Trying to back a trailer is no fun

[alltoys]

I am in the same boat as your wife. My only saving grace is that my husband is no better and probably even worse. We had a pop up camper that used to literally take us one hour or more to back up onto a 20 foot driveway and then make a 90 degree angle into a parking pad adjacent to our driveway. We only did that a few times and then rented a permenent campsite so we did not have to do it any more. We have never rented a trailor for moving either always rented a truck just so that we would not have to pull a trailor. It was good that we learned that when we were young so that we just never ever bought or rented a trailor and probably saved ourselves from disaster. if oyu ain't got it you aint got it adn I take my hats off to everybody who can drive a big rig, drive a bus and pull a trailor as surely that is an acquired skill and valuable one. I still remember telling my hsuband he ws going to hit the mailbox adn he insisted that he wasn't and oh well you can guess the ending. We would each take truns trying with the other person directing until we would become so frustrated and excited that we would jump out of the car and tellt he other person to try it. It was HE double hockey sticks.

Rox,

That's pretty good just eliminate the problem get rid of the trailer, lol.

My Wife on the other hand is a stubborn person she will not give up. Usually by the end of fall time she is not to bad at backing up. But for some reason what ever she learned during the previous year goes out the window. Spring time is a fresh start and so is the backing up antics. My birthday is in May excellent spring time here. I am asking for a digital movie camera for my birthday. If she finds out what I want it for she may not get it for me.

 

[bontai_Joe]

From 1978 to about 1985 I ran my own lawn maintenace business plus ran a crew of lawn guys for a landscaper. What that means is I was pulling a 12' long trailer behind a pickup truck just about 7 days a week. At that time, I could back one up just about anywhere for any distance and could even parallel park it using 2 parking spaces. It's been close to 20 years since I pulled one, and I'm sure it would be interesting to watch me try now.

 

[steveoutdoorrec]

When I went back to college in my mid 40s after a layoff I some how got connected with the snowshoe racing team as a driver. For one race I drove through a near blizzard from the Adirondack mountains of NY to Maine pulling a cargo trailer behind a 15 person van. On the way back the coach saw something he thought we should go back to see so I just pulled up to the next driveway, backed the trailer in and went back. You could hear a pin drop in that van of normally rowdy students.

The coach signed me on as a driver for the marathon canoe team and the next fall I got to pull a 36 ft trailer for the teams 32 ft war canoe behind the same vay. When I backed that thing down to a boat launch at the end of the second day of a 3 day 90 mile race nobody was watching the race. Even the state trooper just stood there and watched instead of directing traffic.

The secret was I learned to drive in a full sized van and knew how to use mirrors and learned the grab the bottom of the steering wheel trick. Oh, and I went slow and did minor corrections before things got out of hand. Fun times

 

[PILOON]

"Bottom steering wheel--I like that"! Must try next time.

I'm not all that bad backing, but I have a good hump in my drive and if my trailer is empty I completely lose it from sight for just long enough to miss any corrections needed.
Darn Jimmy has a fairly high 'tail gate'.

I keep meaning to add a post or elevated flag of some sort but course never do.

 

[Slatecreek]

Backing a trailer is always fun!! Since I don't pull our trailer very much it is like learning all over again each time I use it. It usually comes back to me rather quickly, but there is always that initial oops!! turned the the wrong way and quickly look around to see if anyone is watching and have to pull up and make the correction. The hands on the bottom is a very effective way to accomplish backing a trailer, just takes a little getting used to, if your like me and used to having your hands on the top all the time.

 

[crashz]

I used to run a one ton dump for my father back before college and pulling the air compressor was the worst of them all. You could not see it until it swung around one way or the other due to the dump body, and it was so short that it moved really fast!

I got very proficient at backing trailers with those trucks, and doing so I got a little full of myself. Fast forward 15 years and I picked up that same air compressor this past summer with my pick up, and jacknifed it while trying to back out of a mud hole. So much for being an expert...

 

[WantedWolf]

Id like to add another trailer to complicate things
Whos a pro at backing trailers onto other trailers
I have to back my welder trailer up onto the flat deck for the first time.(shortest trailer ever)
Im a little nervous but will post picks if I ever get it done

 

[foggy1111]

When I was 18 years old I was doing some delivery work for my father who was in the implement and truck biz. A few days before Christmas.....he had this load of trucks to bring back from Detroit to MN.....and it HAD to be back in MN before the New year. I begged for the chance to do the trip...plus his regular driver was out sick...so I got my wish. I desperately wanted to be back home for Christmas....so this was to be a quick trip....and a comedy of errors.

