A Three Point Turn with a Trailer

[matthewijenkins]

I recently bought my first TT. It's not very long, only about 16'. Maybe 18' total including the hitch. Before I bought it, I had worked it out in my mind that the whole effort centered on making a three point turn in my front yard to park it so that it would be pointing forward when I'm ready to leave. My driveway and property doesn't allow me to do a u-turn maneuver. I have enough width to my yard to pull all the way up so that the truck and trailer are straight while being at a perpendicular 90 degrees to my driveway. Well, the best laid plans... Turns out the one thing I forgot was that I recently had to have a new water service put in, so they dug a trench across my yard, shortening the width by about 1/4. When I tried this the first time my front wheels got stuck and I had to dig myself out.

Knowing that I need to avoid this, I tried it last weekend coming home from a camping trip and was not able to straighten the trailer behind my truck. This made it difficult to get it to start turning the other way and ate up a lot of space. Well, after about a 21 point turn, I got it in place. Since then, I've been trying to come up with a solution. Part of the problem is just needing practice, but the only time I can do this is once every few weeks and by then, some of the little details are forgotten. Anyway, I think I have a solution that I will try next week, but I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to make a three point turn with a trailer. Thx!

[badercubed]

matthewijenkins wrote:
Just got home and unpacked from a very relaxed, family camping trip, really the first good weekend with our new camper. The weather was perfect and the only thing on my mind today was the chore of parking. Well, just before we got home, I took your advice and found a parking lot to practice in (coincidentally it was the DMV parking lot, ha!), goofed a few times and then did it perfectly a couple of times. So then I drove right up the the street to my house, let my wife out to hold traffic, and then backed in perfectly the first try! Victory!

Thanks again, so much, to everyone who gave me some pointers. It really helped. I can always count on this site. It's a Sunday so not too terrible traffic but, I found out after parking that someone had shot my wife a bird and mouthed "f-off" through the window. I swear my backing in took all of 3 minutes tops. Well, you can't avoid pissing some jerks off no matter what you do, and I thought immediately of all the posts from you guys encouraging me to fully ignore them. It's my road too! Thx again. And happy camping!

You know what I tell my flaggers when someone beeps or flips them off? Keep them there longer.

It may have felt like 3 minutes worth of backing in, but I bet it was probably half that, especially if you nailed it.

[penguin747]

I think if we can get an address and Google Earth this we can park this thing in no time at all! Good luck and don't worry bout traffic

[camperforlife]

Don't worry about the bheads that flipped off your wife, they are the same people who would pass a school bus picking up kids. The're not worth the sweat off your knuckles.

[matthewijenkins]

Just got home and unpacked from a very relaxed, family camping trip, really the first good weekend with our new camper. The weather was perfect and the only thing on my mind today was the chore of parking. Well, just before we got home, I took your advice and found a parking lot to practice in (coincidentally it was the DMV parking lot, ha!), goofed a few times and then did it perfectly a couple of times. So then I drove right up the the street to my house, let my wife out to hold traffic, and then backed in perfectly the first try! Victory!

Thanks again, so much, to everyone who gave me some pointers. It really helped. I can always count on this site. It's a Sunday so not too terrible traffic but, I found out after parking that someone had shot my wife a bird and mouthed "f-off" through the window. I swear my backing in took all of 3 minutes tops. Well, you can't avoid pissing some jerks off no matter what you do, and I thought immediately of all the posts from you guys encouraging me to fully ignore them. It's my road too! Thx again. And happy camping!

[BossCamper]

Here's a silly little video, but it really works.
Using this maneuver and a bit of practice and you'll be hitting your driveway every time.

The Scoop

[TInmania]

'tiredTeacher wrote:

This will work. May I add one thing? Backing in is the reverse of pulling out (obviously). Next time you pull out, note the arc the trailer wheels make. Note the location of your rig on the street when the trailer is finally straight behind the TV. That's where you start backing from. Retrace the arc in reverse and you'll nail it first time, every time.

This is exactly how I did it, after floundering many times. I have to back in through my driveway gate then immediately cut over to get close to the edge of the lot so I can get next to the house (5th wheel).

I had it down pat with my TT. But with the 5th wheel it was frustrating, since it responds so much more slowly than the TT. Then I realized I had no issue at all driving OUT with the RV. Why should it be so hard to back it IN?

So I actually had DW video me driving out, slowly, catching the path of the truck, 5th wheel, and also the turns my front wheels made on the truck. After studying the video I was able to replicate it, in reverse, and it made things MUCH easier. Worked for me.



Mike

[southernkilowat]

I see no one else has mentioned it so I will, have you thought about adding a rear view camera to the back of your trailer? I put one on mine and it does help a great deal. If you can actually SEE where its going it makes it a heck of a lot easier to put it there!

