trucks" is they allow you to tow with a greater margin of safety and milage. They also have better resale. Oneouther benifit of driving a diesel towing a trailer is you can use the truck lanes to get diesel. I have found it much much easier than most gas pumps.
"Too many energy sources,gas for generator propane  solar batteries diesel for truck I don't know if I want all that" You are entering a transition to a new life style. You are going to find many things that you will have to adjust to and learn different skills and abilities. You might as well start with the best tools and equipment for the job.
I can help you with questions about your outher energy sources.
Why not reach out to loloho they may be able to answer questions you have about towing a airstream.
Bill

Ford's new V-8 engine that will replace the V-10 in 2020 promises diesel-like low end power and I'm looking forward to see if it will be a suitable replacement for my current truck.

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Sounds interesting. The old gasoline engines that big trucks used many years ago were long stroke and low RPM engines in the same general category as diesels tend to be, which is a lot of what gives the diesels the hi torque at low RPM, so if they have a new low RPM V-8, perhaps it'll work out that way. Of course the diesels still get better mileage, but power/torque can be close to the same with either.

One other advantage of diesels is that being turbo charged they don't loose performance with altitude nearly as much as typical gasoline engines do.

Take for example my 8.1L in my motorhome, at sea level it makes 340HP, but rough calculations say NA gasoline engines loose 3% per thousand feet of elevation, so it will be down to 255HP going over an 8,300 ft pass.

By comparison a turbo diesel engine will loose only 1 to 1.5% per thousand feet of altitude, so 1/3 to 1/2 the HP loss of a gas engine, with newer turbo designs perhaps being even lower..

Larry N. said:

Of course the diesels still get better mileage, but power/torque can be close to the same with either.

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Diesel fuel has 18% more BTUs per gallon, so a gas engine getting 10 MPG vs. a diesel getting 12 MPG are equally efficient.

Cost per mile is not as much of a factor now that ultra low sulfur diesel fuel costs the same or even more than gasoline in many places.

And with oil and filter changes costing twice as much for diesel vs. gas engines the difference in operating cost is further narrowed.

Lou Schneider said:

Diesel fuel has 18% more BTUs per gallon, so a gas engine getting 10 MPG vs. a diesel getting 12 MPG are equally efficient.

Cost per mile is not as much of a factor now that ultra low sulfur diesel fuel costs the same or even more than gasoline in many places.

And with oil and filter changes costing twice as much for diesel vs. gas engines the difference in operating cost is further narrowed.

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While there are more maintenance items on a diesel, the intervals are longer.
I put in DEF about every 3000 miles. Oil & filter every 15000 miles and fuel filters at 10000 miles.
Cost per mile not so different.

My fuel mileage with my 1 ton diesel is so much better than my old V8 gasser (1/2 ton).

Lacey, welcome to the forum!  I am a solo full timer since June 2017. I have a small Northwood Nash 17k travel trailer. One reason I wanted a smaller trailer is because I planned to disperse camp most of the time. I had never owned a RV before and never towed a travel trailer. I didn?t find it that difficult to get the hang of it just go slow and get out and look as much as you need to. My truck came with a backup camera. However about a year ago it quit working. I found that I was so used to backing up to the trailer to hitch up that I don?t really need it. So I haven?t spent the $500 or so it would cost to replace. My trailer is 22? overall length. I don?t think a 30? would be any more difficult, I?m sure you can do it !!

There are several Facebook groups for women RVers. You might check them out as well, they offer a lot of info and encouragement.

Thanks for the comments Debra, I was just wondering how it was for single people (men or women) traveling alone Im sure I will need alot of practice before I attmpt to go to an actual rv park I like the concept of boondocking very much so I think that wil be the road I take until I feel confident but your right after having a lead foot all my life my big adjustment will be staying in the far right lane and taking my time.  Im looking forward to the journey!

I also would suggest (as I would to my daughters or sisters), have some type of personal protection.  Even if you get some bear spray, something, anything.  Personally, I suggest a firearm and training.  Not to start that issue on this forum, but boondocking, animals or creepers.  Just be safe  )  Usually never ever a problem, but society, well we all watch the news.

lacey954 said:

Thanks for the comments Debra, I was just wondering how it was for single people (men or women) traveling alone Im sure I will need alot of practice before I attmpt to go to an actual rv park I like the concept of boondocking very much so I think that wil be the road I take until I feel confident but your right after having a lead foot all my life my big adjustment will be staying in the far right lane and taking my time.  Im looking forward to the journey!

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I agree with Debra. just go slow and think before you do anything. Most problems happen when people get distracted and arn't thinking.
How soon do you plan to get started? If you going to try boondocking I would do it at a full hookup campground. All you have to do is turn off the power disconnect everything and see how long you can go. You can learn how long your batteries last, water and holding tanks. It is a lot easier when you run out of power or water to be able to go outside and correct the problem without having to hook up and drive someplace.
If you have somewhere you can stay in the driveway that will work two.
Have a tablet and a pen so you can make notes when you come across something you need write it down.When you are done work the list. It is a real pain to be at a remote site and you forgot the corkscrew.
Bill
 

WILDEBILL308 said:

Have a tablet and a pen so you can make notes when you come across something you need write it down.When you are done work the list. It is a real pain to be at a remote site and you forgot the corkscrew.
Bill

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Laugh if you want, but the two years we hosted at the Grand Canyon, the corkscrew was the 2nd most borrowed item we carried.  Top item was "some way to start a fire".

One thing to consider if upgrading trucks. I had a very heavy duty FRONT bumper installed on the 3/4 ton pickup. The reason was to have a class 3 hitch
on the front. This enables me to manuever the trailer into tight places if I am alone. Positioning a trailer in a tight spot (for ANY reason) is easy when you can see everything over the front of the truck. It's not a big deal to unhook from regular towing and rehook to the front hitch WHEN NECESSARY to be able to see. Manuevering the trailer is much easier when you can see it directly out the windshield. This is only necessary for some places where camp sites are smaller or perhaps parking it in a storage (or any) tight spot.

Something to consider anyway. Plus a good heavy duty front bumper / grill guard keeps deer & other critters out of the radiator.

RANCH HAND is one brand:

https://bumpersuperstore.com/c-702679-superduty-bumpers.html