Backing 5th Wheel Down Straightaway

You indicated black marks from the front tires in you first post. That indicated that while breaking to control speed the front tires may be sliding. If they are sliding they can not be steering at the same time. If you can manage it control speed with trailer breaks only so the front tires do not slide.
Happy backing.

Try adjusting your mirrors from driving mode. Open them enough so you barely see the back of your 5ver.

What works great for me is.. Look in your mirror about 4' or so past your trailer tire and aim your trailer tire for that spot continuously making adjustments as you back up aiming for your spot that is continually moving back, as you back up... Good luck, hope this works for ya

Remember that to go straight the sides of the trailer will look like extensions of the tow vehicle. As stated above, don't over do it with steering.

"One other piece of advice: When you 1st see it going bad, stop and pull forward a couple feet. Then continue backing... "

I second this. Pulling forward will naturally straighten the rig. And there's nothing wrong with doing this more then once. Just make sure you pull forward enough to insure that both your truck and the 5er are really back in-line.

IMHO this works much better then trying to correct a situation that has gotten ugly by overreacting with the steering wheel.

Tim

Growing up on a farm, I can tell you that backing a fifth wheel is child's play compared to a farm wagon. I do neither well. Especially with a helpful person trying to give me directions. It's much like being watched going to the bathroom.

Buy or rent a "striper". Paint yourself a line down the driver's side. Follow the line. This helped at work a long time ago.

I used to back up into a subdivision of park model homes. Well over a 100 ft with two curves. as some others have said - GO SLOW - try to start lined up straight, use the mirrors, make small corrections.

The BEST hint I ever got was have your right hand at the bottom centre of the steering wheel -- - if you want the rig to go right, turn your hand right (counter clockwise) watch in the right mirror until you see the right rear corner start to move.
Straighten up again until you can see down each side.

If you want the rig to go left then move your hand left (clockwise) - again slowly.

When in doubt STOP - pull forward until rig is straight and start again.

Roll up your window so you DON'T hear all the looky loos trying to give you instructions and making you flustered.

bbt

I have the same 100ft+ driveway. One time I hit the parking space dead on and the next time on on the grass with the truck.I have to go 100 ft back and then move over about 30 ft and then straighten it out and then done. Practice makes perfect they say but when you do it so seldom you don't get much practice in. SLOW and easy I know but it doesn"t always work that way. It would be nice if you could slide the axles like semi's. It would make the job easier. And corners in cities would not be such a gamble either.

With my old truck the mirrors didn't stick out quite far enough to see down both sides of the trailer at the same time. When I could see down one side of the trailer the truck/trailer were not lined up so it would turn. With the new truck the mirrors stick out far enough to see down both sides of the trailer at the same time which made a world of difference with straight line backing.