Losing sleep over a trip?

[0rion]

Let me start by saying I've been towing a 5th wheel for 12 years and bumper pulls 10 years before that so hauling isn't new to me. The older I get though the more I worry. I picture just about every problem you can think of happening. To the point that I have trouble sleeping. This year is with a new, bigger, 5th wheel and we're almost a month out from our trip and I can't sleep at night playing situations we might run into in my head.
In all the time towing we've never really had a major issue and one would think that's comforting but I see it as we're about due haha.
Any suggestions?

[jeanluc001]

Originally Posted by 0rion

Let me start by saying I've been towing a 5th wheel for 12 years and bumper pulls 10 years before that so hauling isn't new to me. The older I get though the more I worry. I picture just about every problem you can think of happening. To the point that I have trouble sleeping. This year is with a new, bigger, 5th wheel and we're almost a month out from our trip and I can't sleep at night playing situations we might run into in my head.
In all the time towing we've never really had a major issue and one would think that's comforting but I see it as we're about due haha.
Any suggestions?

Yes
have confidence in your ability to handle any situation. you have extensive experience towing a trailer so anything that comes up you'll be able to handle.
be confidant not fearful.

[jaydee325]

I hate to say it, but it may be time to stop traveling in an RV.

My folks went through this many years ago. They traveled all over with a travel trailer and had a great time. Then they decided they wanted to spend the winter in one place, so they pulled the trailer south every year. Then my mom started having anxiety during the yearly travel. At that point, they switched to a park model in the park they had been going to for about 8 years. Mom was OK with just driving the car down for quite a few more years until the travel anxiety set in again. At that point they stayed home.

[RoverPodder]

A psychologist or other therapist or professional could probably help you process these fears and thoughts and provide you with tools to employ to help not have them interfere with your sleep.

[RVFunlovers]

We should all strive to find the balance of RVing safely, being prepared, well trained against just having fun and making the most out of our journeys.

Being responsible and prepared is smart. Not being reckless and to carefree about a trip.
But not to the point where we take the fun out of it.

Good Luck

[0rion]

Originally Posted by jaydee325

I hate to say it, but it may be time to stop traveling in an RV.

My folks went through this many years ago. They traveled all over with a travel trailer and had a great time. Then they decided they wanted to spend the winter in one place, so they pulled the trailer south every year. Then my mom started having anxiety during the yearly travel. At that point, they switched to a park model in the park they had been going to for about 8 years. Mom was OK with just driving the car down for quite a few more years until the travel anxiety set in again. At that point they stayed home.

I'm not that old yet(51) haha. Not sure I need to give it up. I just need to figure out a way to focus on the positives instead of what might go wrong. I hate being unprepared but there's just some things you can't prepare for and those are the things that keep me up at night. I'm hoping most of it is just being a new trailer and after I get a long trip under my belt with it I'll settle down and be able to sleep. Unfortunately that's 2.5 weeks from now. My old trailer was like an old friend. 12 years of maintaining and babying it and I knew that thing inside out.

[Max Headroom]

Originally Posted by 0rion

Let me start by saying I've been towing a 5th wheel for 12 years and bumper pulls 10 years before that so hauling isn't new to me. The older I get though the more I worry. I picture just about every problem you can think of happening. To the point that I have trouble sleeping. This year is with a new, bigger, 5th wheel and we're almost a month out from our trip and I can't sleep at night playing situations we might run into in my head.
In all the time towing we've never really had a major issue and one would think that's comforting but I see it as we're about due haha.
Any suggestions?

Been riding motorcycles for decades. Take a few months off for the winter, and I start having anxiety about riding. Once I get out and get going, I'm fine.


The RV, same thing.

Honestly, I think it's somewhat normal. Except for the part about keeping you up at night.

