davelinde

I'm still trying to calibrate my backing upping from bumper hitch to 5ver. I agree, different not harder. I practiced in a parking lot for about 45 minutes and followed advice I read in another forum - just cut the wheels and back it into a spot 90 degrees to your left. Mark where you began the cut and where you end up to get an idea of your turning radius when backing. THEN begin to practice trying to hit an 8' opening.

I still don't have the eye for where the back end needs to be when I begin to back it. But I haven't really practiced too much. At least I can get it into my driveway in 1 or 2 shots now. Fortunately I don't live on a busy road.

re: helping your wife guide you... I backed into a camp site two weeks ago with help from another camper. It was amazingly easier because he gave me clear instructions like: "good" and "no good" and "pull up and cut it a little harder". My wife's instructions are more like "OK... I think", "I don't think that's right", and "I can't see the tree either, should I go look? I don't think you're close yet"

To get your wife to understand how your wheels should turn, tell her that the BACK of your wheels should be pointing the direction she thinks the BACK of the trailer should be going. My wife still doesn't understand why that is right, but she remembers it and believes it.

btw - because you can jack knife a 5ver it can do some pretty cool things. I saw a guy put a 37' rig into a seasonal spot between a tree and the decking he'd built. I was running over to move my truck on the assumption he would need the space to pull forward and get the 5ver to go straight back into the tight spot. Before I could even offer to move he had swung it right in there, pivoting around the tree. I was impressed. I've got to learn how to do that.