Community Forums

Yosemite77 · 02-03-2019, 06:40 PM

Lots of good advice here. I would add: Don’t assume the guy who leads you to your spot in an RV park has a clue on how to guide you in. The best way to counteract bad advice is to PRACTICE.

RoadEyePie · 02-03-2019, 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LargeMarge

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!

Are you suggesting that I tap my fingers?

RoadEyePie · 02-03-2019, 08:58 PM

I've signed up for the RV Driving School. Plan is to pick up the RV in Kentucky and drive to Tennessee for a 2 day class, then go home.

changinitup · 02-04-2019, 08:16 AM

I pull a 40ft Cardinal, and drove 20,000 miles this past year. A lot of good information has already been shared, but two important things I did not see is always review the site you are backing into, and always have a spotter.
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As far as towing, travel at speeds that make you comfortable and get to know your vehicle and how it handles the additional weight by making sure it is setup level, your trailer braking gain is set properly, and you are not overweight. Some additonal tools are, use your diesel exhaust brake, install a rear observation camera, and a additional fuel tank is helpful to keep you away from making fuel stops with the trailer attached. Good luck and know you will be a pro in no time.

ScoobyDoo · 02-04-2019, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by changinitup

I pull a 40ft Cardinal, and drove 20,000 miles this past year. A lot of good information has already been shared, but two important things I did not see is always review the site you are backing into, and always have a spotter.

The spotter is one bit of advise I can't agree with. Over the years I have had drivers damage bumpers fenders doors a fuel tank. Every time I asked what happened it was "On back, on back, on back CRUNCH!"
Is your wife better at backing than you? If so, let her park the trailer. Any stranger, you hit something, they walk away. Wife as spotter, you hit something Now what? Snot can get nasty when you don't bend anything.
Most times, in CG, or on line, everybody tells the spotter to stay where she can see you in mirror so you can see her. She is watching the back of trailer, you are watching her. Who is watching the front swing? The rear corner of TV? The far side of trailer?
IMHO, a much better idea is let her help decide where you want the trailer, decide the best path to get there, look at what obstructions you need to get around, then follow that path. I'll take care of watching your wife

RoadEyePie · 02-04-2019, 02:28 PM

I suppose you have a valid point. I've rarely (if ever) seen a tractor trailer driver us a spotter. I've seen them put trailers in places I'll never understand how they did it.

I spoke with my RV Driver training instructor today, who is a retired tractor trailer driver, and he was very encouraging. He drives a Class A now.

Srfleury · 02-05-2019, 09:27 AM

A few years ago, my wife and I purchased a travel trailer, and like you, I had no experience in backing up anything.

Besides practice, here are my best hints: 1) walkie talkie so who ever is assisting you can talk to you and 2) when backing up, put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel. If you want the back of the trailer to go right, moe your hand to the right and visa versa. Hope that helps. Enjoy!

egwilly · 02-05-2019, 10:06 AM

A lot of campgrounds have narrow access roads. Those pose the most challenge to me. My F350 swings the front end a large amount when backing.

I learned to stay near the center of the lane when backing into the site, and try to back in on the drivers side. This way you can see the side of the trailer and wheels to help you guide the rig into the spot. Scope the scene out first.

Wife in back on cell phone just in case! Always look up! Trees and other stuff may not let you back into a area. Write your trailer height on a paper and post it on your dash.....you don't want to be the guy in the 11 foot 8 bridge videos!

RoadEyePie · 02-05-2019, 02:06 PM

So many of you have advised to have the wife as a spotter. We do have a set of walkie-talkies. But where should she be positioned as a spotter? I don't feel I need her in my mirror since we have the handhelds. Seems she should be on my blind side pretty much as deep as she can be in the site.

outdoorplay · 02-05-2019, 02:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by V3600

We had a newby do what you're doing. He left our lot with a new rig and a while later came back with his right side caved in. Perhaps find an experienced someone to drive it to an open area for you to practice.

thats a expensive day

JLWoodward · 02-05-2019, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by outdoorplay

thats a expensive day

Had my jeep towed half way across rv park by fifth wheel parking in spot in front of my coach, I can laugh now [emoji3].
Poor guy hit my jeep backing in spot while campsite spotter was directing him. Wrapped his fifth wheel bumper past rear bumper on my jeep, he decided to pull up straight, not realising he'd hooked my jeep, and took it for a little ride.
We where all their to fish, don't thing he planned on catching that though.

