|
|
11-03-2011, 06:34 PM
|
#1
|
Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 7,469
|
Backing Your Class A in Alone
__________________
US Navy Vet, Liberty Tree Member of Oath Keepers, NRA & VFW Life Member, Alaska EMT.
2009 Safari Cheetah 40 SKQ
2009 Winnebago Chalet 231CR
|
|
|
|
Join the #1 RV Forum Today - It's Totally Free!
iRV2.com RV Community - Are you about to start a new improvement on your RV or need some help with some maintenance? Do you need advice on what products to buy? Or maybe you can give others some advice? No matter where you fit in you'll find that iRV2 is a great community to join. Best of all it's totally FREE!
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest so you have limited access to our community. Please take the time to register and you will gain a lot of great new features including; the ability to participate in discussions, network with other RV owners, see fewer ads, upload photographs, create an RV blog, send private messages and so much, much more!
|
11-03-2011, 06:53 PM
|
#2
|
Senior Member
Damon Owners Club Workhorse Chassis Owner
Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 24,024
|
Though I do have a partner.. Sort of... "Alone" is how very close to how I have to do it all the time.
__________________
Home is where I park it!
|
|
|
11-03-2011, 07:05 PM
|
#3
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 232
|
Good post. Knowing exactly what your mirrors are telling you is an essential tool. As with all things, practice is what it takes.
__________________
ARMY VIET-NAM 70-71
95 Winnebago Brave Sport. 27'
94 33' Fleetwood Wilderness
|
|
|
11-03-2011, 07:31 PM
|
#4
|
Community Administrator
Pond Piggies Club LA Gulf Coast Campers Outdoors RV Owners Club Entegra Owners Club Skyline Owners Group
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 40,594
|
I noticed in that lead-in paragraphs the words "under good conditions" - an important caveat. Not so easy when you've pulled in after dark & in the rain or when you're in a crowded campground where people park their toads/tow vehicles in the right of way on the camp roads.
I took an abbreviated women's driving course at the FMA Rally in 2010. I say abbreviated because I can drive forward no problem, but I wanted to learn how to back up so I only did half the class. Many of the instructions in the link above were part of the course. After a couple hours of practice, I was able to back our coach into either a driver's side or passenger side campsite & back 200 ft, slalom-style missing 5 traffic cones using only my mirrors (the instructor put a towel over my back up camera - she said that was cheating). The best training EVER!
Lori-
__________________
Lori (& Dave, my spirit guide) - RV/MH Hall of Fame Lifetime Member | My iRV2 Photo Albums
2016 Phoenix Cruiser 2350S, 2018 Phaeton 40IH,2006 Bounder 36Z, 2004 Cougar 285EFS, 2000 Aerolite 25FBR
There is great need for a sarcasm font.
|
|
|
11-04-2011, 05:01 AM
|
#5
|
Administrator in Memoriam
Newmar Owners Club Retired Fire Service RVer's Spartan Chassis
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Newark, DE
Posts: 25,898
|
I was a single fulltimer, so I backed in alone all of the time.
If there was any doubt about clearances, I got out and looked.
__________________
Adios, Dirk - '84 Real Lite Truck Camper, '86 Wilderness Cimarron TT, previously 4 years as a fulltimer in a '07 DSDP
|
|
|
11-04-2011, 05:08 AM
|
#6
|
Senior Member
Vintage RV Owners Club
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 671
|
Having driven tractor trailer for over thirty years and having backed into some pretty tight places, the advise given by Route 66 is the best. Even with a spotter, get out and look for yourself.
__________________
92' Holiday Rambler 1000
The wife, me and two furry kids
If you have it, a truck brought it.
|
|
|
11-04-2011, 05:39 AM
|
#7
|
Registered User
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 3,198
|
My DW has never even considered that a spotter may be helpful. I back in alone. Getting better at it. Will read the link above. After dark is tough. I will read the link above. Seriously considering cutting down the old basketball hoop on the side of my driveway. anyone know where I can get a pass side tail light lens for an 08 Knight?
|
|
|
11-04-2011, 06:39 AM
|
#8
|
Senior Member
Tiffin Owners Club
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Winter Park, Fl
Posts: 495
|
When I was 17 driving my Mom's car I had a friend direct me through a tight space. I was ready to start over & backup but here comes the words; your good-your good-your good...oops.
