Learning to BackIn!!

If you know that you have space drive by the side that you can see. The other side does not need to be seen.

If in doubt GOAL. If somebody is waiting, too bad.

On our last trip to Maine, my son stayed with us a few days, he's living/working in Augusta. He has also worked on his pilot's license. He helped me hookup when we were leaving and used signals that they use on the ground for airplanes. Worked great, told him to show them to my wife, now she is using them!! Much nicer!

cdevidal wrote:

Forget left and right. "DRIVER SIDE!" "PASSENGER SIDE!"

x2 -- DW is still working on that change :B

hawkeye-08 wrote:

{tpc} wrote:
Backing in alone takes more time for me, but I don't mind it. Its when the DW is there that it can be problematic. My rule is to only let me know if the trailer or truck is going to hit something or of the truck is going to hit the trailer. Otherwise I get too confused..go left..go right, no i meant other left..other right...lol.

What I can't stand is the cramped busier sites...I mean I'm trying to get the trailer in as quick as possible...and I got someone in a car beeping the horn at me because they can't get by? Really? Its not like i'm building the campfire first LOL.

Next time someone honks at you, stop what you are doing, put the truck in park, exit vehicle and go ask them what they need, perhaps they noticed you were going to hit something or something was wrong... Tell them you were busy parking your trailer in the site you are paying for but since they obviously knew this and honked anyway, something must be more important, be sure to thank them for their concern. Take your time walking over and extra time walking back to to continue your parking. If they honk again, repeat process. If it happens a third time, go over to them and start talking about the weather...

Haha good idea!!!

{tpc} wrote:
Backing in alone takes more time for me, but I don't mind it. Its when the DW is there that it can be problematic. My rule is to only let me know if the trailer or truck is going to hit something or of the truck is going to hit the trailer. Otherwise I get too confused..go left..go right, no i meant other left..other right...lol.

Forget left and right. "DRIVER SIDE!" "PASSENGER SIDE!"

4X4Dodger wrote:

dvitale300 wrote:
I've been doing this now for about 3 months - and I'm just starting to get the hang of it. My problem is that once I get the trailer headed in the right direction, I overcorrect, and overcorrect, and have to pull forward a bit to straighten the trailer out. Any suggestions?

Do this: go to a big empty parking lot and find a very long straight white line, like along a curb or edge. Then practice backing a long way keeping it STRAIGHT. This will "teach" your hand and your brain the small movements needed to correct accurately. Do this with the line on your drivers side then switch to passenger side.

This one thing will help you more than all the other backing exercises you can do.

Once you do this Mark out a space on the white line 20feet longer than your rig and practice parallel parking in that space on your drivers side. Then switch to your pass side.

A bit of this on a Saturday and you will be able to put your trailer just about anywhere you want it to go with some practice.

You have got to be able to back the trailer a good long distance very straight with NO stopping and pulling forward or getting more than a few inches off the line.

Try it it will work and good luck.

Thank you 4X4 - I was actually backing the trailer up an hour ago down the very long driveway we have at the back of our house. I found myself doing just that - watching the tire's distance against the side of the driveway - and adjusting where necessary. Thanks

dvitale300 wrote:
I've been doing this now for about 3 months - and I'm just starting to get the hang of it. My problem is that once I get the trailer headed in the right direction, I overcorrect, and overcorrect, and have to pull forward a bit to straighten the trailer out. Any suggestions?

Do this: go to a big empty parking lot and find a very long straight white line, like along a curb or edge. Then practice backing a long way keeping it STRAIGHT. This will "teach" your hand and your brain the small movements needed to correct accurately. Do this with the line on your drivers side then switch to passenger side.

This one thing will help you more than all the other backing exercises you can do.

Once you do this Mark out a space on the white line 20feet longer than your rig and practice parallel parking in that space on your drivers side. Then switch to your pass side.

A bit of this on a Saturday and you will be able to put your trailer just about anywhere you want it to go with some practice.

You have got to be able to back the trailer a good long distance very straight with NO stopping and pulling forward or getting more than a few inches off the line.

Try it it will work and good luck.

Practice. Practice and practice.

I had a hitch cut 4 inches shorter so it slid in closer to bumper when I had a boat trailer, towed everything with that hitch. Picked up a new orig8nal length hitch then I couldn't back up for a while. Now with my WD hitch I'm learning all over. I liked the shorter hitch it seemed to make backing up easier, a flick of the wheel didn't make as much differrence.

I've been doing this now for about 3 months - and I'm just starting to get the hang of it. My problem is that once I get the trailer headed in the right direction, I overcorrect, and overcorrect, and have to pull forward a bit to straighten the trailer out. Any suggestions?

Jayco23FB wrote:
A simple trick I was told early on was to steer with my hand at the bottom of the steering wheel. With your hand in this position your steer to the direction you want the trailer to go.

I think a lot pf professional drivers would say this "trick" has to be unlearned to be able to learn to back up with your hand where it really needs to be.

Start off the right way. Learn to back up with your hand on the wheel normally.

If you do this it will become second nature very quickly and you wont have to think about where your hand is and which way the trailer will go.