Practice backing up in a parking lot

[carybosse]

Originally Posted by Fotoryder

... Also, backing a longer wheelbase trailer is easier than backing a shorter wheelbase trailer, because the angles don't change as quickly with a longer trailer.

I have always heard that tale that backing a longer trailer was easier. Until I got my TT, most of the trailers I towed and backed were fairly short, not sure I had ever towed a double axle trailer. I guess the tow dolly with a vehicle on it could qualify, but you don't back those things.

When I explain to my wife that I am more comfortable driving and backing the TT, than any other trailer I have ever towed, she just nods. Her dad was a long haul trucker, so she knows the story. Unfortunately, her dad died over 30 years ago and so never was able to give me any pointers, and she never took any lessons.

My popup and the various utility trailers I have towed are always a pain to back.

[YC1]

Get your communicatons down pat.

If you cannot see your spotter, you stop. Period. Do not move.

If you are using voice which is highly recommended, avoid the words like (Ok), things can go south in an instant and the most important word is STOP.

Get out of the vehicle as many times as you need. Obviously get out before backing in and access any issues such as low limbs, picnic table, neighbor kids running around.

Do not be intimidated by the onlookers and NEVER let someone else help you. You don't have your communications down with them. Trust your usual helper.

I pretend that the kind volunteers are helping but unless they are waving madly, I just follow my wife's directions.

Patience with each other. Patience. Slow, slow, slow. It amazes me and appears some people try to impress onlookers with their skills.

It can get a bit intimidating when you are blocking traffic but do not let that rush you in any way.

It is fun to back into a spot with a 42 foot rv where others would not dare but that comes from years of experience. Backing a TT can be really intimidating.

Once you take your mind off which way to turn the steering wheel it will become second nature. A couple of hours of practice will really help.

My F150 has the trailer backup assistant. I have only launched a boat with it so no experience with a TT. But that thing is crazy wild. And you should see it parallel park. It's crazy how this long truck can tuck into a parking spot I would never consider doig myself.

[TravelSolo]

Originally Posted by YC1

If you cannot see your spotter, you stop. Period. Do not move.

<snip>

Do not be intimidated by the onlookers and NEVER let someone else help you. You don't have your communications down with them. Trust your usual helper.

I pretend that the kind volunteers are helping but unless they are waving madly, I just follow my wife's directions.

Really hard when you travel alone. Everyone of those folks that drive the little cart to guide you to your spot wants to help when they see you are by yourself.

It is very hard to back in when they won't stop trying to help and won't believe you when you say "Thanks, but I got this". Worst part is you have no idea if/when they are going to step in behind the trailer.

[YC1]

I was backing into a very tight spot in the boondocks and my father decided to give me directions.

After getting nice and jackknifed a couple of times I shut the truck off, went inside the TT for a beer, and came out with a lawn chair.

Plopping the chair down and opening the beer he looked at me with dismay and asked, " what are you doing".

:Having a beer and when you stop helping me I am going to back it in". True story. I was laughing of course when I told him.

When impossible to dismiss a helper I suggest having them stand where you want the corner of your TT to end up. That gives you a target. I have used a traffic cone when backing by myself as well.

[Onyrlef]

Originally Posted by tuffr2

Lol - I would start to back into my winter site (as a snowbird) where I had friends. The more help I would get the longer it would take. Best to not have much help...lol.

RV park etiquette is never offer someone help parking their RV. If they need you they'll ask, otherwise you're likely being a nuisance and besides it's often great entertainment.

[carybosse]

Originally Posted by YC1

...

When impossible to dismiss a helper I suggest having them stand where you want the corner of your TT to end up. That gives you a target. I have used a traffic cone when backing by myself as well.

I typically just have my wife, and while she is sometimes less than helpful, she can yell effectively into the phone.

My storage area is a 90 degree angle, and the length in front of the spot is less than the length of my truck and trailer. I think it is as much the sun glare bouncing off of everything, but I sometimes will put out cones to help me "see" the edges of my spot. My rear view camera on my TT is good enough to allow me to not back into the rusted out, sitting on 4 flats, 60s model VW Bug that is behind me in the storage spot.

