Oldnerdguy
Active Member
Trailer towing experience is 100% the absolute most important item. I am still amazed that any Tom, Dick, or Harriot can go buy a vehicle and then can go and buy a trailer at the max weight the vehicle is rated for and drive off the lot. No driving test, no checklist to confirm experience, nothing. That can be 15,000+ lbs moving down the road. That could be extremely dangerous for other people and for the driver. YouTube and forums like this one can help a person get more informed, but there sometimes is no replacement for practical hands on experience.
Each Spring at the lake campground, it is a funny thing to watch as new owners drive in and then try to get backed in to their sites.
You can tell who just upgraded because you can see them go through and have a good idea of what to do but still a little uncomfortable and double checking the road and site because the setup is a little different. That is the correct thought process IMO.
And there is the complete new owners. There are two types of those. The ones who have tried to be responsible and stayed within their means (size wise) and super cautious and have a spotter and are trying to hurry and not get in anyone's way and so on. We usually try to help them if we can or they need it. Another example of the right way, IMO. Then there are the ones who just went out and got some giant rig and have no idea but think they do. They cut corners too tight and run the trailer off the road, seen a few popped tires from this, tree scratches down a side, mirrors broke off, etc. They have no idea how to back in to the site or what to adjust for, considering the slide, electric and water hookup, and so on. Once they get their heads out of the clouds and realize they are in over their head you can see it, and that is when we try to help. Offering before that realization generally tended to land on deaf ears.
Sorry for being so negative. I try not to be this way. Just frustrating that it is so easy for this to happen. It is the individual's responsibility to know what they are buying, but the camper dealer could be more realistically helpful and transparent on possible safety scenarios.
Each Spring at the lake campground, it is a funny thing to watch as new owners drive in and then try to get backed in to their sites.
You can tell who just upgraded because you can see them go through and have a good idea of what to do but still a little uncomfortable and double checking the road and site because the setup is a little different. That is the correct thought process IMO.
And there is the complete new owners. There are two types of those. The ones who have tried to be responsible and stayed within their means (size wise) and super cautious and have a spotter and are trying to hurry and not get in anyone's way and so on. We usually try to help them if we can or they need it. Another example of the right way, IMO. Then there are the ones who just went out and got some giant rig and have no idea but think they do. They cut corners too tight and run the trailer off the road, seen a few popped tires from this, tree scratches down a side, mirrors broke off, etc. They have no idea how to back in to the site or what to adjust for, considering the slide, electric and water hookup, and so on. Once they get their heads out of the clouds and realize they are in over their head you can see it, and that is when we try to help. Offering before that realization generally tended to land on deaf ears.
Sorry for being so negative. I try not to be this way. Just frustrating that it is so easy for this to happen. It is the individual's responsibility to know what they are buying, but the camper dealer could be more realistically helpful and transparent on possible safety scenarios.
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