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Old 06-01-2014, 05:13 PM   #1
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Backing up

Are there any tricks to backing up (and not turning the opposite way)? Also, backing up on your blind side? Thanks!
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Old 06-01-2014, 05:18 PM   #2
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Place your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and turn the wheel in the direction you want the rear of the trailer to go. Sometimes you can over think the process.
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Old 06-01-2014, 05:24 PM   #3
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Get used to using your mirrors! Always, when possible, have a spotter to help guide you. GOAL. Get out and look. Go slow. Place your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and move it in the direction you want the rear of your camper to go. Go slow! If you have electrically adjustable mirrors, take time to adjust them as you are backing so you can see your trailer wheels and rear corner. Go slow. If possible, go to an empty parking lot and practice. The more you do it, the easier it gets to back up. I'm sure there are other tricks of the trade that people use, but I think these are some basics..
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Old 06-01-2014, 05:27 PM   #4
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I teach people by having them place there hand at the bottom of the wheel in the middle and the trailer will turn in the direction your hand goes while backing, just go slow and have a spotter watching for anything in the way, I adjust my mirrors so I can see the trailers wheels and use the road as a guide to follow backing into a camping stall if I'm on the road hugging the inside on the road then my blind side has to be on the road also. Good luck and with practice it will get easier
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Old 06-01-2014, 05:29 PM   #5
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^^^^^I type too slow they beat me too all the good pointers
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Old 06-01-2014, 05:43 PM   #6
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That hand on the bottom of the wheel tip is the best thing ever. Thanks all!
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Old 06-01-2014, 07:12 PM   #7
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pick a target

Even with a spotter I like to get a look at the site and pick a target that I can see to aim for.
Don't forget that your spotter may not be able to see the front corner of your tow vehicle to make certain you don't hook something.
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Old 06-01-2014, 07:13 PM   #8
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I find that I usually don't have to give the wheel more than 1/2 turn CW or CCW from the "hand at the bottom of the wheel" position to get the trailer to move adequately in the right direction. Any more than 1/2 turn and I'm oversteering.
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Old 06-01-2014, 10:30 PM   #9
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I get out and look over the area before starting to back up. Also we use 2 way radios to communicate when backing into a spot. Much simpler than deciphering hand signals.

The points about steering and mirrors - yes make sure to do them.
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Old 06-02-2014, 06:32 AM   #10
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My DW and I also use the rule from my Army days (we called them ground guides, not spotters but the principle is the same): if I can't see you either directly or in my mirrors, the vehicle stops until I can. This is for the spotters safety. If she tripped while I was backing in and I hit her with the trailer because I couldn't see her I would never forgive myself. In fact, she would never forgive me either!

We use the old hand signal method during the day and the same with a flashlight at night. No light = stop. I like the radio idea.
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Old 06-02-2014, 07:53 AM   #11
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All good advice from above. I would just reiterate:

1) Hand on bottom of wheel and move it in the direction that you want tail-end of trailer to go.
2) SLOW movements/adjustments.
3) If you want to straighten out a bit, then actually go forward (with front wheel at 12 o'clock) until vehicle + trailer are lined up again. Like hitting the "reset" button along the way.
4) BE PATIENT.
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Old 06-02-2014, 07:59 AM   #12
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I use all the tips above. Backing up is kind a like playing chess, I try to plane 2 to 3 moves ahead. One of the keys I find that helps me be successful is to ensure we pull forwards enough before starting to back up. If I do not, I then have to make a lot of corrections. When I first started out with the HTT, we would get out look at the spot, then I would scribe a line in the roadway, telling the DW to ensure the bumper is pulled forwards beyond that point before starting to backup.
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Old 06-02-2014, 08:38 AM   #13
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The bride (my spotter) and I use our cell phones while backing. The TV has a hands-free cell connection so it's pretty convenient. If I'm alone (like at the storage lot) it's a slow process since I get out often to look things over.
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Old 06-02-2014, 10:01 AM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jagiven View Post
When I first started out with the HTT, we would get out look at the spot, then I would scribe a line in the roadway, telling the DW to ensure the bumper is pulled forwards beyond that point before starting to backup.
IMHO, this is perhaps the best piece of advice on this thread. For me, it doesn't really matter where my hand is on the steering wheel, I'm relatively good at getting the trailer to go the direction I want. Radios are awesome and keep the volume down between me and my spotter (generally I'm not allowed to talk, I just listen). I also do not move unless I can see my spotter, she knows this and will adjust herself if I stop for any significant amount of time, and I try not to honk! GOAL (Get Out And Look) is the way to go; get out and take a look around with your spotter and point out potential snags, and DON'T FORGET TO LOOK UP too! Remember to leave clearance for slides if you have them. Also, when backing keep an eye on the front end, and ALWAYS have a way out if things go sideways; don't be afraid to pull around and start again if you need to.