I find that the angle that most campsites have for their pads is usually good enough to allow me to back up the trailer. The two things I fight are making sure that my stabilizer jacks have a good place to sit and general alignment of the door(s) and the slides. At least one site that I have had, actually it was a pull through site, I had to go around and do it again because I had my slide too close to a tree.

With a 32 foot trailer behind a 20 foot truck, I need a long pad. Often times, the pad has a parking block at the back of the pad. I sometimes will put my rear stabilizers behind the parking block to get my 52 foot total length out of the street. I often have just a foot or so to align the rear stabilizers between the parking block and the end of the pavement. Typically, by the time I am backed far enough, my rear view camera on the TT is looking at grass, nothing to gauge where I am at.

I might add, it has been mentioned that some walkie talkies and even cell phone may have a delay from the time your assistant yells stop till the time you hear it. My rear view camera also has a bit of a delay. At slow speeds, it may not be fatal, but I know going down the highway at 60 MPH, I will often get a stop-action view of traffic.

[MarkSaxton]

Originally Posted by carybosse

My storage area is a 90 degree angle, and the length in front of the spot is less than the length of my truck and trailer.

My initially assigned storage spot was this way - I knew I'd never be able to get into it so I paid more for an angled / longer spot with more front room. I think the spaces are 12' wide, my trailer is 8', and there are vehicles on either side.


How do you know if its simply impossible vs just takes some skill to get into a spot like you describe? Can you describe the turns you use to get into such a spot? Do you have at least one open side to work with, or is it blocked on both sides with other vehicles? I have no idea how to even approach a that kind of situation (not enough room in front, 90 degree, narrow target).

[Parafango]

I haven't seen this mentioned yet...
Backing into a campsite when it's dark, can be very daunting. The back up lights on trailers, if there are any, usually don't light up enough for you to see your position in relation to the campsite.

If you're in this situation for whatever reason, you really really need to communicate with your helper, who hopefully has a good bright light source to light up the camping pad and any obstacles that need to be avoided. seeing them in the mirror is very important, but they will have to tell you clearly which way to go, hand signals don't work at night.

Whenever possible, try to arrive BEFORE it gets dark.

In General, be sure your helper is facing the same way you are in the driver seat, so when they tell you to swing the back of the trailer left, it's the same left as theirs.

As other have mentioned, its good to practice in the open.

My wife still hasn't caught on that the trailer won't move 3 feet to the left in the space of 5 feet, in reverse with the trailer aimed to the right. Practice and patience.

[TravelSolo]

Originally Posted by Parafango

I haven't seen this mentioned yet...
Backing into a campsite when it's dark, can be very daunting. The back up lights on trailers, if there are any, usually don't light up enough for you to see your position in relation to the campsite.

I will say that my Furrion rear camera works pretty well with the IR lighting, but even then, I added lights to my trailer and wired into the reverse circuit (don't mind the wiring tied to the LP line, that's temp)

[carybosse]

Originally Posted by MarkSaxton

My initially assigned storage spot was this way - I knew I'd never be able to get into it so I paid more for an angled / longer spot with more front room. I think the spaces are 12' wide, my trailer is 8', and there are vehicles on either side.


How do you know if its simply impossible vs just takes some skill to get into a spot like you describe? Can you describe the turns you use to get into such a spot? Do you have at least one open side to work with, or is it blocked on both sides with other vehicles? I have no idea how to even approach a that kind of situation (not enough room in front, 90 degree, narrow target).

My space may be 12 foot wide, but you just have to setup properly and then back it slowly. Not sure how to describe it - just have to watch a trucker back an 18 wheeler. Once I get the rear end of the trailer lined up into the slot, I just jockey it into place. Sometimes I have to pull forward, and re-start my backing. It takes some practice.

