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Old 08-14-2012, 02:14 PM   #21
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okay having read this enough times it may be sinking in. Need to make this more intuitive by practicing. Learning guitar has taught me patience and the satisfaction of small incremental improvements through repetition.

I have done the small back & forth dance. I can back it at a 90 so long as my picked spot is anywhere in a 15 foot width. Know I need to be able to narrow that down. Haven't done any 45 practice yet but think that might be easier. Thanks for all the help.

I think this is an important skill when having a trailer and it will save me $100 month by being able to store it myself in a backed into space.
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Old 08-14-2012, 02:18 PM   #22
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slowpat View Post
I will have trouble if there is an audience.

If no audience--it'll go smoothly.


And, I have had some unintended practice when I've taken the wrong turn on a bad road. That helped a lot.

.
Do you golf? Same result. :-)

Wrong turn/bad road - That's easy enough to do when camping. This is why I want to be in control of my rig.

Gary
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Old 08-14-2012, 03:22 PM   #23
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..... Learning guitar has taught me patience and the satisfaction of small incremental improvements through repetition.

......
I can back a trailer up purdy gud.
I can't play a guitar at all. I tried to learn to play a guitar, and it just wasn't happening ! So my take on it is that anyone who can figure out a guitar can sure as heck learn to back a trailer, really, really good !!

Have fun with it, you'll get it in no time.
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Old 08-14-2012, 04:23 PM   #24
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New tow vehicle, a Subaru. The gas filler is on the "wrong" side. With one of these it's only a matter of time before you are nose to nose with someone at the pumps. Now you can wait while they go inside and get lunch for their whole office (separate checks of course), sign up for a free gas card, use the John, and buy and check $50 worth of one dollar scratch cards (someone has to win!) OR you can learn to back up. Preferably without hitting anything big. Raz
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Old 08-14-2012, 05:19 PM   #25
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dave----i read your backing instructions and they echo my husband's 1000%. he is a supreme backer-upper and has helped many, many fellow campers who aren't. me--well, i am learning. i practice often and usually with our utility trailer, where i can see overtop. that helps. when i get better, i will attempt our outback.

raz---i laughed when i read your "new tow vehicle" post!!! right on!

and i agree, the BEST campsites are back-in ones.
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Old 08-14-2012, 05:29 PM   #26
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I don't mind having someone guide me "as needed", second set of eyes and all that, but I could never understand people that walk to the back where you can't see them. DW is pretty good about positioning herself in front and off to the side where she can see my blind spot or a specific hazard. Or point a flashlight at a hard to see hazard "back there" when it's dark.

And for what it's worth I don't mind having to pull forward to get the alignment I need or want. On my best days I can flow right into where I want to go, if it don't happen oh well I pull up and jockey to where I want to be as many times as it takes. Why get frustrated? It's not like I'm trying to impress anyone, just trying to not run over them.... or that tree, the picnic table, the power box......
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Old 08-14-2012, 05:35 PM   #27
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Originally Posted by P. Raz View Post
New tow vehicle, a Subaru. The gas filler is on the "wrong" side. With one of these it's only a matter of time before you are nose to nose with someone at the pumps. Now you can wait while they go inside and get lunch for their whole office (separate checks of course), sign up for a free gas card, use the John, and buy and check $50 worth of one dollar scratch cards (someone has to win!) OR you can learn to back up. Preferably without hitting anything big. Raz
"Wrong" side? or was it your last vehicle that was on the wrong side? Seems to me its a 50/50 - as it is with cars with the filler on drivers side - all depends on from which direction you approach the pump or which line of pumps you choose as to whether its the wrong side or not.
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Old 08-14-2012, 06:17 PM   #28
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Speaking of gas pumps, I learned something this year. If you look at your gas gauge the little pump symbol will have an arrowhead pointing to the side of the car the gas cap is located. It is also typically located on the opposite side of a single exhaust pipe. Dosen't work for duels an it's been a long time since I saw a car that had the gas cap behind the license plat Michael J,
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Old 08-14-2012, 06:31 PM   #29
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Speaking of gas pumps, I learned something this year. If you look at your gas gauge the little pump symbol will have an arrowhead pointing to the side of the car the gas cap is located.
On the Subaru there is a picture of a pump and the pump handle is on the side the fill up is.
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Old 08-14-2012, 06:56 PM   #30
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While I fully appreciate that some of these 'tricks' about hands on the bottom turning with the trailer, and so on, can help some people. You still are not learning to reverse with a trailer naturally, and are having to overthink this.

