Fords Pro Trailer Backup Assist, is it worth setting up?

[DMacLeod]

My 2020 Ford F350 came with the Pro Trailer Backup Assist, and I'll be pulling 43' 5th wheel trailer. I'm trying to decide if it's worth configuring and setting up. Does anyone use the Backup Assist? Do you like it?

thanks

[traveldawg]

I backed a small trailer with the backup assist in an F-150. It was a waste of time IMO.

If you have any experience backing a trailer it seemed easier just to back it up rather than mess with all the set up only to use the "good 'ol way" - mirrors and a spotter.

I never tried it on a fifth wheel. Does it even work with a 'fiver?

[YC1]

I finally hooked mine up. I have not towed that much with this truck so am a bit clumsy. Been towing for 50 years so it is not a lack of experience. Pro bass fishing for a few years and am pretty decent at dumping it into the lake.

Tried the backup assistant and kind of chuckled at how easy it is. Trying to get very close to my fence as I backed the boat into the lake it was very easy to adjust but you do have to watch for nose swing and the wild movement of the steering wheel.

I then tried the parallel parking function and was stunned just how well it did. Now if it would just learn to get into tight grocery store parking spots. That takes a couple of stabs with the long wheelbase but the 360 cameras really let me cheat.

[sshephard1]

Yes. On my last truck I thought it was a gimmick and never set it up. On my current truck, I watched the Ford video and thought, “Why not try it?” At first, I hated it. But after practice, I liked it better. Now I use it exclusively. I like that I can turn the wheels with thumb and forefinger and that when I turn the knob, the trailer turns the same way. To me, who has been backing trailers for over 35 years, the steering wheel method was always counterintuitive. But that’s no doubt just because of the way my brain works. I would say that like anything, it takes practice.

[El_Supremo]

Setting up on a fiver is a lot simpler than a bumper pull. I don’t recall having to measure anything, the yaw sensor seems to be able to figure everything out. Seems to work better on the fiver than on the boat.

[4x4ord]

I put a sticker on my motorcycle trailer to play with the thing. It seems to loose sight of the sticker quite often. When it sees the sticker it works good for backing up fairly straight. It has an exceptionally slow maximum speed of about 2 or 3 mph so I wouldn't want to have to rely on it to back up any kind of distance. I find turning 90 degree corners easier to do manually vs using the gizmo. I could see someone who only needs to back up once or twice seeing value in the thing but most people would be better off learning how to back up manually. Your 43' fiver would be very easy to learn to back up manually.

[4x4ord]

Originally Posted by sshephard1

Yes. On my last truck I thought it was a gimmick and never set it up. On my current truck, I watched the Ford video and thought, “Why not try it?” At first, I hated it. But after practice, I liked it better. Now I use it exclusively. I like that I can turn the wheels with thumb and forefinger and that when I turn the knob, the trailer turns the same way. To me, who has been backing trailers for over 35 years, the steering wheel method was always counterintuitive. But that’s no doubt just because of the way my brain works. I would say that like anything, it takes practice.

It’s interesting that you say you find backing up a trailer to be counterintuitive….. riding a bicycle is also counterintuitive. (You may not even be aware of the fact that when initiating a right hand turn on a bike you turn the handle bar to the left). However, when you learn to ride a bike you don’t think about it …. you just do it and pretty soon riding a bike becomes a very simple skill. I believe backing up a trailer is similar….. don’t think about it, just do it and pretty soon backing up is as simple as selecting R and stepping on the accelerator.

[tuffr2]

Backing up takes practice and doing it often. When I was boating a lot I was great at backing (boating 3/4 times a week) but in the last few years I only back my travel trailer a few times a year. So I am always rusty at backing.

I don't have this feature on my current truck but want it on my next truck.

[scbwr]

Originally Posted by 4x4ord

It’s interesting that you say you find backing up a trailer to be counterintuitive….. riding a bicycle is also counterintuitive. (You may not even be aware of the fact that when initiating a right hand turn on a bike you turn the handle bar to the left).

Not on my bike! On a bicycle, you are turning the handlebars (front wheel) in the direction you want to go.

[dizcom]

Originally Posted by DMacLeod

My 2020 Ford F350 came with the Pro Trailer Backup Assist, and I'll be pulling 43' 5th wheel trailer. I'm trying to decide if it's worth configuring and setting up. Does anyone use the Backup Assist? Do you like it?

thanks

We had it on our last two Ford pickups. As others have said, it works just fine, but you have to watch your nose swing (you'll tend to look down and out at the mirrors when it's on) and it will occasionally lose itself and ask you to take control. I also found that it would not turn the trailer as sharply as it could safely be turned. Some kind of safety mechanism, I figured. I found that I was more precise and faster than the system. It does work though and it makes backing in most circumstances a piece of cake.



What I loved about it is that I could get the trailer pointed where I wanted and it would keep it in a straight line for as long as I wanted to go backward without turning my head or doing a bunch of micro-adjusting. Once it's pointed where you want it to go, let go and it will keep everything in perfect alignment. I can do that too (someone was already thinking, "I can do that!") but it was easier with the system on. It only takes a few minutes to setup. If you don't like it, you can always back on your own without the system on.

[4x4ord]

Originally Posted by scbwr

Not on my bike! On a bicycle, you are turning the handlebars (front wheel) in the direction you want to go.

You try it. Get going 15 mph or so and turn the handlebar to the left … you will immediately start turning to the right. Turning to the left causes the bike to lean to the right. I told my daughter this before letting her drive my 900 lb cruiser with me on the back on a twisty mountain road. I sat on the back knowing there would be a sharp curve where her conscious mind would “kick in” and she would intuitively turn the handle bar in the direction she wanted the bike to go. We rode quite a ways and she was doing great, I was beginning to relax, and then it happened. We entered a hairpin turn and in which there was a vehicle approaching us in the apex of the curve. My daughter got nervous and instinctively turned the handle bar to the right to avoid the van. The bike stood up and started heading for the van …. I shoved her up onto the gas tank and grabbed the handle bars to correct the situation.

Backing up a trailer is like riding a bike. Once a person really learns to back up a trailer he can select reverse and push his foot to floor …. his conscious mind thinks about where he wants the trailer to go and his subconscious mind looks after the steering.

With Pro trailer backup assist you focus on where you want the trailer to go and PTBA does the job of your subconscious mind.

[USAMTBR]

Originally Posted by 4x4ord

You try it. Get going 15 mph or so and turn the handlebar to the left … you will immediately start turning to the right. Turning to the left causes the bike to lean to the right. I told my daughter this before letting her drive my 900 lb cruiser with me on the back on a twisty mountain road. I sat on the back knowing there would be a sharp curve where her conscious mind would “kick in” and she would intuitively turn the handle bar in the direction she wanted the bike to go. We rode quite a ways and she was doing great, I was beginning to relax, and then it happened. We entered a hairpin turn and in which there was a vehicle approaching us in the apex of the curve. My daughter got nervous and instinctively turned the handle bar to the right to avoid the van. The bike stood up and started heading for the van …. I shoved her up onto the gas tank and grabbed the handle bars to correct the situation.

Backing up a trailer is like riding a bike. Once a person really learns to back up a trailer he can select reverse and push his foot to floor …. his conscious mind thinks about where he wants the trailer to go and his subconscious mind looks after the steering.

With Pro trailer backup assist you focus on where you want the trailer to go and PTBA does the job of your subconscious mind.

It’s called counter steering and motorcycle road racers master doing it to slam the bike entering the turns.