Backing up with tow vehicle
Trying to get a feel for first time towing. Will a car or a small truck back up like a traier would? When steering is unlocked do the front wheels turn and cause a problem when backing? Would you eve...
Forum Discussion
I heard all the stories for years - don't try it ever, you'll destroy your tow bar, towed vehicle, kill a bus full of nuns, cause a cataclysmic reaction that'll end the world, yada yada, yada. Always just assumed it could never be done. 'Twas one reason that made me shy away from owning a Motorhome and stay with towable RVs for several years.
Then one day, when I was in a big, flat parking lot with the MH and towed vehicle behind it, I decided to give it a shot. Just had to find out for myself. Sooo, I started slooooooowly backing straight back, watching the toad vehicle very closely in the rear view camera. Whaddya know, I backed up a good 50' or so and it worked fine. Towed vehicle stayed straight, its front wheels stayed straight the entire time.
Since then, there has been a few other cases on the road in various gas stations, where I needed to back up just a few feet, and was able to do so just fine.
There was one extreme case, where I got caught trying to turn around in a parking lot, couldn't quite get around without the front wheel of the MH hitting a large curb. With the MH and towed vehicle already in a tight turn/angle, I backed up slowly a few feet. The MH gently pushed the towed vehicle sideways just a little. The key to it was, I was on loose gravel, so it didn't take as much force to push the towed vehicle sideways a little bit. It worked just fine - I was able to back up just enough to allow the MH to get around and avoid the curb. Did NOT damage or hurt anything. You can sometimes get away with things like that on loose gravel, but I would never, EVER have tried that on pavement or dirt!
Bottom line is this: You CAN do it, but it is risky, and you must be very, very cautious to avoid those risks. There are several factors that enter into this - MH wheelbase and overhang, towed vehicle's front suspension design, driver skill, etc. Unless you're really confident in your backing abilities, you're probably better off in most cases to just disconnect your towed vehicle, re-position and re-hitch up. Still, just know that it CAN be done successfully, contrary to a lot of what you may read. :)
Then one day, when I was in a big, flat parking lot with the MH and towed vehicle behind it, I decided to give it a shot. Just had to find out for myself. Sooo, I started slooooooowly backing straight back, watching the toad vehicle very closely in the rear view camera. Whaddya know, I backed up a good 50' or so and it worked fine. Towed vehicle stayed straight, its front wheels stayed straight the entire time.
Since then, there has been a few other cases on the road in various gas stations, where I needed to back up just a few feet, and was able to do so just fine.
There was one extreme case, where I got caught trying to turn around in a parking lot, couldn't quite get around without the front wheel of the MH hitting a large curb. With the MH and towed vehicle already in a tight turn/angle, I backed up slowly a few feet. The MH gently pushed the towed vehicle sideways just a little. The key to it was, I was on loose gravel, so it didn't take as much force to push the towed vehicle sideways a little bit. It worked just fine - I was able to back up just enough to allow the MH to get around and avoid the curb. Did NOT damage or hurt anything. You can sometimes get away with things like that on loose gravel, but I would never, EVER have tried that on pavement or dirt!
Bottom line is this: You CAN do it, but it is risky, and you must be very, very cautious to avoid those risks. There are several factors that enter into this - MH wheelbase and overhang, towed vehicle's front suspension design, driver skill, etc. Unless you're really confident in your backing abilities, you're probably better off in most cases to just disconnect your towed vehicle, re-position and re-hitch up. Still, just know that it CAN be done successfully, contrary to a lot of what you may read. :)
