Help for the Depth Perception Challenged

[Lisa H.]

Okay. . . I admit it. I am depth perception challenged. This has become even more apparent to me since I bought the Campster especially while driving in heavy traffic and needing to change lanes. It's even more nerve-wracking when I'm driving at night. I am terribly afraid that I am going to change lanes and the trailer is going to hit the front of the car in the next lane when I think I have already cleared them. And yes. . . I have a current glasses prescription. Does anyone alse suffer from this problem? I was wondering if anyone has any ideas for making something that will show me where my trailer bumper is while looking in the sideview mirror. It occurred to me that I might insert a wire into a tennis ball and then attach this to the rear bumper of the trailer so I could see it in the mirror. I'm at a loss here. Any ideas?

[Bobbie Mayer]

Okay. . . I admit it. I am depth perception challenged. This has become even more apparent to me since I bought the Campster especially while driving in heavy traffic and needing to change lanes. It's even more nerve-wracking when I'm driving at night. I am terribly afraid that I am going to change lanes and the trailer is going to hit the front of the car in the next lane when I think I have already cleared them. And yes. . . I have a current glasses prescription. Does anyone alse suffer from this problem? I was wondering if anyone has any ideas for making something that will show me where my trailer bumper is while looking in the sideview mirror. It occurred to me that I might insert a wire into a tennis ball and then attach this to the rear bumper of the trailer so I could see it in the mirror. I'm at a loss here. Any ideas?

I wonder if a back-up camera would help?

I don't have that problem but I rarely drive in heavy traffic and I usually can just stay in the right lane when I do.

[Lisa H.]

That's true. A back-up camera might help if it has a wide angle lens. That's definitely on my wish list for the Campster but I was hoping for something a little more low-tech and cheap for now.

[Gina D.]

Do NOT do what I did..

*Stewpid trailer tricks*

I rarely travel at nite, but with my first little pop up, I found myself having to do so on interstates going from southern Oregon to Phoenix. I had my Element, which sat high, and the trailer was a motorcycle pop up that I could not see at all out my rear window because it sat so low. I had one of those Fresnel lens thingies in my rear window.. it worked fine during the day, but not at nite.

Anyway.. I stopped at a wally world and picked up on of those flashlights on a stick intended for boat sterns. I clamped it onto my rear bumper, switched it on and thought I was really stylin.. worked great.. until I saw the flashing lights behind me.

The nice hiway patrolman informed me that a white light back there was illegal. When I explained why I had done it, he calmly looked at me and said "Ma'am, you are in the middle of the desert.. and this is not a boat"

I am sure he had a good laugh with his co-workers later that night. (I didn't get a ticket, thank goodness)

Now, for what I DO do.. I use my side markers and know how far the bumper is behind that.

Towing mirrors, or convex mirrors on your stock ones are very helpful. I use the stick on convex mirrors. My towing mirrors don't seem to do better than they do.

[Steve L.]

Good question for somebody who makes their living driving an 18-wheeler. They seem to know.

I drive extra conservative and go well past before pulling back in. I signal the change back into the original lane a little longer than normal before I move back and I start the lane change slowly hopefully giving the car behind me time to honk or flash their lights if they're feeling threatened.

[Cam A]

Like Steve says, extra conservative driving is the ticket. As you build some tug time, it will become second nature.

[Alf S.]

Hi:Lisa... Do they still make and sell those "Curb Feelers" that people attached to the fender of the car if they were "parallel parking challenged"??? I think they had a red plastic tip on them.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Darwin Maring]

Steve Said: I drive extra conservative and go well past before pulling back in. I signal the change back into the original lane a little longer before I move back and I start the lane change slowly hopefully giving the car behind me time to honk or flash their lights if they're feeling threatened

And I do the same. I found that it is most important to get in the correct lane several miles B4 the turn.

Even when you do it several miles ahead of time It is amazing to me just how bull headed some drivers are by not giving you a break when you need to get over to another lane. Sometimes you just haft to to nudge over slowly and out nerve some of these idiots.

I mounted a blinker on the side of the 5r so someone who is ahead of the tail light and not all the way to the back of the truck will B able to see what my intentions are.

[Des Nolan]

Okay. . . I admit it. I am depth perception challenged. This has become even more apparent to me since I bought the Campster especially while driving in heavy traffic and needing to change lanes. It's even more nerve-wracking when I'm driving at night. I am terribly afraid that I am going to change lanes and the trailer is going to hit the front of the car in the next lane when I think I have already cleared them. And yes. . . I have a current glasses prescription. Does anyone alse suffer from this problem? I was wondering if anyone has any ideas for making something that will show me where my trailer bumper is while looking in the sideview mirror. It occurred to me that I might insert a wire into a tennis ball and then attach this to the rear bumper of the trailer so I could see it in the mirror. I'm at a loss here. Any ideas?

Hi,

This may not work for everyone, but it does for me. My curb-side mirror is one of those "objects in mirror may be closer than they appear" types. But I can see normal distances through the large, inside rear-view mirror on the windshield, through which I can see the front corner of the boler.

When I can no longer see the vehicle in the right-hand lane, that I am passing, via my inside mirror, after signalling my intent of course, it is safe to pull over into the right lane.

I know this works because no-one has yet honked, or flashed their lights at me after I have completed this manouver.

Des

[Tony Nowak]

How about having a friend follow you and talk it over via two way/CB radio? They could give feedback while you gain experience.
Tony and Darlene (mt_horebites)

[Frederick L. Simson]

I use the add-on towing mirrors.. When I pass a vehicle, I first see it in the regular mirror, then I see it again in the add-on mirror. Once I can see the entire vehicle in the add-on mirror, I know that I am far enough in front of it to change lanes.