Rusty at backing up TT

[limbery]

I used to tow a 22' Airstream in the '90s and haven't had a TT since 1999... I just bought a new light weight 20' trailer that's only 7' wide so I thought I'd have no problems...
Well boy, am I ever rusty at maneuvering a trailer!... Also, the new trailer is a tandem and I've only pulled single axle trailers so I notice that it doesn't pivot on a dime too...
I suppose I should get out to an empty parking lot and practice some? Any other suggestions?

[RoyB]

Just saw a RV yesterday practicing in our local school parking lot. Its empty on the weekends... The parking lots usually have the marked parking strips so that gives you a good place to back into with killing something hehe...

Roy Ken

[Squonk61]

There are YouTube videos of the Scoop method. I've found it helps set up the rear of the trailer for backing in.. Also to help learn how far past a driveway to go.

[Wife_nHubby]

When I became the only licensed driver in our household backing a trailer was something I'd never done.

After trying all the methods listed above I finally actually listened to one of our sons who said, "Mom, just follow the trailer. Once you are following it then 'tell it what you want it to do."

Works for me. 🙂

[coolbreeze01]

Short trailers are more of a challenge because they react quickly to steering wheel movement. An empty parking lot is a perfect place to practice. Good luck and have fun!!

[fil564]

Keep your tires in your sightline is what has worked the best for me, pick out a point and track your tires to it. Whether looking out the door or at the mirrors is know where they are going. Every once in a while you get that over confident feeling and that is when a little struggle brings you back in check.

[skipnchar]

Duel axle trailer should back just the same as a single axle. NONE of them will pivot on a single point as it's impossible but they ALL will drag the axles through the turn (one reason trailer tires take such a beating). There IS no replacement for practice. You'll NEVER be a competent backer if you have to "remember" little tricks to do it. Backing should be as second nature as going forward and you don't need any tricks to remember how to do that. Find that empty lot and learn the skill again.

For what it's worth, every time I watch someone struggling to back into a site almost UNIVERSALLY it begins by not pulling far enough PAST the site they're trying to get into, thus making it necessary to turn too sharp.
Good luck / Skip

[coolestdude]

No mater how experience anybody has don't forget your GOAL (Get out and look)

Happy Trails!

[Mcamper]

Take your time, back very slow and deliberate. This give you time to see what is happening and correct for it. Most people back in a hurry. Oh, and do not let the onlookers bother you. That used to bother me, but I tune them out.

[BigSur2]

bldrbuck wrote:
put your hand on the bottom ofthe wheel and push the way you want the trailer to go.

This is the method I used to learn and to this day still use it when I'm rusty. Hands on bottom of wheel...left if trailer needs to go that way....right if the other.

[Dick_B]

We're heading into our 10th season with our TT and I still hold my hand at the bottom of the steering wheel when backing! Backing into our secondary driveway, where we keep the RV, is more difficult than any CG parking place so I get lots of practice.

[PAThwacker]

i merely track the curb side wheels while looking out the driver side passenger window. i have a sloped driveway and have to pivot around a detached garage at the top. On the street hook the trailers nose to the right, and start backing slow. Back to the left and watch the bumper almost hit the driveway, get the driver side wheels in line with the left side of the driveway, straighten the truck and then start the pivot around the garage. Backing into a site is a cake walk.

[limbery]

Thanks....I've known about the hand at the bottom of the wheel for years...
I guess I just have to practice a bit to get back in the swing of things...

(on a long trip in the early '90s, we'd been out for 3 weeks changing sites every 2nd. night and we pulled into a campground in Idaho....The campground operator showed us to our site on his quad and remarked after I'd slipped the trailer in in one fell swoop...."I guess you've done this a few times")

[mapallister]

WHILE LOOKING IN THE MIRROR & REVERSING:
1) When backing up WITHOUT a trailer, put your hand on the top of the steering wheel. If you move your hand left (CCW) the back of your car will go left.
2) When backing up WITH a trailer, put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel. If you move your hand left (CW) the back of your trailer will go left.

[Fire_Instructor]

Go to WalMart or Dicks and pick-up 6-10 of the cheap 12" orange cones for marking a kids soccer field. Use them to lay out driveways, camping spaces, and other backing-up situations. If they give you a target to shoot for, and if you run one over, nothing lost.....

We use traffic cones the same way to teach new operators how to back-up fire apparatus.....