Backing Up my Flagstaff

[johnkingsolan]

Hi!
Just bought a 2022 Flagstaff Mac. Never towed anything before. I know the short campers are hard to backup because I CAN'T DO IT and they are so short! Using a Ram 1500 Classic. I have a narrow driveway that has utility poles to one side. Any words of wisdom? Thanks - John

[Russellvh]

Originally Posted by johnkingsolan

Hi!
Just bought a 2022 Flagstaff Mac. Never towed anything before. I know the short campers are hard to backup because I CAN'T DO IT and they are so short! Using a Ram 1500 Classic. I have a narrow driveway that has utility poles to one side. Any words of wisdom? Thanks - John

Put your hand at the bottom of your steering wheel. Very slow and small moves. Move your hands in the direction you want the back of the trailer to go.

[bikendan]

Take it slow and don't turn the steering wheel much.

[D W]

Originally Posted by johnkingsolan

Hi!
Just bought a 2022 Flagstaff Mac. Never towed anything before. I know the short campers are hard to backup because I CAN'T DO IT and they are so short! Using a Ram 1500 Classic. I have a narrow driveway that has utility poles to one side. Any words of wisdom? Thanks - John

Find a vacant parking lot and PRACTICE.

[18LT]

Go practice in a church parking lot. On any day but Sunday.
Start by learning how to back up slowly in a straight line, trying to keep your steering wheel movements as small as possible. You'll learn which direction to move the wheel to counteract the trailers tendency to swing.

[Bob K4TAX]

Originally Posted by 18LT

Go practice in a church parking lot. On any day but Sunday.
Start by learning how to back up slowly in a straight line, trying to keep your steering wheel movements as small as possible. You'll learn which direction to move the wheel to counteract the trailers tendency to swing.

AMEN to that.

Bob

[johnkingsolan]

Thank you! Have been doing that. I will keep at it.

[llr]

Not sure what size that trailer is and you probably don't want to change trucks.

I really like the Ford pro trailer backup assist for small trailers, I didn't really care for it with my 35' TT. My wife has a real hard time backing a trailer and she could park our 4x8 utility trailer in a regular parking spot the 1st try, after about 5 minutes getting used to PTBA.

[dalford]

Originally Posted by johnkingsolan

Thank you! Have been doing that. I will keep at it.

Or you can do like my friend used to say when I was into boating… “Back up until it sounds expensive.” lol

No really, you will get the hang of it. Another thing to remember is once you get the trailer to break to one side, straighten the wheel. If you need more break turn the wheel back again. The trailer will continue to break to that side until you give it input to go the other way. If you keep your wheel turned after it breaks it will continue to break more.

[Campworthy]

Watch YouTube videos, so you get a full idea of how the pop-up reacts as you make adjustments at the wheel.

It took me a long time to get the hang of backing up, so you are not alone. I have a 200 foot slim driveway and we have to back in from a fairly busy street, so each time is pretty stressful and sometimes hit & miss.

The info that helped me and my tip to you would be:-

Place one hand at 6 o'clock on the steering wheel

Use side mirrors

Watch the back corner of your pop-up

If you want the back to turn left, (your left as you face forward) move your hand/wheel to the left, but don't go past 9 o'clock

If you want the back to go right, move your hand/wheel to the right, but don't go past 3 o'clock

If you see in your side mirror your pop-up is starting to go to far to the right, move your wheel to 6 o'clock, then 9 o'clock

Only make 1/4 turns of the steering wheel, then see what happens at the back, then adjust

A quarter turn of your steering wheel (6 o'clock to 9 o'clock) makes a huge turn to the back corner of a pop-up

SLOW as you can

Of course if you know all this anyway, it could be that you have a long wheel base truck and a short camper, and they just don't do well together!

[Justauser]

Like Russellvh said, place your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel. Turning it towards the left from the bottom turns the trailer to the left. Right to right. Do not put your hands at the top of the steering wheel because then the trailer goes in the opposite direction.

Turn the wheel a little bit, back up a bit. Then straighten the wheel. Then back up a bit. Then turn the steering wheel again in the same direction. Back up a bit. Keep doing that.

And it's all just practice really.

[dangerranger]

With the trailer folded down can you see both sides and the top? If not try putting a couple kids bicycle flags on each end of the rear bumper. this lets you see where the rear end is starting to move and lets you make small corrections.

When you practice find a big open empty parking lot like a church during the week.
bring something to define the parking space like cones, pool noodles or even an old garden hose. Make your first attempts into a space about twice as wide as the trailer and at a 45 deg slant.

when I first teach new drivers to back a trailer, I start with them backing in an arc. it lets them get the hang of slight adjustments to keep the trailer on the same arc.
once you get that down, backing straight gets easier.
When you get both of those, then try a long 90 deg turn into a space.
Good Luck DR

[Semperfi24]

If you have someone who can get out and help you, that is a tremendous advantage. But just make sure you have a common language. So that you as the driver dont have to think about what you are being told, it will just be a reaction.

