Learning to tow?

[maiasaura]

I've never towed anything in my life. I want to learn to tow our 28BH. Where is a good place to practice? Are there places like truck driving schools that can help me develop a good feel for moving the trailer around? I'm in California on the Central Coast.

[dalenoel]

Use any empty parking lots and traffic cones to practice.

[troutslayer]

http://www.rvbasictraining.com/
I have a friend who went through their Boot Camp and said it was good, but I don't personally know about it. It isn't cheap though.

[Tunce the traveler]

Bad time of the year for Mall parking lots but after the holidays early Sunday morning is good. I found it to be very helpful with the white lines in making turns so I could follow my tires in the mirrors. Borrow 4 orange cones if you can.
If you plan on a trip to Mendocino in the future there is only one safe way to get there that I know of from the (101).
At Cloverdale go west on the( 128 ) and return the same way. NEVER EVER go north of Fort Bragg on the (1) to Leggett. Just Google maps from Rockport to Liggett and you'll see why.
The (1) from Mendocino south to the Sanoma Coast I have never traveled so I don't know about that section of highway.
When in Mendocino I stay in Casper Beach it's nothing special(rv park) but a good place to stay in the area

[eng45ine]

Hook up your trailer and head to your nearest high school parking lot on any Sunday, the parking lot should be wide open. Begin by practicing to back the trailer straight back, when you feel comfortable doing so, begin backing into a parking space to one side or the other. Then add cones to challenge your technique. One tip to remember, don't be in a hurry, patience is the key.

[chrisb]

Best practice is to get out there and do it. Run the highway a bit- stay at 55 for a while both hands on the wheel and get use to how it handles. At first keep a spotter when practicing backing, you will most likely do that at every campsite anyway. Always look up win parking. trees or the crown can lean into the camper. Good luck

[Donedroolin]

Just take your time remember to start slowing down sooner and make wider turns. Tip for backing up your trailer that helps allot if new people. Hold the steering wheel from the bottom when backing up. When you are holding the wheel at the bottom you turn left the trailer will move left, you turn right the trailer will turn right. This will work again, only by holding the steering wheel from the bottom. Otherwise if you try this from the top your trailer will go opposite of the way you turn. Best of luck, just take your time

[ALJO]

Practice makes Perfect. First of all you need good visibility of your unit in both mirrors means you have to have extensions or newer trucks might have manual extended mirrors. Do not cut corners with rear visibility. The passenger mirror should be able to see the side of your unit and if possible your axle. First learn to backup over the drivers side which is the easier side for backing up in a parking lot stall or campground. Use some orange cones for practice. Parking lot stalls have lines and you can learn to do it perfect by lining up parallel with the lines. When you are comfort with the driver side backing up start backing up over the passenger side in a parking lot stall till you get perfection with that. Many campsites are pull through but most of them are still back up over the passenger side. If you learn to be perfect you don't need a helper because lots of time they are not visible in your mirror anyway. Before backing up in a campsite always check for over hanging trees and site stakes etc. I learned trucking in Europe with a truck and lorry in the 60's and secondary roads where small and many driveway entrances were also very narrow. Another thing when you hold the bottom of your steering wheel and turn to left your unit will go left. Turn the steering wheel bottom right your unit will go right.
Back up slow! How slower you backup how easier it is to correct.

[Nighthawk 96]

I learned in a Walmart parking lot and I still carry two large orange cones to assist in backing into a camp site.

Keeping your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and moving it in the direction you want your trailer to go as has been mention above is the easiest way to back your trailer.

[Paintinfool3]

I will only add if you have a helper for backing the trailer make sure to get your verbal or signal commands in order... They might be saying one thing and you thinking another .... My wife tells me the rear needs to go left I know what she means .... We also use walkie talkies because like also says a lot of times you can't see them well when backing

[xtruckerbob]

Before being deployed to Iraq we owned a small fleet of trucks and on the drivers side mirror there was a sticker that says GOAL get out and look. There is no more important statement when backing. When I back in to a site my wife still gets out to watch. I have driven over 2 million safe miles and never scratched anything. When I backed in to a truck stop I was not afraid to get out and look and did not care who saw me or if they pointed an laughed.

[Jagiven]

One thing not mentioned, pull way forwards before starting to backup. Then the rest is like a game of chest, you need to think three moves ahead, and anticipate obstacles.

[clutch]

Use an empty parking lot for practicing tight turns so you can get an idea of how the trailer follows the truck. When backing remember to go slow and use a spotter so you can learn to communicate. Your spotter always needs to be where you can see them in the mirror.

[Tunce the traveler]

Originally Posted by clutch

When backing remember to go slow and use a spotter so you can learn to communicate. Your spotter always needs to be where you can see them in the mirror.

Ha Ha Ha Ha, DW and I have never been able to get this right! I always just smile and take twice as long to back in and blame it on my bad driving.

[Polk]

one tip I tell people is when you have to stop and pull forward because your not hitting your spot, is to pull forward a lot not just a foot or two.
This gives you more maneuvering time and room.

[maiasaura]

My husband was in the military for years. He has hand signals for moving large equipment DOWN. Me not so much

[maiasaura]

Originally Posted by eng45ine

Hook up your trailer and head to your nearest high school parking lot on any Sunday, the parking lot should be wide open. Begin by practicing to back the trailer straight back, when you feel comfortable doing so, begin backing into a parking space to one side or the other. Then add cones to challenge your technique. One tip to remember, don't be in a hurry, patience is the key.

Oh high schools! I never thought of that! Thank you!

[maiasaura]

Oh that is fantastic! I like the we'll come to you part of it. Hopefully they serve the central coast...