I have reversed all sizes of trailers, with all sizes of tow vehicles, and definitely the shorter the wheelbase, the trickier it is. I know a tent trailer I had, I had to pay good attention to backing it up, as I had to stay on top of corrections.

I am much better demonstrating than trying to explain through written text, but will attempt to explain how I do it, and have shown dozens of others how as well.

Rather than thinking at all about which way to turn the wheel (to me it just seems too confusing), instead think about which way the back end of the tow needs to go in order to get the trailer to move the way you want. You can even pretend that the trailer is unhitched, and you are pushing it backwards by hand. Which way would you swing the hitch to move the trailer in the intended situation? This is the same direction you should move the rear end of the vehicle.

Another thing (and someone before did mention this), do not turn your head around and look backwards, instead use your mirrors. Not only will it be easier once you get the swing of things, you have a way wider field of view and can see alongside the trailer.

I have attached a diagram I did up quite a while ago, of the steps to reversing 90° into a parking spot. It may help some.

Trailer Reversing.pdf

And for a bit of fun, as well as a helpful training tool. Try out THIS link.
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Old 08-14-2012, 09:59 PM   #31
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That's good advice! Ill need to apply that better. It just seems like I've tried to do that and it just won't cooperate. Ready to start using the force. Lately it's been over 100 day after day here. Sonja is not to keen on standing out there lookng at my bumper.
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Old 08-14-2012, 10:09 PM   #32
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"Wrong" side? or was it your last vehicle that was on the wrong side? Seems to me its a 50/50 - as it is with cars with the filler on drivers side - all depends on from which direction you approach the pump or which line of pumps you choose as to whether its the wrong side or not.
The left side makes the most sense since we are normally expected to keep to the right.
Of course in places like Japan, Australia, England and Jamaica... The "driver"s" side is on the right!
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Old 08-14-2012, 10:22 PM   #33
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Gary, let Sonja stay inside where it's cool. Get yourself some of those Orange construction cones. Just saw them at Wallie world pretty inexpensive. Or a few red buckets (dollar store) . Line them up and back to them........

I have also read where solo traveler's use garden hose's to make an area to back into. Put a hose at the back so that you don't go past.

Then once you master the backing up (Seriously it isn't that hard) I suggest Sonja learning as well. You never know when she will need to know how to tow and back up........... And you never know, she might be a natural at it!
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Old 08-15-2012, 12:12 AM   #34
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The left side makes the most sense since we are normally expected to keep to the right.
Floyd if you are driving a car with a right hand side gas filler and you have two pump islands and you turn right between the two of them and stay to the right as you say we should you would end up on the pumps to your right, same things happens even if you approach the two pump islands from the other end and turn left into them but staying to the right .... now if you did that with a car that has the filler on the left side ...... which car has the pump on the wrong side?
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Old 08-15-2012, 12:34 AM   #35
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.....
Then once you master the backing up (Seriously it isn't that hard) I suggest Sonja learning as well. You never know when she will need to know how to tow and back up........... And you never know, she might be a natural at it!
I find early morning big store or fair ground parking lots are good practice areas. Lots of open space, lanes and lines for backing into all with limited obstructions or traffic. My wife learned to use air brakes and park the motor home there. Not that she wanted to do it as a general thing but she was able to which came in handy several times.

It's always easier to be assisted by someone that has done it themselves! So by all means both get at least a some practice at towing and backing up.
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Old 08-15-2012, 07:22 AM   #36
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Jim's maneuver prior to backing up is the method I use and describe in my post here. A picture is worth a thousand words and easier to comprehend!


jack
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Old 08-15-2012, 08:03 AM   #37
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Thanks Jim for sharing your picture. It as Jack says shows how its done .... its also how I do it as well but its hard to put into words for someone.
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Old 08-15-2012, 08:59 AM   #38
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I know only too well about putting things into words, the whole reason for the drawing I did. Some folks have the talent to teach with words, but that sure ain't me.
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Old 08-15-2012, 10:02 AM   #39
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When you were in your teens, you were impressed by the guys who could just roll up, wink and waltz away with the swooning girls.

Now, you're impressed by the guys who can roll up and waltz their trailer backwards into a spot.

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Old 08-15-2012, 12:28 PM   #40
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Now, you're impressed by the guys who can roll up and waltz their trailer backwards into a spot.


Many women can back into a site just as well if not better!
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