Women traveling alone

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Joined
Mar 11, 2016
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Do many of you women drive alone?  I have been driving with my husband or daughter (and dogs) 1800 miles per trip but it looks like I'm going to need to drive on my own a couple of times this summer.  Anybody want to weigh in on this?  I plan on overnighting at Wal-Marts and will be diligent about using my Crime and Place app to be sure I'm in a good area, but still.....do you think it's crazy to strike off cross country alone? 
 
There are quite a few women driving alone. Some are on this forum even. There are also a few websites specifically for them too. Just google it and they will come up.
 
We have a lady friend who drives her class C all over the country alone. 

She is also a member of this group:

http://www.rvingwomen.org/ 

 
I am by myself and had no problems so far.  Just use common sense, keep the doors locked, and always have situational awareness by being aware of your surroundings and you should be okay.
 
I am a solo full-timer woman and have driven my 32' Class C motorhome 75,600 miles all over the country in the past four years!  And I am 72 years old. 

I am aware of my surroundings and feel more comfortable staying in state or regional campgrounds, with an occasional commercial campground, rather than Walmart or other boondocking sites, but I know some of the other women do.  I have never really felt unsafe driving alone, other than the usual driver in a hurry who feels the need to cut me off or pass on a one-lane entrance ramp! 

I will tell you that my limit is about 225 miles per day, but I have driven as far as 300 miles in one day--it just made me really tired.  But I suspect by your login that you might be younger than me.

A blog full of very helpful and knowledgeable women is http://www.womenrv.com/forum/.  It is not a club, as the .org group is, but you can lurk all you want.  If you want to post, you have to apply and then get approved, and finally post a short introduction before you get full posting privileges, but it is a great group of women.
 
Thank you all!  I've been driving 1800 miles about 6 times a year, but always with my daughter or husband till this year.  Usually 600 miles per day. (And to the 72 year old woman, I am not too far behind you at 64)  We have always been on a mission to get there, and haven't been able to enjoy the trip too much but this year with my last girl in college I'm going to send my husband ahead to work (business in another state) and I'm going to go it alone with the dog. 

We've always stay at Wal-Marts and I think I will be OK with that as long as I've checked ahead.  I try to make a plan so I know where I might end up and call to be sure they allow it.  I used to always ask about safety of the area til I found the CRIME AND PLACE app, now I always use it when plotting my course.

Also use the PILOT, and AROUND ME to find restaurants etc.  Will mostly be on board since I have my dog with me and will be cooking etc.  My big fear is RV trouble.  We have had a few things go wrong over the years...a flat, and some other things that because my husband could take care of them I never even registered what they were.  Now I'm thinking....hmmmm......RV trouble a little different than car trouble, although my AAA policy does seem to cover. 

Thanks so much for the info I will check out the ladies group.  This is going to be an adventure for sure. 
 
hi  I am a new RVer...just got an 85 minnie winnie.  am learning the hard way.. lol  am a widow who wants to finish what my husband and i wanted to do in our old age... RVing.  hi!  Carol
 
Now I'm thinking....hmmmm......RV trouble a little different than car trouble, although my AAA policy does seem to cover. 

AAA RV coverage is spotty at best with lots of reports of them not understanding what it takes to transport an RV, sending out equipment that's not up to the job of handling a large vehicle, limitations on how far they'll pay to tow it, etc.

You'll be much better off investing in a dedicated road service policy from a company specializing in RV coverage to handle breakdowns.  Coachnet saved my bacon a couple of years ago when my motorhome lost it's brakes in the middle of Death Valley.  They sent the proper tow vehicle for my 35 ft. motorhome, a full sized flatbed trailer towed by a semi truck, and carried my motorhome over 70 miles to a qualified repair shop in Pahrump. NV. at no charge.  Good Sam Road Service is another good choice.
 
600 miles per day is too many, so if you really want to enjoy the trip, take a little longer to get there.  My pattern is to drive 200 miles one day and relax somewhere in a campground the next day.  Yes, it takes me a long time to get somewhere, but that is the point.  Also, if you drive fewer miles, you can stop at some scenic places along the road! 