SK

[LarryJM]

nomad297 wrote:
I have a 33' long trailer that I have to back into my 400' long driveway off of a main road with four lanes and a center turning lane. The speed limit is 35, but most are doing around 50, so it can be a little nerve wracking at times. It doesn't help that I live in the Washington, DC metro area where considerate drivers are nonexistent.

I pull up from the main road with my driveway on the right, just in front of my truck, turn my flashers on, drop my wife off, wait until I see a break in traffic, then jump out into the opposite side of the road, across the turning lane. My wife jumps out into the street to ward off traffic and I back right in.

I have this maneuver mastered and it only takes me about a minute to get completely off the road, but I still get the occasional middle finger, yell or horn -- I don't care -- it's the street I live on and I need to get into my driveway, and I do it in a very considerate manner. I just ignore the butt heads.

Bruce

There you go ... you have it down PAT IMO. Waiting for a break in the traffic and having the DW as you safety officer are keys.

Larry

[Terryallan]

CavemanCharlie wrote:

TInmania wrote:

Terryallan wrote:

OK I'll ask. why would that help launch a boat. IF the truck is backwards, and the drive axle is up the hill, and the tongue weight is picking up the drive axles. The drive tires would never have the grip to pull the boat out????
Isn't that one of the reasons front wheel drive cars are rated so low for towing?

Presumably having the driving wheels on somewhat dry ground would help. I have seen people do it and it seems to work well. When I used to launch with 4WD here in AZ (lakes) the ramps were very slimy and slippery--so the 4WD helped by utilizing the front wheels. Not too much hitch weight since the boat was at least somewhat floating (just to be able to get back on the trailer).

But I also think people did it because it was so easy to maneuver in to launch and retrieve.



Michael

Yes.

And front wheel drive cars are rated so low for towing because they are built so light.

Actually it's a handling thing.

[CavemanCharlie]

TInmania wrote:

Terryallan wrote:

OK I'll ask. why would that help launch a boat. IF the truck is backwards, and the drive axle is up the hill, and the tongue weight is picking up the drive axles. The drive tires would never have the grip to pull the boat out????
Isn't that one of the reasons front wheel drive cars are rated so low for towing?

Presumably having the driving wheels on somewhat dry ground would help. I have seen people do it and it seems to work well. When I used to launch with 4WD here in AZ (lakes) the ramps were very slimy and slippery--so the 4WD helped by utilizing the front wheels. Not too much hitch weight since the boat was at least somewhat floating (just to be able to get back on the trailer).

But I also think people did it because it was so easy to maneuver in to launch and retrieve.



Michael

Yes.

And front wheel drive cars are rated so low for towing because they are built so light.

[rbpru]

Won't the trench they dug fill in eventually? In the meantime use a spotter on the road to stop traffic.

You might even try a blaze orange hunting vest, a hard hat and flag to make it look official.

To get my rig in place between trips I have to drive all over the yard. It grows back

[_tiredTeacher]

Terryallan wrote:


Pass your drive as close as you can get to on the side of the street it is on. As the TV passes. Turn away from it. Go until the rear of the TT lines up with your drive. As you bring the TV to a stop turn again so that the TV is at the angle to the TT you need to push the rear of the TT farther toward your drive,. Put it in reverse, and slide on in. Backing is always easier if you can get the TT lined up with the hole.

This will work. May I add one thing? Backing in is the reverse of pulling out (obviously). Next time you pull out, note the arc the trailer wheels make. Note the location of your rig on the street when the trailer is finally straight behind the TV. That's where you start backing from. Retrace the arc in reverse and you'll nail it first time, every time.

Teach

[coolbreeze01]

Terryallan wrote:

wing_zealot wrote:
Just remember when you are backing up you are required to yield to oncoming traffic. If there is an accident, it won't go well for you (buttheads not withstanding).

Hard to yield when you have the entire road blocked, and won't be out of the way until the whole thing is in the driveway. then they can have it all.

I don't mind waiting, I feel bad for those that just can't back.

[TInmania]

Terryallan wrote:

OK I'll ask. why would that help launch a boat. IF the truck is backwards, and the drive axle is up the hill, and the tongue weight is picking up the drive axles. The drive tires would never have the grip to pull the boat out????
Isn't that one of the reasons front wheel drive cars are rated so low for towing?

Presumably having the driving wheels on somewhat dry ground would help. I have seen people do it and it seems to work well. When I used to launch with 4WD here in AZ (lakes) the ramps were very slimy and slippery--so the 4WD helped by utilizing the front wheels. Not too much hitch weight since the boat was at least somewhat floating (just to be able to get back on the trailer).

But I also think people did it because it was so easy to maneuver in to launch and retrieve.



Michael