Sounds like us. I ask my wife where she wants the fiver and then she hits the road.

My 6 year old is more help than she is.

 

We use the walkie talkie method has wroked way better than my wife hokie hand signals. Then I can talk back if I have a question or see something I don't like. As far as letting her back it up she doesn't even want to drive it.

 

I just take my time and walk around the rig and target spot to get a feel for what I am doing and where I want to start. If I get unsure about where anything is I stop and get a fesh look. So far so good.

I like the art of backing a trailer. It is a learned and perishable skill, kind of like shooting. Hitting a bulls eye, backing in correctly the first time and getting the boat on the bunks at idle are all theraputic for me.

 

Thanks for all the advice and tricks of the trade. Have got radios but bless my wife heart she gets so nervous that she forgets to let off the push to talk button. I like the the way that FiverBob uses and as for as let her back it up I love my wife and my camper.

 

thought thats what the tow mirrors where for. try backing up a 53 bull wagon to the loading chute. it has to be on the money. best advice i can give is to line your self up as strait as possible then go at it

 

While she is looking in the mirror if she can't look you in the eyes you can't see her. Tell her that.

 

I wish I had a way I could set things up for me to be able to back straight. The only logical place I could put a gate leaves me backing a 90 degree turn blind side without much room to spare.

The first time I had to convince the spotter to get over to the driver's side. Once I've got the trailer starting to turn, I can see the passenger side of the trailer, but not the driver's side.

The width of the gate doesn't leave much breathing room since the trailer is kinking around as it goes through the gate.

My 30 footer will do it, but I'm just about to leave to get a 40 foot trailer... I hope it is even possible to get it through that gate.

 

I had to explain that if you are wiggling your finger to give directions... It all looks the same... I showed her that her elbow and shoulder can assist her fingers.... Now I can see what see is saying!

Also >>> I have her use the drivers side only for directions unless I am backing in from the other side... That way there is less guessing and it saves a lot of time.

I have a mobile oil change service and I am backing up to a vehicle or a fleet of them about 10-30 times a day >> I don't have room (in the wallet) for mis-communications.

I have my wife back the boat down the ramp so she understands the mechanics of trailer backing >> I have a 11 yr old daughter that knows how to back a trailer also >> Slowly but accurately.

OG

 

Be careful with the young one backing. I saw a 10 year oil boy put a truck all the way into the water at Lake Sommerville 30 years ago. Luckily, he had the drivers side window down, so he got out safely.

 

Annebelle I've watched some 40 year olds launch their autos. I do like to hang out at the ramp in the mornings when they launch and at night when they launch the tow vehicle.

 

Nothing like having my wife there... Got the walkie talkies, which helped to explain the gyrations I normally get for hand signals. Learned to use the two way radios after backing my truck with plow on it into my garage knowing I had about 1 inch of space to get it inside and shut the door. She backed me right into that back wall, you know, one of those she gives you the stop signal after you've already hit the wall... Still, trying to convince her that with a 30 foot of trailer and 21 feet of truck I can't teleport it 3 feet to the left in 1 foot of rolling distance seems to escape her logic... So, alot of GOAL method used.

 

Well, yesterday I brought home the 40' toyhauler.



I wasn't sure about backing it around the 90 degree blind turn while going through the gate, but I made it. I may have to do the walkie talkie thing, though. Sometimes the GF would be in spots where I can't see her...

Backing around that corner through the gate with this monster is a pain enough without having to worry about clearing the 30' one that is still in my yard. It should be much easier once that is gone.

 

Gotta say after reading all these comments on needing help backing, I'm kinda scared of who's pulling what down the road with me. Try backing a 39' dump bucket blindsided off a two lane road with a W900L into a shed with a hole in the floor you have to line up with the grain shute on the trailer most of the time at night. Makes the think of what I saw in a truck stop parking lot years ago, Schneider truck trying to back into a WIDE spot, ended up hitting the trucks on both sides & never knew it till he got out. I also find it funny to see people try & park their four door dually in a parking lot. My grandpa once said "If you can't drive it don't buy it".

Now the other side. I wont say I've never needed the wifey to help me back into a spot, but thats mainly to make her "feel" a part of our camping exp.

 

That reminds me of a similar situation. I got dispatched to a "parking problem".

Turns out a semi was totally crossways blocking the road, the only road to get into/out of the State Police office. The trailer had been backed off the side of the road, which has a steep drop off, so the trailer ended up sitting on its frame, with the rear wheels hanging in the air...

The driver was in training. The owner had been asleep in the sleeper got a rude awakening-- and was telling his student (#@*&$!! I told you to wake me up before you exit the freeway!!. Student was apparenlty trying to pull into the gravel pullout for trucks there, wasn't lined up right and backed up to get lined up... Then BOOM and the trailer frame is on the pavement.

I wonder what he's doing for a living now?


Hey, I freely admit I don't have the backing skills of a professional, and I do sometimes have to look, or take a 2nd (or 3rd) shot, but at least (so far) I do that rather than hitting something or backing into a ditch...

 

Even u s"professionals get out & look before backing sometimes. Mostly at night though. Dont think I've ever hit anything. But I also go by the motto of "get the shiny part through, let them worry bout the rest" Dont really apply to the rv though. That ranks up there with my lane changing procedure of 6 blinks "the first three to let them know I'm coming the next three as I'm running them outta the road" NYC with a 53' tought me that