Backing A Fifth Wheel

[rkbeasley]

Before you back it up understand it under steers and that will cause you problems. If you are lucky your right tires will only hit a curb and an alignment is all you will need.
There are many his videos on how to back up and positioning.
Have fun

[MDFiver]

Very frustrated. Unable to attach my jpeg. I can see it attaching when I do it but doesn’t show up when I submit. Too bad; it was good.

[RoadEyePie]

A lot of great discussion to help me figure this out. Video was good to watch. I think the little shopping center near by (K-Mart out of business) has lots of room on weekends so I'll go practice there. But in late March early April there should not be very many campers in our local state park which has a lot of back in sites that are really big and "easy". So, I plan to see if I can park it in all the open sites. Then hopeful I'll be a little more confident and know what I'm doing. Oh and I'll have to back it into my new RV shelter. It's not pull through.

[Onlinegem]

Backing up with a boat or boat trailer, I was taught to hold the steering wheel at 6:00 position, and move my hand in the direction I wanted the boat to go. It worked great for me.

Originally Posted by xrated

I've been backing trailers for a LOT of years now, and early on a guy told me something that I remember to this day.

Imagine the bottom of the steering wheel of the truck ( 6 o'clock ). Now imagine that there is an arrow pointing left and an arrow pointing right from that 6 o'clock position. As you are starting to back in to a spot and you see that the back of the trailer needs to go left, turn the steering wheel in the direction of the left arrow at the bottom of the steering wheel. It is basically telling you to turn the wheel so that the arrow is travelling forward. I've been doing it so long that it's just instinct for me, so I really don't think about the arrows anymore, but it is a good (in my opinion) way to learn how to do it and it will eventually become reflex/instinct to you also. Good luck and congrats on the new rig.

[JLWoodward]

Good to be concerned and wanting to practice, if you've ever backed a boat or other bumper pull trailer, a fifth wheel is honestly not going to be an issue for you other than the lack of visibility. Get out look around, and when that little voice tells you to go a little further, don't, put it in park and go look until your comfortable and have a little experience[emoji1303]

Maybe search for newbie fifth mistakes, and read. Their will be a lot that's new to you on this that can bite the best of us given the right circumstance.

Will be more to learn going forward, than backing it up, seems simpler and you'll get the hang of it, but trailer will turn tighter than truck, that can get you in trouble in congested areas, remember to not get focused on just one mirror, it will be one your not watching that gets you.

Parking, while your new and learning I'd recommend truck stops, they have lots of room to turn around, get in, get out, etc. Very easy to get yourself into a jam, misjudging the room you'll need to turn in or out of gas station or when stopping to eat etc. Allow yourself some time to learn and enjoy, with out the stress of getting into an area you have difficulty getting out of.

Connecting, disconnecting trailer. My buddy who just got a brand new fifth wheel and truck, forgot to put the jack down on the trailer before he disconnected, his first trip out. Dropped camper on truck bed rails.

Tail gate, always in such a habit to close it, remember not to till after you pull forward, laugh if you will, see this all the time.

Didn't see you say what truck you had, but if a short bed, really watch turning radius, contact of camper to back cab.

Enjoy your new camper, and go have some fun, dont sweat it too much, just be cautious, observant, and try to pre think out your exit plan before you enter a place. [emoji1303]

[BWDavis]

Lots of good advice so far. I went from a 30' TT to a 39' FW and was very intimidated initially. I will add a few things based upon experience.

1. Personally, I find backing up in a perfectly straight line for any significant distance to be the most difficult part of backing it up. More so than backing while turning. That could be a personal problem on my end though.
2. I found that it rides MUCH better down the road than a TT. And if you have a dually, so much the better. I've had a SRW 3/4 ton but went to a dually a little over a year ago. My first extended trip randomly ended up being on the day that the Santa Ana winds kicked up and set off the Thomas Fire in LA. If you have not experienced Santa Ana winds they are not recommended. It was blowing ~30+mph when I drove across the Mojave Desert but that FW was rock solid behind me compared to a TT. I don't actually recommend driving in those conditions, but the wind came up suddenly and there are not many places to pull over in that part of the world.
3. A neighbor is a retired trucker. I asked him for advice once and he said something like, "Just go slow. If whatever you are doing is not working, try something else." At the time I thought he was being sarcastic, but with some experience behind me I will say that it was very good advice. Last fall I spent over an hour getting into a spot in a National Park. I had to make two right turns around a gazebo that I could barely drive my truck around. Then I had to back up 50' into the actual spot, while avoiding some poles. But I got it done without any damage. Take your time.
4. When maneuvering in public, with people watching (like campgrounds), do NOT ever let someone else goad you into doing something that you are not comfortable with. People tend to be friendly and offer assistance but everyone once in a while you will encounter someone who is pushy, telling you to do something you are not comfortable with. Stay within your comfort zone.
5. On more than one occasion, I have not pulled into spots in campgrounds until I found someone to trim tree limbs for me. I don't care if traffic backs up behind me. I'm going to be the one paying for the damaged roof. On one occasion the campground host balked at my request so I had my wife get on the roof and as I pulled forward, slowly, she trimmed the limbs that otherwise would have torn the roof apart.

