Backing up to an inclined and narrow driveway

[RonValor]

Hi All,

Greetings from a soon-to-be first-time trailer owner.
My wife and I finally decided to buy a Coachmen Clipper 16RBD trailer. We are excited.
I'm watching youtube videos on how to backup a trailer.
What I'm nervous about is that our driveway is very narrow (8ft-4in) and has a steep inclined approach/portion coming from the street.

The Clipper 16RDB has an overall width of 7ft-4in so I only have 6 inches clearance on both sides.

My question is it still possible to park my trailer and how relatively hard or not so hard will it be?

I do not have any trailer hauling experience let alone trailer backing experience.

Some articles says to practice with cones in an empty parking lot. I will do that for sure.

Thanks for any advise.

Ron

PS I'm attempting to attach some pictures but the Image button says "Enter the complete URL for the image." and I cannot browse to a folder location.

[RonValor]

Bobndot, correct. one side is a hard clearance because it is the corner of the house structure. One side is a soft clearance since they are bushes and chain fence.
Dan,, we got a Thousand Trails pass so we will strart going through each of them southern california ones first. Thanks.

[profdant139]

Ron, where are you headed? Looks like it will be a sunny weekend! Good luck, and well done on the parking job!

[bobndot]

I installed a trailer ball on my snowblower and use it to move trailers at times. I use it to back a trailer between my fence and garage with one inch on either side. IMO, 12 extra inches should not be a problem, i wish i had that much room to spare .
While backing using a vehicle, watch the drivers side.....If you have 6" on the drivers side...you have 6" on the passenger as well, right ?

[All_I_could_aff]

Great job! Happy camping

[RonValor]

. . . . and I did it!

Thanks again for all your insights, suggestions, and encouragement.



PS we are ready to camp this weekend for the first time on a travel trailer.

[RonValor]

Hi guys,
Today is the day. Just wanted to update you that there was some delay in the delivery of our travel trailer so Im not able to post lately. But we picked it up today.
Here's a picture of the driveway last week for some last preparation.
I painted some guidelines and trimmed some the ivys 🙂

[OutdoorPhotogra]

Hate to introduce a new fly on the ointment but if that is the tow vehicle, you'll fine those mirrors inadequate for backing. The u-haul is harder to back straight but much better for visibility.

I'm not sure about your cargo capacity for tongue weight either but that's for a different thread.

[bguy]

humblerb wrote:
One thing you did not encounter with the U-Haul is the overhang on your house. Depending on how tall your TT is, that overhang may come in to play.
Out of all your other concerns (you seem to have conquered most of them) keep an eye on that when you back it in the first time.

Put a mark on the driveway below the eave. Something you can see when backing such that you know if you are past the mark you'll hit the eave.

[humblerb]

One thing you did not encounter with the U-Haul is the overhang on your house. Depending on how tall your TT is, that overhang may come in to play.
Out of all your other concerns (you seem to have conquered most of them) keep an eye on that when you back it in the first time.

[_1nobby]

fulltimedaniel wrote:
I have been backing trailers many of them tractor trailers since I was 14. The one thing I can tell you is this: get to a big parking lot where you can back in a STRAIGHT LINE for about 200 feet or more down a strait edge.

Practice backing straight until you can do it well. Backing straight and the small corrections you will have to make continuously will implant the motor skills in your brain and teach you. This will make backing into any space much easier.

And Please forget any one who tells you to put your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel. This is like a crutch and you just have to unlearn this bad habit to really back up. Start with your natural hand placement on the wheel and learn from there.

Unless you have WALLS on both sides of your driveway or steep and sudden dropoffs then your driveway should be just fine and you too.

I would also limit anyone helping you to using HAND SIGNALS only. The CLOSED FIST held up is the universal sign for STOP. You only need one person helping you. Don't let a crowd gather and start giving directions, this is disastrous.

Good Luck

GREAT post.

[peirek]

I think the good news is the critical clearance (the house) is on the driver side which is easier to see and judge. If you stay aligned on the drive using the house and drive edge as a reference point this will become a very easy task.

[boosTT]

Absolutely watch the roof clearance and go slow. I'm surprised you are able to fit a travel trailer in there!! Good job. Campground parking will be a breeze for you.

[RollTideCamp]

The one suggestion that I don't think anyone has given is: if you come home from long fun-filled trip AT NIGHT don't be tempted into backing it in, just wait for daylight.

Good job with the U-haul, I can confirm that shorter trailers are harder.

[2012Coleman]

OP - I can tell you from experience that backing up a UHaul like that one is much more difficult than a TT.

Go slow and do consider the value of someone talking to you - either on a phone or walkie talkie. Your spotter may not be able to be visible to you along those hedges. I value my spotter talking to me on mine even though I am now well accomplished in backing into my spot at home.