Backing Camper Tricks

[Cmmjmoore]

Over the weekend we were at a state park that only has 18 sites, it's a nice little park about 3 miles off interstate 10 so you get a lot of travel trailer layovers for the night. As we enjoying the evening around a camp fire one guy came in and it was almost painful to watch him over correct on this 24" finally my adult son said, "come on Dad lets go help him!" I warned him that some guys were a little touchy about getting help.
It wasn't 30 minutes later that this guy comes in pulling a 32". Interesting watching him, first he turned off his head lights so his eyes would adjust to using his running lights, then we notice that the wife has her phone out talking to him over the trucks blue tooth connection. He easies that big rig in with one fluid movement as the wife talks him back. Later we watched a women come in pulling a 28" Airstream. She walks the spot and the gets out two battery powered lanterns place one on either side of the pavement just off the pavement on the grass, then she to turns off her head lights and just leaves the running lights on, She too slides that rig right into the spot. We were impressed. My own expertise at backing are just barely acceptable so I am always easily impressed.

I wondered what are some of your tricks for backing your rigs in at night.


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[asquared]

Day or night we always use the walkie talkies. Dh will tell me drivers side or passenger side and what the obstacle is (ie tree 3 ft back drivers side) or where he needs me to be. Typically I'm ahead of him as to what I want to do with the trailer but it's good to have him watch out for obstacles. The scoop method is good to utilize. I could put my 30' tt anywhere I needed to. I'm still figuring out backing the new fiver.

scoop method

[Joelh]

Once I learned to place my hand on the 6 o'clock position on the steering wheel and move my hand in the direction that I want the back of the trailer to move, everything got much easier.

The two lanterns for landing lights is a great idea.

[lrob]

I recently owned a TT and the key is use one side of your trailer as the guide. I use the drivers side. I backed my 33' TT down my 200' driveway with my Suburban with no issues. I used my side mirror and steered from it without looking at the steering wheel. That will mess u up. By remembering to turn at the bottom of the steering wheel the way you want the trailer to go (without looking at it--it seems counter intuitive) you will guide it where you want it to go. Another thing, which I think is one of the bigger missteps people make is over steering. Small movements work like magic; don't panic and try not to over correct. That is something a took a while for me to learn but once I got it, it made things much more relaxing.

[Dave Lyon]

Originally Posted by Joelh

Once I learned to place my hand on the 6 o'clock position on the steering wheel and move my hand in the direction that I want the back of the trailer to move, everything got much easier.

The two lanterns for landing lights is a great idea.

X2

[Super Thirty]

I back a lot of trailers and I use the drivers side as a guide also but will be purchasing two lanterns for out lining the back of the site, what a great idea. Thanks for sharing your observation. One other note is my old TT seemed to be more susceptible to oversteer than our current TT. The new one is longer too.


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[rattleNsmoke]

I arrive before sun down. Nothing worse than having to guess tree limb height at night.

[Super Thirty]

Originally Posted by rattleNsmoke

I arrive before sun down. Nothing worse than having to guess tree limb height at night.

It's hard on the birds too😄


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[lrob]

I have been told by the experienced that the longer they are the easier they are to steer. I did not believe it when I owned a 23' but when I went to the 33' they were right.

[4mula1fan]

I've used little reflective dots that stick on to mark trees and the back of the campsite. You can find them real cheap.

[lrob]

This is helpful
http://youtu.be/hSyylWzrOX0

[klarowe]

The shorter the TV wheelbase and the longer the trailer wheelbase makes baking up a lot easier. I have more trouble backing up my little 10' snowmobile trailer than I do our 24' toyhauler. The hardest part is backing up on the blind side. I try to position myself so I'm backing up on the non-blind side and it makes life a hell of a lot easier. I can typically back it up myself when I'm on the non-blind side. The back-up camera I installed on the back of the trailer helps to avoid going too far and to avoid obstacles.