Podivin · 02-05-2019, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoadEyePie

So many of you have advised to have the wife as a spotter. We do have a set of walkie-talkies. But where should she be positioned as a spotter? I don't feel I need her in my mirror since we have the handhelds. Seems she should be on my blind side pretty much as deep as she can be in the site.

You may not be there yet, but at some point you get to where you know that X thing is going to be the problem when you back in. Maybe it's a low tree limb, or maybe it's a stump or a giant rock. Whatever it is you know that YOU won't be able to see it when you're backing in. That's when a spotter comes in handy. When I get to a site I get out and walk the site, my wife stays in the RV. If I find something that is a potential issue I call her out and ask her to what 'that thing' - otherwise she just sits quietly until we're parked.
I find, like has been said/implied by others, that I don't want to DEPEND on a spotter, because I end up watching them and don't really watch what I'm doing. I'll use a spotter to watch one problem spot, if there is one, everything else is on me.
I have also taken to carrying some small bright orange cones. If I see something in a site that I need to miss, that might be hard to see in the mirrors, I'll place a cone. Miss the cone, miss the evil thing.

Freqz · 02-05-2019, 06:36 PM

Mrs Freqz is a pretty good spotter and traffic control— my back drive opens up to an alley so getting backed into there requires backing across the street.

What I can’t stand are the “turn your wheels a little to the left” CG helpers. I appreciate the help, but just let me know if I’m about to hit something please.

ScoobyDoo · 02-06-2019, 06:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by egwilly

A lot of campgrounds have narrow access roads. Those pose the most challenge to me. My F350 swings the front end a large amount when backing.

I learned to stay near the center of the lane when backing into the site, and try to back in on the drivers side. This way you can see the side of the trailer and wheels to help you guide the rig into the spot. Scope the scene out first.

A better option, is to as you come up to site, hold tight to the left side of road. (Preferred to back to left). About when trailer tires get to drive, turn hard to right, then back to left. What you want stop with the TV just to left of center of road, and trailer angled so the wheels are just passed the drive. Crank to right, start back, then back to the left, try to back the TV straight down the center of road, until trailer is near parallel to site. Then all you need to do is get in front of it and follow it in.

Quote:

Wife in back on cell phone just in case! Always look up! Trees and other stuff may not let you back into a area. Write your trailer height on a paper and post it on your dash.....you don't want to be the guy in the 11 foot 8 bridge videos!

One issue with that is most trees don't have a clearance signs. I watched a guy pull a PCV pipe out, and telescope it out from a branch. Apparently he had a go/no go mark...

Quote:

Originally Posted by RoadEyePie

So many of you have advised to have the wife as a spotter. We do have a set of walkie-talkies. But where should she be positioned as a spotter? I don't feel I need her in my mirror since we have the handhelds. Seems she should be on my blind side pretty much as deep as she can be in the site.

Judging by what I read, in the opinion of many, women are both smart enough to tell the driver not to hit something else, but too stupid to keep from getting hit. Looking at her while she is pointing is more exact then translating what she is saying. (Is there a reason something can have it's own front and back, but not it's own left and right? LOL)
The rocks and trees do not move, so if you have plotted the route in, and follow it, do you need to see the blind side? Now as you are positioning, and backing, I might feel safer if she was in the road, far enough away to be at no risk, to be sure nobody moves into the path you are taking. If you feel your path must take you close to something on the blind side, have her in front of the TV, and moving so she can look down the side of the trailer, and the face of driver.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Podivin

You may not be there yet, but at some point you get to where you know that X thing is going to be the problem when you back in. Maybe it's a low tree limb, or maybe it's a stump or a giant rock. Whatever it is you know that YOU won't be able to see it when you're backing in. That's when a spotter comes in handy. When I get to a site I get out and walk the site, my wife stays in the RV. If I find something that is a potential issue I call her out and ask her to what 'that thing' - otherwise she just sits quietly until we're parked.

This is where planning the path comes in. If you have the path in mind that misses the rock, and follow that path, you don't need to worry about that rock.

Quote:

I have also taken to carrying some small bright orange cones. If I see something in a site that I need to miss, that might be hard to see in the mirrors, I'll place a cone. Miss the cone, miss the evil thing.

Or use the cones to mark where the side you can see needs to be to miss the evil on the other side...
One thing I have only seen my Father do. He had a magnetic clip, and about 5 feet of beaded chain. Unhook, pull the TV out. Then, before leveling the trailer, hang the chain from pin box so the end is just above the ground. When ready to hook up, run the jacks until chain just touches the ground. Back up center of trailer, no need to watch hitch, pin can't go anyplace else...