First off....In my haste to make a flight....I forgot the dealer plates so I was ILLEGAL all the way home. Then, in Detroit, they had three 2 ton trucks all piggybacked with two temporary 5th wheels and a pickup truck set on the last 2 ton truck. I just had the little 8" "spot" mirrors so I couldn't see much behind this rig (in those days we put on our own "west coast" mirrors, and most other accessories....cheaper) Lastly.....they had no saddle tanks on the truck....and I would have had to wait an extra day to get them.....so down the road I went.....about 3 feet over length (in Wisconsin) with about a 16 gallon behind-the-seat tank. Lastly I did not know the radio antenna was taped behind the seat so I had no "tunes" for my adventure.

I could go no more than 100 miles before refuel....and they didn't have many truck stops in those days......so typically I'd find myself at a local small town gas station trying to back this rig up to fill the seat tank about every 1 1/2 hours on a 40 hour trip. I finally bought two five gallon cans for the occasional out-of-gas scenario. But learned to back REAL careful....usually while the station owner hollered instructions at me.

I missed a turn in Chicago and went through the downtown area during a pretty busy time. In another scenario I ran out of gas, in the middle of the night, in Wisconsin and a State Trooper pumped me some gas FROM HIS PATROL CAR out on the highway. Later I sat on the front bumper (to cover where the license plate belonged) as we discussed the length of my rig. He had me hold one end of the tape as he measured me for length.......and my outstretched arm and body-lean made up the difference as he hollered "right on the button".

I learnt allot on that trip AND made it back safely for Christmas...with an hour to spare. ...and I have been able to back-up ever since.

 

[LBrown59]

When I was 18 years old I was doing some delivery work for my father who was in the implement and truck biz. A few days before Christmas.....he had this load of trucks to bring back from Detroit to MN.....and it HAD to be back in MN before the New year. I begged for the chance to do the trip...plus his regular driver was out sick...so I got my wish. I desperately wanted to be back home for Christmas....so this was to be a quick trip....and a comedy of errors.

First off....In my haste to make a flight....I forgot the dealer plates so I was ILLEGAL all the way home. Then, in Detroit, they had three 2 ton trucks all piggybacked with two temporary 5th wheels and a pickup truck set on the last 2 ton truck. I just had the little 8" "spot" mirrors so I couldn't see much behind this rig (in those days we put on our own "west coast" mirrors, and most other accessories....cheaper) Lastly.....they had no saddle tanks on the truck....and I would have had to wait an extra day to get them.....so down the road I went.....about 3 feet over length (in Wisconsin) with about a 16 gallon behind-the-seat tank. Lastly I did not know the radio antenna was taped behind the seat so I had no "tunes" for my adventure.

I could go no more than 100 miles before refuel....and they didn't have many truck stops in those days......so typically I'd find myself at a local small town gas station trying to back this rig up to fill the seat tank about every 1 1/2 hours on a 40 hour trip. I finally bought two five gallon cans for the occasional out-of-gas scenario. But learned to back REAL careful....usually while the station owner hollered instructions at me.

In another scenario I ran out of gas, in the middle of the night, in Wisconsin and a State Trooper pumped me some gas FROM HIS PATROL CAR out on the highway. Later I sat on the front bumper (to cover where the license plate belonged) as we discussed the length of my rig. He had me hold one end of the tape as he measured me for length.......and my outstretched arm and body-lean made up the difference as he hollered "right on the button".

Pretty slick.

 

[radioman]

foggy - you have the luck of a irish! I know I would've been busted in your shoes.

 

[PILOON]

Here is another 'Luck of the irish' one.

Was in my early 20's, visiting folks in Mtl while working in Sudbury.

Purchased a boat and trailer in Mtl to bring to Sudbury.
Being Sunday no way to fix lights nor plate the trailer before leaving.

Passing thru North Bay at 2 AM, kinda fast like no plates, no trailer lights doing probably 50 in a 30 zone and one headlight just quit as well I get pulled over by the OPP!

Woops!, well officer (I explain the late transaction) the light was OK as I entered town and please note that (true) I have a 6" X 24" red reflective strip attached to the boat trailer for visibility plus the traile/boat is lower and narrower than the car so my brake lights are visible!
Also at this time only you and I are on the road.
As to the headlight, thanks for the warning, I promise to replace first thing.

He responded, "Be careful and don't let the next officer catch you, have a nice day, good night sleep"

Dated bill of sale probably helped as well and the fact that I added that oversized reflector strip indicating that I really wanted to be safely seen.

Guess that was before the era of 'cash grabs'

 

[Redneck in training]

Don't be too hard on the girls, I taught and tested EVAP (Emergency Vehicle Accident Prevention) for a fire department, and I was astonished at the poor operating skills of a lot of the guys who were scary going forward much less able to even use their mirrors for anything but combing their hair.

