Community Forums

twogypsies · 11-06-2016, 07:07 PM

I'd never have someone holding the steering wheel while backing!!

Waiter21 · 11-06-2016, 08:01 PM

Different toads behave differently when backing. The only way to find out is to goto a large parking lot and do it.

My old Civic would back up very nicely, I could turn it 90 degrees and back it into just about any parking spot, not a big deal. The wheels would caster but they would not goto the endstops.

My Vue isn't so nice, if I do anything more than straight, the wheels will caster to an end stop. When I need to back up any distance with the Vue, the DW will sit in the Vue and keep the wheels from castering to the end stop. She will hold the wheel and attempt to turn the wheel to match the backing turn.

If you're not careful and pay close attention, the toad will jacknife and you will damage the towbar, the toad, and the MH.

alpha99 · 11-06-2016, 08:22 PM

I've done when I had to. No big deal if you know what you're doing. Most people don't know what they're doing.

Sweetbriar · 11-07-2016, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Waiter21

Different toads behave differently when backing. The only way to find out is to goto a large parking lot and do it.

My old Civic would back up very nicely, I could turn it 90 degrees and back it into just about any parking spot, not a big deal. The wheels would caster but they would not goto the endstops,,,

Same here with a Honda Accord and now a CRV. Didn't want to mention it since my pilot rescue flame suit is out getting altered.

Dutch Star Don · 11-08-2016, 01:59 PM

There have been occasions where the toad is in line with the coach and I've backed up a few feet. If you blindly do it, without watching in the camera.....yes, you'll run into issues.

DGBPokes · 11-08-2016, 02:30 PM

Pulled into a small campground this summer, pulled straight in and drove a few hundred feet to were I thought the office was. The owner came out and said glad your here, backup and pick your spot. I said I'll have to unhitch, he said no you don't, long story short, he talked me to trying it.

Told me I was already good and straight, just don't turn the wheel. He went back to watch for me. I bet we backed 100 ft. No problem.

Years ago at a KOA in Indianapolis, I almost got into a fist fight with a guy telling me I needed to backup so he could get into a campsite. No way was I going to backup. Guess I was wrong.

Waiter21 · 11-08-2016, 02:33 PM

Caveats:

Most Tow Bar manufactures state something to the effect: "Do not back up with our tow bar or damage will result"

If you back up and are not watching what you are doing, you will hit stuff, you will jackknife, you will damage stuff. I assumed this would be obvious, apparently it's not.

If you're not comfortable backing up, or haven't practiced it, then don't do it.

However, if you believe you have the skills necessary to mitigate the risks, then you need to know the capabilities and limitations of you equipment. Again, the only way to find out is to go do it in a controlled atmosphere where you can observe and watch what happens. The biggest item is knowing how your steering behaves when you are backing up. If it casters to the end stop, this is putting a great deal of stress on your tow bar. I would not back up with a castered steering

hoosierrun · 11-08-2016, 02:59 PM

Got in a situation where we had to back up. I stood outside while wife backed slowly. We had walkie talkies. At about 3 to 4 feet back, the front wheels on the toad suddenly went to one side, and one side of the tow bar raised an inch or so along with the front of the toad. I had her stop. I went into the toad, started the engine to get power steering, and then I straightened the wheels out and had her go back a few more feet while I held the wheel straight. That seemed to work, but it was nerve racking after seeing how quickly it wanted to flip. No damage done.

Brad W · 11-22-2016, 04:55 PM

glad I stumbled upon this discussion. I don't have a MH yet but when it is purchased I do plan to pull a Wrangler.

One of the first things I read was you can't backup a flat towed toad. I've been baffled ever since at how difficult it must be to deal with a two unit and not be able to back up.

I also intend to be doing to Mexico driving and I really started to worry about running into difficult situations. I concluded you must need to disconnect at times.

This thread has given me some relief. Obviously it sounds like a disconnect will be needed at times, but one of my first chores will be to go learn the backup characteristics of my rig.... once I have it all

tmw188 · 11-22-2016, 05:08 PM

Never would I risk damaging my towing gear to perform backing it up. I can disconnect and move the toad in less time than it takes to have someone making a judgement call to watch what is going on and all this being performed in such a cautious manor. I think 2 min. to unhook and 2 min. to re hook things up.

iPad using iRV2 - RV Forum

jrpend · 12-01-2016, 01:27 PM

I watch in the camera if backing for short distances - usually because I can't complete the turn in a gas station. I will stop if the angle gets excessive.

I've gotten with it so far - but I'm careful and slow and emphasis on short distance. Anything longer and I'll drop the toad

Cranemec · 12-01-2016, 01:34 PM

As with everything, a little common sense goes a long way. Something society seems to lack these days.
I've backed my TOAD up when I have HAD to before. Only for a few feet and watching the rear camera like a Hawk!
Of course the manufacturers say not to, they have to write the rules to the lowest common denominator.
Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

tmw188 · 12-01-2016, 02:04 PM

I don't think the geometry works very well other than if both vehicles are inline with each other. If turned at all it would seem to me it would put forces on the front steering gear?

Pigman1 · 12-02-2016, 10:37 AM

Sounds like we have some RV'ers who are willing to learn a new skill or at least learn the full limits of their capabilities and perhaps stretch them a bit. WONDERFUL!! As some have said it CAN be done.

Some things to consider in your learning process.

Use very small inputs on your RV steering wheel. The reason for this is that the shorter the wheelbase on the RV the quicker it will turn. Couple that with a long rear overhang and you can easily get a toad steering to go to the full side lock position at which time hitch and hitch mount loads start up fast. This may be compounded by the geometry of the toad steering. Some toads definitely back easier than others.

If you can have someone behind you on a radio or cell to tell you if and when your toad goes to full lock, it'll help you get a feel for exactly how your rig reacts to your inputs.

Start your practice on a straight line back with the goal of keeping your toad steering from going full lock. You can step up to aiming the toad to where you want it to go as you get a better feel for how your rig behaves.

After you get better at actually aiming the toad on a straight backup, then start on a slightly jacknifed position and proceed as above. First get a feel for backing in those positions, then start the aiming process.

Another thing to think about is just backing to get yourself out of a tight situation, not going back a half mile. Sometimes this means just a few feet so you can clear the tree or make the U-turn. That'll usually be when you do it the most, anyway.

Finally, remember that the surface you're backing on can make a big difference. Pushing back against a toad with front wheels locked to either side is possible when you are on loose gravel, mud, snow or ice, or even a smooth dirt lot. On blacktop, concrete, or rutted and potholed dirt, probably not too good an idea.

Hit the field or parking lot and have fun. Once you get a little comfortable with the new skill, the overall tension of driving a big rig in tighter quarters than you ever thought possible becomes a very satisfying experience instead of a jaw clenching one. Finally, if all else fails, you can always unhook. That's my last choice, but I have done it.