New Member in SC

[Mepps33]

Hello All- new to GD and the 5th wheel world. Have owned RV’s for 30+ years, pop ups toTT. This is our first 5er and loving it so far. Bought this unit used in August 2023. We are weekend warriors no full-timing yet, We do a couple of week long trips annually. There is a lot to learn so am glad to have found this forum. Thanks in advance for my dumb questions. Just have to learn how to back this thing up better.

[TucsonJim]

Welcome Mike and Terry. Answering "dumb questions" is our forte! We've been doing this a long time, and we are still champions at coming up with dumb questions ourselves.

Jim

[Yoda]

Hello All- new to GD and the 5th wheel world. Have owned RV’s for 30+ years, pop ups toTT. This is our first 5er and loving it so far. Bought this unit used in August 2023. We are weekend warriors no full-timing yet, We do a couple of week long trips annually. There is a lot to learn so am glad to have found this forum. Thanks in advance for my dumb questions. Just have to learn how to back this thing up better.

First welcome here. If I may ask, where about in SC are you. I'm always looking for new spots to see.. and fish - especially salt water.

Backing is a new process and I am still learning, so practice practice practice. I suggest getting soccer cones or paint up some water or milk jugs and find an empty parking lot (local fair grounds), etc and set up some various camping spots with roadway. and practice backing in to them. The other thing I almost learned the hard way is trailer swing and inside tracking. For that you need a painted parking lot and a second hand setting cones as your turn. Line up with the tires on a long line and as you turn mark how far out the tail swings. Repeat to indicate how far the 5th wheel tracks to the inside too - like pulling in to line up with gas pumps and not have the trailer contact the bollards.. To measure that mark the inside rear tow vehicle tire rack and also mark the trailer tire track. You may be surprised as how far in the inside trailer tire track is.. This is very important to know for turning on to narrow drive ways and side roads so you don't drop a tire into the ditch. and get hung up.

However at 30' you have some wiggle room in most cases . The longer the unit the bigger the problem of tight spaces is - lets just say the acreage need to turn and back in can be a challenge. I learned that the hard way with my 38' hay trailer and the barn door - even though the door is a full 12' wide.

Safe travels
Keith