Learning how to drive with a trailer..

[3 Horse Ranch]

The first part of the video is just about everyone here the first time we tried. The second part is just about everyone here after a little (or a lot) of practice.

 

[Diggin It]

^^^ Speaking of a lot of practice ....

I took a trailer load of metal to a scrap yard a few months back. First time I'd done that, so I wasn't sure of the process. Pulled into an area and the operator told me to turn around and back in. Umm ... I'm not sure I can do that. Somehow, I managed to, but I still wasn't sure what to expect.

Operator climbs up into a massive crane type thing with a grapple hanging at the end of a long cable. Think of those claw and toy machines in restaurant lobbies, but more like 80' feet tall or more. Swings it around and drops it down to a couple of feet over my little toy Harbor Freight type 4 x 8 trailer, then comes down the rest of the way, closes the claw around the load and lifts it off and away. He did that about five or six times and never touched the trailer deck itself.

This guy's probably over a hundred feet away and picking up stuff easier than I loaded it.

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

I learned to back a trailer with a low geared tractor, The slow speed helps by giving you more reaction time to correct the direction the trailer is going.

So my suggestion while learning would be:

Back as slow as you can go.

Stop when you need to reposition in the forward direction. Get out and walk back behind the trailer and see where it aligns with the truck. Do this each time until you understand how much steering wheel input gives the results you are trying to achieve.
(This is time consuming) But helps a lot of people gain knowlege by visualizing the particulars of thier setup.

Look at the surroundings of where you need to place the trailer and think out what actions you need to take before backing in.

Remember that backing a trailer is a "cause and effect" real life experience that you can only learn with patience and practice.

 

[Jstpssng]

Turn the radio off, for some reason you can see better with it off.

I don't understand why, yet you are right.

He did that about five or six times and never touched the trailer deck itself.

A good equipment operator is amazing. We've all seen the videos where he picks up a dime on the tine of a forklift, or something similar. There are members here who know what they're doing also.

I'm not one of them.

 

[bcp]

If you think you are really good at trailer backing, put a tall object (for visibility) in one of these and try backing it with your truck or car.

 

[Jstpssng]

If you think you are really good at trailer backing, put a tall object (for visibility) in one of these and try backing it with your truck or car.


View attachment 788595

No thanks. The easiest way to back that up is to unhook and roll it by hand.


PS: I learned to back a homemade trailer about that size behind the riding lawn mower. It used to be fun to put it on and practice.

 

[3 Horse Ranch]

Turn the radio off, for some reason you can see better with it off.

The new dump trucks the company was getting as I retired all had that feature from the factory. Good feature, I always turned mine off when backing anyway. Somehow it was always easier to see steer the trailer where I wanted it with it off.
Pro tip: It also helps to have it off when looking for an address or the next road to turn onto.

 

[4570Man]

If you think you are really good at trailer backing, put a tall object (for visibility) in one of these and try backing it with your truck or car.


View attachment 788595

I can back my wood splitter pretty good as long as I can see it out the back window. When there’s a load on the truck so I loose the ability to see it and it’s too narrow to see with the side mirrors it’s not a fun job.

 

[redman135]

When backing keep the the corrections SMALL. If you need to turn the wheel more than 1/2 a turn stop, straighten up then retry.

 

[ddbackhoe]

your profile doesn't mention where you are, but if you have someone around that can let you use their trailer and give you some pointers that would be best. Short trailers are harder to control and one tip I always tell my kids is go slow and if you place your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel at six o'clock position the direction you move your hand will be the direction the trailer moves this is more of a reference when sitting there thinking which way to move the wheel. Good Luck

The old Army trick, both hands on the steering wheel, palms up/thumbs out. Left thumb up moves the rear of the trailer left, right thumb up moves the trailer rear right. Don't forget to watch front and rear of tow vehicle for pinch points and foreign objects (loading dock, other vehicles, tree, etc)

 

[MAX-24-Dean]

I can back my wood splitter pretty good as long as I can see it out the back window. When there’s a load on the truck so I loose the ability to see it and it’s too narrow to see with the side mirrors it’s not a fun job.

Neighbor straps a 4 foot stake to his splitter with a bungy cord. It is painted orange. He places it so he can see it in his mirror when backing. Works pretty good.

