May I have a round of applause, please?

[m.hony]

I coached a lady in a big 5th wheel and Ford 350 dually into a small campsite. At the end, all 4 stabilizers were on the pad, and there was a little more pavement on the side of the trailer with the entry door. This was on one attempt. It don't git no better 'n 'at.
Pull forward.
Cut left.
Cut right.
Cut right hard.
Straighten out, now.
Straight back.
You're in.
Put in park.

[Paddledipper]

Tight work!!

[J. Morgan]

As far as spotters go, I want them to do TWO things for me and ONLY TWO THINGS, they are to stay where I can see them, and yell.real loud if I am about to hit something.

Other than that I would rather get out and look for myself where I am, and where I am going.

It becomes too confusing otherwise.

(I.e. "I didn't mean for you to turn the wheel to the left, but to move the trailer to the left", etc. )



1/2 Ton 4WD Truck, 72 Sovereign Hensley Arrow

[Belbein]

Originally Posted by 63air

Congratulations also ! But you probably could have shortened the learning curve if you left the wife out of it . After 34 years I'm still trying to teach mine that the shiny things on car doors are mirrors and that when you use them you don't hit things like gas islands.

Did you just go there? You didn't just go there. I know you didn't.

Oh. Maybe your wife doesn't read this site?

[Belbein]

Originally Posted by ragin-cajun

I know of an old Airstream couple who took a novel approach to backing their huge motorhome: she was in the driver's seat watching her husband who was giving the instructions. She patiently applied his instructions and parked exactly where/how he told her.


Sent from my iPhone using Airstream Forums

Not buying it. There's just too much about this story I don't believe. (1) that they were an old couple, given the intra-spousal "instructions" it describes; (2) that the husband let her drive; (3) that she was watching her husband; (4) that he was giving instructions; and most of all: "that she applied his instructions and parked exactly where/how he told her." Nuh-uh. NFW.

Was her name "Nessie"? His, "Sasquatch"?

[Belbein]

Originally Posted by J. Morgan

It becomes too confusing otherwise.

"Not that left, the OTHER left. No, I mean, the OTHER OTHER left."

[Belbein]

Originally Posted by ghatfield

While the guy in the video below does have the advantage of a fairly wide residential street, he also has the challenge of a very narrow driveway with an adjacent palm tree. The 7-minute video was a good reminder about small, slow adjustments... very impressive maneuvering:

That street? Pffft. Anybody could do that. It's not the STRAIGHT backing that's hard. It's the backing/turning. My residential street is about 1/3 the width. And therein lies the problem. About the time my trailer's tires hit the junction of driveway and street, my rig is at about a 100 degree angle, so close to a jackknife that I'm ready to whittle.

[Belbein]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

I was quite upset at being cursed at

This has nothing to do with backing, but it does have to do with being cursed at. I was pulling into Costco one day, sans trailer. As I pulled by the entrance, I saw a friend of ours walking out. She has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. I tooted at her, she came over to say hi, and then she proceeded to unload for about 1/2 hour, leaning in my window, about how bad her day was, with chemo and traffic and nausea and so forth. She really needed to vent, so, even though I was blocking a lane of traffic, I couldn't really move. I kept waiting for her to pause, so I could suggest we move. But she didn't even take a breath--on and on. So while she's in the middle of it, this woman in a BMW (no comment) behind me finally pulled around, rolled down her window, and yelled, "You're right in the middle of traffic. You a--hole." And she drove off. Which is to say, she found a parking space right in my eyesight, parked her car, and went into the store. The thing is, she was was right: I was being an a----le, sludging up traffic. But ... come on, what was more important, her getting her BMW parked or my friend having a little relief from her miserable day and possibly fatal disease. (I am happy to report that her car did not get keyed, her tires were not slashed, and I did not leave her a nasty note. Not because I am mature, but because my wife was with me, and she does not approve of self-help.)

[Sbb]

I do all the hitching and back up with my husband giving instructions. I travels much more alone that with him and although he would like to back up, he just has not gotten the knack yet. I am thankful when someone else is with me to look up down and around.

[Belbein]

Originally Posted by Ag&Au

If your wife is also a man

Ken: I am reliably informed by certain members of my family that a married gay man's mate is referred to as his husband; a married gay woman's mate is referred to as her wife. Biological gender--not, let us say, geospatial preference or anyone's alpha or beta role in the relationship--determines whether the mate is "husband" or "wife."

That said, what to call the partners of all of the other letters in the LGBTQA panoply, I am not qualified to even guess. I guess "Honey" works, if you're in the south (and don't mind getting slugged).

[Jim & Susan]

Hey Bel, you don't live in Virginia Highlands or one of those tiny houses off of East Ponce, do you?

Jim

PS: this thread is a scream. Thanks for the entertainment, everybody.

[Bev1940]

Having backed hundreds of trailers into loading docks over most of Canada & U.S I know its an acquired art that takes practice ,,,,,,lots of practice! Just glad to hear you kept at it.
Never be afraid of getting a longer trailer the longer ones are actually much easier to back because you can see the wheels and the trailer wheels is the point you need to focus on to make a good back.

