Got the trailer back, but don't know how to back up

whitebear80 wrote:
Excited to pick up the trailer, but have no experience of towing or even backup!
I didn't expect this is that hard... Gosh:(
frustrated, just pulled up straight ahead...
What am I going to do .........


Actually our driveway is not that short/narrow, but the trailer will not follow the way we want it to be
We realize that the trailer's wheels won't turn ...

Help

Take it to a vacant parking lot and practice. Watch your mirrors and get the "feel" for how it moves in relation to your TV. Make small corrections when backing up. Also, the shorter the trailer, the more difficult that it is to back up because of the amount it turns in relation to the amount the TV turns. Let us know if the practice helps.

When you go to back up, place your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel. Push the way you want the trailer to go. Backing up, everything is backwards and this will help.

Also, practice very slowly. Backing come natural to some, but to others, not so much. Just remember to go very slowly at first. I mean maybe 1 foot at a time, so you can see what the trailer is doing when you do something. Slow, slow, slow.

yloshrk wrote:
When you go to back up, place your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel. Push the way you want the trailer to go. Backing up, everything is backwards and this will help.

Rest your arm on your lap. Most will turn the wheel too far and over correct. As was mentioned, practice, practice, practice until you are doing it in your sleep.

Ok. Exhausted today, will find a parking lot to do the practice ...
Do we need a very wide road to back up? Do I have to straighten the trailer before backing?

When backing up, remember the BACK of the TRAILER goes the same way as the FRONT of the TRUCK...

Buy or borrow some orange cones, find a big parking lot and practice, practice, practice.....Dennis

When you are good at it, no, it does not take a wide road (or driveway) to back a trailer. But, it takes practice.

Start with a straight alignment of trailer and tow vehicle. Back across three rows of parking spaces (you are practicing in an empty parking lot, remember). Keep it straight. Notice how little you move your steering wheel.

Then, start straight, then back to the second parking space to your left, then right, two rows back. The point is, do small angles, then a little larger angles, before you try sharp angles. Get used to the small movements needed to turn.

Good luck!

I like to put my hand on the top of the wheel and think about where I don't want my trailer to go. I turn the wheel where I don't want it to go.

...Hope this does't get too confusing but another tip is to backup a bit and go forward a bit to straighten up, then continue to backup a bit more.....always keep correcting by going forward a bit to straighten up and then backing up a bit further...