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Old 02-28-2013, 01:54 PM   #1
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A Wife with Compass Skills

My wife has compass skills. I am proud that she is willing and able to help manage our 5.0 out on a trip together. I continue to share my knowledge and experience with her on all aspects of operation and care of our trailer. I love to stand there and watch her confidently back the fifth wheel hitch onto the king pin and hear that slide bar slam shut. One guy came over with envy and commented "Hell my wife doesn't even know how to put the step up or down." I just looked at him and smiled. It is great to get a break from driving while under tow on a long trip and to just relax or sleep abit. Sandy travels with a better than average understanding of how things work and basically what to do if they don't. She knows most of the what, why, and where of everything we need, use, and bring along.

These small fiberglass trailers are perfect for anyone to own and manage by theirselves. Our 5.0 tows well and the design & craftsmanship speaks volumes. The fact that we can see down both sides with regular mirrors combined with weight and frontal profile gives her a sense of manageability. Keeping things simple, minimal, and organized are key elements to learning that you really don't need a bigger trailer with more storage and more stuff to put in it.

I hope you men or women are sharing and encouraging your soul mate to learn these things. If I am out-lived... I will breathe my last breath with the thought that my wife doesn't have to sell the Escape due to her lack of knowledge and experience at traveling and camping without me. Because I gave her compass skills!
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Old 02-28-2013, 02:05 PM   #2
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Lucky man, neither of my ex-wifes could find their way out of a mall let alone hook up a trailer.
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Old 02-28-2013, 02:15 PM   #3
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That's great that Sandy shares in those duties, Dave. You better be careful though, you may become no longer needed.

My wife has never towed our trailer, though we have talked that maybe she will start fairly soon, just in case it is needed. I don't mind driving though, and am good for 10 hours or so behind the wheel, but only for a couple days in a row, then I need a break. This much travel is quite rare though.

She does however share in everything else with the trailer life, setting up and day to day activities. We share most duties, other than she does most of the cleaning (other than dishes). I am the maintenance man, though she will help when needed too.

Totally different story at home though, where Lisa does 95% of all the cooking and cleaning, while allowing me to focus on work and get some free time for myself.

We have only been married 26 years, but envision a heck of a lot more to come.

We too focus on minimization of our life with the trailer, and don't carry along any unnecessary (for us) stuff.
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Old 02-28-2013, 03:00 PM   #4
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Kathy shares in everything trailer related. The only thing she won't do is drive it through big city traffic. It's great, as our signature line suggests .

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Old 02-28-2013, 03:40 PM   #5
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my wife asked if she could learn to turn wrenches and i had to say no....i told her if i showed her how to fix things the balance in the household would tip in a direction that the dog would no longer respect me.lol

it is pretty awesome though that there is not many things in life that she is not williing to try or take on.

Speaking of compass skills, my wife is a Captain and just finished her training program on the tug below. The joke with with our friends is she drives em and i fix em, as i'm a marine engineer.

6000hp tractor tug
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Old 02-28-2013, 03:45 PM   #6
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my wife asked if she could learn to turn wrenches and i had to say no....i told her if i showed her how to fix things the balance in the household would tip in a direction that the dog would no longer respect me.lol

it is pretty awesome though that there is not many things in life that she is not williing to try or take on.

Speaking of compass skills, my wife is a Captain and just finished her training program on the tug below. The joke with with our friends is she drives em and i fix em, as i'm a marine engineer.

6000hp tractor tug
You are both awesome !!
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Old 02-28-2013, 04:42 PM   #7
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Dave, I think you're right that the size makes it seem very manageable. Those great big trailers just seem so unmanageable by comparison. I have seen where something happened to the man on the road and the wife had to get someone else to take her and the trailer home.

That said, I still would guess that Sandy is an anomaly even with the small trailers when there is a spouse. There are, however, a good number of solo women using small trailers. In fact, there is a whole organized group of them.

Bryan, very impressive. You will be a dual tug household --- land and sea.
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Old 02-28-2013, 07:07 PM   #8
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If you own something jointly, it only makes sense (to me) that both know how the systems work, can setup and tear down and drive with the trailer under tow. I can't imagine the frustration and anxiety IF the non-initated spouse would feel if the circumstances dictated they HAD to take control. Think broken arm, leg, heart attack, etc. Everyone needs to get home safely. And the tug and tow need to get there too.

BTW: I'm a solo traveler, but if I wasn't... you can bet the other half would know how to handle everything. YMMV
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Old 02-28-2013, 08:03 PM   #9
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I agree, Donna.

Two "wives" in this household and we can each do any of the setup/tear down, but I back the trailer up. I can't imagine being the one to do it or or doing nothing at all. ;-)
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Old 02-28-2013, 08:19 PM   #10
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Hi Jane, and welcome.

Two wives? How can you both be right all the time.
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Old 02-28-2013, 08:21 PM   #11
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If you own something jointly, it only makes sense (to me) that both know how the systems work, can setup and tear down and drive with the trailer under tow. I can't imagine the frustration and anxiety IF the non-initated spouse would feel if the circumstances dictated they HAD to take control. Think broken arm, leg, heart attack, etc. Everyone needs to get home safely. And the tug and tow need to get there too.

BTW: I'm a solo traveler, but if I wasn't... you can bet the other half would know how to handle everything. YMMV
Absolutely agree . We have been towing something for about 44 yrs , actually starting right after we married and that is 45 yrs tomorrow . While in those early years it was surely true that it was mostly the men in the drivers seat , that has changed . We don't actually know any couples where only one person handles everything - driving or maintenance . What does seem to stick around is the guys seem to prefer the trucks .
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Old 02-28-2013, 08:43 PM   #12
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LOL! She's not and I am! (Insert big cheesy grin here!)

Thanks for the warm welcome and the much welcomed snort!
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Old 02-28-2013, 08:50 PM   #13
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gabeck, congratulations on your 45th. An impressive tally...
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Old 03-01-2013, 06:14 AM   #14
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gabeck, congratulations on your 45th. An impressive tally...
True story! I've never met anyone I think I could stand for 45 years... sometimes not even 45 days. In fact, sometimes I look in the mirror and get mad at the babe that's staring back at me

BTW: I'm certainly not a guy, but I prefer trucks... in fact I own TWO.
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Old 03-01-2013, 12:26 PM   #15
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gabeck, congratulations on your 45th. An impressive tally...
Thank you ..... we are ready for the next 45 !
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Old 03-01-2013, 12:31 PM   #16
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True story! I've never met anyone I think I could stand for 45 years... sometimes not even 45 days. In fact, sometimes I look in the mirror and get mad at the babe that's staring back at me

BTW: I'm certainly not a guy, but I prefer trucks... in fact I own TWO.
Guess I better correct that to most of the guys we know ( or that we see ) seem to prefer trucks , but we also know that plenty of women prefer trucks - after all we are in Alberta ! We actually prefer an suv ... don't like sitting in a vehicle and feeling like one could get "road rash on our butts " ............... also know guys who only like sedans/sports cars .....
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Old 03-01-2013, 12:50 PM   #17
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We surf and paddle board - we much prefer a truck! :-)
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Old 03-01-2013, 02:59 PM   #18
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We've been married 43 years as of yesterday and my wife is always telling me where to go.

baglo
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Old 03-01-2013, 03:44 PM   #19
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We've been married 43 years as of yesterday and my wife is always telling me where to go.

baglo
Congratulations .... hope you had a lovely Romantic evening ! Long as she's not telling you to stay away it's got to be all good !!!
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