 

[tomcatg]

The first part of the video is just about everyone here the first time we tried. The second part is just about everyone here after a little (or a lot) of practice.

LOL..that was great and exactly how I feel trying to back up the mower with the lawn cart

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

What's funny about backing anything up people saw the steering wheel. That's something you don't do going forward so why do it backing up?
Practice...everything is practice.

 

[sandman2234]

What's funny about backing anything up people saw the steering wheel. That's something you don't do going forward so why do it backing up?
Practice...everything is practice.

I had to back around a sweeping corner today, and thought about this post, and noticed that I was almost not moving the steering wheel. Only slight adjustments, then wait for the trailer to react. I was literally just bumping the steering wheel up against the free play in the wheel, not really steering it.
David from jax

 

[Riptide23]

I feel your pain. I’ve been pulling trailers of all sizes for the better part of 35 years, and if I think about it while I’m doing it, I mess it up. Backing up a trailer while looking at a reverse image in the mirror can be bizarre. It’s a very seat-of-the-pants thing.

Long trailers are easier to back in that they react slower, but need more room.

Short trailers are more manuverable, but will jacknife quickly, and if they have a short tongue, will hit your tail lights or gate toot sweet.

Whatever you do, make sure you can see both sides of the trailer in both side mirrors at the same time. Use flags that stick out if you have to. Nothing sucks more than backing a narrow empty trailer (like a boat trailer), especially when it drops over a crest (like a boat ramp).

Where you at?

 

[Diwali]

By far the loudest comment (and most important: ‘Practice’
My own experiences:
A small trailer that can’t be seen in the wing mirrors will ALWAYS jackknife when reversing.
A longish trailer is easier to handle forwards and backwards.
In awkward situations select low range for reversing a trailer.
Good luck!

 

[Loaderman22]

My tips.
Either borrow a trailer from a friend or Go rent a uhaul trailer, don't tell them it's your first time. They have insurance if you hit something! Go drive around an empty parking lot first just to see how it follows your truck. Try backing it into parking spaces, get a feel for how long it is by stopping before the line etc. U-Haul has longer open top trailers with ramps on the back, you can see the ramp but yet they have good visibility, the cube trailer are all blind spot, and car haulers are too low to see.
When driving on your windy roads, go slow and if possible stop on your side if there is an oncoming vehicle. Let them get past you and your trailer.
Small movements on the steering wheel will make the trailer move, just give it a second, you'll be surprised how fast it starts turning.
As your backing up, its easy to fall into the trap of only concentrating on where the trailer is going, don't forget to look at the nose of your truck also, it's real easy to swing it into a small tree or a fence post especially as your learning.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

And when thing start to go sideways (they will), just stop, pull ahead 1/2 a length until rig is realigned, and start over. Pull forward and start over as many times as it takes. Trying to correct a backing mistake by continuing to backup almost never works.

He nailed it! Another thought when you're starting to back up: put your hands on the bottom of your steering wheel; the direction you hands go, the trailer will go. After you do that a couple times, it'll come more naturally.

 

[dkmc]

Has anyone mentioned tongue weight and sway? In the early '80's I was a complete noob, bought a used skid steer trailer, hooked it up to my '78' Chevy heavy half (with 4 ply snow tires on the back) and loaded up a 8000lb forklift. I found out very quickly what 'not enough' tongue weight and sway were all about. Close call, lesson learned. An inch or two too far back on the trailer deck makes a lot of difference.

 

[Arctic Taco]

Practice, practice, good advice on this thread. Patience and small corrections are the key.
One thing I run into backing with newer rigs - most new rigs are really higher geared for mileage, this translates to higher speed in reverse which makes backing smaller trailers more difficult because by the time you see the tail, it’s already gone too far. So low range is good advice if you have 4wd. Slower is always bette.
Placing flags on the trailer is one of the easiest ways to address that. I had a work truck F350 flat bead with a lift gate ( like trying to look through a drive in movie screen) and towed a shorter two axle skinny trailer with a water tank on it, I ended up taking a stick of conduit attaching it to the hose rack on the back with wing nuts and painted the ends with bright orange spray paint - once you could see the ends it was a lot easier to stay ahead of the trailer.
Everybody finds their own solutions, asking for help might be an ego kick but it beats repair bills, and who knows you might just learn something.