Dear Jaclyn and Heidi,
My wife Toni and I have been looking forward to this trip for years, and it’s everything we had hoped for … nearly! I find myself getting extremely anxious about driving. We have only got a medium-sized caravan but I am a useless reverser and just can’t seem to get used to the size of the vehicle. I am dreading heading inland next week when I know we will be on a lot of narrow roads. The thought of having to brake sharply because of cattle on the road or something, or of meeting a road train coming in the opposite direction is giving me night terrors! Unfortunately, Toni doesn’t drive and I can’t really tell her how I feel. She would be so disappointed. Will things improve?
Eric
You might well get used to towing your van eventually, Eric. But, if you’re so desperately worried about driving, you need to do something about it sooner rather than later. This trip is about living your dreams … not making your worst nightmares come true. The other thing to consider, of course, is safety … both yours and other road users. If you are so unsure about making basic towing manoeuvres, or don’ really have a sense of how much space your rig is taking up, you can potentially make a very costly mistake. You must tell Toni about your concerns and then sign up for a towing course. You will learn all of the skills you need to not only get out there into this wonderful country with your van … but also to enjoy getting out there.
Jaclyn
No, it’s not going to get better, Eric. Not everybody is suited to towing a caravan, not everybody is suited to driving a huge motorhome … and not everybody is suited to wearing a pink tutu, either. Rig choice is about horses for courses and you’ve backed the wrong nag here. It’s a shame you spent tens of thousands of dollars before you realised it. However, you won’t be the first to get caught up in the “I’ve-got-to-have-a-van-as-big-as-them”, or “of-course-I-can-handle-it” older man machismo. You should try before you buy, Eric. It’s back to the drawing board now … maybe a small motorhome, a campervan, or just a tent could be the go. I think it was Clint Eastwood who said: “A man’s got to know his limitations.”
Heidi
