Mikey P
Administrator
I can't back up a trailer worth a damn...
@Matt Wood can you shoot a training video real quick like?
@Matt Wood can you shoot a training video real quick like?
I man enough to admit it
- Thread starter Mikey P
- Start date
Pioneer Floorcare
Member
I had a job as a young man that required backing up a trailer at up to 25mph
Just don't get my wife to spot you and you will do fine...
roro
Member
mount a towball at the front of the vehicle and you won't ever have to reverse a trailer
roro
roro
GreenTechAgain
Member
My buddy tells me the bigger the trailer, the easier.
He is pretty good with that thing. Guess it's like shooting pool. A lot of practice.
He is pretty good with that thing. Guess it's like shooting pool. A lot of practice.
Desk Jockey
Member
I suck at it. I do everything I can not to back up.
I pulled on from St Louis to Topeka and made sure that when we stopped I could pull out straight. Whenever I had to deliver the TES trailer I would just take it to the location and let someone else back it up.
I had a mower on a little one and after 6 attempts, my father told me to just pull around the block and get close to the curb. We would just unload in the street.
Smaller seems to jack knife easier.
I pulled on from St Louis to Topeka and made sure that when we stopped I could pull out straight. Whenever I had to deliver the TES trailer I would just take it to the location and let someone else back it up.
I had a mower on a little one and after 6 attempts, my father told me to just pull around the block and get close to the curb. We would just unload in the street.
Smaller seems to jack knife easier.
Go slow, trust your mirrors, small adjustments, practice. Nothing to it.
Desk Jockey
Member
I don't go slow at anything and I frustrate easily. 
Sold the H&H but I could use a utility for lawnmower & ATV's.
I'd prefer shorter but my experience tells me I need longer.
Sold the H&H but I could use a utility for lawnmower & ATV's.
I'd prefer shorter but my experience tells me I need longer.
steve_64
Member
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2012
- Messages
- 13,371
But not man enough to back up a trailer. 
Bob Pruitt
Member
I hate backing my trailer.
Old Coastie
Supportive Member
Put your hand at the bottom of the wheel, (6 o'clock). Then stop thinking about geometry. The trailer will go whichever direction you turn the wheel. There is a little lag. You are driving the trailer, not the van.
Crunchy sounds are usually bad.
Crunchy sounds are usually bad.
I have a 32Ft travel trailer and did 3g damage a couple of year's ago when I was bringing it back to the dealer for some warranty issues and winterization...me and the wife not communicating properly...,.
The there is the sedoo trailer...don't get me started on that. Short Axel trailers very hard to park...
The there is the sedoo trailer...don't get me started on that. Short Axel trailers very hard to park...
Exactly, the longer the trailer the easier to back up. Short trailers are harder to see and corrections have more of an impact.
When we lived in AZ, worked for a paving biz in the mountains. I used to have to back a dump truck and trailer up the mountains. They would make you back up in case the brakes failed you wouldn't be going down a mountain in reverse.... It sucked!
steve_64
Member
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2012
- Messages
- 13,371
I've been putting boats in the water to long to not know how to back up a trailer.
dgardner
Moderator
After 25 years of pulling our little boat, and a small trailer we use to haul trash, I have gotten reasonably good at backing a trailer. As already said, go slow at first. I can offer a couple of tips that I received when I first learned that may help. A lot easier to show you than tell you, but I'll try. I use the top of the steering wheel instead of Stephen's method (but really the same thing).
First, if you have the room, the easiest way is to pull forward until the trailer and vehicle are in a straight line and pointing in the direction you want to go when you back up, so you can back straight in. Practice this first.
Pull forward and get lined up. Then:
Look in your side mirrors, if it's a short trailer you may not be able to see the trailer at all, this is ok. If it's a longer trailer then you will see equal amounts of trailer in either mirror. Put either hand (whichever is comfortable) on the top of the steering wheel. Start to back up. Everything will go smoothly for a few feet, then the back of the trailer will start to come around on you to the left or right. Lets say it comes around to the left. You see the trailer in your left mirror. Move your hand (that is on the top of the wheel) toward the left - see the trailer, move your hand in that direction. Don't let things get too far - you need to correct at the first sign of movement, and make small corrections. So you have corrected, but probably a little too much. After a few more feet you see the trailer in your right mirror. move your hand to the right to stop it, rinse and repeat. The backing process ends up being a series of gentle s-curves in the general direction you want to go. If you correct soon, and don't over-correct, the s's are almost imperceptible. If things get out of hand and the trailer starts to jackknife, pull forward and get lined up again.
The other situation is when you don't have enough room to get straight, and have to back around a curve. Most common is backing into a driveway from an intersecting street. You will use the same trick, but in a slightly different way. I have attached a little diagram that may help. For my example, we assume you are coming up the street and the driveway is on your left:
Come down the street and pull past the driveway - the car and trailer should both be past. While you are still going forward, swing around to the right. This starts to get the trailer's back end pointing to the left, where you want it to go. Look at diagram #1 - the trailer is starting to point in the correct direction, but if you started to back up you can see the trailer would just back up the way it came, into the street. So, at the last second, just before you stop, crank your wheel hard to the left. Now the back end of the trailer breaks to the left, and the car and trailer are both pointed in the correct direction, so when you back up it will naturally want to head for the driveway (diagram #2). Practice this a few times - getting the trailer pointed correctly and the angle between the car and trailer is important. Get out and walk around to have a look if you have to.
Now you are ready to back in. Take a second to look in your left mirror and get the picture. You want to maintain this picture until the trailer is lined up in the driveway. Start to back up. If the trailer starts to swing more to the left, move your hand to the left. If it starts to straighten out, moving to the right, and you see less trailer in your left mirror, move your hand to the right.
