Help with Backing Up
Sorry, apparently I'm not allowed to post relevant content.
Forum Discussion
My suggestion is to walk the site with her. Show her what you are wanting to know about. Mark where you want the wheels to end up. Show her where you want her to stand. If she gets out of view, stop the truck, get out and go look at what she is looking at. (My wife finds that annoying because ‘people will think I’m not doing my job’ to which I reply I’m trying to help you learn a difficult job. )
Spotting is a difficult job for someone who has no idea how the trailer actually responds to steering wheel movements in the truck.
Another suggestion is to find and print out a sheet of hand signals. Make sure both of you have it in view when parking. Another think I’ve done is let her spot for one of our friends. She seems to take his suggestions as just that. Sometimes she sees my suggestions as criticism.
Most important of all. Try to make sure she understands that you are not criticizing, just trying to help her make both of you better at the job of parking.
And if she makes suggestions on how you can help her understand what you want, danged well do them. This is a two way street and the “I’ve been doing it just fine for 30 years attitude” is a clear message you don’t need or really want her help.
Spotting is a difficult job for someone who has no idea how the trailer actually responds to steering wheel movements in the truck.
Another suggestion is to find and print out a sheet of hand signals. Make sure both of you have it in view when parking. Another think I’ve done is let her spot for one of our friends. She seems to take his suggestions as just that. Sometimes she sees my suggestions as criticism.
Most important of all. Try to make sure she understands that you are not criticizing, just trying to help her make both of you better at the job of parking.
And if she makes suggestions on how you can help her understand what you want, danged well do them. This is a two way street and the “I’ve been doing it just fine for 30 years attitude” is a clear message you don’t need or really want her help.
