A simple idea

i usually have my wife stand where i want back of TT to stop. i roll down the windows and if i hear her scream i know ive gone back to far....

all joking aside she does a good job of directing me but just can't grasp the fact that i constantly have to remind her of.

if you can't see my side mirrors, i can't see you. after we get it where we want it and start to setup she asks "what can i do to help?" my response is check your emails, facebook posts, and texts. while i setup, then she gets the inside ready, when we break down. she always squares away the inside while i do the outside

works for us

CincyGus wrote:
Wife can't be trained...

LOL, that's a bit harsh, but I have a similar better half. The fact is that she cannot back the trailer, I can't even get her interested in just driving it on the highway. So expecting her to understand the geometry of backing up isn't going to happen. And that's fine, although the day is likely to come where she might have to at least manage to drive us home.

Meanwhile I'm content with her watching and warning if I am going to hit something. Any able-bodied person should at least be able to observe and warn before I run into something. I'll take care of backing, GOAL, because I am aware that the rear end of the truck cannot move directly sideways, and she apparently is not.

Wife can't be trained, at least I haven't been successful in the 7 years we have been camping together. She feels too much pressure in being back there and forgets all the previously agreed upon hand signals and starts failing around any time I get close to something. Even moving acceptably close like along the edge of the gravel on the drivers side of the driveway so I can maximize camping space will have her twirling like a windmill. She also doesn't seem to grasp the concept of if you can't seem me in the mirror, then I can't see you and I stop. Then she's confused on whats going on and throws her arms up.

Daughter has usually gone camping with us and she doesn't feel the stress and can stay focused without a panic attack so I've used her as my second set of eyes when available.

Luckily, I'm pretty proficient in backing after years with horse, boat and farm trailers of different lengths and hitch types along with dollies for aircraft containers as a former retired FedEx Express Ramp Operations Manager. Those things are about 8' long and just like a pivoting head hay wagon. That's the biggest challenge most of ever will face backing a trailer.

One of the reasons I got a backup camera now that our daughter is on her own and often isn't with us when we setup and comes later when she can. The wife takes the dogs on leash and walks them while I survey the space, make a mental note of anything I need to stay aware of and I use the get out and look method if it's tight and the camera isn't giving me the view I need to be sure.

Main tip I'll offer is survey the site intently. Walk it and stand in one of the rear corners if needed. I can't tell you how many times I avoided an issue by walking the site before I started my back in. Check limbs/overhanging items (Some folks forget to look up), items on the parking pad that shouldn't be there. Have found tent stakes in gravel pointing up where someone dropped them while loading up that could have caused a flat tire.

Good luck in working through to find a system that works for you. The main thing is take your time, don't get upset. Even with all the issues my wife and I have had trying to work through this, I never get upset with her. I just tell her "I got it, I'm good" and finish myself when I can see she's getting worked up. Camping isn't stressful unless we make it that way.

Pangaea Ron wrote:
She forgets that I have a microphone at the rear of the MH, and I can hear what she says under her breath.

This is why im strongly against "the ring" door bell lol. I don't need a microphone following me around the driveway!

valhalla360 wrote:

And one more signal: If you are getting close, she holds her hands apart equal to the distance you need to move...then as you move back, she follows with her hands. Makes it easier to predict when you come to a full stop.

THIS!

Pangaea Ron wrote:
I usually mark the end of my backing with an orange cone and place it on the left edge of the road

My wife is great at helping me back up. I tell her that I only want 4 signals from her to tell me which way we want the rear of the MH to go. She positions herself at the left rear corner and walks backwards. I don't move unless I can see her.

The signals are:

Pointing to the left
Pointing to the right.
Fingers on her hand up, palm in, waving towards her.
Hand raised fully, palm out, to tell me to stop

She forgets that I have a microphone at the rear of the MH, and I can hear what she says under her breath.

Exactly, if you don't have standard signals...random gestures won't mean much. Standardize the signals and it's simple. Biggest issue is she is in charge and your only right is to hit the brakes if something doesn't feel right.

Also, make a rule that if you can't see her, the brakes go on. It will annoy her the first couple times until she starts moving over so she can see your mirrors.

And yes, worst case scenario, put it in park, get out and look.

PS: Tell her when signaling to exaggerate her movements. If you can't see it, you can't react.

And one more signal: If you are getting close, she holds her hands apart equal to the distance you need to move...then as you move back, she follows with her hands. Makes it easier to predict when you come to a full stop.

When I had my longer trailer, I had four (4) 16" square pieces of 3/4" plywood.

I painted them orange and in tight spaces if I needed the assistance I would lay them on the ground in the path I want my trailer to backup and just ran them over. Once I was in, they were what I put under my stabilizer jacks.

Her words are not usually hyphenated!

But, usually something like. . . no, no, no, the other way.

Pangaea Ron wrote:
I usually mark the end of my backing with an orange cone and place it on the left edge of the road

My wife is great at helping me back up. I tell her that I only want 4 signals from her to tell me which way we want the rear of the MH to go. She positions herself at the left rear corner and walks backwards. I don't move unless I can see her.

The signals are:

Pointing to the left
Pointing to the right.
Fingers on her hand up, palm in, waving towards her.
Hand raised fully, palm out, to tell me to stop

She forgets that I have a microphone at the rear of the MH, and I can hear what she says under her breath.

So what does she say ? :B

Pangaea Ron wrote:
I usually mark the end of my backing with an orange cone and place it on the left edge of the road

My wife is great at helping me back up. I tell her that I only want 4 signals from her to tell me which way we want the rear of the MH to go. She positions herself at the left rear corner and walks backwards. I don't move unless I can see her.

The signals are:

Pointing to the left
Pointing to the right.
Fingers on her hand up, palm in, waving towards her.
Hand raised fully, palm out, to tell me to stop

She forgets that I have a microphone at the rear of the MH, and I canhttps://www.wunderground.com/forecast/us/mn/storden?cm_ven=localwx_10day hear what she says under her breath.

So what does she say ?