Backing up 40' Forest River 5th Wheel

[TexasGolfBum]

I have the hardest time trying to park my rig in our tight storage area. No room to line up are right, have to go in at angle. How do you approach something like this? Not much on YouTube.

[KFX450RXC]

Hate to sound overly simplistic. But it just takes practice. Every turn is different so there's no real secret except doing it over and over again. In a year, you'll be a pro.

[SeaDog]

go out to an empty parking lot set up some cones and practice, I think the best practice is with a short trash trailer. the longer the trailer the easier it get to back up. tight spots can be a challenge having a spotter helps.

[Nascon]

Have a spotter stand where you want to have the driver side rear corner stop.

[BandJCarm]

Welcome to my world!!! LOL

A youtube of backing mine into my driveway would probably go viral! It's a hoot!

Just practice........get some cones, and a huge church parking lot or such. I am not great at it either. I embarrassed myself taking it to the dealer last week. But it somehow gets done.

[TexasGolfBum]

Thank you. I can back a lot of trailers, but this has really tested me. My wife is the spotter but we still go back and forth trying to back it in. The space gives me a foot on each side of the post. What is worse is after or vacation we have to deal with this and it takes away the Good trip we just had. Will use your advice and work on making this a better experience.

[BandJCarm]

Originally Posted by TexasGolfBum

Thank you. I can back a lot of trailers, but this has really tested me. My wife is the spotter but we still go back and forth trying to back it in. The space gives me a foot on each side of the post. What is worse is after or vacation we have to deal with this and it takes away the Good trip we just had. Will use your advice and work on making this a better experience.

I've also backed a lot of boat and atv trailers in 55 years of driving. But this one is a new deal, for sure!!!

I wiggle my way into most tight spots. No harm in that. I widened my driveway and it's still hard. I stand out there and look at what I had to do before I widened it, and I don't see how I ever did it. I also moved the neighbors mailbox, before I tore it down!! And that wasn't really enough, I wish it were further over.

It also depends on what kind of truck, etc.......if you have any chance of hitting the truck with the front cap, it makes your sphincter even tighter. Mine won't hit, but some do.

I hate it too. But I have yet to run over anything.

P.S.
DW is not much help. I tried to use her cell phone and the blue tooth on my truck to hear her, but she has never backed any trailer in her life and does not understand to watch both right rear of trailer and right front of truck, at same time. Neither does she understand that if she can't see my face in truck mirror, I can't see her either. And of course, I can't hear her.........which she somehow still doesn't believe. So, that leaves me jumping in and out of truck all the time.

[W5CI]

Just don't try and Blind side it into a slot, go turn around so to be able to back it in on your left side. Like what has already been stated, the longer the trailer the easier it is to back

[saus]

I have the same problem with my driveway. We have cement pillars on each side of our driveway for the gate and we live on a very narrow street. Across the street from us, our neighbor also has a fence with a gate. This does not give me much room and have to come in on an angle. I have to do a lot of "up and back". It sometimes takes many, many, up and backs before I can get it straight enough to get between the pillars. Don't feel bad about going back and forth many times and taking a long time. Sometimes that is all you can do. Good luck.

[CHICKDOE]

I could probably make some side money by selling tickets to others in a camp ground to allow them to watch the comedy show of me backing in our trailer! i'll get it but it I go slow and take as much time as necessary, including pulling out and starting all over. one thing a guy told me is to watch the trailer tires in your left side mirror. figure out the track you want them to take and then make them follow that track. it seems to help but you still have to watch the tail swing when you are trying to get into your space in the storage lot. it is possible! we recently went to a rv rally where they had a parking ranger help you back in and he was amazing! he got us into a site I probably never would have tried by myself. it was obvious he knew how to back up a trailer and he could communicate with the driver about how to turn and how sharp (unlike some of our DW's). we made it first try so it is possible.

[andy29847]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xZQYgJl-uEE

[bikendan]

Could install a backup camera on the trailer to make it easier.

[DrLewie]

Originally Posted by BandJCarm

DW is not much help. I tried to use her cell phone and the blue tooth on my truck to hear her, but she has never backed any trailer in her life and does not understand to watch both right rear of trailer and right front of truck, at same time. Neither does she understand that if she can't see my face in truck mirror, I can't see her either. And of course, I can't hear her.........which she somehow still doesn't believe. So, that leaves me jumping in and out of truck all the time.

I feel your pain. I even bought a pair of walkie-talkies, but I can't tell you how many times I've told my DW to press the transmit button before she starts talking, and to release it only after she says what she wants to say. I've tried to get her to just yell before I hit something. After one bad fail, she still hasn't figured it out.

As others have said: "practice, practice, practice."

[kenandterry]

During departures from the yard in the morning rush, they told us at the School Bus Driving Academy to "just back up until it sounds expensive, then pull ahead"

[LynnGlaze13]

In an absolute worst case scenario instead of a walkie talkie/cell phone etc. to warn of an impending collision maybe get a Fox 40 whistle for your spotter to blow.

Blowing a whistle is faster than yelling or talking especially on a WT.

[Jim in Halifax]

Years ago someone gave me a tip:

" When backing up put your hand on the bottom of your steering wheel and move your hand in the direction you want the back of the trailer to go"

Try it....

[NMWildcat]

I have to brag on Liz. The first time we were backing at night at home, we got in a heated argument and vowed to never do that silliness again.

She worked out several hand signals for us. Tells me which way the back of the trailer needs to go, how fast to turn, and when to stop. If she needs to switch sides she will give me the signal then I stop and wait until I can see her in the mirror again.

Sometimes she stands behind the rig, and sometimes by the drivers window. She regularly back our friends in who don't work so well together

She does drive the rig often, but won't back it from the driver's seat

So it can be done

[Harkerr]

Here are some tips

You determine where the rig needs to be when you start your cut into the space. When you are in a tight situation that is a unique spot. Then figure out the arc your inside trailer wheels must follow and track that. An easy way to do this is put marks on the pavement for future reference. Once you have these marked it will go in easily every time. This will be the same positioning you will need on the road.

Another way to do it is to put marks down as you pull out of your space.

These work well for me.

[bwodom]

We have had TT, fifth wheels 40' and over, and even a 40' motorhome, but our 30' Rockwood fifth wheel has really beat us up! Drive a Dodge short bed with a slider hitch which was supposed to make things easier but hubby has found that just the Dodge alone is more difficult to judge than any of his other vehicles have been, particularly backing up. The combination of truck and camper just exaggerates the problem. Not sure why, but can't get the thing backed in straight for the life of us. Have resorted to paying extra for pull through to avoid the embarrassment and hassle!

Thinking of going back to a mini motorhome...at least the entire rig goes in the same direction! lol

[Jesse]

Accept it, get her in there, plan the next trip, and don't worry about it......Life is Short!!!