Once the trailer is almost straight with the driveway, you want to bring the car around so that you end up with car and trailer straight. Same trick. Since you want the car and trailer straight, and you are seeing the trailer in your left mirror, move your hand to the left. Not much. Just turn the wheel until you see the trailer begin to straighten out, as you continue to back things will straighten out.
Again, if things are getting out of hand, stop and pull forward a little. As you do, think about where you want the trailer's back end to point, and steer the car to accomplish that.
First, if you have the room, the easiest way is to pull forward until the trailer and vehicle are in a straight line and pointing in the direction you want to go when you back up, so you can back straight in. Practice this first.
Pull forward and get lined up. Then:
Look in your side mirrors, if it's a short trailer you may not be able to see the trailer at all, this is ok. If it's a longer trailer then you will see equal amounts of trailer in either mirror. Put either hand (whichever is comfortable) on the top of the steering wheel. Start to back up. Everything will go smoothly for a few feet, then the back of the trailer will start to come around on you to the left or right. Lets say it comes around to the left. You see the trailer in your left mirror. Move your hand (that is on the top of the wheel) toward the left - see the trailer, move your hand in that direction. Don't let things get too far - you need to correct at the first sign of movement, and make small corrections. So you have corrected, but probably a little too much. After a few more feet you see the trailer in your right mirror. move your hand to the right to stop it, rinse and repeat. The backing process ends up being a series of gentle s-curves in the general direction you want to go. If you correct soon, and don't over-correct, the s's are almost imperceptible. If things get out of hand and the trailer starts to jackknife, pull forward and get lined up again.
The other situation is when you don't have enough room to get straight, and have to back around a curve. Most common is backing into a driveway from an intersecting street. You will use the same trick, but in a slightly different way. I have attached a little diagram that may help. For my example, we assume you are coming up the street and the driveway is on your left:
Come down the street and pull past the driveway - the car and trailer should both be past. While you are still going forward, swing around to the right. This starts to get the trailer's back end pointing to the left, where you want it to go. Look at diagram #1 - the trailer is starting to point in the correct direction, but if you started to back up you can see the trailer would just back up the way it came, into the street. So, at the last second, just before you stop, crank your wheel hard to the left. Now the back end of the trailer breaks to the left, and the car and trailer are both pointed in the correct direction, so when you back up it will naturally want to head for the driveway (diagram #2). Practice this a few times - getting the trailer pointed correctly and the angle between the car and trailer is important. Get out and walk around to have a look if you have to.
Now you are ready to back in. Take a second to look in your left mirror and get the picture. You want to maintain this picture until the trailer is lined up in the driveway. Start to back up. If the trailer starts to swing more to the left, move your hand to the left. If it starts to straighten out, moving to the right, and you see less trailer in your left mirror, move your hand to the right.
Once the trailer is almost straight with the driveway, you want to bring the car around so that you end up with car and trailer straight. Same trick. Since you want the car and trailer straight, and you are seeing the trailer in your left mirror, move your hand to the left. Not much. Just turn the wheel until you see the trailer begin to straighten out, as you continue to back things will straighten out.
Again, if things are getting out of hand, stop and pull forward a little. As you do, think about where you want the trailer's back end to point, and steer the car to accomplish that.
steve_64
Member
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2012
- Messages
- 13,371
Did you get all of that Marty? I didn't lol.
dgardner
Moderator
When you're needing to hook the trailer up to the truck, the best way to do that is to use your rear view mirror. The best way to know where the tongue of the trailer is lining up the center bolts on the wall of the trailer right in the middle of the two center bolts of your tailgate.
Excuse the mess in the back of my truck, but look at the pic. And see how the middle screws on the trailer wall is in the middle of the tailgate screws...that'll help you back the truck right up to the tongue without constantly trying to line it up cussing yourself out
dgardner
Moderator
Here's one for you Steve, pulling into a parking space with a trailer. Just pictures. Better?
I'll try to post a video later this afternoon
Brian H
Member
I used to avoid doing anything with at trailer... I couldn't figure out the backing thing to save my soul. Then one day it just clicked.
I bought some used dock sections on Craig's list and took my dad's big dual axle trailer to pick them up. The guy lived on the top of a tall hill with a single lane driveway and no way to turn around at the top. I didn't have any choice but to back it up that driveway, which I did with only time where I pulled forward to correct. I sure surprised myself by doing it and it felt good earning the praises of those watching.
After that, I go out of my way to back trailers. I even back the little utility trailer on the back of my lawn tractor. I am still not great at it, but I am getting better.
I bought some used dock sections on Craig's list and took my dad's big dual axle trailer to pick them up. The guy lived on the top of a tall hill with a single lane driveway and no way to turn around at the top. I didn't have any choice but to back it up that driveway, which I did with only time where I pulled forward to correct. I sure surprised myself by doing it and it felt good earning the praises of those watching.
After that, I go out of my way to back trailers. I even back the little utility trailer on the back of my lawn tractor. I am still not great at it, but I am getting better.
dgardner
Moderator
Funny - my wife and I were in a restaurant a few days ago with posters of various celebrities on the wall. One was a poster of Chuck Norris-isms. Hilarious...
Mikey P
Administrator
I got this giant TV screen on my dash bwhen I go into reverse, that ought to help
I have to deliver the snow mobiles I borrowed today, wish me luck..
I have to deliver the snow mobiles I borrowed today, wish me luck..
Mikey P
Administrator
Thanks for the great responses everyone!
