Learning how to drive with a trailer..

[CobyRupert]

when backing up, put your hand at the bottom part of the steering wheel. as you back up, turn the wheel in the direction you want the trailer to go...

???
You always have to turn the wheel in the direction you want to go. Whether you’re towing a trailer, not towing, going forwards, backwards, or have your hands on the top or bottom of the wheel.

 

[tomcatg]

What truck would have a tow package without a hitch? Does the truck have a trailer wire plug yet?

Once your truck is wired and has a hitch, find someone with a trailer to go through the steps attaching/driving with a trailer. Take the trailer owner out to lunch while you are on the test drive. Get a feel for it before you spend a bunch of money on trailers.

I guess the time change has fried my brain...yes I have a hitch what I meant to say is I dont have the hitch pin, ball mount and all that.

 

[MTGreen]

Remember when going forward the trailer turns sharper than the truck, so make wide turns. The longer the trailer the worse this effect is

 

[Jstpssng]

I haven’t run into anything because I forgot but I have been driving down the road and all the sudden remembered I have a trailer back there.

Don't feel alone. My little dump trailer is only 4 feet wide and pulls easily even when loaded. It doesn't show in the mirrors and is easy to forget about.
On the other hand I struggle backing it up. When I had a 16 foot tandem axle I could easily back it down my driveway or up through my field; all my little trailer wants to do is jackknife.

 

[Jstpssng]

???
You always have to turn the wheel in the direction you want to go. Whether you’re towing a trailer, not towing, going forwards, backwards, or have your hands on the top or bottom of the wheel.

He's correct though. Try it sometime just so that you can understand what he's saying. With your hadn on the bottom if you want the trailer to go left, you turn your hand left.

 

[KennyG]

Besides the hand at the bottom of the wheel guide, another is to just follow the trailer. If the trailer is drifting left, go to the left with the truck.

 

[tomcatg]

Thanks for all the input guys. I am in rural Virginia just for the record. I have a 2017 Ram 1500 4x4 with the towing package. I do have a Polaris and a lawn cart and backing it up is a pain lol. I have several friends that have trailers and tow all the time. I figured I could bribe one of them to go with me when I started towing to bail me out if I got in trouble lol. My wife's brother is giving her an old camper that belonged to her late father, and she wants to redo it. Once he drops it off I think I will do as several mentioned and practice with the tractor pulling that thing around on the property.

 

[KennyG]

I haven’t run into anything because I forgot but I have been driving down the road and all the sudden remembered I have a trailer back there.

I've glanced in the rear view mirror and wondered why that John Deere was tailgating me.

 

[9973720wb19]

???
You always have to turn the wheel in the direction you want to go. Whether you’re towing a trailer, not towing, going forwards, backwards, or have your hands on the top or bottom of the wheel.

you're not reading what I wrote correctly. I didn't say "turn the wheel in the direction you want to go"...

 

[9973720wb19]

 

[dodge man]

Maybe I missed someone saying it but the tricky part is starting the turn backing up. You have to turn the truck what seems like the wrong way to get the trailer started the way you want. Once started, the you spin the wheel around and follow with the truck.

 

[Torvy]

I guess the time change has fried my brain...yes I have a hitch what I meant to say is I dont have the hitch pin, ball mount and all that.

I think you had it right the first time. Your truck (like mine) has a receiver. Some people and companies erroneously call that a receiver hitch, but unless you have something inserted in the receiver that can attach (hitch) to a trailer, it is just a receiver. The 'bar' with one or more balls is called a ball mount. The two together (connected by a hitch pin) are properly called a hitch.

Most vehicles that have a tow package do Not ship with a hitch. Some don't even have a receiver.

 

[Norm W]

I used to back a 7x12 trailer with a school bus. People couldn't believe it. I wonder what they would do watching this fellow back a double trailer.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNknZilZuoo&list=RDCMUCLIEnPyx7T-mj6c1YzXX3Dw&index=12

 

[4570Man]

I used to back a 7x12 trailer with a school bus. People couldn't believe it. I wonder what they would do watching this fellow back a double trailer.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNknZilZuoo&list=RDCMUCLIEnPyx7T-mj6c1YzXX3Dw&index=12

With so much tail swing on the bus you should be able to correct the trailer pretty fast.

 

[jyoutz]

When you buy the trailer, get a spare tire with a mount for it.
I had blowout on I-5 in Washington going 70 mph with 2 tractors on the back (heavy) and if it wasn't for the spare tire I would have been in deep trouble.

And even better, get a dual axle trailer. They handle better when one tire goes.

 

[Norm W]

The problem wasn't correcting the trailer, it was seeing it. By the time it was in the mirrors, it was out of alignment. A 90 degree back was not a problem as you could see it then.

 

[jyoutz]

On several levels bumper mounted balls are poor. There capacity is low and how do you get your ball at the correct height to match your trailer? A receiver hitch allows you to change it. I might have 4 of various heights to work with different trailers...

I can’t stress enough: the the receiver hitch type with the adjustable drop mount.

 

[Jstpssng]

I used to back a 7x12 trailer with a school bus. People couldn't believe it. I wonder what they would do watching this fellow back a double trailer.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNknZilZuoo&list=RDCMUCLIEnPyx7T-mj6c1YzXX3Dw&index=12

I used to back a hay mulcher behind a C65 with a 28 foot rack body into some horrendous places. What made it a challenge was that the trailer was about 2-3 feet narrower than the body, so didn't show in my mirrors until it was jackknifed. Meanwhile the forewoman would sit on the trailer trying to motion to me what to do... I couldn't see her either.

 

[cmyoung2]

Couple of things that I have found over the years(many). Turn the radio off, for some reason you can see better with it off. Roll the window down, again you can see and hear better. If you have 4x4, use low range, it makes you go slow. Sometimes you really do need a spotter, and I have found the best place for the spotter is near the driver window, or the front tire of the tractor. If they are at the back you really need 2way radios. And I really love backup cameras for hooking up, during harvest having to hitch 15-20 times a day can be a pain without a camera, even with practice. And the big thing is to practice and never get in a hurry.

 

[sandman2234]

There are some pretty good posts on this topic. If you still don't feel comfortable, come to Florida one weekend and I will teach you to back up. I have had a few miles pulling and backing up a trailer and about 7 years teaching people how to pull and back up trailers.
Good luck, and be safe!
David from jax