[Scootdawg]

Being a noob with a 5th wheel, I make sure we have a pull through site or its daytime when we get there. With another year of camping coming up and more experience, I am sure sooner or later I will be backing in at night. I do like the idea of the 2 lanterns to use. I love this forum!

[Evo2700]

My single axle 16' trailer I had was a pain to back up because it was so sensitive to every slight turn of the wheel. I think it's much easier to back up my 32'.

[Semperfi24]

klarowe, I also added a camera on the back of my trailer. I am a noob myself, so I dont really have any comparison between having a camera and not having one, but I think it makes things pretty easy. Wife and I use the walkie talkie setup, and we are starting to get that part down (our problem is we dont speak the same language, when giving directions I tend to speak in a way that sounds like an instruction manual, and she speaks in very vague terms, like "this side". I really dont need the added level of trying to figure out what side "this side" is, when I am looking in the mirror, lol, so she is getting better at "driver side" "passenger side", lol). I admit that I know what side she is on, so it shouldnt matter, but with all the things I am trying to concentrate on, I just want to think as little as possible

I also kind of chuckled when you mentioned backing in on the drivers side, I have heard that from everyone, and I agree in theory it gives you more visibility of everything, making it easier, but for some strange reason, I struggle mightily to back in on the drivers side. Maybe it is that I can see everything so I make steering mistakes that I wouldnt make if I wasnt able to see??? Everytime we have to back into a site on the blind side, I back it in one try, unhook, and get it all set up. And then we look at each other and go, "why the hell is it so hard on the 'easy side' but so easy this way". I wish I could explain it. But if we pull up and the site is on the drivers side, we know we are in for a long afternoon, lol. Back it up, pull it forward, back it up, pull it forward, back it up, pull it forward... That is probably a little bit exaggerated, we are about 50% of the time one try on the drivers side, and 100% one try on the passenger side, which makes no sense (we store it at a storage lot that is a blind side back in and nail that everytime, lol). Oh well, having only pulled a trailer 7 times (or there about) in my entire life, I am doing ok, lol.

[lrob]

That is funny. Use whatever works

[MilCop4523]

I've stopped, exited the vehicles and walked teh ground behind and beside me.
Positioned the wife on my driver side rear of the trailer and told her to be vocal when i am getting off line but not before. She is also aware that once in the box she can tell me to stop or readjust as needed.

Then I've inserted 2 X 36 inch long PVC 1.5 inch OD pipes into the rear bumper (one on each side so they stick out about 2 feet.

Each pipe has a snap light (glow sticks for ex military folk) taped to them for illumination so i can see the passanger side end and driver side end. Then I've laid 2 more glow sticks on the ground where my left and right of arcs are located (final resting place of the trailer.

Headlights off prior to all this means my eyes are not blinded by white light - unless someone comes in towards me with another vehicle or some kid points a flashlight in my eyes asking if they can help while im backing.

I've only missed the mark 2 times and ive tried this in dozens of locations. At home o do this and generally will roll directly up onto the 2 X 10 planks in the driveway and I have to back across a main road from my neighbors diagnal dirveway.

the snap lights give me a strong visual of direction and clearances on the trailer end

[MilCop4523]

Love the analogy of different languages being spoken. I recount my wife standing behind a tree so she would not get run over while i backed up and was giving directions of a bit more to the left.... her left or to my left (or the trailers left)?

When i got out and looked under the trailer she asked from behind the tree "what in the heck are you looking for"

I answered "you" "I'm looking for you since i can't see you giving me the directions i need"

From that point onward i've used the glow sticks and if she gets upset she says "might as well keep going until it sounds expensive and then give it one more push just to make sure!"

21 years of wedded bliss and we've never had a fight.

[lrob]

Here is a video that I watched when I got my first TT 4 years ago. This was very helpful and was a key technique in me learning how to back in today. I used this technique until I moved up to my Class A in August. Check it out!
http://youtu.be/RLtfrBWzNCw

[fx2]

DW and I use the cell phones, I have it on bluetooth in my truck. Usually works great


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