The backup
 

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

I don't even want her around when I'm backing up.

Ouch! She probably feels the same way;)

Lol

I wish my wife was still around even when I'm backing up:crying:


She did a great job. Just stood there watching and would scream at me just before something went "crunch".

I now have a backup camera and put two traffic cones where I want the back of the trailer's corner's to end up. Backup cameras are cheap compared to damage and the cost of "anti-aggravation pills".;)

Sorry for your loss TitanMike.
I'm lucky enough to still have my backing partner. We had one blow up early in our RVing start. It was late at night and very dark and a 90° backin. We ended up yelling at each other, then stopped and started laughing after we agreed we were behaving like idiots and agreed to never let that happen again.
Now she has developed great signals and helps to back in everyone in our group while the other wives hide. She is actually a better RV driver than I am, but she refuses to drive while backing for some reason.

Love my wife but she cannot help me backup. There is always something when we have tried and I don't trust myself not to say something dumb about whatever issue may come up.

It is mostly me getting out and looking and using cameras and she is happy to just sit there. If blind I may have my son watch something specific and tell me to stop. He is only responsible for the one thing I tell him to watch so the rest is on me. It's not them its me. I need no one to blame but myself, it seems to be the only way I can keep my mouth out of trouble.

He cannot leave me and take half [emoji6] so he gets to deal with me backing up.

Agree, it's always the frustration and pressure that gets us in trouble, trying to back up people watching, other trucks waiting to get past. I had my 13 yr daughter watching me back up to the house after a trip once because the wife had to take the 1yr old in the house. I bumped the garage with the camper then my daughter says far enough dad. Lol. I was a little pissed at first. But her face told me all I needed to know, she was upset about it and knew it was a oops. Lol. That's when I realized it's all on me even if I have to get out and check distance 3 times. I really should just get the camera.

I don't know how much the cameras actually help. Several of our friends with cameras in the back still manage to hit stuff, especially when at home or storage;). My wife told them to just call her for help, she only charges a beer. Much cheaper than repairs.....

Yeah, and that's why I haven't bought it yet, because I have heard the same thing said.

I was taught to get out and look. I like making a mental picture of what is there. I then visualize a line to follow in to the site. Easy on me and the DW.

I was about 7 years old when my dad taught me to drive the pick-up truck (manual) in the woods. Including backing up the trailer to load up the firewood we cut to heat our home. He taught me to put my hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and move my hand toward the direction I wanted to go. Checking the mirrors as he directed me to where he wanted the trailer, and of course, immediately stopping if he wasn't anywhere in my sight. Its the same way I taught my city boy husband to back a camper or horse trailer. Now he's better at it than I am!

So, unless a site is really wonky, the only reason one of us gets out of the truck to back into a site, is to grab and set out the leveler blocks if they're needed, so the driver doesn't have to leave the seat until we're spot on. Its one smooth operation without all the starting, stopping, and door slamming. Especially if you arrive late and don't want to disturb others.

For newbie couples, it might be best for BOTH of them to go practice parking somewhere until they get the hang of it. Perhaps an open parking lot with marked spaces. Way better than waiting to arrive at the campsite to 'learn', and ruin an otherwise good time by arguing as soon as you get there. That usually sets a bad tone for the rest of the trip.

And I do stress BOTH should know how to tow, back, and hitch/unhitch the trailer. This doesn't have to be a men only task. Aside from the benefit of being able to switch drivers on a long trip so the other can rest and relax, emergencies can and do arise. And not having the ability to do these things by oneself can really add stress to an already stressful situation.

One night......one very late at night, the couple beside us pulled in.
They were quite vocal about backing/parking. :eek:

Next day they sported the same shirts.....

“Excuse our language while parking last night”

Didn’t know if to laugh at their T-shirts, or cry because they knew it would happen enough times to need the shirts.

Lol, that's too funny

We have found the easiest thing is to just have a common language. As long as I dont have to try to decipher her terms in the half second I have available, we are good. We both agreed on the terms, and we dont use left/right. That is absolutely useless. She just says "driver side" or "passenger side". And if I need to adjust my line, she will tell me which direction the rear of the trailer must go. As long as we both know that, there is no confusion. So if I need to move in one direction, like the drivers side, she will just tell me "move more to the driver side". Something like that. Then I know, "move the rear of the trailer toward the driver side". Our language doesnt have to be anyone else's language, but the best advice I could give would be to both use the same language. And avoid ambiguity.

My wife isn't good at backing up or understanding the process but she is excellent at watching for obstacles and any other such anomalies.

She never tries to tell me 'how' to do it but she does a great job of making sure where I'm going/not going, once I have explained to her where I want to be in the end.

Works great for us.

Ambiguity.

What exactly are you trying to say?

Me too, but it's not to avoid an argument. It's just easier to park in a pull through spot.

We do the same thing off roading. Driver, Passenger, More Driver, More Passenger. And so on to help get someone through the trail.

Our back in process works best with my wife behing the wheel. I'm better at visualizing what needs to happen and she WILL follow my directions. Oh, and as far as directions for us it's debit/credit. She's an accountant.