Solo Or Single-Handed RVing October 05, 2019, 10:06:56 pm Recently Margee was visiting her friends for a week, which gave me a chance to do single handed RVing. I’ve wanted to do this for a long time but didn’t want to leave my partner behind. Now I had my chance. I hooked up the Subaru and took off. I had a somewhat modest epiphany that wouldn’t surprise any of the Solo RVers. It’s much easier to RV when 2 people are sharing responsibilities like navigating, driving in traffic, backing up, negotiating tight spaces. Preparing, setting up, breaking down, dumping & flushing all take twice as long. At any rate, I wanted to take a moment to tip my hat to all the Solo RVers. It’s certainly not as easy as it appears. 8 Likes
Re: Solo Or Single-Handed RVing Reply #1 – October 05, 2019, 10:41:12 pm I’m an older woman andI have only ever rv’ed Solo, and I find it easy to do, except I have a toad and I don’t like towing at all, even after a year of towing, it’s heavy work for me hitching and unhitching and it makes me anxious, so I leave it at home now as much as possible.
Re: Solo Or Single-Handed RVing Reply #2 – October 06, 2019, 11:19:58 am I am a solo RV'er. I agree that it is more work and more complex than when you are splitting the load. I think, though, that most of us solo folks come up with strategies that make the mechanical tasks easier. So, perhaps it is not that much harder for us. One huge exception is when I get into someplace that I have to back out of. I have had that happen twice. Once was a two lane road in northern West Virginia with a 3 ton weight limit bridge and no advance warning signs. One was a state forest campground in Colorado which turned out to be closed for the season with a gate nearly half a mile in from the road. In each case, I unhooked the TOAD, backed it up until I reached a turnaround point, walked back, then backed up the RV to turn around and reconnect. Two drivers would have made life a lot simpler.For the most part, though, I don't think it is all that much more effort.Ken F in NM 2 Likes
Re: Solo Or Single-Handed RVing Reply #3 – October 06, 2019, 12:44:32 pm Most of the trips in our MidBath have been me doing solo trips or my wife driving out later and leaving earlier. She is not retired - yet. I never really thought about the setup as a shared task. Maybe that is something to look forward to. 1 Likes
Re: Solo Or Single-Handed RVing Reply #4 – October 06, 2019, 01:33:40 pm I’ve been “sharing” my LD duties vicariously with my DW & DD since the beginning. So far neither have actually taken the reigns and performed any of the more detailed aspects of set up and departure. Most often it’s been a solo feat on my part for the RVing tasks, although I do get help with putting the vinyl windshield cover on the rig. That’s a good start anyway.My daughter often follows me around as I make ready for a trip or departure and is good about learning the procedure. She’s also great at washing and waxing the rig. That’s a huge help and is considered part of her boarding fee for LD travel. I am basically instilling the knowledge in case of an emergency at this point. Practical lessons may soon follow. I don’t really think my DW wants to tackle the Black/Gray tanks although she will watch as I “do the dooty”.After watching the Wynn’s travel in their catamaran and seeing how Jason and Nicky fully share the responsibilities, my lovely wife admits that her involvement in the LD chores may be lacking somewhat. That’s encouraging. 😸Kent
Re: Solo Or Single-Handed RVing Reply #5 – October 06, 2019, 02:39:42 pm What Ken says about solo RVers coming up with strategies to deal with "chores" is true, in my experience, but there are still quite a few times and situations where having a travel companion (in the non-dead wood, "take care of me" category, of course; the dog already has the corner on that position! ) would be useful!I'm not a fulltimer, but have been a solo RVer in the "traveler" category for many years. (Fulltimers and "travelers", long or short term, single, paired, or "family size", have very different lifestyle parameters, needs, and/or constraints; perhaps a topic for a separate discussion.) As a solo, I do it all, before, during, and after a trip, i.e., the mechanical checks (or service appointments, if necessary), preparation, and various "rig" tasks per my checklist, cleaning, prepping, and organizing the interior, washing (and maybe waxing) the exterior, and planning and organizing any and all elements of travel for the particular trip. Because I have food-related issues, I also need to shop, cook, prep, and meal plan ahead to accommodate these limitations, including anticipating what I might not be able to get when I'm on the road and taking it with me. All the on-road tasks are mine; route planning/assessment, checking weather and or availability of services (have to do this before each travel day or find a place to pull over to use the web or the phone), dumping, water, hooking up (if I do), engine and tire maintenance, leveling, "spotting" when pulling into a campsite or anywhere else (GOAL!), cooking, cleaning, and dog care. As I age, all this is more difficult to do; it takes more time, more energy, and more planning. Sometimes, I do miss "sharing" a special event, or sight, or experience with another whom I know would enjoy it as much as I. Sometimes, it would be very convenient to just ask the person in the passenger seat to look at the map or check the web or make the phone call. And, sometimes, under certain "emergency" circumstances, e.g., medical, it would be very useful to have an alternate driver.But, despite any hassles, limitations, and/or downsides of solo travel, the upsides for me are that I have only myself (and the dog) to consult and accommodate and take care of. I can go and camp where I want, stay as long or as short a time as I want, see what I want, and do whatever works at that time. This is not to imply that I don't enjoy traveling and camping with friends; I do, and am very lucky to know some great people. Time spent with them is a delight! Each person is unique, and although I can understand why some might choose not to RV on their own, I hope that a person would not forgo travel/RVing if s/he really wants to enjoy the lifestyle simply because his/hers is a solo option. YMMV, as always! 7 Likes
Re: Solo Or Single-Handed RVing Reply #6 – October 06, 2019, 05:24:15 pm There's an old joke among new parents that goes something like this. Q: How do you make 2 young children seem like a light amount of work?A: Have 3 children!Indeed, most parents feel overwhelmed with their first child, and those same parents feel almost free once they're used to 2 and one goes off for the weekend. The same things happens with 3 (I've learned) and even 4 or 5 kids (I'm told).We all adapt to the situation we're used to and it becomes our new baseline. Along the way, it's easy to become accustomed to and take for granted the help we get along the way. Sometimes we only realize how much help it was when it's not there anymore. I've learned that I haven't always recognized or appreciated the things that have been handled by my traveling companions. It's only when they are missing from the trip that I realize all they had been contributing. Rich'03 MB in NC 2 Likes
Re: Solo Or Single-Handed RVing Reply #7 – October 06, 2019, 09:36:57 pm I wouldn’t know. We decided early on that it was better for the adults to you number the crawlers.
Re: Solo Or Single-Handed RVing Reply #8 – October 07, 2019, 12:26:16 am Had the rig for 5 years now, the last two being solo. Decades long division of labor was I do nearly everything, Mary does the most of the strategic planning. Aside from the companionship and conversation, what I miss most is the 'second set of eyes' which kept mistakes to a minimum. Dogs help for companionship, but they have yet to ask "are you sure you want to do that/go there?". 3 Likes
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Topic: Solo Or Single-Handed RVing (Read 259 times)
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