Who has "Trained" the "other half" to Tow

**SGT ROC** · 02-10-2020, 10:27 AM

It was just brought up in another thread about the other person in the couple/team learning to tow their rig. How many have a spouse, significant other, partner, whoever, who know how to tow and set up the rig? My wife has no interest in learning, even though when we go to places where we take our ATV's, she will tow that trailer with her car. She also used to be a School bus driver. I think the size of the rig intimidates her. (Not much else does). She can do everything else with the set up except leveling. She refuses to learn the controller. Let us know!

**theburgerts** · 02-10-2020, 10:59 AM

My hubby is the expert at towing. But we both go thru hookup, leveling, setup, teardown, etc.

Right now, we're not traveling, although we're full time. We have a family member with serious health problems, so we're in one spot for a duration of some unknown time.

Once we do travel, there is the intention for me to learn how to tow. I can do small/light towing, but this thing is big. But more importantly, if anything should ever happen to him, god forbid, it's imperative that I know what, how, when, where, why, etc.

This is something we both wanted, and we've been partners in everything for 44 years. This is simply part of our enduring partnership.

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**livinthelife** · 02-10-2020, 11:01 AM

Originally Posted by SGT ROC

It was just brought up in another thread about the other person in the couple/team learning to tow their rig. How many have a spouse, significant other, partner, whoever, who know how to tow and set up the rig? My wife has no interest in learning, even though when we go to places where we take our ATV's, she will tow that trailer with her car. She also used to be a School bus driver. I think the size of the rig intimidates her. (Not much else does). She can do everything else with the set up except leveling. She refuses to learn the controller. Let us know!

Both my husband and I took the RV driver's training course. I can tow. I help with hooking up. And I help direct back up for backing in sites.

I also follow behind my husband doing the pre-departure check (closed windows, locked doors, nothing loose, hitch is closed, etc)

When we get into our site, I do the levelers, carry everything from truck to rig, do "inside" setup. I don't know how to do the whole set up/tear down stuff - yet. But we're working on it.

**Chief T** · 02-10-2020, 11:01 AM

We are a team. She helps hook up, get the WDH bars engaged. She'll drive, but will not pull into a gas station or backup into site. She knows how to setup/breakdown at the site. Will need to show her how the set up is for our new GD though.

All the best,
Cheers

**Gimpyknee** · 02-10-2020, 11:08 AM

She's invaluable and works well with the arrival/departure checklists. We both do the leveling and hitching. Once we're level, she takes over the stabilizers, steps, and slides while I do plumbing/electrical.

She understands that driver practice is essential, just in case, we will be working on that this spring/summer. She loves driving the truck, just not with 34' behind her.

**AustexGP** · 02-10-2020, 11:29 AM

We both do the hook up as she backs up the truck and I raise or lower the king pin to lock up with the B&W hitch. When we arrive at the site and we have leveled and I have raised the 5th wheel she will drive the truck out from the king pin.

This fall we went on our first long trip from Austin Tx to Utah and she decided to drive from Muleshoe TX to Gallop NM. I think it surprised her on how easy it was to drive. She did really well and enjoyed it. When we left Tropic UT and traveled to Flagstaff she drove the entire way. If you have ever driven that route you know how twisty and hills those roads are, she did a fine job and informed me that she will drive more in the future.

On our Utah trip we hit some campgrounds that were gravel and not very level. Together we learned how to size up the site and which tires needed to have blocks for leveling and how to back up or move forward with the truck. Before we always camped on concrete pads and it was very easy to unhook. After the Utah trip I know that she could level the trailer and unhook.

But like Scott says, usually when we're level she takes care of the slides, steps and inside make ready while I hook up the fresh water, power and sewer. She will help me put out the sewer hose supports.

**bertschb** · 02-10-2020, 11:34 AM

My wife helps with everything but towing. She focuses on the inside while I take care of the outside.

She has never driven any of our trucks and has no plans to do so with the new truck we're getting next month. It works well for both of us because I don't think I'd want anybody else driving while towing anyway. When we drive home from Palm Springs to Oregon each spring, I do the 17 hour drive myself - in one trip!

**SGT ROC** · 02-10-2020, 02:49 PM

Some really good responses on this. I am surprised - a little. Most do a lot of things to help each other. That is key to the whole thing working. My wife will do, and does, everything other than the leveling and the driving. I will not hook up, or finish either the set up or hooking up without her looking at everything first. I want to push the towing issue this season, as we will be going a lot more. She can handle the leveling part, I think... She is college educated after all.

**Nrbsrsr** · 02-10-2020, 05:06 PM

We've been pulling boats and campers for over 30 years and I'm still paying for the time I had her pull our pop-up over the Thousand Island bridge 25 years ago while I pulled the boat.
On our trip to Alaska last year she said she would try pulling the trailer to help me out with the driving. The first 3 days on the road she tried driving about 60 miles at a stretch on the highway and claimed it wasn't too bad and wasn't as difficult as she thought it would be. . . Our 12,000 mile trip worked out to me = 11,800 miles, Her = 200 miles.
That said, I don't want anybody other than her guiding me when unhooking or hooking up and launching and/or loading the boat. After 30 years we've got that part almost figured out.

**The Bone** · 02-10-2020, 06:19 PM

My wife does the final walk through the inside while I do the outside. She does help with setting it up. I even let her hook up the truck once. She did rather well but there is no way she wants to drive. I offer but she always says no. She is a great camp buddy and very helpful. She know what I need and stays out of the way till I need her to help. She is my best friend as well as my wife. We do lots of traveling. She is now in charge of taking the pictures. I used to have to do that. LOL