The backup

[Odyknuck]

I really had to laugh at this thread. Here I thought I was the only one with the Helper Wife that does not have a clue about how to help spot a trailer lol. She is getting better at it however I still cringe. Most of the time she just stands there with her arms folded and at the very last second yells "STOP"! We recently replaced our 25' Tag Toy Hauler with a 40' 5er. I picked it up and it was dark, foggy and rainy by the time I was backing in the drive. I live in the country on a dark dirt road. The conditions are not great in the clear daylight let alone in this environment. The 5er came with a back up camera and I'm thinking it will be a piece of cake, boy was I wrong. It was useless! I could not see anything as there are no lights other than the what's on the truck and trailer. So my dear wife is yelling at me and says you want me to do it? I say sure , have at it! She soon discovers she can not see anything and gets out of the truck without a word, priceless. Bet she won't yell at me again lol.

[Ole_blue]

Originally Posted by Blank

Mine has trouble recognizing her own left and right. No way am I adding a mirror and reverse images to the situation!!!

I've got the furrion camera and when I first hooked it up it was backwards. I couldn't figure out how to get the image reversed. It was paired as the door camera. In paired it as the rear camera and the image reversed itself so it's the same as looking in the mirror. Things on the right side are on the right in the monitor.

[Underthedog]

"So my dear wife is yelling at me and says you want me to do it? I say sure , have at it! She soon discovers she can not see anything and gets out of the truck without a word, priceless. Bet she won't yell at me again lol."


bet she will . . ...

[J Autry]

Try backing in a spot at 10PM, Raining, and NO lighting. Spotter was the camp owner's wife. She insisted on standing directly behind the camper, holding her flashlight and umbrella. My DW got out to help, but added to the confusion.

[hikerjohn7]

Originally Posted by Juddjn3399

I choose a pull through spot whenever possible, it's worth the extra few bucks to avoid the "argument ". I also have gotten pretty good at the backup without the aid of my DW. Attachment 224838

Many women don't strive to be technical but I trained my wife on how to help me to back up and how to describe the direction she wants me to go and to walk back an forth looking on both sides and at the trees. So she's getting really good at it.

I also call her on the cell phone and place the phone on the dash at max volume. It acts like a walkie-talkie so I can hear very well when she yells the directions.

[Chuck_S]

Ground guide should only indicate which way to move the trailer and NOT tell the driver which way to turn the wheel! I almost came to blows with a campground employee over this. Invisible ground guide is an oxymoron; gotta be seen.

My wife and dogs take a short walk around the camp ground while I park. The trailer is in place when they return. If raining they remain in the truck and amuse themselves until the trailer is parked and the canopy deployed. Small flash lights on the ground mark the parking spot in the dark and back-up (reversing) lights are vital. Fog lights on the rear bumper can be wired with a single wire and using the bumper as ground.

-- Chuck

[hikerjohn7]

Originally Posted by Chuck_S

Ground guide should only indicate which way to move the trailer and NOT tell the driver which way to turn the wheel! I almost came to blows with a campground employee over this. Invisible ground guide is an oxymoron; gotta be seen.

My wife and dogs take a short walk around the camp ground while I park. The trailer is in place when they return. If raining they remain in the truck and amuse themselves until the trailer is parked and the canopy deployed. Small flash lights on the ground mark the parking spot in the dark and back-up (reversing) lights are vital. Fog lights on the rear bumper can be wired with a single wire and using the bumper as ground.

-- Chuck

Agree. No one should tell you which way to turn the wheel. But it helps if there is and object that's out of your view, to get a perspective with a set of eyeballs at the rear. I guess there are some back up cameras that can help but I have not found one yet that is that helpful.

[dbledan]

We always get to sites after dark. Since I back myself using the camera this has been my solution. Works great. I have a set of lights on the back and another in the front underneath on a remote trigger.

The other photo is what has happened when DW just backs out of the garage...still not sure why she turns the wheel at all.

I am not perfect. I hit the gutter with the trailer ladder once (small dents in gutter) and once I let the truck drive itself through the garage door...but that was before we met and she doesn't know that.

[Ryan-OH]

Originally Posted by JWood422

We use our cellphones. Some folks here have pointed out they’re useless when in an area with no coverage. Walkie talkies could prove useful in that case.

We have walkie talkies but. .. ...
We have a 4 day weekend in April hoping Ohio doesn't close the state parks. Our daughter lived in Illinois hear they closed their state parks, along with PA and IN. Haven't heard about WV yet.

[Underthedog]

Originally Posted by hikerjohn7

Agree. No one should tell you which way to turn the wheel. But it helps if there is and object that's out of your view, to get a perspective with a set of eyeballs at the rear. I guess there are some back up cameras that can help but I have not found one yet that is that helpful.

While this is generally true, the guides at the Gettysburg PA KOA do just that and they are spot on.

[Jfkmk]

Originally Posted by dbledan

We always get to sites after dark. Since I back myself using the camera this has been my solution. Works great. I have a set of lights on the back and another in the front underneath on a remote trigger.

The other photo is what has happened when DW just backs out of the garage...still not sure why she turns the wheel at all.

I am not perfect. I hit the gutter with the trailer ladder once (small dents in gutter) and once I let the truck drive itself through the garage door...but that was before we met and she doesn't know that.Attachment 225356Attachment 225357

Nice job with the lights! It is something I'd like to add to my trailer.

Ouch on the RDX! My wife does the same thing. I hear her pulling out and the squeek of the tires as she turns the wheel back and forth. She pulled it straight in, why not go straight out? At least she hasnt hit anything yet.