Finally. Have fun!! 39' is a lot of trailer, but this is why we worked all those years. To retire, be comfortable, and enjoying ourselves.

[Ken Thompson]

Once you get on to it, you will love it! You can turn it around on a dime, and even have your inside tires backing up as you turn going forward when totally jack knifed. Just don’t hit the cab of your truck when jack knifing tight!

[Wagon Master Mike]

As a former CDL instructor I have educated several newbies. I would suggest you contact a local truck driving school and inquire about instruction. When I was instructing for a local community college the school would refer this type on instruction to the trainers.
Good luck and as others keep your head on the swivel.

Safety the only choice

[CARLnJANIS]

Originally Posted by imjustdave

...and look at the exit strategy first not the entrance. Can I get out … YES can I get in .. Awesome...

And when you see a sign that says 'No 18 wheelers", that also means you.

We decided to get off the highway and get a bite to eat. We were going to park in a small shopping mall and walk to a nearby restaurant. A sign out front stated, "No 18 wheelers" with directions to the back of the mall. I figured they wanted the trucks to go around back to a loading dock. Is soon as I turned in I knew I was in trouble. The streets were one lane each way with a median, 10 feet wide with curbs, and all turns were 90 degrees from one 10 foot lane turning into another 10 foot lane. On top of that, they had large boulders at each corner of every intersection. I made the mistake of trying to get to the parking lot instead of just trying to get out. I tried a right turn toward the parking lot. Well that wasn't going to work. But a line of cars behind me told me I had no choice but to continue. I motioned a couple of the cars to back up a little and I backed up and took another shot at the turn. I swung as wide as I could and drove the truck up on the curb of the median with the trailer's right side by the axles coming within an inch of a boulder. I literally dragged my trailer wheels over the curb. Once in the parking lot, I did a visual inspection of the truck and trailer. No apparent vehicle damage and no property damage. I did knock my MORryde IS out of alignment which cost me $600. Sometimes experience comes from situations cause by a lack of experience.

[LargeMarge]

Originally Posted by RoadEyePie

[edited for brevity]
...I'm getting more worried...I'm most apprehensive and concerned obviously...Any tips would be appreciated.

To help with anxiety, we like the tapping using EFT aka Emotional Freedom Technique.

This simple series of focusings seems to channel that negative energy into positive. I have no explanation for the success of tapping... and I admit I look goofy doing it. And yet, YouTube videos show professional athletes doing it, as well as politicians and Law Enforcement Officials.

Based on my experience, anxiety operates in a feed-back loop == the more I focus on the negative outcome, the more that negative outcome is likely to occur. Why? I'm very good at manifesting!

[tuffr2]

In 2011 I drove a F-150 5.0 towing a 26' no slide travel trailer from Columbus Ohio to Crystal River Florida for the winter. Florida was a mecca for used RV's. The goal was to buy a used diesel pusher. I looked and looked. Just could not pull the trigger on a DP.

I traded the 26' travel trailer in on a 5th wheel instead. I had the 5th wheel delivered to the RV park I was in. Now I had a F-150 and a 37' 5th wheel. My stay at the RV park was ending in 3 weeks. Plus it was getting hot, April 2012. I had 3 weeks to buy a truck. So I scrambled and found a dually truck that I liked in Columbus Ohio. So I drove the F-150 from Florida to Ohio. I traded the F-150 in on a 2012 diesel dully in Ohio. The 5th wheel was in Florida. I drove the diesel truck solo back to Florida.

At the RV Park I got a lot of advice. My 1st tow was 998 miles early May 2012 from Crystal River Florida to Columbus Ohio up I-75 and I-71 and thru Atlanta, Cincinnati, and Columbus. Atlanta is terrible.

So I get to Columbus Ohio early in the morning and need to back the 5th wheel into my driveway. It took a few tries but I did it!!! Zero close calls.

So, if I can do it, anyone can.

Good luck

[Bohdan]

Originally Posted by RoadEyePie

I have a 3 camera trailering system on the GMC Denali. Third wireless camera has to be installed on the back of the RV when we go to pick it up. They are integrated into the in dash display system so going down the road I can display both sides and what's behind the RV. Also, we have a set of handy talkies for eyes on the ground to communicate. I have a 16' utility trailer and still make a mess out of backing up. Is backing easier or more difficult the longer the trailer? I guess I'm about as prepared as I can be. I just hope I can get it home without an issue.

Interesting. I too have a Denali. Is this a big deal to install a backup camera and integrate into the truck? Cheers

[Frost31720]

Not sure what have for tow vehicle but if you have a short bed truck be aware where your 5er is when backing. I have seen a fair number of short bed trucks with crunched in cabs due to 5er hitting truck cab. Just some nice to know info.
Use to bumper pull boats, small trailers, after my first 5er I will never go back bumper pulls.

[tdrobinso11]

I highly recommend going to YouTube and search for "pulling 5th wheel for first time". You will get a slew of videos posted by people with advice for newbies. We have ALL been there. Take your time, have a co-pilot if possible (for those blind spots) and practice. Be aware (1) Off tracking (2) Rear swing. Best of luck and most of all ENJOY