Do you equip your "backup spotter" with a walkie-talkie?

[profdant139]

I often see posts about folks who damage the trailer when backing up, and I often see responses about using a spotter. I do that -- DW is an amazingly good spotter, with very clear hand signals. So far, in nine very full seasons of camping, we have never had any damage to the trailer.

But sometimes, like at night, or when the trailer is at an odd angle to the truck, I can't see her. And I often can't hear her because of the wind or traffic noise or whatever. So I just stop till she realizes there is a problem and she walks over to my window and we discuss what's going on. It doesn't happen often, but it does happen.

I have suggested to her that we should use walkie-talkies, but her response is that this would be more trouble than it's worth, just another clutter-ish gadget to lose or to have the batteries die, we don't need them, etc. Very sensible responses, but I am still not sure.

So that is my question -- how many other trailer folk use walkie-talkies to communicate with the spotter? Is it a hassle to deal with the devices? We don't have any other need for these gadgets, as far as I can tell -- so are they really that helpful?

I know we could get a backup camera, too, but DW has the ability to look around at the whole area and get a good reading on what needs to happen. A camera would not be able to do that job as well as she does.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts!

[2012Coleman]

Bumpyroad wrote:
just noticed at walmart this am that they have Cobra sets of two walkietalkies for $25, $40, & $60, all with re-chargeable batteries.
bumpy

What and deny other campers of the show which includes hand signals with varying amplitude or vigorous finger pointing? I'd love to see that!

[Bumpyroad]

just noticed at walmart this am that they have Cobra sets of two walkietalkies for $25, $40, & $60, all with re-chargeable batteries.
bumpy

[matt7591]

The two cone suggestion is one of the best suggestions I've seen in a long time. Nice!

[CavemanCharlie]

Ya, the ones we use on the farm are rechargeable and they were quite cheap too. They run for about 6 hours on a charge.

[Seattle_Lion]

profdant139 wrote:
OP here -- so I looked into buying the walkie talkies, just out of curiosity. According to the reviews, they work well BUT they run through batteries very quickly -- these are the little AAA batteries. So just when you really need them to work, they don't.

I got a nice pair from Amazon. They didn't cost that much and they are rechargeable. I got a charging stand. The batteries last a long time between charges.

[Bumpyroad]

profdant139 wrote:
OP here -- so I looked into buying the walkie talkies, just out of curiosity. According to the reviews, they work well BUT they run through batteries very quickly -- these are the little AAA batteries. So just when you really need them to work, they don't.

I would predict that if you got a cheap set of walkie talkies, and only used them for maneuvering a RV, the batteries would last until they died of old age, not from using them up.
bumpy

[profdant139]

OP here -- so I looked into buying the walkie talkies, just out of curiosity. According to the reviews, they work well BUT they run through batteries very quickly -- these are the little AAA batteries. So just when you really need them to work, they don't.

I think I am going to stay with the hand signals. DW's signals are much like the ones described by Pangea Ron. The only difference is that the amplitude of the signals will vary. If she wants me to move the back of the trailer far to one side, she will point vigorously. If just a little motion is needed, the pointing is more limited. It works perfectly, as long as I can see her in the mirrors. (That's the minor problem, right there.)

[Bumpyroad]

CavemanCharlie wrote:


In the days before cell phones we used to have great big walkie talkies on the farm. About the size of a brick and they weighed that much too. They were trunked through a repeating tower somewhere and they worked all over south west MN. We didn't have a license for them either. When we purchased the service they didn't say anything to us about needing one. :h

yep, my friends on a farm in North central Iowa had some kind of communication system that sounded like what you are talking about.

bumpy

[bigdogger]

I traded the wife's walkie talkie for a big bottle of Valium and backing has been a cinch ever since.

[CavemanCharlie]

Bumpyroad wrote:

CavemanCharlie wrote:
I have no idea where you all get your walkie talkies from but, we have a couple of small Motorola versions on the farm. We picked them up at Radio Shack or, maybe it was wall mart. Anyway, there is no license required and they have the range of about a mile. If your backing up from a mile away you are doing something wrong.

yep the weaker ones don't need a license. the more powerful ones that get the upper channels do, in theory. but since the FCC or whoever is busy being occupied with listening to our phone conversations, they probably won't nail you.
bumpy

In the days before cell phones we used to have great big walkie talkies on the farm. About the size of a brick and they weighed that much too. They were trunked through a repeating tower somewhere and they worked all over south west MN. We didn't have a license for them either. When we purchased the service they didn't say anything to us about needing one. :h

[Bumpyroad]

CavemanCharlie wrote:
I have no idea where you all get your walkie talkies from but, we have a couple of small Motorola versions on the farm. We picked them up at Radio Shack or, maybe it was wall mart. Anyway, there is no license required and they have the range of about a mile. If your backing up from a mile away you are doing something wrong.

yep the weaker ones don't need a license. the more powerful ones that get the upper channels do, in theory. but since the FCC or whoever is busy being occupied with listening to our phone conversations, they probably won't nail you.
bumpy

[Pangaea_Ron]

We tried using walkie-talkies, but have given up, we have better ways to communicate.

My wife and I have 4 signals that we use.

1. Point left for the rear of the MH to move left.
2. Point right for the rear of the MH to move right.
3. Hand motioning back = keep backing up. Don't worry, what can go wrong?
4. Hand help up = stop. Really, I mean stop!

I don't back up unless I can see her. We have a microphone and a camera that I can monitor, but I trust her more than the camera, and I don't usually want to hear what she has to say.

She also has a signal that I don't recognize, with her thumb and forefinger extended horizontally a small distance apart. I think that it means something short, small or very close?

[RoadXYZ]

limbery wrote:
If she's with me, I send her off to take the dogs for a walk and I back in myself with frequent walks back to scope things out....I thought though, that rather than a walkie talkie, if she were to assist in some way (not holding my breath here) she could use her cell phone and as I've got bluetooth in my TV, I could just converse while backing...

Likewise here as we use our cell phones as hubby has Bluetooth in the vehicle. Works great as long as I remember to say that the rear end has to be further Right and not turn right !

[chasmatt45]

We have always used Walkie Talkies, but we did switch to waterproof models after a monsoonal rainstorm on the Oregon Coast shorted my wife's WT out. That resulted in me breaking a big tree limb off a tree in the campsite. I was backing in and could not see out of either mirror. Fortunately no damage to our MH. We have not encountered conditions like that since. But we are prepared.