Is this the record for tightest backing up of a 5th wheel?

[Flyin_Finn]

This is at my house. Maybe it is not a record, but it sure is tight getting the 5th wheel behind the house! Once I get it in the back yard, I have plenty of room to set up the RV, except there is no room setting up the awning.

Extremely tight RV parking!

[MartyMoose]

Impressive! I thought mine was hard...

[Flyin_Finn]

Responding to the recent comments:

- One reason not to cut off the overhang is it would make the garage front asymmetric, it would look weird. I can't cut off the opposite side to match.
So I just now walked outside and measured. The overhang, without the gutter, is 17" from the wall. The concrete-filled steel posts protecting the natural gas meter is 14" from the wall. So cutting the overhang I would gain 3". Hmmm... cutting 3", maybe my wife wouldn't notice... On the other hand, I don't want to get too close to the gas meter/lines.

- "Just a matter of time ...... ", theoretically, yes. I know, never say never. I sound ignorant, but I won't hit the house, ever 🙂
There is more clearance on the fence side (although it is often down to a few inches) because the movement there is more unpredictable, and it is a blind spot from the drivers seat. The house corner, that's the pivot point, and when the axles are there, I start turning the trailer. There is no sideways movements there. I move only a foot or two at a time at that point. Moving such a short distance, the trailer moves only fractions of an inch sideways. When backing, I keep a constant eye on the house corner and trailer wall through the side mirror. Only way i can hit the corner is if I back too far, getting off the boards, and thus tilting the trailer back towards the wall, or if the tires slip off the blocks. I am overcautious and paranoid when doing this, and taking it slowly. So, I dare say, it is very, very unlikely it will ever hit. I learned my lesson from hitting the neighbors fence with the trailer bumper, to never attempt this when too tired.

- And, no, I am not a professional driver. But I drive a lot, and I love driving, especially challenging drives.

[hotpepperkid]

rmoparman wrote:
I would be cutting off that over hang on garage.

You got that right

[Edd505]

Just a matter of time ......

[SpeakEasy]

I'm totally impressed! There are not many folks who could manage this! Are you a professional driver? If not, you surely could be.

Nicely done!

-Speak

[minnow]

The wife is concerned with a potential ugly overhang? Ask her how she will like looking at a deep gash in the side of the RV, an overhang ripped off the side if the house and a wood fence flattened into the ground, because it's just a matter of when, not if, this will happen.

[Flyin_Finn]

Thanks for ALL of your comments! I won't respond to them all individually, but like many mentioned, I could cut the overhang. I thought about it, making it hinged. But my wife did not like that at all, it would look too ugly.
I only do this maneuvering a few times a year, and I think it is a fun challenge :). If we are heading out soon after a previous trip, I just leave it in the front, although I can't extend the slide-out then.
This hasn't been frustrating enough to make me grade the path yet, but it is one of my future projects, to grade and pave it.

[Flyin_Finn]

pickjare wrote:
I wonder if putting the truck in 4 LO would be a little easier on the clutch. Also, would allow you to go 3 inches at a time instead of 12. But then again, sometimes when you know how to do something, that's the only way to do it.

My truck is 2WD, automatic. The first part, up to the house, is slight uphill grade, and I do have to climb the curb on the sidewalk. Then it is a slight downhill grade. The truck is heavy-duty, so it does handle the trailer well and precisely when I am backing in the trailer.

[Flyin_Finn]

Moovin Out wrote:
That is indeed tight. I think you'd have a few more inches clearance from the overhang if you built up your blocks even more, so the top of the trailer tilts out toward the fence. Just until you clear that front corner of the overhang.

That's what I do, case by case, depending how well the trailer happens to line up when I back, I add 1x6 boards as needed. Typically I am never closer than one inch. This time, when I made this video, I was pulling forward for some adjustment, went too far, and the wheel went past the top board. It still didn't hit, even though it looks like it did in the video.

[Flyin_Finn]

stripit wrote:
A neighbor had a tough job to get past that phone box in his yard, contacted the telephone company to come move it, cost him $200 and they got it out of his way. You might check and see what it would cost to move that box. Would give you some extra room to adjust your entry angle.

Back when I purchased the 5er, both the phone company and the cable company had their boxes there in my way. The cable box was too much in the way. I contacted them, and they did come out and moved it for a small fee.
That was enough to make it able to back up the RV. I also tried to contact the phone company back then, but didn't get through, and just gave up, since I was able to get past their box. But I am thinking I should contact them one of these days, just to try making the backing up a little easier.

[Flyin_Finn]

rhagfo wrote:
I would be renting a storage space, in Battle Ground, WA. Rates can't be that bad, would not be worth the frustration and effort to me!

That was our back-up plan if I wouldn't have been able to park the RV at our place.
But I prefer have it parked here despite the hassle: We are on a tight budget, saving money where we can, and the RV is also used sometimes by people staying with us, and when kids' friends are here for sleep-overs.
It is also nice to have it home since I do all the maintenance on it myself.

[pickjare]

I wonder if putting the truck in 4 LO would be a little easier on the clutch. Also, would allow you to go 3 inches at a time instead of 12. But then again, sometimes when you know how to do something, that's the only way to do it.

[time2roll]

I would not do it.

[Moovin_Out]

That is indeed tight. I think you'd have a few more inches clearance from the overhang if you built up your blocks even more, so the top of the trailer tilts out toward the fence. Just until you clear that front corner of the overhang.