Backing up

[Scott]

Originally Posted by dxrobertson

Driving 53' trailers into Pittsburgh- not fun!

Been there, done that. Philadelphia with an oversized structural steel load (147' nose to tail and 125 tons) was a blast. Turning...forget about it! Did that for many a weekend while belivering to a construction site.

Originally Posted by Brownie

And it seems like most of the time I arrive at my campsite at night.

Me too!

[Bassdogs]

Originally Posted by csfaulkner

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.

This is absolutely the best way to fool your brain. Brain tells you to turn the wheel like you would to back up the truck and you end up with the trailer going the wrong way. Use the above trick and go snail slow. Pull well forward as the TT will pivot at the axles, not the rear of the trailer. Use a spotter. Even seasoned campers will almost always engage the help of a spotter to see what you can't see. Wife and I use handheld personal radios. Lose the pride and accept help.

[Greenman]

All good hints, the best way to prepare for the campground is to practice. Find a large empty parking lot and use some cones to set up your scenarios. Start with backing in a line and then into stalls on your left and right. Do the same with circles and then figure eights. The organization I used to work for trained employees to back boat trailers this way in a single day of practice.

[TCNashville]

I gotta be honest, this is my third TT and I still suck at backing up. Of course, I'm 55 ft long with truck/trailer combo. Most places we camp have perpendicular sites to the road, not 45*. Bottom line is it still gets done to our satisfaction. Boat trailers are easy, loaded or not. When I back down a ramp, the truck is always in neutral. Taking the drive off the wheels and letting the incline pull you down is much easier to control.

[dxrobertson]

One more point.

If while backing, the trailer becomes too cocked to 1 side or the other, dont make a bad situation worse; abandon and pull forward and straighten out. The trailer should never be at an extreme angle while backing unless the lack of space dictates such. This is probably the main problem with backing, and its an avoidable situation. Try to get the truck and trailer straight, ass end of the trailer aimed at its destination, then back.

If in a tight situation and you need to get the trailer over towards the cocked turned side, then pull up with steering to the OPPOSITE direction to get the back of the trailer swung around aimed in that direction (cocked side). Same the other way; just think of getting the back of the trailer "aimed" at it ultimate destination, then back.

[dxrobertson]

Originally Posted by Scott

Been there, done that. Philadelphia with an oversized structural steel load (147' nose to tail and 125 tons) was a blast. Turning...forget about it! Did that for many a weekend while belivering to a construction site.



Me too!

147 feet? Thats about double the long norm, couldnt imagine... delivery well done!

[chuckworkb]

I've seen people use the cell phones to communicate while backing up. Funny thing is the husbands and wives still scream at each other once and a while during the process. Hands on the bottom, and try not to over steer, and take your time.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by dxrobertson

147 feet? Thats about double the long norm, couldnt imagine... delivery well done!

It sure was a long sucker! Most were just over 100' nose to tail and only 75 tons.

After a few years OTR pulling 53s, I got a driving gig for a private oversized speciality hauling firm for a few years hauling structural steel elements out of Gary, Indiana. They built the pieces over the week and we pulled them on the weekend to their destination because there were less annoying 4 wheelers (trucker slang for cars) to get in the way!

I worked in a convoy system with up to 9 other drivers and was the driver/supervisor in charge of the whole circus going down the road (in a previous life I ran convoys as a platoon sergeant in the Army). Each driver had a lead and follow pilot car so we had up to 30 vehicles on the road. We had all sorts of rules we had to follow from following distance, speed, routing, and could only get off at certain exits due to size, weight, and turning radius.

Getting fuel was an experience I would never forget. Not too many truck stops could handle our rigs. I remember once we had to shut down on the side of the Penna Turnpike because of a freak blizzard. The troopers were pissed at us for taking up a few miles of right shoulder but I was not willing to risk the lives of my drivers or the motoring public trying to get that much weight down those icy hills.

I'm out of the game now. The money was really good but my DW didn't want me gone so much so now I work in an office. Kind of miss the open road. Maybe that's part of the reason I like camping!

Like Brownie, I feel that backing my 18' popup is harder than the big rig, although I didn't do a whole lot of backing with rigs that size .