And I recommend CoachNet also.  I have the premium plan, but there is one a little less expensive.  You did not tell us what you were driving or pulling, but you do not want an amateur trying to jack up or tow your RV.
 
I agree and echo the other comments -- be aware of your surroundings and if you aren't comfortable, then move on.  Safe travels!
 
I've driven a car alone cross-country but not the motorhome, however I wouldn't hesitate to do so since we share the driving anyway and I'm used to driving it.  All good ideas above  - situational awareness, a good emergency roadside service like Coachnet, and shorter driving days with numerous stops to walk the dog and loosen up your own muscles to avoid fatigue.  We stop every hour and take a walk around the rest area or around the block.  Hope it goes well!

ArdraF
 
I also travel solo during some of my travels.  Have never felt unsafe when overnighting but I have stayed at Flying J, etc over Walmart.  I prefer state/fed campgrounds but sometimes you just need to rest a bit and roll on. We have Coach Net and I can tell you from experience its so worth it.  Have used them for rv and cars and they have been wonderful. This forum has been a great source of help and advice and I second Judy's opinion of womenrv.com.
Happy Camping!
 
One of our long term forum members, Sarah Hale, is now in assisted living.  She worked on the North Slope in Alaska and would periodically travel back "home" during her breaks from the Slope and meet up with  her motorhome wherever she had last parked it .  She attended many RVForum rallies and continued to travel solo after she retired. 

She traveled with a male dummy sitting in the passenger seat.  For the life of me, I cannot remember the dummy's name.  I think it was mostly for fun because we all agree Sarah could well take care of herself, but who knows?  ;D  P.S.  Tom just came up with it!  The dummy's name was Elliott.
 
That's hysterical.  I used to work in DC and a woman in the office traveled her daily commute with multiple dummies in her car so she could drive in the HOV lane.  I think she got caught at some point, but it was funny while it lasted.  I am going to have to look into that though.  My dog is a standard poodle, and while not a show dog he is always well groomed.  People always want to come up to us and pet him, or find out about him.  It sort of freaks me out because I don't want someone I don't know quite that close when I'm alone, especially in a sketchy parking lot.  I usually just say he is not friendly, and even though he looks like Kramer on Seinfeld, most people seem to respect that a 60 pound dog, even know he looks like a fluff ball might in fact rip their face off.  I guarantee if he was a german shepherd or dobie no one would ask questions. 

Off to look for an inflatable! 
 
I always tell people I am alone!  First, no dummy or men's shoes outside your door is going to fool anyone.  They will see YOU driving.  They will also see YOU plugging in the electric and hooking up the water. 

And second, especially in campgrounds, I think it is important to introduce yourself to your neighbors because if anything goes wrong--you get sick or someone bothers you--they will be watching.  And frankly, in the four years I have been on the road, no one has ever bothered me, except the occasional kid who threw a ball too close to my rig. I tend to stay indoors because I work part-time online and have had neighbors come over to check on me because they did not see me outside.  Had another neighbor recently offer their help to do anything I needed when they found out I was sick with the flu. 

And finally, most people traveling in RVs are either families or older couples.  Only on weekends in "party" places do you get groups of younger men or singles who are out to have "fun," and I stay away from those places.

I have invited many perfect strangers in to see my setup in my motorhome.  I have even done that several times when I was parked on a street or at an attraction.  It is always an older couple or someone with a child, not a single male.  And I recently accepted an invitation to go out to dinner from a neighbor couple.   

On the women rv forum, the big joke is about ax murderers.  Most of our families worry about us talking to strangers or inviting them in, etc. because they might be ax murderers. We meet up with each other all over the country, which seems to bother some of our kids, and none of us has yet turned out to be an ax murderer, although one group did find an ax to include in their group photo!

The point is that there are very, very few ax murderers among us campers, and you need to remember that the vast, vast majority of people out there are helpful, not harmful. 
 
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