Trailering Rules of Thumb

[Tirah]

If you travel with someone, walkie-talkies make backing a trailer a much less stressful experience.

Jeanne

What an incredibly good idea. Now why didn't I think of that (before my husband dented my 2005 van and cracked a water tank cap on the trailer all within ten minutes while backing into a campsite)?

[Lance MacArthur]

A couple of setup procedures that we use:

Hook the water supply hose to the faucet (after cleaning -- a good idea), and run water thru it until all the air is out. Hold the open end until you screw it into your supply inlet on the trailer. This really helps keeping the the faucet from spurting when you first turn it on.

Put two leveler bubbles on the trailer -- one you can see thru the back window when you're backing into a campsite. This will get you level off the bat, unless you have one of those wonky unleveled sites. The other, put on the side above the axel, and you can easily use your front jack to get level.

[peterh]

Backing:

Practice, Pratice, Practice.

So many folks "give up" and let others do it for them. There is no magic bullet for backing correctly other than experience. Keep trying, you'll get it.

After hitching up, raise the tongue on the trailer and verify that the ball is firmly attached. If the car lifts with the tongue, you got it! Do this EVERY time!

I took four big plastic paint buckets to the local school parking lot one Sunday and set up a "slot" to back into. It was great practice.

--Peter

[DonInChatt]

Funny how drivers fail to understand the nuances of the spoken word from 15 or 20 feet. So, driver (backer-upper) with cell phone and headset and hands on the steering wheel, and the ground guide with a cell phone; one calls the other and they talk it in. Less shouting this way.

[CharlynnT]

Always put the awning up.

That way, when it does NOT rain, you can take credit: See, I put the awning up, that's why it's not raining! A precipitation-prevention device! Works every time!

When it DOES rain, you can feel all smug and dry: See, aren't you glad I put the awning up? I just knew it would rain!

[Gina D.]

I think I have only ever had one person "help" me back up. And a good one at that. The guy in the campsite next to mine saw I was having a bit o trouble came over, said he was a long hual trucker and could he help?

I was having a difficult time in this wierd spot, so I started to get out of the car so he could do it and he said "No, you are going to do it, I'll spot for you". I did do it, and his help consisted of only one word. "Stop". He never gave direction, he just watched in case I whacked something. Good help, I thought!

Where was he when I clipped my satelite dish in a space I back into every time the trailer is out???

[Andrew Gibbens]

Roger has exactly described the signals we used to back yachts into our workshop, but we added one sign from those guys who wave aircraft around at airports - crossed arms to form an 'X' means 'stop now'. Just sometimes it means 'you have gone precisely one inch too far'.

We decided that spotters making those instinctive furious pushing motions to signal 'stop' were not at all obvious to the driver. Go on, ask me how we learnt this..... Anyway, it wasn't that big a repair..... And the building barely moved......

Andrew

[Jeanne and Steve]

Before backing up to hook up to your trailer, be sure to raise the tongue of the trailer enough so that the ball on your vehicle's hitch slides under instead of into your trailer's receiver.

Jeanne

[dsheets70]

Before backing up to hook up to your trailer, be sure to raise the tongue of the trailer enough so that the ball on your vehicle's hitch slides under instead of into your trailer's receiver.

Jeanne

Or running the trailer hitch into the bumper of the vehicle (which is plastic)

[Alf S.]

I think I have only ever had one person "help" me back up. And a good one at that. The guy in the campsite next to mine saw I was having a bit o trouble came over, said he was a long hual trucker and could he help?

I was having a difficult time in this wierd spot, so I started to get out of the car so he could do it and he said "No, you are going to do it, I'll spot for you". I did do it, and his help consisted of only one word. "Stop". He never gave direction, he just watched in case I whacked something. Good help, I thought!

Where was he when I clipped my satelite dish in a space I back into every time the trailer is out???

Hi: Was he single??? A man of few words is a rare find!!! Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Steve L.]

Hi: Was he single??? A man of few words is a rare find!!! Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

Not as rare as a woman of few....

Wait a minute! I better not.

[Gina D.]

>>>>

[Victor Benz]

Some very good ideas here, and I certainly relate to the learning curve on several of them.

