Newbee

We have always found, the smaller the rig the more DIFFICULT it is to back! The bigger ones (like a big boat) respond more gradually to your corrections, where a small one will feel like it has a mind of it's own sometimes! My kids learned with our tractor pulling a small trailer, and those are IMPOSSIBLE to back up!! When it came to larger things it was a piece of cake. Don't let size intimidate! It's easier (just more difficult with obstacles/visibility IMO)
 
A man's ego is a dangerous thing.....

The hardest part about these trailers is remembering the pivot point on the trailer and where your spotter should be standing to help you. Depending on the spot, the spotter should either be in front of the truck on the passenger side or at the rear of the trailer on the drivers side. Otherwise they can't be seen. Also, most of the damage you see on used trailers is on the FRONT upper right corner of the trailers. This is the "blind" corner on most rigs.
 
TNTBaker said:
We have always found, the smaller the rig the more DIFFICULT it is to back! The bigger ones (like a big boat) respond more gradually to your corrections, where a small one will feel like it has a mind of it's own sometimes! My kids learned with our tractor pulling a small trailer, and those are IMPOSSIBLE to back up!! When it came to larger things it was a piece of cake. Don't let size intimidate! It's easier (just more difficult with obstacles/visibility IMO)
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That is very true....try backing in a motor cycle trailer with a dually. It's a full day of chasing a trailer.
 
We are 39 ft. and haven't had any problem finding a place to stay. We are full time and don't use state parks much. As to private parks, many places we can stay hooked up if just spending the night. It might be a good idea to call ahead and check just to be on the safe side. Most of them have made their spots so they can accommodate the bigger rigs.
 
Y'all are right about the farm raised people being the best at backing up. I was road testing a girl one time. The road test was always conducted in the persons own vehicle for liability reasons. This girl was driving a large truck, 4X4 with manual transmission. One of the tests involved parallel parking in downtown traffic. I asked her to do this, knowing there was no way she would be able to do this in this big truck. I picked a fairly limited space to see what she could do........BOY WAS I MISTAKEN!!! She backed that thing in there and only put it in reverse once!! WOW! was all I could say! She passed with flying colors!!:LOL: NEVER, and I mean NEVER underestimate the power of a female!!
 
I found that women were better in mountain driving (men would "cowboy" too much) and men were better at big city driving (women were too polite). YOUNGER women had stronger bladders and could drink coffee all day long without having to stop (each stop at a rest area usually costs 20 minutes of drive time) while men had to stop every 3rd cup of coffee. With age....all bets are off.
 
rcflame said:
We are 39 ft. and haven't had any problem finding a place to stay. We are full time and don't use state parks much. As to private parks, many places we can stay hooked up if just spending the night. It might be a good idea to call ahead and check just to be on the safe side. Most of them have made their spots so they can accommodate the bigger rigs.
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Rodger, you're right. While on the road my wife will call ahead to save time. We've pulled off the highway a few times to find that the parks were full.
 
I am a country boy. I can back with the best of them. Having said that I cut my utility trailer into the side of my old 03 dodge last year. I was backing out of a narrow drive about 60 yards and was so focused about not backing off a narrow culvert and watching for traffic that I lost track of where the trailer was. It just takes a second. The trailer was narrower and lower than the truck. That's just excuses. I took my eye off the ball.


Rhonda and I are taking a course with these guys after taking delivery on the 38gk. http://www.mmrvtraining.com/ They will train both of us. My wife doesn't listen to me very well because when I change the pitch of my voice she thinks I am shouting and closes her mind. I will have someone else have the pleasure of teaching her and save a 41 year marriage. I hope they can refresh my skills and teach me some new tricks.
 
My wife wants me to start some sort of school when I retire since I've helped so many folks. The problem is......I just want to help my fellow RVers so I'd have a tough time taking anyone's money.
 
Dave, you truly are a wonderful person, I know it's been said before but THANK YOU for your never-ending optimism and willingness to share, your help is appreciated more than you could imagine!!!
 
My wife and I want to thank everyone for their information. We have not ordered our fiver yet but have been researching fifth wheels for some time and are sure that Redwood will be our choice. We are not planing on heading out till early next summer and do not want our unit to set a year. We have been told that there is a 8 to 10 week lead time so we will order next year. When our truck arrives and we feel comfortable with it we are going to rent a unit to get our feet wet. Ann and I feel like we now have a place to ask all our questions. Thanks again.
Earl and Ann
 
You'll find lots of great people on this forum ready to help. Better to ask questions now before you order than to wish you asked after you order when it's too late to make changes. Things seem to be changing rapidly at Redwood so you will want to be on top of that when ordering.
 
LBOROOM said:
My wife and I want to thank everyone for their information. We have not ordered our fiver yet but have been researching fifth wheels for some time and are sure that Redwood will be our choice. We are not planing on heading out till early next summer and do not want our unit to set a year. We have been told that there is a 8 to 10 week lead time so we will order next year. When our truck arrives and we feel comfortable with it we are going to rent a unit to get our feet wet. Ann and I feel like we now have a place to ask all our questions. Thanks again.
Earl and Ann
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I agree ... this is a great forum. I wish I had checked it out before we purchased our GK last September, but it would not have changed our minds, but reinforced the decision to go with RW. We bought a show demo unit, and the dealer extended our warranty to cover the time it would sit on their lot. We ordered our TV last month, and will go to get our GK as soon as it arrives. One positive note: with all the rain in the last nine months, we know the roof doesn't leak, as the unit's been stored outside. We went up to visit in April, take measurements, and check for leaks! :) Cheers!
 
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