I usually have my wife with me, but the day I pulled it out to take it for the annual inspection, I brought it back by myself. Took me a bit longer and I had to get out a couple of times to verify I wasn't going to take out a pole. On one side of my slot, there is one of the steel poles supporting the cover right at the edge of the slot. On the other side, there is a utility trailer. In theory, I can cut across the front of his slot a bit as I jockey into position, but because of the angle I am at, I cannot see the pole at all in my truck mirrors.

A couple of months ago, someone left one of those orange Home Depot buckets in the next space. I put the bucket on the line at the entrance to my slot in front of the utility trailer, on the side I can see from my rear view mirror. It helps me line up a bit better.

When I first starting storing my trailer, I had an outdoor slot. I was assigned a slot that required some jockeying, but I went back to the office and asked about the slot 2 places down. It was lined up with a drive aisle that you had about 2 full trailer lengths in front of the slot. Sweet. The only issue there was it was gravel and there were no lines painted. Never failed, both of the trailers on either side of me cheated toward my space, I often had right at 10 foot to put my 8 foot wide trailer into. Really increased the pucker factor, probably could not have done it at an angle.

[DR60]

Originally Posted by MarkSaxton

My initially assigned storage spot was this way - I knew I'd never be able to get into it so I paid more for an angled / longer spot with more front room. I think the spaces are 12' wide, my trailer is 8', and there are vehicles on either side.


How do you know if its simply impossible vs just takes some skill to get into a spot like you describe? Can you describe the turns you use to get into such a spot? Do you have at least one open side to work with, or is it blocked on both sides with other vehicles? I have no idea how to even approach a that kind of situation (not enough room in front, 90 degree, narrow target).

I know how far the rear of my trailer swings beyond its tire width. Thats why I say to start with a space that is 1.5 times the width of your trailer. That allows that length behind the trailers tires a couple feet to swing out.
after you get good at this you will be able to back into spots with as little as a few inches to spare. Before backing in I walk the site and pick a line that the driver's side trailer tires will follow. I look for landmarks like curbs, painted lines, the edge of a concrete pad, etc...
If its dirt I take a stick and draw a line. This is a line I can see in my mirror from my driver's seat. As you get better at this you will be able to follow that same line on the passenger side by watching in that mirror.
Backup cameras are a new thing to me, so I use my spotter to stop me in the right spot and I have them look up every so often to see that I have not underestimated the overhead branches. Good Luck, DR

[Bigtoado]

Rule #1. Line up and use the mirrors. Rule #2 Always use a spotter when backing. YC1 has good advice. Listen to your own spotter. If you can’t see them, stop. We use the phone because I can go hands free. Added plus, use FaceTime to see what she is describing yourself. Sometimes you have to get out and look.

Practicing at a vacant parking lot with some long lines is a good exercise for both driver and spotter. Somebody already said it, use the same language all the time. Go slow and focus. In time it gets easier.

Phil and Charon
In the beautiful hill country of Texas

[ac2500]

First rule of safe backing—-don’t.
pull thru when you can if not able go slow, develop thick skin, don’t worry about impatient people.I have a 43ft. 5er , 12 feet of overhang behind rear axle . You must take into consideration “tailspin” of that overhang, both when backing in & pulling out (simple geometry. Have a spotter & make sure you can see them in mirrors. Clearly state to spotter what you want to do ie I want back end to stop here, I want tires to be on edge of grass etc.Look before you start backing, know what you are backing into. Watch overhead don’t take roof off with a low tree, Follow these tips & the other comments GO SLOW & you’ll be fine,

[RETPS]

Backing is basically two stages, getting the trailer started in the right direction and then following it into the spot you are trying to get it in. The hardest part to learn is recognizing when to stop turning it and start following it. If you go past that point, and keep trying to salvage the effort, it will just get worse. It is always best to straighten out and try again. A nice empty parking lot is a great place to practice. Be sure to practice both driver side and off side backing. If you have a spotter helping you, and you both have cell phones use them on speaker rather than relying on confusing hand gestures.