I always park my rig by myself and like Route 66 I just get out and look if need be. I bet on some of the tighter spots I've walked around the rig 8 times.
__________________
2007 Allegro Bus 42 QRP, 400 ISL now 2017 LTV Serenity on a 2016 Sprinter chassis
|
|
|
11-04-2011, 06:43 AM
|
#9
|
Senior Member
Ford Super Duty Owner
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Chasing 70 degrees in lower 48
Posts: 2,031
|
For the really tough back-up, I lay white water hose on the inside curve where I want wheels to go. Double check ground space and overhead and back up using mirror.
|
|
|
11-04-2011, 09:47 AM
|
#10
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 152
|
opps!!!
Well, I read the article by Barney and Bob, went to the store and bought frisbees, but they were one short so I asked my DW to be frisbee #2 and when I got to instruction #7 from Barney and Bob.........OPPS....
DACOTAH
|
|
|
11-04-2011, 10:23 AM
|
#11
|
Registered User
Monaco Owners Club
Join Date: Jan 2011
Posts: 949
|
Alone Works, Most of the Time
DW and I have a 4-point arrival procedure for backing in off the street, down the driveway, angling into the garage.
She still struggles with backing into the driveway off the street; but, she's fine doing the rest. While she is not comfortable doing it solo, I'd done the procedure no less than forty times without a problem, even at night.
Then, came Number 41... after I touched the back shell to the doorframe of the garage backing in after maintenance one afternoon (it'd been pulled out just a few feet!), we pledged to one another to always back in as a team.
In the age of cell phones, the driver puts his/hers on speaker and lays it on the dash. The marshaller stays visible to the driver, and gives updates.
After two friends damaged their rigs on different occasions pulling out of sites, we've begun doing that as a team, too, albeit without phone contact. Standing 150 in front of the rig, the marshaller can see that sides and bottom are configured, check for approaching traffic, call the earlier safe turn point, assure clearance on both sides. Heaven forbid a cable or hose remains attached, the marshaller would spot it right away, as the rig starts moving and call for a stop. I've begun marshalling, letting DW take the first shift. It's really boosted her confidence, manuevering in tight spaces. At the ABQ Balloon Fiesta, I looked over next door and saw a Country Coach team doing the exact same thing!
Today, with me leaving the country, she's off on her first solo trip with a TT-owning girlfriend. She's already said that it'll sit outside facing in until I get back (using only 48 of the 72 hours our HOA allows MHs to be left in our driveways).
|
|
|
11-04-2011, 01:40 PM
|
#12
|
Senior Member
Fleetwood Owners Club American Coach Owners Club
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 6,760
|
Always use a ground guide unless going into a familiar parking spot. That spot for me is our coach's garage. I painted two solid white lines down the length of the garage, each about a foot outside the coach's sides. When I back in, I lower the outside mirrors so I can look down both sides and see the lines. As long as I am between the lines I know I'm okay. As for how far back, I have two long 6 x 6s where the back tires stop.
__________________
2014 American Eagle 45T
DD 13, 500 HP
Pulling a Honda CRV
|
|
|
11-04-2011, 05:10 PM
|
#14
|
Senior Member
Monaco Owners Club Winnebago Owners Club
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 7,469
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cat320
I painted two solid white lines down the length of the garage, each about a foot outside the coach's sides. When I back in, I lower the outside mirrors so I can look down both sides and see the lines. As long as I am between the lines I know I'm okay.
|
I'm having a new garage built to house the MH. I will use your suggestion of the white lines on the floor in the MH bay. Great idea.
__________________
US Navy Vet, Liberty Tree Member of Oath Keepers, NRA & VFW Life Member, Alaska EMT.
2009 Safari Cheetah 40 SKQ
2009 Winnebago Chalet 231CR
|
|
|
|
|
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
|
|
Thread Tools |
Search this Thread |
|
|
Display Modes |
Linear Mode
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
|
» Recent Discussions |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|