[ghatfield]

Originally Posted by Belbein

Not buying it. There's just too much about this story I don't believe. (1) that they were an old couple, given the intra-spousal "instructions" it describes; (2) that the husband let her drive; (3) that she was watching her husband; (4) that he was giving instructions; and most of all: "that she applied his instructions and parked exactly where/how he told her." Nuh-uh. NFW.

Was her name "Nessie"? His, "Sasquatch"?

Actually, it could have been me (Pat) and George! But, change "Airstream" to Foretravel - a 36-ft motorhome we owned for 5 years in between Airstream #1 (25') and Airstream #2 (current... 19').

And (1) yep, old... 60s and 70s); (2) yep... I drove 20% of the ~45k miles we put on the motorhome; (3) of course, he let me drive... when was he going to take a nap?! (4) and that's EXACTLY what I did... he stood at the back, as the spotter, and pointed which direction I was to move the back end of the motorhome, in small maneuvers. I backed/parked it EXACTLY where he wanted... and never put a mark on it!

George always said, when we got to a campground, it was like having a remote control motorhome!

[63air]

Yes , my wife saw my post and SHE agrees . Her point being that spouses often have different interests and skills. This is a very smart and skilled woman , a chemist by day who runs a lab and also championship baker with the ribbons to prove it( my pie would never bring $900 in an auction). It's not that she couldn't learn use mirrors to back a trailer it's that she has no interest in learning to do it as long as I'm around. Glad to see others got the point.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by Foiled Again

My new Ecoboost is the first truck that I owned that has a backup camera. I've been dithering but every time I move the trailer I wonder why I haven't sprung for a wireless camera on the back of the trailer - both for backing and for seeing if someone is lurking 4 feet off my bumper.


Hmmm. Think it's time to shop for that camera. I don't have your driveway but a camera is cheaper than replacing a rear segment, trust me, I know that for sure

Paula

Hi, Paula; My new F-150 also has a back up camera, But it hasn't been assigned to towing duties yet. Georgette, my GPS, is going to stay in my Lincoln so I plan to buy a new GPS for my truck. I found that Garmin, the same company that made Georgette, has a new RV GPS that comes with a back up camera good for about 45'. I hope to get one of these before our next big trip.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by Belbein

The thing is, she was was right: I was being an a----le, sludging up traffic. But ... come on, what was more important, her getting her BMW parked or my friend having a little relief from her miserable day and possibly fatal disease. (I am happy to report that her car did not get keyed, her tires were not slashed, and I did not leave her a nasty note. Not because I am mature, but because my wife was with me, and she does not approve of self-help.)

Hi, I think my wife saved several people from my temper too. [if I was only alone at this time] Then again, I might have been on the losing side of the battle.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Originally Posted by Belbein

About eight months ago, I started asking you very kind (well, ok, and sometimes critical) folks how to back my 22 Sport into my very narrow driveway, downhill, off a very narrow residential street, when I couldn't see the end of my trailer or the wheels. After taking all of your advice, and after much cursing, yelling at my long-suffering spouse, backing and filling, running up on the opposite curb, destroying two mail box posts, seriously injuring one telephone pole, and putting some very nice scratches in my shiny aluminum ...

... today I backed that sucker in, first time, shloooop! like a banana slipping into its peel. (Another metaphor occurred to me, but I caught myself in time.)

And it only took 8 months!

Now that I know that it possible, I wonder if I should be looking at trading it in for a 25?

Hi, great job; I have always had a narrow street and a narrow driveway to get into. A 25'er would be nice, but your trailer is only about one year old. We have an agreement as to how long we plan to keep things. Cars and trucks: ten years or 100,000 miles. trailer, forever.

[dbj216]

My wife spots for me. We have a simple method. Always stand where you can see my eyes in the mirror, either left or right mirror. Point with one finger which way you want the rear bumper to move, left, right or straight back. Lastly, give me the classic whoa sign when you want me to stop. No verbal commands necessary. If I can't see her in my mirrors, I stop.

We always walk the area where we want the trailer together, noticing trees, picnic tables, fire rings, utility posts, etc. We discuss where we want the entrance door (not over that mud puddle), and then gage where the rear bumper needs to be.

Sometimes on narrow campground roads I have very little clearance to start my jack knife and swing the pick up around the arc. I've had to ask fellow campers to move their tow vehicle to gain the room I needed. And I would do the same for them.

I marvel how skilled truck drivers are backing into tight unloading docks. I'm getting better with the Airstream, but don't do it enough to get really good at it.

David

[Piggy Bank]

David,

Good point about siting the space and figuring out where you want the door. I was reviewing you tube videos for some national park campgrounds. You can see that some folks just pull through and park, and some really figure out where they want their trailer to be sited.

Orientation of sunrise/sunset, NOT looking at the dumpster, mud puddles, avoiding having car headlights shine into your windows. These are all things that can be considered to some degree.