Parking - in the new day an age - Rant

[LouNY]

At times I'll pull my lawn roller on the driveway with my PU.
Try backing that up to make a 3point reverse 180 degree turn

 

[WinterDeere]

It's great for that. However, it's completely useless when backing my trailer off the road into my driveway.

On any enclosed trailer, yes. But I love it for backing my smaller boat trailer down the ramp for retrieval. Many boat trailers are simply too low and narrow to see AT ALL behind your tow vehicle, when the boat is not on them. With that camera, I can eye right down the center bunk, and point the thing right where I want it.

With the boat on the trailer, the camera is blocked. Then I just look out the back window, old-skool.

Seems like nobody puts decent backup lights on anymore.

Maybe you're just getting older! No kidding, my eyes don't have nearly the low-light range they had when I was younger.

 

[Jstpssng]

On any enclosed trailer, yes. But I love it for backing my smaller boat trailer down the ramp for retrieval. Many boat trailers are simply too low and narrow to see AT ALL behind your tow vehicle, when the boat is not on them. With that camera, I can eye right down the center bunk, and point the thing right where I want it.

With the boat on the trailer, the camera is blocked. Then I just look out the back window, old-skool.


Maybe you're just getting older! No kidding, my eyes don't have nearly the low-light range they had when I was younger.

It doesn't matter what the trailer is. When backing it around a corner after dark, that camera may as well not be there. Actually there are times when I have covered it up; between that and the dash lights, they make it harder to see anything in the dark mirror.
I also shut my headlights off when backing up...
I have a little 8 foot dump that can be a puke to back up anyways. A longer trailer isn't as bad.

 

[WinterDeere]

It doesn't matter what the trailer is. When backing it around a corner after dark, that camera may as well not be there.

Well... yeah. They have their place. Like any tool, it doesn't do everything.

I'd rather have one than not, especially for backing up to the hitch on any trailer too heavy to move the tongue to the ball, and the aforementioned backing up low empty trailers. But I'm not using it for backing around corners in the dark, either!

 

[bigtiller]

When pulling an air compressor with a single axle dump truck, the compressor disappears. You can't see or feel it when driving.

So we laid 2 moped flags on the top, pointing each to the side and bolted them down. The flag stuck out just enough on both sides so I could see them in the side mirrors.

 

[Oaktree]

A long vehicle like a long bed crew cab 1-ton won't work well with a short 4x8 trailer but a small jeep will. And the worst example is a towable air compressor. So short that no tow vehicle can win backing up.

Don't have a towable air compressor, but when I move my logsplitter around I'll use the ATV. Lot easier to see and maneuver, plus the splitter has a 1 7/8" hitch while everything else is a 2, so I'll just leave the 1 7/8 ball on the ATV and not have to swap.
If I'm going to move the 4x8 trailer around on the property I'll use my tractor...backs a LOT easier with that!

 

[Jstpssng]

My grandfather had a tow ball mounted on the front hitch of his jeep for moving trailers around. You don't see much of that anymore.

 

[ovrszd]

Don't have a towable air compressor, but when I move my logsplitter around I'll use the ATV. Lot easier to see and maneuver, plus the splitter has a 1 7/8" hitch while everything else is a 2, so I'll just leave the 1 7/8 ball on the ATV and not have to swap.
If I'm going to move the 4x8 trailer around on the property I'll use my tractor...backs a LOT easier with that!

I grew up on Ford tractors, 8N, 641, 800. The 8N and 641 both had a front bumper with hitch. They were used extensively moving trailers and especially 4 wheel wagons.

 

[ovrszd]

My grandfather had a tow ball mounted on the front hitch of his jeep for moving trailers around. You don't see much of that anymore.

When I built the front bumper/grill guard for my Ford I added a receiver hitch. It holds a chain box or a hitch receiver. Also holds 4 125lb suitcase weights.

 

[/pine]

My grandfather had a tow ball mounted on the front hitch of his jeep for moving trailers around. You don't see much of that anymore.

Lots of boat yards and marinas have custom hitch balls mounted on the fronts...also seen them being used in camper /trailer lots...

for some free entertainment search YT for "boat ramp boat backing" etc...some funny stuff...

The 4th of July is a great day for spotting at public boat ramps...