Quote:
Originally Posted by LeahTookey
Oh gosh, If this is what it's really like to back up a trailer, I could be in real trouble! I hope there are a lot of pull-through camp sites out there!
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Really not that hard once you do it a couple times. As everyone said, small steering inputs make a big difference, and learning to follow the trailer around the curve before it jackknifes. What I did to introduce my wife to it was to get a toy truck and trailer, and have her practice backing it up on a tabletop. Getting an external view really helped her to understand what's going on when she turns the wheel. Then we graduated to the tractor with an empty utility trailer. Now she's pretty confident unless it's really a tight spot. Don't be shy about pulling ahead and trying again.
Best way to learn is to find an empty and quiet parking lot. Put some empty milk jugs (or a little water in them if it's windy) down in a "campsite" pattern, and practice backing in. Try it approaching from both directions. I do something like this with the motorcycle, I have tennis balls that I cut in half to use as cones, then I lay them in the parking lot and practice my low-speed maneuvering. Better to mash a few milk jugs than to mash your new egg!
Good to have a ground guide if you're backing into an unfamiliar area. I backed my truck into a retaining wall that I couldn't see, my friends will never let me forget that goof!
Relax and focus on being smooth, before long you'll be backing up like a pro!
2010 Scamp 5th Wheel
1995 Scamp 13
Linear Mode
