backing in a site

Just as in Real Estate, there are only three things in backing, pratice, pratice, and practice! DW is your spotter? Have her try and back it in so she gets a feel for what is going on, she will then be more able to assist you in backing into a spot. Learn from your mistakes, each time you back it into a spot you will do things right, and then you will make some mistakes, realize what mistakes you are making, and the next time try and do the right thing. Over time it will become second nature to you so do not worry to much in the begining! Enjoy your rig!!

Practice in an open parking lot. Try to stay in lanes and back into "spots." Pull about 10' past where you want to back into and then cut the wheel all the way to the opposite side. Like youre backing the truck itself into the opposite side. This will "jack" the trailer. Then watch the mirrors and start to "chase" the trailer.

A little practice and you will have it down. I got good at backing up trailers years ago with my boat. My TT took a little practice and the 5er a little more. Of the 3 the 5er is the easiest for me. I just think of it like jack and chase. You will catch on quick. And USE your mirrors. If you cannot see something GET OUT AND LOOK.

Start by practicing backing in a straight line for several hundred feet using only the mirrors. Then pratice turning into a space from both the right side and the left side. then practice some more...

B.O.

All of the above

Watch the rear wheels of the trailer. That's where its going to go.

Practice!

Think about where your RV is going to go as you leave the site. You normally do not drive out, back up and then drive out again, and you should (with practice) be able to drive up next to a site, be in the place where the RV will be once have left the site, then back in.

So start with the RV a little ahead of the RV site, to the right side of the road, truck a bit to the left. As you back, and you want the back of the trailer going right, put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel, and go to the right. As you want to straighten out, your steering wheel will go to the left, and if you turn further, the trailer will start to go to the left.

The person directing you need to use their ARMS. If they point a finger and say go this way, you will be 60 feet away and not see their finger or hear them over the engine! They also must start to realize that you will not see them at all if they can not see your mirrors.

So with their ARMS they point the direction that they want the back of the trailer to go. Right or left, or point them up for straight. AS you reach the stopping point, have them put their arms say 4' apart, and gradually bring them together, once together, you stop, set the parking brake, and get out, look over the site, and see how the position is.

Some have used radio's like you can buy at Costco for communications in the campgrounds. But sometimes a wise guy gets on the radio and starts saying 'faster' "STOP" and confuses everything. . . Changing channels sometimes helps, unless they figure it out, and change with you. . .

Once you are parked, or near parked (or at least have enough room on the roadway for others to get by) get out and look for trees or other things that might block the slides, or electrical compartment doors. It is no fun to set the jacks, then figure out "that slide will run into that branch" a banging branch against the sidewall is annoying on a windy night. . .

So practice in a large mall parking lot, and try getting into a couple of spaces. Most campgrounds are set up with the parking spaces at a 45 degree angle to the driveway, so do not practice backing 90 degree turn into the parking space, but rather about 45 degree. Or better yet, pull across a parking space, then pull out, like you are going home, then stop after about 40', and back into that same space. This will get you good at figuring out how far to swing the RV as you go into a space.

Once you can pull into a space, are centered, and can pull forward to the right and go about 60 feet, then can back into that same space and center it, you will gain the confidence to do it in a real campground!

My wife practiced backing our motorhome into several campground parking spaces while on a 3 day weekend. On Sunday, after packing up late, we drove around the empty section of the campground, with me on the rear bed, backing into sites, until she got really good at it. . . Her only request was me to yell out if she was backing into something!

I always wondered why she was not so 'great' at backing up the RV. I backed my work truck into the parking space at my work in front of the HVAC shop several times a day, and I guess that is why I can back into a site much better than pulling into one. If the site is really tight, with trees on both sides, I back in, not pull in, as I can see everything in the mirrors as I go.

At home I always back into my driveway. I can see all the cars, kids, bikes, ect as I back in. And pulling out in the morning, when the windshield is fogged over, or the back window is not clear at all - that would be really difficult. Backing in is what I prefer. Even at supermarkets! Practice by backing your car into sites at work or the driveway at home.

Now rear view cameras are fairly cheap. You can search for Wireless rear view camera at this site. AliExpress.com

Good luck!

Fred.

There are some videos on YouTube with tips for parking a 5th wheel.

X-2 the practice in a parking lot.

If you have an area where you can go that has a large parking with open spaces. Take some cones or something to use for markers that won't hurt 5er or the markers if they get hit. Practice there.

Go to an empty parking lots and practice practice practice. Put yourself into different scenarios, be patient.