backing up

[willtryanythingonce]

Any backing up advice?  I understand the hands on the bottom of the wheel thing and which way it will go, anything else?  My DD have to do this ourselves on our pup's first trip out (men will be meeting us later), we have the 4 kids with us, would prefer not to look like an idiot at the cg but someone is bringing it hitched to us and we won't get a chance to "play" first!!! :eyecrazy:

[4campinfoxes]

Let me know how it goes!  And any tips you have after doing it.  You're braver than I am!  One of these days I have to learn, I'm just not sure my marriage can survive me learning to back the trailer!  Him teaching me to drive a stick shift was bad enough!  :eek:

Last weekend we were supposed to be camping.... but DH got stuck working pretty much all Saturday.  We set up the camper in the backyard so I could go through it & clean it & all that. But I was sure wishing I'd learned how to do it all myself!

Good luck!
Sharon

[Weber Grill]

Any backing up advice?  I understand the hands on the bottom of the wheel thing and which way it will go, anything else?  My DD have to do this ourselves on our pup's first trip out (men will be meeting us later), we have the 4 kids with us, would prefer not to look like an idiot at the cg but someone is bringing it hitched to us and we won't get a chance to "play" first!!! :eyecrazy:

1. Small Movements/Corrections
2. Windows down with 'spotters' watching for you and talking to you. (walkie-talkies work great so everyone isn't shouting to each other.
3. If at all possible, don't back in with the trailer turning to your blind side, approach the site so the trailer will turn in the drivers side mirror.
4. Chock the wheels before disconnecting!
5. Good Luck!

Patrick :usflag:

[Kelly]

Patience!  Loads and loads of patience!  Don't be too hard on yourself and take all the time you need.  If people are waiting either let them wait or pull out and 'go around the block' ~ try again after the line is gone.  Give up on not wanting to look like an idiot at the campground!  LOL  

I can back up, but I'm not good at it yet.  It takes practice and we didn't have many opportunities for practice last year.  I give you brownie points for being willing to try!  

I second the small movements.  My biggest issue is over-correction.  I can get the PU to go where I want it ~ it's getting the van to follow that messes me up!!  

I don't do well with spotters ... I usually get out and walk the site and figure out where I want it.  I usually get pretty close and then have DS guide me the last few inches.  I found it hard to teach DS how to spot and will try again as he gets older.  It was too hard to interpret his directions and back up at the same time!  So much for mult-tasking.   :p

If you have time before you go ~ find a big parking lot (churches and schools when they aren't in session are good) and practice a bit.[/FONT]

[DrJ]

First, I agree with everything that has been mentioned so far. The only thing I might add is a tip that helped me many years ago when I was first learning to back (I am still learning to back all these years later). My tip: if you are backing into a site on the drivers side, pull up past the site and try to favor the drivers side of the road. Likewise, if the site is on the blindside (passenger side), pull past and favor the passenger side of the road. This gives you more room to move the back end of the TV around. Don't know if this makes sense. Anyway, relax...you will do fine.

[AustinBoston]

One thing that frustrates some inexperienced backers is getting used to the fact that the steering wheel doesn't turn the trailer, the entire tow vehicle does.

If the trailer is curving to the right and you want to straighten it out, go ahead and do the hand on the bottom of the wheel thing, but understand that the trailer is going to continue to curve to the right until the tow vehcile is in line with it.  Anticipate the moves you need to make in advance.  

If the trailer is curving and is now in the direction you want it, it's too late to "go straight back."  You have to lead it so that you can move the TV in a straight line when the trailer is lined up.

When backing in a straight line, I find it easier if I make constant small movements of the wheel, even if everything is going perfectly.

Feel free to pull forward to straighten out.  There's enough guesswork in backing that all but the very best (and in a tight spot, even the very best) have to give it another shot.

Go to an empty parking lot and practice.

Austin

[dthurk]

One thing that frustrates some inexperienced backers is getting used to the fact that the steering wheel doesn't turn the trailer, the entire tow vehicle does.


Austin

AB, I like this statement, it's good to keep in mind.  I would offer the additional advice of not hollering at your spotters.  They're trying to help, getting upset with them won't solve anything.  The suggestion earlier of radios is a good one, it keeps voices softer.  This is good if you're not looking to attract attention in the campground.  Nothing is more entertaining to a campground full of people than to watch an argument over camper placement and backing.    Oh, also have your spotters use driver's side and passenger side instead of right and left.  It really makes more sense, especially if your using the hand on the bottom of the wheel trick.  Take a few minutes out of your first trip and find an open parking lot area to practice a little bit.  It'll give you a bit of confidence before "The Real Thing".  Do watch out for the light poles.  They can destroy confidence really fast.

[tlhdoc]

I am with Kelly, in that I don't want/have spotters capable of backing me up.  I post kids in front of anything that I can hit, and tell them to yell STOP!  If I am going to hit them.   This method usually works.  For backing the TV up to the camper I have DS tell me driverside or passengers side.  The side that he says is the way the back of the TV needs to move.

