Greetings:

As I get older, the question that I ask myself is how much longer, even if my health stays ok do I want to tow.  I'm 79 now so one has to think about this.  I plan on doing at least the 2020 season.  I'll have it paid for in a couple of years, so maybe I'll just keep the pod even if I only use it for a couple of weeks a year.  The day does come when you are no longer able to drive, let alone tow something.  One has to take individual responsibility.  I don't know how many other folks are facing this on the forum.  It's something that everyone has to face in time. 

Crankster78   (now 79)  R-179

 

  My plan includes taking extra care with my health, and adding such effort-savers as I can manage. Most recent was a powered tongue jack. Oh, I highly recommend it!

Regards,

Ken

K6EK

Thankfully if we are fortunate in selecting our parents and have avoided 'wear and tear' issues, I think chronologic age becomes nearly (but not totally) irrelevant. 

Neck issues preventing neck rotation to scan for objects to the side, and vision issues, seem to be the biggies. I am wondering if installing side cameras might be of tremendous value in extending our useful RVing lives (?).

I knew a lot of drivers in their mid-70's with a lot of vim and vigor...and they passed the medical certification year after year.

Being fully alert, aware, and competent, while pulling a small travel trailer is a lot easier, and your driving days can be a lot shorter. Plus you can pull over and rest any time you like. No schedule to keep, other than one that you impose on yourself.

Greetings:

All very thoughtful additions to the discussion.  I think that I will know when the time comes to give up the keys.  I find myself becoming a more cautious driver.  My Mother was driving at my age, but was having accidents.  Her insurance company canceled, and she had to quit which was a good thing.  I've driven and rode over a million miles in my life time and haven't had a single ticket in over 40 years.  I am my own strongest critic, and find myself checking for traffic several times at intersections.  

Happy Poding and enjoy the Forth of July.  Remember what we are celebrating!

Crankster78 R-179

The only ticket I have ever gotten was in Germany on the Autobahn. 

I did not slow down fast enough entering a construction zone and got caught by a radar camera. I received the ticket through distribution channels a few months after the incident.

I have tried to be very cautious over the years. I still try to practice what was in driver's ed from back in high school and what is in the driver's manual for my state (NC). It helped when I needed to take a road test again after my stroke that I did not have to do anything different than what I normally do as I have the good habits ingrained (such as turning into the proper lane when entering a 4 lane road from either left or right turn or coming to a full stop at the stop line before making a right-turn on red).

My mother gave up driving after she had a stroke that affected her language abilities. She was afraid she would not recognize stop signs or lights properly and did not want to be the cause of an accident. My dad, OTOH, was probably driving longer than he should have but had some medical problems that stopped him from driving finally without us having to have that discussion. They still have the car, but my younger sister is planning on selling it for them as soon as she can (she handles their finances).

I'm thankful to be able to drive and to tow our RPod. It will be hard to eventually have togive it up, but I hope I have the sense to do so when the time comes that it is necessary.

I hope we are given that wisdom when the hard decision has to be made.  My mother, at the age of 85 had that hard decision to make while driving around home in Detroit.  City drivers tend to be short on grace and long on hitting the horn if someone doesn't respond to moving in an instant.  This bothered mom to a point she was afraid someone might shoot her because her reflexes were slowing down.  

I purchased our 177 when I was 56, now 9 years later and hope to have many memories yet to make with my bride of 42 years as we make new discoveries in this great land of abundance.  Not looking forward to the time when the keys will be handed over but in the meantime live day to day, living the abundant life.

Now, sadly, I have moved on from the regulatory compliance guy and am edging toward the latter category, although I don't wear a hat while driving, can still kinda see, can hear if my hearing aids are stuck in, and my RPod ain't nowhere near 10's of thousands of pounds. My blood pressure's pretty good though!

No intention of stopping RPodding anytime soon!