[Chuck_S]

Battlefield KOA in Gettysburg is where the idiot kept trying to tell me which way to turn the steering wheel. Was several years ago. We spent several long weekends and a couple of weeks there every year while our daughter was at the College. Tight spots. Arranged months in advance for "our site." Haven't taken the trailer back in 3 years but use their cabins.

I mounted yellow fog lights on the rear bumper. White lights were so bright they looked like UFO landing lights.

Garage? We back into the garage. All the time. And into parking spaces when I don't need access to the hatch or trunk. Pulling straight out is dirt easy.

Several techniques work.

-- Chuck

[moose074]

I’ve decided it’s not an ability of learning to spot. My wife is one of the smartest people I know. I thought maybe it was the way I communicate what I want when she spots. So I found YouTube videos. No luck I thought maybe it’s just the overall length and she isn’t able to visualize or understand how truck and trailer work together. Often times I have started to correct the angle of the trailer only to have her telling me keep it on course then when close to object or turn tell me to turn direction I was already trying to get to.
Nope last night she helped spot the Dually into the carport. I have to bring in the mirror and backup camera doesn’t cover the width of the wheels. As I am backing in right before I have to bring mirror in. She is standing behind me “ wax on “ or maybe it was “ wax off”. I just stuck my head out window then back in every time I came to a post.

[NMWildcat]

Originally Posted by Chuck_S

Battlefield KOA in Gettysburg is where the idiot kept trying to tell me which way to turn the steering wheel. Was several years ago. We spent several long weekends and a couple of weeks there every year while our daughter was at the College. Tight spots. Arranged months in advance for "our site." Haven't taken the trailer back in 3 years but use their cabins.

I mounted yellow fog lights on the rear bumper. White lights were so bright they looked like UFO landing lights.

Garage? We back into the garage. All the time. And into parking spaces when I don't need access to the hatch or trunk. Pulling straight out is dirt easy.

Several techniques work.

-- Chuck

Calling your guide an idiot and 'almost coming to blows' for using a technique that you aren't familiar with, says more about you than him.......

[tyler811]

I use the camera and get out to look if I feel I am not track.

Sounds like some here need this shirt

[hikerjohn7]

Originally Posted by dbledan

We always get to sites after dark. Since I back myself using the camera this has been my solution. Works great. I have a set of lights on the back and another in the front underneath on a remote trigger.

The other photo is what has happened when DW just backs out of the garage...still not sure why she turns the wheel at all.

I am not perfect. I hit the gutter with the trailer ladder once (small dents in gutter) and once I let the truck drive itself through the garage door...but that was before we met and she doesn't know that.Attachment 225356Attachment 225357

Nice lights. Great idea.

[jd4010]

My bride does a good job being my eyes when backing in (although I do have a camera now). It took awhile because she would say go right instead of left, etc so we agreed to say go passenger go driver and it got a lot better.

I'll tell you....we got in bigger "piles" with our ski boat than we do the RV. I would bring the boat trailer to the ramp while she'd drive the boat around while she waited for me. Then I'd have her drive the boat on the ramp. OMG....let the pile begin! Sometimes she'd come flying onto the trailer and smack the front. Other times, the sides of the trailer would become pin ball bumpers.

We don't have the boat anymore.

[Cowracer]

My wife knows to leave me alone when backing.

I can put my camper anywhere in reverse that I can fit it going forward. I need no help or spotter.

As with all things... practice, practice, practice. I heartily recommend finding a big, empty parking lot and spend a couple quality hours practicing backing your rig. Try to get it going straight. See how it responds to steering inputs. Drag a couple cones or soft trash cans with you and make a 'spot'. Try to back into it from various angles and offsets.

Backing a trailer up is not a big deal once you know how yours backs up. Too many people freak themselves out in their heads about how hard it is before they even get a chance to try to get decently good at it.

Tim

[JWood422]

Originally Posted by Cowracer

My wife knows to leave me alone when backing.

I can put my camper anywhere in reverse that I can fit it going forward. I need no help or spotter.

As with all things... practice, practice, practice. I heartily recommend finding a big, empty parking lot and spend a couple quality hours practicing backing your rig. Try to get it going straight. See how it responds to steering inputs. Drag a couple cones or soft trash cans with you and make a 'spot'. Try to back into it from various angles and offsets.

Backing a trailer up is not a big deal once you know how yours backs up. Too many people freak themselves out in their heads about how hard it is before they even get a chance to try to get decently good at it.

Tim

Absolutely true. The biggest issue is one’s own doubts. I’ve found that longer, heavier trailers are much easier to back than short light ones.

[hikerjohn7]

Originally Posted by Cowracer

My wife knows to leave me alone when backing.

I can put my camper anywhere in reverse that I can fit it going forward. I need no help or spotter.

As with all things... practice, practice, practice. I heartily recommend finding a big, empty parking lot and spend a couple quality hours practicing backing your rig. Try to get it going straight. See how it responds to steering inputs. Drag a couple cones or soft trash cans with you and make a 'spot'. Try to back into it from various angles and offsets.

Backing a trailer up is not a big deal once you know how yours backs up. Too many people freak themselves out in their heads about how hard it is before they even get a chance to try to get decently good at it.

Tim

I have a class A and I can back up without a spotter but only if I back a few feet at a time and get out each time and run around the camper to make sure I am not about to hit something out of my view in back or overhead. The backup camera helps but it's bug-eye view distorts things. I've trained my wife to spot for me and we keep our phones on speaker so she can yell to me. It works pretty well. Still, I almost hit a high tree limb the other day that neither or I realized was close to the roof AC unit.