Backing-into-the-driveway strategy

[Belbein]

OK, colleagues--tomorrow I pick up my new 22 Sport at the dealer and will drive it home. Among the many things I am obsessing about (sway, fishtailing, crosswinds, blown tires ...) here's the terminal one: getting it into my driveway!

I live on a narrow residential street. (I also live near the end of a cul-de-sac, so if I don't get it in, I'm going to end up backing down the street and down a hill to get it turned around.) But please help me visualize this--how do you approach backing into a driveway/parking space from a narrow street?

My old approach, with my 1/2-the-size-of-the-AS popup, was to pull pretty much to the opposite side of the street, along the curb, with the back of the trailer about even with the edge of my driveway, and back in from there. That felt like it gave me the greatest angle into the driveway. BUT, it didn't leave a lot of room for the TV's front wheels: a lot of times as my truck was coming around, I hit the curb or actually went up on the curb with the front wheels. I'm wondering if my backing geometry is wrong.

Second question ... when you're backing, what are you watching in terms of pivot point? I mean, do you say (for example) when my trailer wheels are even with the corner of the driveway, that's the time to go into maximum turn? Or is you angle more gradual as you back in?

I know all this is kind of difficult to put in words, but any help would be much appreciated.

[Ultradog]

There really isn't an easy way to teach another person how to back up a trailer.
My advice is to go find an empty parking lot somewhere before you pick up your trailer. Then haul it there and do some practicing before you bring it home.
Bring some kind of markers, cones, plastic trash cans - something you can run over and not hurt tires or aluminum - and set them up as your guide posts.
Then practice, practice, practice.
Start with just backing it straight back and get a feel for it. Then try something harder like back it around a "corner".
You will get it.
I always figure I'm as smart as the next guy is and if he can learn to back a trailer, so can I.
Good luck

[mimiandrews]

Your procedure for the old trailer sounds about right, although you should allow a little room for the front wheels of the truck when you pull towards the other side of the road.

Surely the dealer has a parking lot. Get them to allow you some space for practice, and maybe to provide a patient and experienced coach.

After all, you'll be giving that dealer a lot of money, so they should provide the training you need to be comfortable.

Then, there's the old standard advice--get a few traffic cones (purchase, not steal) and find a big lot at a store, church, etc. where the owners will let you practice.

Our Airstream is the sweetest-towing trailer I've ever pulled. Quit worrying and enjoy!

[xrvr]

I sure wish I could help you. Seems most people just learn to do it with practice. Fir me, each time seems like the first, but I always manage to get it backed in.. You can do it! Get a good hitch and check the tire pressures and TAKE your time!!! Jim

[nilesrob]

Bring it home at night, so your neighbors can't see you.

If the width of road at the end of your cul-de-sac is narrow like ours, and the road is not too long, it sounds like you might be best served by backing up the road and then turn into your driveway, hugging the nearest corner of your driveway.

If that is the case, the first skill is simply to gain a level of comfort in just backing up in a straight line, which you can practice in any open parking lot.

And if all that fails, make sure you have a 6 pack of beer or some other gift for the neighbor whose lawn you traverse.

Offered in jest...

[m.hony]

At what position in the cul-de-sac is your driveway? 9 o'clock? 1 o'clock?
Is the cul-de-sac big enough to do a u-turn?
If it is on the left of the cul-de-sac, either do a u-turn or pull up on the wrong side of the street along the curb in front of the driveway then angle the tow vehicle out across to the other side until the trailer tires are just past the driveway and the entire rig is at an angle.
This should allow room for the front tires to turn without hitting the curb.
If your driveway isn't as I picture it in my mind, disregard all of this...

[az-streamer]

a. take it slow
b. always leave room in case you need to adjust your position
c. good side mirrors will help
d. sometimes you'll be in the zone and will have no problem. sometimes it
will feel like putting toothpaste back in the tube
e. it REALLY helps to have a 'wingman' - spouse, friend, etc. - guide you.
agree IN ADVANCE what the signals are.
f. know that your neighbors will be watching every time. it's the same
way when you go camping. get used to it.
g. see step [a]

hang in there - it will get better [hopefully]

[Bk Yd Safari]

my driveway is on the cul de sac and i seem to have more trouble at home than on the road with backing...maybe it is because the driveway is a bit narrow and is curved. with that said i had never towed anything other than a 16' utility trailer a couple of times before purchasing the AS. the trip home with the AS was about an 8 hr drive and the trailer pulled just fine. i surprised myself with backing-in that first time...but i do have to say getting it in the drive depends on how tired i feel when i get home.
go slow and if you have trouble, get out of the tv, walk around and relax and then try again..i find i can see better when backing to the left, but somtimes depending on the site it may be better to back to the right.

ps
where did you purchase your AS?

