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11-05-2006, 04:48 PM
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#21
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Liquid Cooled
2017 27' Flying Cloud
Currently Looking...
Currently Looking...
Currently Looking...
near Indy
, Indiana
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 745
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I second the toy car idea. I also second the empty parking lot idea. I also note that it does get easier with practice.
It should be noted that long trailers with long wheelbase tow vehicles are much easier to back up than, say, a little wagon behind a lawn mower. That gives me fits :-)
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11-05-2006, 04:59 PM
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#22
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Rivet Master
1978 31' Excella 500
Venice
, California
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,067
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Yes, Venice is pretty flat. It's the residents that have all the contours! We also use cheap voice activated walkie talkies and a front hitch when we're feeling puny.
__________________
"Not all who are laundering are washed" say Bill & Heidi
'78 Excella 500,"The Silver Pullit". vacuum over hydraulic disc brakes, center bath, rear twin. '67 Travelall 1200 B 4X4 WBCCI 3737
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11-05-2006, 05:39 PM
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#23
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3 Rivet Member
Detroit
, Michigan
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 163
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If you have a ground guide, a two way walkie talkie (or Nextel) can be helpful. If it's dark, remeber there usually is a tree involved.
__________________
86' 31' Sovereign
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11-05-2006, 05:59 PM
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#24
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2 Rivet Member
1971 31' Sovereign
Joseph
, Oregon
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 23
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First off do not take your husband or someones elses husband! Take another woman friend that knows how to back up and have her help coach you. I have been backing up all sorts of trailers for a long time and have found that putting your hand at the bottom of the wheel and turning the wheel the way you want it to go works great for me. Also a large space where there is no presure that you might hit something will pay off. Practice, Practice, and more Practice
Nicole
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11-05-2006, 06:00 PM
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#25
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Rivet Master
Currently Looking...
West of Fort Worth
, Texas
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 6,699
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Walkie talkie's are a great idea that I've seen before. Some couples should definately use them - nothing worse than sitting in camp watching the new-comers scream instructions, or just scream at each other.
As mentioned above, My wife and I have a system worked out: I look over the spot I need to put the trailer, then proceed. She signals me to stop if I'm coming too close to something. At that point, I get out and re-evaluate. It works for us, we've been married for 26 years.
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11-05-2006, 06:58 PM
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#26
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Rivet Master
2006 25' Safari FB SE
St. Cloud
, Minnesota
Join Date: Aug 2003
Posts: 13,280
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Fyrzowt
My wife and I have a system worked out: I look over the spot I need to put the trailer, then proceed. She signals me to stop if I'm coming too close to something. At that point, I get out and re-evaluate.
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I get out all the time -- moving the trailer in trusted increments before I get out again. It is difficult to salvage if you're in a tight spot and coming into it wrong. I pull back out and aim to perform according to the original plan. Check and double check.
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11-05-2006, 07:00 PM
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#27
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Rivet Master
Currently Looking...
West of Fort Worth
, Texas
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 6,699
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Quote:
Take another woman friend that knows how to back up and have her help coach you.
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Having been married for 26 years, I can say that you men need to be very careful here...
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11-05-2006, 07:02 PM
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#28
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4 Rivet Member
2004 16' International CCD
1997 25' Safari
hamilton
, Montana
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 387
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Hi from a single woman,, alone,,, no partners,, no helpers,,, basic thing is to keep the wheels of the tow vehicle straight,,, or in the direction you are wanting to turn,,, lots easier,,, and get out and look,,, mark a stopping point with something fairly easily seen,,, you can do it,,, donna
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11-05-2006, 07:21 PM
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#29
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Liquid Cooled
2017 27' Flying Cloud
Currently Looking...
Currently Looking...
Currently Looking...
near Indy
, Indiana
Join Date: Mar 2006
Posts: 745
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Lots of good advice.
One thing I haven't seen, although I may have scanned past it is this...
We get somewhere, I get out, take a look, and try to envision how the trailer will fit into said spot. Once I have a vision of where I want it to be, I try to imagine how it got there. Sometimes I just look for a minute or two before I "get it."
Then, while backing the truck up, I compare the picture I want to see to the picture I am seeing, and adjust accordingly.
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11-06-2006, 10:59 AM
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#30
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3 Rivet Member
1966 17' Caravel
Seattle
, Washington
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 109
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Thanks for the tips
These are great tips. I'll try backing up in a LARGE lot.
K
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11-06-2006, 12:49 PM
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#31
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Rivet Master
Currently Looking...
1982 24' Airstream 240
Ventura
, California
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 1,645
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Quote:
Originally Posted by urbanfood
i'm going to call about one of these things tomorrow. http://www.powercaster.com/products.html
they're expensive as hell, but my driveway is barely wider than my airstream and it needs to go back a good 50' in between the house and the fence. i did it once the other night with my TV and i don't want to have to go thru that again. this way i can unhook in the street and hopefully use something like the powercaster, turn it and steer it straight back.
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Hello, fellow Venice resident. Please let us know how this works if you get one. You are lucky that you at least have a driveway that you can park your trailer on....pj
__________________
Paula & Ed
WBCCI # 8252 Air#13593
1982 24'Motorhome (82Ste P)
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11-06-2006, 01:57 PM
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#32
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Moderator
2004 30' Classic Slideout
Fenton
, Missouri
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 10,410
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My best tip
My best tip is to make sure you pull far enough forward of the spot you are backing into. Most of the failures I have seen is the fact that the rear end of the trailer is usually right at the edge of the site when the back in starts. Dependent upon the width of the site, this forces the driver to create an extreme angle to get the trailer into the site. Once you get into these extreme angles, it becomes more difficult and you end up doing countless small pull forward then backward maneuvers as you attempt to remove that severe angle that you initially create.
Pull well forward of the site you are backing into and go in at a slight angle. You will find that it goes much easier and your corrections will be much smaller. It may look funny that you are pulled up so much further from your site but the backup is so much easier.
Jack
__________________
Jack Canavera
STL Mo.
AIR #56 S/OS#15
'04 Classic 30' S.O.,'03 GMC Savana 2500
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11-06-2006, 04:01 PM
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#33
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Rivet Master
2006 25' Safari FB SE
Huntington Beach
, California
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 2,293
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good thread
Wow, I have really learned quite a bit from this thread on backing. I guess my old method of slamming the truck into reverse and backing until I hear someone scream or something breaking is just plain outdated. I am looking forward to trying all of these techniques.
John
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11-10-2006, 11:43 AM
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#34
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Rivet Master
1991 34' Excella
1963 26' Overlander
1961 26' Overlander
Central
, Mississippi
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 5,919
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Backing
To me, backing expertise comes in steps with the final one when you are actually driving the trailer. I have a short, sharp turn into my drive, then a 90 degree kink to the parking area. I have done this at night towing a 15' enclosed trailer. Oh yea, the tow vehicle was a 34' RV. The trick is to get to a point where you are only concerned with the direction of the trailer. Watch the side of the trailer and imagine the arc or direction it's headed and push it (with the tow vehicle) in the direction you want. It's very easy with the suggested front mounted hitch. As far as the tow vehicle, only worry about if it's about to hit something! I mess up when I stop and think...
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11-12-2006, 06:24 PM
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#35
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2 Rivet Member
1990 29' Excella
Kernersville
, North Carolina
Join Date: Nov 2006
Posts: 22
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My advice?
While I am a newbie here, and with the Airstream, I, in one of my past lives, drove over the road and have close to two million miles pulling trailers.
Two things you should always do.
Stop and look it over.
Then, once started, if there is any doubt about what you are doing?
Stop and look it over.
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