On the question of backing up, when I first started trailering, and old pro gave me a few pieces of advice that really simplified matters.

First, always use trailering mirrors, and set them up so when you sit in the driver's seat normally, you can just make out the side of the trailer; i.e. you see as much of what's behind you as possible.

Second, when backing up, start with the tow vehicle and trailer in a straight line, wheels straight. Grip the steering wheel with your preferred steering hand palm down on the bottom of the steering wheel. When backing up, to turn the unit to the passenger side (right), move the steering hand to the right. To back up and turn the trailer to the driver's side (left), move the steering hand to the left. Works like a charm for those of us who do not back up trailers for a living.

Vic

[dsheets70]

On the question of backing up, when I first started trailering, and old pro gave me a few pieces of advice that really simplified matters.

First, always use trailering mirrors, and set them up so when you sit in the driver's seat normally, you can just make out the side of the trailer; i.e. you see as much of what's behind you as possible.

Second, when backing up, start with the tow vehicle and trailer in a straight line, wheels straight. Grip the steering wheel with your preferred steering hand palm down on the bottom of the steering wheel. When backing up, to turn the unit to the passenger side (right), move the steering hand to the right. To back up and turn the trailer to the driver's side (left), move the steering hand to the left. Works like a charm for those of us who do not back up trailers for a living.

Vic

This story reminds me of when my grandad taught me to back a trailer. My first experience was backing a fifty foot drill pipe trailer.
I was about 16 years old and backing this trailer into it's space in the tool yard. I was busy using my mirrors and looking backwards and I had the trailer in the space just fine, but I did not take a minute to look at where the front of the truck was. I colided the drivers side front fender with the parked trailer next to me. This was an old 70's Ford F-600 so the damage was minimal.

[b]Moral of the story: When backing the trailer remember to take a second and stop backing to look around where your tow vehicle is relative to your surroundings. Your tow vehicle can be way out of alignmnet with you trailer if not carefull.

[Robert B]

1) Before backing into a site, park at end and walk the site for items on ground that might cause a flat, to check for the levelness of the site and see what's overhanging the site.
2) When backing up, go very, very, very slowly (you made it, no sense rushing and damaging anything)
3) Hand at bottom of steering wheel and move in direction you want trailer to go (don't take hand off of wheel and then guess where the wheel is positioned) and turn in small increments

[CD Smith]

I always lay one of my yellow blocks where I want the street side Casita tire to be positioned. That way I have something I can aim at when backing.

[Patrick M.]

Never leave your tow vehicle plugged into your trailer overnight when running an electric refrigerator at a dry campground.

A lesson I thankfully didn't learn at a dry campground, but rather at a friend's house who had jumper cables!

[Doug Mager]

In an effort to lessen the frustration(s) of trailer backing, we almost always carry a pair of Family Service Radios. Used correctly these nifty l'il radios eleminate alot of stress bacause you can talk in a much lower (calmer?) voice without everyone else in the campground hearing you,

The other choice is:
Trailer Goddess drives, I direct (only because I (usually) know WHERE we want to end up and can better direct 'right turn Honey'; 'left turn Dear'..... S T O P !! S T O P !!!

[CD Smith]

Good advice Patrick!

This rule even applies when you are plugged into your friend's electricity.

After it happened to me I went out and bought a Power on Demand Jump Start System so I can restart the TV no matter where I am.

[Miriam]

I don't have that much advice, but after scratching my head for a few minutes, I'll put forth the following:

1. When opening the overhead cupboard with all the cans and cups in it after travelling over really, really bumpy roads for a stretch, STAND TO THE SIDE OF THE CUPBOARD with a hand outstretched to catch the flying projectiles.

2. When the lid to the coffee grounds is stuck and you have to violently reef on it to get it open, DO THIS OUTSIDE THE UNIT or you'll be picking up coffee grounds from every nook and cranny for the next three years.

3. If you're the wife of the person who did #2 (see above), follow the same rules you would use if you're meeting a grizzley on a mountain trail: Back up slowly, slowly until you're out of range. Resist the urge to scream. By the way, this would be a great time to examine and sort the maps and travel guides in the tow vehicle (a really great time).

For what it's worth.....

- Miriam