One of the things that make me anxious about the RV is, what new problem will crop up, and what is that going to cost.
Seems like there are two camps in the RV game. Deep pockets, and those of us with a normal budget that the RV might be a bit of a stretch.
I suspect it's a lot easier for the deep pockets crowd. If something goes wrong, they just whip out the platinum card. The rest of us probably hear the cash register in the head ringing every time there's some funny noise we hadn't heard before.
Planes, same story. Live on boats, same story.

I know it's hard to believe for some folks, but some of us do worry about fuel costs, repair costs, etc. For a lot of us, the RV isn't the only thing we have to maintain, and spend money on.

Hang in there. Save up a repair and problems reserve. Spend time making sure the coach, trailer, or whatever is in top shape before you hit the road, that should help somewhat.

BTW Orion, interesting profile name. I wonder if you are a fellow astronomer...

[777 Driver]

Originally Posted by RoverPodder

A psychologist or other therapist or professional could probably help you process these fears and thoughts and provide you with tools to employ to help not have them interfere with your sleep.

Although it's rare, it's possible for thoughts of impending doom to become acute enough to become debilitating. I knew an airline Captain who was overcome of thoughts of impending doom to the point that he was carried off the airplane that he had just parked on a stretcher. He flew a leg into Raleigh Durham and while sitting in the cockpit for his next leg, he just suddenly felt completely overwhelmed with anxiety. He never flew again.

If you have an established relationship with your Primary Care Physician, that might be a good place to start.

Take care,
Stu

[Bobby F]

Originally Posted by 0rion

. . . .I can't sleep at night playing situations we might run into in my head.

Something I was taught long ago in sort of similar circumstances - going out to do things that were life-threatening.

Make lemons into lemonade. When you start obsessing over some possible bad scenario, carry it through calmly and logically and figure out how to deal with that specific situation right there while you're lying in bed, or how to avoid it in the first place. Make a plan, or at least prepare yourself with the outlook that you can deal with whatever happens. These episodes of imagining the worst can be valuable - you figure out what kinds of phone numbers you ought to carry, what situations you can't fix alone and might need help with, what tools to carry, what types of roads to avoid, etc. Then, if something does happen, well, you have a plan, at least. Your paranoia can be valuable.

And, re: the "I'm due for problems" because you've mostly gone without problems - you're thinking wrong about statistics. If I roll ten heads in a row, it's human nature to think "omigawd, this next roll has to be tails." Nope, it's still the same 50/50 odds as each individual roll before was.

Worrying about bad scenarios is a good thing. I wish more people would do it. We'd avoid some of those situations!

[Old-Biscuit]

Anxiety is a self feeding monster that preys on itself............

[SomeDay]

I've struggled with anxiety many years ago but over health issues based on symptoms and the demise of other family members. My grandmother always chastised me when younger "Don't meet trouble half way my gal". I try to heed those words as much as possible.

If anxiety is taking over your life then you need to get some serious help to put things back into perspective.

Just purely curious but if you were having sleeplessness as your original post indicates with a previous smaller rig what made you get an even larger one to have more anxiety over. Just curious on your thought pattern there trying to understand, and the fact at least with the old rig you knew it's intricacies and handling of?

If anxiety in any form becomes all too consuming and affecting your day to day living or sleeping you need to do something to address it before it affects other things in your body and mind Orion.

[Camp CA]

0rion.........once you start towing that new fifth wheel trailer all your concerns will dissappear, espeacially if have a good tow vehicle, roadside insurance and an extended warranty with low deductible.

[Jkwilson1989]

Just plan for how you’ll deal with things.

When driving a new route, I worry about gas stops. 15 minutes with Google, and I know every potential stop on the route and which ones I like. I highlight the best ones in my fuel windows and hit the road with a good idea where I’ll stop. I know if there is a traffic light, turn across traffic or a second entrance to make the fueling easier. Saves me a lot of needless worrying and I almost always have easy in and out at gas stations.

[Bobby F]

Originally Posted by Old-Biscuit

Anxiety is a self feeding monster that preys on itself............

Or . . .