For my wife and I, we have developed what works for us, which makes it very difficult when well meaning people try to help, they dont speak the language and that adds difficulty. For us, we dont use "left" or "right". Who's left? My left? Your left? My left looking in the mirror, or my left when I have my head out the window and looking toward the rear? You get the idea. We use "Passenger" and "Driver". I do not have to think at all, I know which way that is. The other thing we discovered works for us, is to determine what "driver" or "passenger" means. What I am getting to is I want her to only tell me about the rear of the trailer. If she wants the rear to move toward the driver side she said driver. I immediately know what to do. If she talks about the rear of the trailer one second, then the front of the trailer the next, I cant keep track of which direction to go.

As others have mentioned, put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel. That is how I started out, and mostly still do it that way. So when my wife says "driver" I just move my hand (at the bottom of the wheel) toward the driver side and the trailer goes right where she is expecting it/wanting it.

Be patient with it. It can be incredibly frustrating. Stay calm about it. If you have to get out and walk to the back and have a discussion about where you are trying to go, thats fine too, make sure you are both on the same page. Its also a good idea to have a really good flashlight if you are backing up in the dark. I find it very useful if she has a flashlight (she can shine the light on my trailer wheels and I can see where it is). And dont forget to look up. You dont want to back into a tree branch or something because you were too focused on the ground. First thing I do at a campsite before trying to get the trailer parked is to look up above the campsite for hazards.

For practicing, as others said, use a parking lot. The lines painted for parking spaces can help give you references. And if you can get cones, set up some cones as well. You can create a replica of your at home parking situation, roadway, driveway, any trees or utility poles by placing objects on the ground (like cones). Get a tape measure and measure your driveway, measure the distances for the poles, and recreate it in the parking lot.

[Palinduff]

Yes those short trailers turn fast. You’ve got to go slow and practice a little. I can thread a needle with my 5th wheel but I have a terrible time with my utility trailer.

[Mike134]

All good advice above. One thing I'll add if it gets too crooked stop!!! Pull forward to straighten it then start back again. Seen way too many at the boat ramp try to correct as they continue to backup, a fool's errand.

[MtBiker]

As mentioned above. Back in an arc, back to the left, back to the right.
You can see the movement of the trailer and where it is going. Then practice.
Big open parking lots are your friend.

[outposttoyhauler]

Great advice above. One thing to check. Verify the wiring of your electric brakes is sound. I have a 21ft toy hauler. On one trip, the wires to the passenger side of the toy hauler electric brakes came apart. Only the drivers side of the toy hauler had braking. So when backing up, and using the brake, it worked like a TURNING brake!

[Dakota 1120]

Originally Posted by johnkingsolan

Thank you! Have been doing that. I will keep at it.

Yup - they KEY is practice, practice and more practice and soon it becomes second nature.

[Dakota 1120]

Originally Posted by outposttoyhauler

Great advice above. One thing to check. Verify the wiring of your electric brakes is sound. I have a 21ft toy hauler. On one trip, the wires to the passenger side of the toy hauler electric brakes came apart. Only the drivers side of the toy hauler had braking. So when backing up, and using the brake, it worked like a TURNING brake!

YOU were fortunate. Some over 2 decades ago I transported manufactured homes - mobile homes. Once, when moving a 16' wide by 80' long, wood sided home to near the Missouri River, I came over a small rise and into a deep draw maybe 1/3rd of a mile down to a narrow bridge at the bottom and when I went to apply the trailer brakes - there were NONE! I only had time to make one downshift and applied the truck brakes on short applications so not to glaze or burn them out. By the time I reached the bridge, I was rolling near 75 mph and the bridge was only 18' wide. It was white knuckle time and so happy to make it thru the bridge with out meeting any oncoming traffic on the narrow two lane paved road with no shoulders.

[outposttoyhauler]

Originally Posted by Dakota 1120

YOU were fortunate. Some over 2 decades ago I transported manufactured homes - mobile homes. Once, when moving a 16' wide by 80' long, wood sided home to near the Missouri River, I came over a small rise and into a deep draw maybe 1/3rd of a mile down to a narrow bridge at the bottom and when I went to apply the trailer brakes - there were NONE! I only had time to make one downshift and applied the truck brakes on short applications so not to glaze or burn them out. By the time I reached the bridge, I was rolling near 75 mph and the bridge was only 18' wide. It was white knuckle time and so happy to make it thru the bridge with out meeting any oncoming traffic on the narrow two lane paved road with no shoulders.

The man upstairs was on your side. My tow vehicle for the 21ft Toy Hauler is a '14 Ram 1500. The brake rotors on that truck are nearly 14" in diameter. So going forward, there was little difference in braking on that trip compared to when all 4 TH brakes are functioning.