RE: Backing Up the PUP...LOL

[C. Hains]

 Starcraft Dad
Oh, I feel sooooooooo much better after reading this thread!!  Can hardly wait until Friday evening.  Let s see -- arrival time is just a little after supper!!!

[Starcraft Dad]

 Starcraft Dad
Austin,
 Just showed my DW your post.  She printed it off and is going to frame it and put it in the PU.  I think she laughed for a good ten minutes.  I asked her if she wanted to back it in.  From the sounds of it we will be unhooking and pushing it in.....LOL[:@][][: (]

[jstaddwtr]

 Starcraft Dad
We sent a note to Ab diver so we wouldn t bore everyone.  
 
 We really appreciate this thread.  We almost considered not going to the Eastern Rally cause we thought we would have to meet everyone as the folks who couldn t back up....it is getting better though, ...[]kinda sorta!!  
 
 Practice , practice, practice[]
 Patience, patience, patience[]

[sandykayak]

 Starcraft Dad
just add water?  hmmmm...i had come up with " just a daughter"  but then realized there was an extra " d"
 
 so?  does it mean add water (as in to scotch) or add water as in " park my popup near a river, lake, ocean, or pool and I m allright"  ?

[jstaddwtr]

 Starcraft Dad
Why jstaddwtr?
 
 DH and the girls are avid swimmers.  DH is a part-time coach for a nationally recognized USS team.  Therefore, wherever we are trying to back into HAS to have water someplace close.  
 
 Of course sometimes the stuff coming from the sky is as close as we get.  []
 
 When we first got Hermes, I remember it was raining (it seems to always rain when we hook up[] and not clearly understanding the dynamics of backing up, I did not understand why DH went forward when I specifically told him to turn a specific way!  
 
 As we went on trying to get in, of all things, he did it again!  Pulled right forward when I was clear about the direction to go!
 
 So I thought " OK he  s going to play that way is he?!!!"  
 
 He must of seen my look, (he says he doesn t see it very often so he knows he s in " deep poop"  when he recognizes that face)......and he stopped the truck in the middle of the path, and of course, the whole world was waiting to get by...put his arms around me, kissed me on the cheek and quietly said, " I love you but it doesn t work that way...
 
 While I was still in shock...I found myself calmly replaced by my eldest DD who simply pointed, instead of shouting " Right" , " Left" !!!  ...and we were parked in what seemed like no time.  
 
 Now this is from a guy who is not the most amorous and has a legendary temper. [] (better forget about the amorous part....he may even read this []LOL
 
 Of course now I am learning to manuveur Hermes and he better be nice! !! [][]
 
 Yep.....we love backing up!
 
 
 
 

[forestwalker]

 Starcraft Dad
We ve experienced more than a fair share of trouble backing  into camping spaces.Finally got fed up-stayed an extra hour practicing backing into nearly every unoccupied space in the park, the last two times out with the trailer.Guess what ? We finally got it ! Just hope the feeling doesn t fade between our monthly trips.PS- this works best on a Sunday afternoon,after check out time---when there are numerous empty spaces,and few campers left to annoy.You might also want to check with the ranger,or park manager.

[la62pv]

 forestwalker
I m part of the unhook and push group.  I drive buses and am able to back them up with no problem.  That pivot point between the Caravan and Pop-Up is what screws me up.  Oh well, at least I know I m not the only one doing some pushing.  Makes me feel a little better.

[jawilson]

 AustinBoston

ORIGINAL:  AustinBoston
 
 The first rule of backing a camper is the Audience Rule.  The bigger the audience, the harder it is to back the camper.

Now that[/b] was funny...[]

[Tawnya]

 Starcraft Dad
When my husband got too busy with second job to come with us...we knew we had to figure out how to tow, back in space and pop up without him. We practiced and practiced...my youngest daughter and I can pop up in about 20 minutes. BUT I cannot back it up. BUT what we have learned (to the horror of the 15 year old daughter) is that the pop up is light enough to push into the site. So, I pull even with the site, we unhook it from the Dodge and push it into the site!  I know we get lots of stares..but it has worked everytime!!!! Takes just a few minutes and voila! We are ready to pop up and enjoy our visit.

[jstaddwtr]

 forestwalker
If my DH tried to push ours, he would be speaking with a very high voice for a very long time!!!![][][]LOL

[vjm1639]

 Starcraft Dad
Oh this string has me feeling so much better! DH and I will hopefully pick up the new camper this weekend and neither of us have ever towed a trailer of any sort before!  Heck, I won t back my CAR into a spot if I don t have to and don t drive the big truck either so...this one will be his baby to learn!  I have to try to learn how to guide him!

[labontefan]

 Starcraft Dad

" Hermes"  is much too big to push, but don t think we have not thought about it......

 Hey, jstaddwtr, just had to comment on the above...I have a 2002 Coleman Utah and we push it around all the time.  Course mine doesn t have the CP; don t know if that makes it heavier or not.
 
 I guess I should clarify here. Mostly we push it around in the driveway (" we"  usually being two women--me and a friend). When I park it, I point the tongue toward the house, but have to turn it around to hitch it up. That means it s usually completely loaded when we turn it around prior to hitching.
 
 We have occasionally pushed it short distances when it s sitting on grass, but that usually takes three of us (still all women).
 
 I m actually amazed at how easily we can move the thing around. I have a small (4 x6 ) trailer that we used to use to haul our tent camping gear in, and it was much harder to push than the Utah!

[sandykayak]

 forestwalker
i arrived at the campground (Markham Park - Broward Co. Fla) at 8 p.m on friday with just a few minutes of daylight left.
 
 I knew that the guy on the left (Taos) was hopeless at backing up (he told me) and so I said to the one on the right (Yuma). " OK, you back it in."
 
 He completely refused.  Said he couldn t reverse either.  He schlepps the trailer dolly in the back of the truck and he and the missus push.
 
 Fortunately, another guy (not in our group) walked over and did it for me.  
 
 I should add, that the Taos owner has owned several power boats and still has trouble - but he s only had his trailer for a couple of months...and the Yuma people have had theirs since october.
 
 I ve been a PU owner since Feb  02 and you d think I d have the hang of it by now, wouldn t you?
 
 Progress is that it now takes me about 15 minutes (compared to 30 or more) to back it into my friend s 100  lot.
 
 Once I schlepped my dolly around for 5 days and the one time I decided to try it out, the camper didn t budge - it was on dirt/grass.

[George]

 Starcraft Dad
Have you folks seen this link?
 
 http://www.logsa.army.mil/WEB-PAGE/1999/561/02-04.pdf
 
 It seems like a nice visual explaination, though I have not yet had a chance to try it.  (We wussed out when we brough it home and unhooked and spun it - we too have a driveway onto a very busy street.)
 
 -George
 

[C. Hains]

 forestwalker
I went so far as to call a couple of Driver s Ed schools to see if someone could teach me how to back the darn thing up!  At the first one the lady driving instructor said " All you have to do is turn the wheel opposite from the way you normally turn it when you are backing up!"   I said, " I know that, but it s not really that simple."  [&:]  That s when she confessed that she nearly totalled her husband s boat last year trying to back it up.  I told her I could total things all by myself without paying somebody to teach me to do it, but thanks anyway! []
 The next one I called a guy answered.  When I told him why I was calling he burst out laughing and said " Now, that s kind of tricky."   He promised to have the " adult"  instructor call me back -- that was two weeks ago and I haven t heard a thing!!!  I wonder why??
 I m going to take mine out to an empty parking lot some day soon and practice yet again.  By the end of the day one of us will have the upper hand!!![8D]  I m not telling anyone where I m putting MY money!!![]