Pro trailer back up assist
I'm curious why someone would practice using this feature rather than practicing using the steering wheel to back up? For those of you who have it on your truck, is it even worth hooking it up?
Forum Discussion
I'm curious why someone would practice using this feature rather than practicing using the steering wheel to back up? For those of you who have it on your truck, is it even worth hooking it up?
Huntindog wrote:
Edd505 wrote:
I often have to receive trucks at work... So I get to watch a lot of truck drivers back into the docks. It is amazing to me how many struggle with this.... Perhaps they should target the semi market for this "trinket"Bionic Man wrote:
I'm not going to watch a 30 minute video on the system. But I do have it on my Expedition MAX. I've set it up to work with both my boats. Only used it once - when I went out with a group of people, and no one was comfortable backing up the trailer to retrieve the boat at the launch ramp.
The system worked well enough to have someone with limited experience successfully back down the boat ramp.
Spend anytime at a boat ramp (or honestly a campground), and you quickly see there is a real need for a product like this.
How many semis are on the road and they do not have backup assist.
That's actually funny. I got my CDL by taking a collage coarse. The instructor had us backing what could have been a stock car race track. Once we got proficient going clock wise he had us reverse directions. The only person in the class that didn't have an issue day one was a local rancher. Like the kid above he had been backing equipment since he was a kid. He ended up helping those that had trouble because he didn't need the time behind the wheel. Everyone in the class was able to back and parallel park to either side. The school trucks had to be backed into a garage at night, all done by the students.
My very first "long haul" was in school from NM to Salt Lake city to pickup a dinosaur for a museum the school was opening. Made great conversation at the truck stops, been driving so long my first load was a dinosaur and I had pictures to prove it. :)Edd505 wrote:
Bionic Man wrote:
I'm not going to watch a 30 minute video on the system. But I do have it on my Expedition MAX. I've set it up to work with both my boats. Only used it once - when I went out with a group of people, and no one was comfortable backing up the trailer to retrieve the boat at the launch ramp.
The system worked well enough to have someone with limited experience successfully back down the boat ramp.
Spend anytime at a boat ramp (or honestly a campground), and you quickly see there is a real need for a product like this.
Why a limited experienced driver backing at the dock, I value my equipment more. First vehicle was 1885 and people have been backing them since, if you can't back without this you need more practice. Why do the manufactures think we need more trinkets? How many semis are on the road and they do not have backup assist. My backup assistant rides shotgun and watches as I back and lets me know I need to adjust. Simple but a little higher maintenance with food, cloths, housing, etc, but way better company.
LOL. Why a limited experienced driver backing up at the dock? Because it was one of my customers. Who doesn't go with me regularly (probably the 2nd or 3rd time). And he has no need in his everyday life to back up a trailer.
Why do manufacturers think we need more trinkets? One, because it is profitable for them. Two, because many people can't back up. Lots of folks out there that rarely if ever pull trailers. This is a great system for them.
How many semis are on the road without backup assist? Probably all of them. And they are driven by professional drivers. Hardly the same market as the half ton (or even HD market).
Are you the same guy who says we don't need power windows? Or power brakes? GET OFF MY LAWN! ;)4x4ord wrote:
I’m sure there is not a direct link from skin colour to driving skill. What happened around our area is that many unskilled people migrated into our province and soon learned that with little to no training anyone could get a class 1 license. With a class one you could get a decent job so in no time our roads were filled with semi drivers who really had no training or experience driving truck.
We have the same thing in Mississauga, funny thing is most get their practical test done far up north. There was a W5 show on people loading up cars with people getting their basic car licence and going up north because there's only one traffic light and no where to parallel park.- I’m sure there is not a direct link from skin colour to driving skill. What happened around our area is that many unskilled people migrated into our province and soon learned that with little to no training anyone could get a class 1 license. With a class one you could get a decent job so in no time our roads were filled with semi drivers who really had no training or experience driving truck.
Huntindog wrote:
I often have to receive trucks at work... So I get to watch a lot of truck drivers back into the docks. It is amazing to me how many struggle with this.... Perhaps they should target the semi market for this "trinket"
I have seen this all my life. OTOH, in my lifetime I have seen a lot of people that did not appear to be qualified to do the job.4x4ord wrote:
It used to be that commercial truck drivers were, as a rule, quite skilled. It seems to me that since they started wearing different head coverings their driving has gone to $&!t.
Over the years I have worked with a lot of drivers, and never saw where head gear or skin color had much to do with skill level. Hired 1 guy, application said worked for trucking co for years. Every time I saw the truck, turn signal was flashing. Paid him off after 2 days. Another, customer called, "this guy keeps going past the job" I called him "What's going on?" "They want me to blindside in!" Man, you're driving a straight truck, on a closed street. Paid him off that afternoon- It used to be that commercial truck drivers were, as a rule, quite skilled. It seems to me that since they started wearing different head coverings their driving has gone to $&!t.
Edd505 wrote:
I often have to receive trucks at work... So I get to watch a lot of truck drivers back into the docks. It is amazing to me how many struggle with this.... Perhaps they should target the semi market for this "trinket"Bionic Man wrote:
I'm not going to watch a 30 minute video on the system. But I do have it on my Expedition MAX. I've set it up to work with both my boats. Only used it once - when I went out with a group of people, and no one was comfortable backing up the trailer to retrieve the boat at the launch ramp.
The system worked well enough to have someone with limited experience successfully back down the boat ramp.
Spend anytime at a boat ramp (or honestly a campground), and you quickly see there is a real need for a product like this.
How many semis are on the road and they do not have backup assist.- I consider this feature similar to the feature that some cars/suv's have that will automatically parallel park themselves. I will say that if my truck had this feature I would try it out.
4x4ord wrote:
It might not be overly long and the computer will be able to back up better than those of us who think we know what we are doing but I can’t imagine using this technology at its present state. Someday maybe the driver will just have to tap the screen and slide an image of his trailer into position and hit enter. From that point the truck will drive him to the campground, back the trailer into the spot and hand him a cold beer as he sits and watches the trailer self level and pop out all 16 and 1/2 slides.
Actually, the computer can do it better already. A computer can place the trailer within an inch or so of where you want it.
The issue is by the time you set it up and dial it in, you may as well have learned how to back a trailer.
Honestly, I think the biggest issue people have is they rush. It's particularly bad at boat ramps because they see the next guy waiting to launch/retrieve so they try to hurry. Then it gets whopper jawed so they feel more pressure and quickly it gets out of hand really quick.srt20 wrote:
Thank you for this! Reminds me that I need to start thinking about teaching my 9 yr son how to do things like this.
Set him up with the riding lawn mower with the little utility trailer attached.
Little risk of expensive damage and if he can back that around the yard, a pickup and a travel trailer will be easy.