What took the most practice for me was the setup (and I'm still not great at it). It is vitally important that you begin the process properly. If you start off from the right spot with good sight lines, the rest is relatively easy. If you don't, it rapidly becomes a long series of corrections and a source of much entertainment for onlookers of which you will have many. With my trailer, depending on the angle, I have to pull way out ahead of my site so I can get the tail of the trailer started in the right direction as I approach the site opening.

I was always good at backing trailers, but 33' from tip to tail is a different ball game, and I find it significantly harder to manage.
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Old 06-02-2014, 10:21 AM   #15
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I saw a which gave a tip that's helped me out a few times. On top of a helpful technique, it's pretty funny. Bascially, when you arrive at your campsite, don't just drive parallel to your site, drive onto your site then return to the road . The guy on the video calls it a 'scoop' with the net result that after you do the move, your trailer will already be pointed in the direction you're going to want to back it anyways.

My biggest problem is remembering to do it each time I arrive!
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Old 06-02-2014, 10:38 AM   #16
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I was about ready to chime in on all of this, but everyone else did first.
- Longer trailers are easier to back than shorter ones (IMHO)
- Be aware of the front of your truck, else you will swing it into a tree/ditch
- Half or quarter turn of the steering wheel is enough – and don’t hold the turn too long, else you will over steer.
- Don’t be afraid to use 4wd low for control (if you have it).
The best one I did was turning the truck and trailer around in the campground, then backed up the whole thing down the road to the last angled spot at the end – at night. After it was all done, I found out my two “expert” spotters had already imbibed too much of the barley-pop by the time I got there and were of little use.
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Old 06-02-2014, 12:17 PM   #17
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After it was all done, I found out my two “expert” spotters had already imbibed too much of the barley-pop by the time I got there and were of little use.
I never would have thought to add the qualification of "sober" to "always have a spotter"!
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Old 06-02-2014, 06:20 PM   #18
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This is what happens when you don't use a spotter. 2 years ago we were up at our site with our young son who was taking a nap. All my family was at the beach (5 families/5 sites) when an older couple with a large trailer came to set up. He didn't think he needed his wife to spot for him (he obviously did) but he clearly couldn't hear that he was dragging my cousin's car with his bumper.

He was very sorry and their insurance paid for everything. He also left the next morning and went somewhere else. The moral of the story is always use a spotter.

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Old 06-02-2014, 07:46 PM   #19
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Think from the perspective of the back of the trailer, where the rear bumper is. Think where it needs to go. Tight spots can be a challenge. Some of this is common sense, but posting anyway.


As you approach the site, you want to get the back of trailer oriented as best you can. Turn you truck wheels as much as possible into the site to be backed into (like you are driving INTO it with the truck), all the time moving forward, then turn your wheels max the other way out across the road, then correct and continue driving up the road. The idea is to get the ass end of the trailer best oriented to back in. Then as the trailer back end passes the site driveway, turn your wheels again hard towards the site entry to turn the trailer as much as possible.

Now do the backing. Watch/think the back of the trailer. However you want to think of the trailer and the steering wheel and being opposite while backing is up to you. Use as much room as possible; get the trailer wheels as far as possible to the inside side, if need be. Turn the steering wheel as fast as possible in tight spots. Get out and size up the situation, good to have a spotter, and radio comm is a good idea.

Sometimes in a tight spot, it helps to over steer and jackknife the trailer so the ass end is way off, then turn the wheel the other way and pull forward a little to straighten it out.

Pulling way forward and turning the steering wheel L-R-L or R-L-R to straighten out or shift the trailer to one side is often needed, again; think where the back end of the trailer needs to be.

Driving 53' trailers into Pittsburgh- not fun!
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Old 06-02-2014, 09:15 PM   #20
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I live and camp with just my dog. He can smell a bird from 50 yards, but when it comes to spotting for my trailer . . . that dog won't hunt. And it seems like most of the time I arrive at my campsite at night. What works for me is to thoroughly investigate the site, decide where and how I want the trailer to set, find the electrical pedestal, and put my battery-powered lantern a few feet in front of it, and a little to the inside. A good set of towing mirrors makes the job a whole lot easier. Mine have a large flat mirror and a large curved mirror. I've found the "scoop" and the hand at the bottom of the steering wheel work good for me. Once I start backing up, as long as I can see my lantern in the driver's side mirror, I know I'm good. Still, I get out often to check my position, relative to where I want to be. I've also found my new trailer (30') is much easier to back than my old one (18'). By the time I could see the back end of the old trailer, it was already too late to turn it. Much easier to see the back end of the new one!
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