There were a couple of farm raised lady firefighters however, who could put most of the guys to shame. It just takes lots of practice.

One of my present day neighbors is a sixty plus lady who drives an asphalt truck with pup and is one of the better operators around male or female.

Regards
Sherweld

My wife is a city girl but she is an expert with a trailer going forward or backward. I can do it too but I have to figure out what to do in particular situation. She just drives there. She says that she is better mulitasker.

 

[foggy1111]

foggy - you have the luck of a irish! I know I would've been busted in your shoes.

Yeah, really lucked-out on that trooper stop, especially not checking the plates or registration....not sure if he was giving me a break or was just stoopid. Strange thing.....I think he pumped 3 to 5 gallons of fuel from his car (he was all set up for this situation) into my truck and never even charged me for the gas. Today they might call a tow truck for you but this was strange to me....even by standards back in the 60's.

You haven't lived till your in downtown Chicago, with a four truck load, looking for a place to fuel in traffic either....man, that gave me religion....and I bet I'll never miss a turn on I90 again. I remember all too well I had started smoking back then....and I almost smoked a full carton of cigarettes (Tarytons) on the trip....I could hardly breath when I got home.

 

[Soundguy]

My wife is a city girl but she is an expert with a trailer going forward or backward. I can do it too but I have to figure out what to do in particular situation. She just drives there. She says that she is better mulitasker.

Heck.. I'm just lucky if my wife can back up her VEHICLE without hitting the gate on the way out.

3 times in 2 ys she's made a pretzle out of a 16' gate. plus left a nice beauty mark or two on her yukon.

soundguy

 

[wwalkersd]

Heck.. I'm just lucky if my wife can back up her VEHICLE without hitting the gate on the way out.

Yeah, my wife is "spatially challenged", too. But she's only hit something once (when backing up our truck). With her car, she's figured out that if she's too close to the wall of the garage, or another vehicle is in the driveway, that she should just ask me to back it out for her. No way is she ever going to haul the horse trailer! My daughter, luckily, takes after me in this regard.

 

[Soundguy]

My wife gets it from her mother. When my MIL comes over, she actually parks in the grass in front o fthe house and calls me out to pull the car into the driveway thru the gate. ( 16' gate with 12" concrete!!!.. should be no problem right? ).

In any case.. i back it out for her too

soundguy

 

[czechsonofagun]

Wife best of all will take the trailer if she really has to - but only for trips where there is no backing up

In military we had some kids from farms and they were quite amazing backing up trucks with trailers, mirrors only and back they go.

And somebody mentioned fast food and a trailer? I had to deliver two sheep from east of Blue Ridge to the west of Blue Ridge. Well it was a nice day, I loaded kids in my CJ7, caged sheep in the trailer and we hit the road. By Lurray everybody was hungry - so I went through MacDonald drive through. I made the day for the sales people, never heard so much baaah baah at MD in my life

 

[Knotbored]

Years ago I lived on a culdesac (spelling?) sort of L shaped. A neighbor returned from a vacation towing his new-bought camping trailer and I believe he had stopped at every tavern since the dealers to show it off.
The trailer had a break mechanism to prevent it pushing a car when going downhill and help at stop signs, which engaged each time he attempted to back up freezing the tires in place. I guess there is a pin mechanism to use when backing, but anyhow he either didn't know how or was too inebriated to realize it.
Anyhow before he was done he had pushed the trailer with squeeling tires into every ditch and all the housewives had called kids inside and us guys gathered in a driveway to "give advise" as the tire markes increased up and down the road. He moved shortly after that and rumor was his wife was too embarrased to continue living where her husband was the butt of all the driving jokes.

 

[Soundguy]

Reason #1 why I hate surge brakes....

soundguy

 

[Conservation]

I love this thread. I got to show off some this last weekend. We went to a material auction, and picked up some foam board. Some genius put the lines of materials in between the lines of telephone poles. So the poles were down the middle of the isle where you would drive. Anyhow, it's just me and the wife, and no way we are carrying the boards all the way to the end. We had my extended pickup, pulling a 28' box tag. When we came in the gate, I told the gaurd where we were going. I know he radioed the other yard men, because all eyes were on us. We did a 90 degree through the gate, around a semi trailer, down the isle, around one side of one telephone pole, and squeezed around another one. had to pull the mirror in on that one. No big deal getting in. Couldn't pull through. My wife asked me if we were ok getting out. I just said we would do the same action we did getting in. I would have had pretty bad pucker without her extra eyes, but we just eased it on out. The gaurd was mucho impressed. Good for the ego! Now, a hay waggon can snaggletooth me every time. Go figure!