[wavery]

Ye gads............it really isn't that tuff. :yikes:

Find an empty parking lot on your way to the CG and practice the above advice for about 10 minutes. Continue on to the campgrounds. I think that you will be amazed at how well you do. Just don't do it for the 1st time at the CG :eyecrazy: .  To stressful.....recipe for error.

Just one more piece of advice. NO VERBAL.......Make up rules for hand signals. Point rt...point left... fist for stop.....wave for go......or anything that works for you. The last thing you need is for someone to be yelling, "GO LEFT" while you're trying to figure out what that means while you're facing forward, looking backwards....in a mirror :yikes:. When someone points (and you can see them) it makes sense .
 
Even then......have fun and don't take it too seriously.

[Spoon]

Back-Left

Back-Right

[Spoon]

Back-Left

Back-Right

Straight Back

Move Foreward

Stop -Normally performed w/ arms across chest, or w/ clenched fists raised to shoulder level


When using hand signals use the entire arm to signal. Some folks get lazy and wag the finger or wiggle the hand. If one uses the entire arm the signal is clear. Also only signal the direction of the needed movement, not the direction the wheel should be turned, the signaler is the ground guide. Do not be afraid to stop the vehicle. ALWAYS keep the driver in your sight via the mirror one side or the other. If you cannot see the driver, then they cannot see you. If you begin using signals keep using signals, the driver should rely on the ground guide and not ignore the signal. Do not be afraid to stop the vehicle. Do not be afraid to stop the vehicle. Did I say that again?

Do not be afraid to go slow, and ride the brake if needed. Going too fast can lead to having pull forward to realign too many times. Keep a cool head and don't get frustrated when manuvering into a tight spot. Slow and steady wins the race. Remember you are there to have fun and relax.  

[AustinBoston]

Straight Back

Move Foreward

Are you sure?

Austin

[SpeakEasy]

I've been backing trailers since I was about 12 years old, having been around boats all that time. With all that experience it has become second nature. (Still, like AB says, I make mistakes and have to "start over" at times.)

My favorite backing story happened in Yellowstone at the Norris Basin campground. I've told this story before, but not recently. If you've already heard this, sorry, but hear it goes again. Age has its privileges.

The sites at Norris are small, and they are first-come, first-served. We arrived about 8:30 AM to claim a site. The best one we found had a large log placed across it to divide the parking area from the tenting area. The site was wide enough for our popup, but not wide enough for the popup with the Add-a-Room attached. Since this was our first trip and everything was new, we REALLY wanted to use the Add-a-Room. Being a creative, outside-the-box type of thinker, I looked carefully at the site and decided that if we parked the popup at a 45-degree angle, we could set up the Add-a-Room. The only drawback would be that the log would cut across our living space in the Add-a-Room. The DW said OK, and so I set about trying to figure out how to back the trailer in on a 45-degree angle. The guy in the site across the road from this one had parked his truck in a place that I would need to use in order to back in properly. I walked over and asked politely if he would mind pulling his truck forward to open up the space for me to use for backing in. He was happy to do it, and I set out to put the popup where we wanted it.

It took a lot of small back-and-forth steps to work the popup into where we wanted it. As I was getting closer, the guy from across the road comes over and gets my attention. (I hadn't noticed that he had been watching.) He rubs his chin and asks gently if I'd like to have some help backing the trailer in! Keep in mind that by now I've been at it for 5 or 10 minutes and the trailer is getting closer and closer to that 45-degree angle on the site! I was taken aback by his question. Here I was in the middle of one of the most masterful jobs of backing ever, and he thinks I've completely messed up! I told him, no, I was just about finished and I WANTED it at an angle. To this day I'm sure he thinks I was too embarrassed to ask for help and that I left the popup crooked on the site because of that.

On another occasion I'll tell you about my wife's insistence that we park the rig in downtown St. Louis so she could take some time to explore the Arch. Do you know it's possible to parallel park these things on a city street?

-Speak

[wynot]

If you're backing a popup, you may have better luck looking over your shoulder out the back window when backing, than using the mirrors.  This will allow you to realize what is happening long before you might figure it out in the mirror and make the necessary corrections.

Since I learned with tractors, I learned that method long before messing with mirrors, so I can whip the trailer quickly where I need to put it without thinking.  I do well backing with mirrors, but I can't do both (meaning looking over my shoulder or using the mirrors) in the same thought process.  If push comes to shove, I revert to my old ways.
 
Either way, don't be afraid to stop and get out and look where you are and where you need to go.  It's easier than hurting someone or hitting something.
Just a thought.

[tlhdoc]

If you're backing a popup, you may have better luck looking over your shoulder out the back window when backing, than using the mirrors.

All I would see is the trailer.  I wouldn't be able to see where I am backing the PU.