[Bill M.]

The longer Airstream will be much easier to back than the pop up. I would try some moves in a parking lot before I went home with it. One thing you need to check before you get to the driveway is if the trailer and TV will hit each other during a sharp jacknife. One thing you can do is lay out a rope or water hose for the curve where you want the drivers side wheels to go. It is much easier for me to back using the wheel locations along a intended path. Pull foward and try again if the wheels leave the marked path.

[wncrasher]

They do make a thing called a tongue dolly. With a light trailer such as yours, it would work well.

If your driveway is paved and relatively flat, you can use this device to move your trailer exactly where you want it. All you have to do is back onto the driveway with the car, unhitch, and then use the dolly to position it.

Here's a link: Amazon.com: Tow Tuff TMD-1000C HD Dolly Adjustable Trailer Movers with Caster Wheel: Patio, Lawn & Garden

[Rich W]

A friend of mine has a ball hitch on the front of her 4Runner and she says it's a lifesaver. She has no trouble backing her trailer now and is very grateful to her father for having it put on for her.

The only other suggestion I would make is to have a ground guide with a walkie-talkie or cell phone. Be sure they watch the overhead as well as the sides.

[FreshAir]

Try the 'SCOOP' method. LongLongHoneymoon.com | Tips for Airstream / RV travelers. » Blog Archive » VIDEO: The Secret to Backing Up an RV

Also the longer the trailer the easier the back-up. When I backed a utility trailer with my CJ7 Jeep it was much more difficult than the large tent trailer we had. I used that Jeep to maneuver our 24' Trade Wind easily.....except for the slope we live on. Then the 4x4 Jeep truck was the answer.

Neil

[J. Morgan]

Just a couple of things.

When backing around a corner, back in from the drivers side whenever you can so you can see the end of the trailer out of your side glass.

As a learning aid place one hand on the bottom of the steering wheel when backing. When doing this the trailer will go left when you move your hand to the left and right when you move your hand right.

When in doubt, stop, get out and look where the end of your trailer is, and don't be shy about doing so. This will be useful even if you have a helper.

Don't freak about the bigger trailer. In many ways a longer trailer is easier to back than a short trailer.

[paiceman]

OK, I do have some suggestions, take them for what they are worth.

(1) If there is a "lot jockey" a the dealership or someone who moves the trailer around ask him or her to help. Sit in the passenger seat and have your wife or whomever is traveling with you outside practicing watching the opposite side you are turning in. You will not be able to see this side in your mirrors - for me and my narrow driveway on a residential neighborhood this is where I ask my wife to stand.

(2) Invest in some walkie talkies. Your wife has one, you have the other, with headsets makes it even easier. Before you start tell her where you want her and what you want her to say and when.

(3) If you are entering your road and going up hill, always back down hill.

(4) I pick the center to the road to start the maneuvers. I have an F250 Crew and 30" behind me so I want room in front for the truck and room in back.

(5) Go further past the driveway than you think you should go.

(6) I use the back tire on the tandem axle trailer as my pivot point, when it is three feet from the start of our driveway I start making a gradual turn into the driveway.

(7) I take the equalizer bars off before backing, much easier on the truck and trailer as basically I am making an 80 degree turn into the driveway.

(8) Practice at the dealership after the person helps you, make sure you are making the turn you will be into your driveway.

(9) Patience - with yourself AND YOUR WIFE. The best marriage battles I've seen come with backing into tight campground sites.

(10) If the first one does not work, pull forward and start over NO BIG DEAL. If neighbors want to get by they can at this time etc. Slow, take it real slow.

(11) YOU WILL GET IT - once you do, let your wife learn, you never know when it might be needed.

ENJOY, it's actually fun once you get it.

Bud

[m.hony]

I know you don't have this option as you are approaching from the front, not from the alley, but...
I park my trailer in the back yard. Access is from the alley. I used to pull up and back up repeatedly to get the trailer straight in the yard. Why? I don't know except for maybe OCD. After 4 years of this I decided to park it at an angle. It hit me all of a sudden that camp sites are angled for a very good reason. If I back the trailer into the back yard at an angle it only takes one shot. No more repeatedly pulling forward and backing up.
So, the result of this is, when I build an Airstream garage or pour a concrete parking pad it will be angled. This will also get the rear of the trailer closer to the water and electric.

[jcanavera]

I live on a cul-de-sac at the 10 o'clock position. I pull the trailer around the center island and pull away from my home with my tow vehicle heading for the neighbor's drive across the street that is the last home before the beginning of the cul-de-sac. I pull to the edge of her drive and begin the back in process. The trailer already is now angled towards the drive. As I back in the trailer is starting to move in the drive. I now start turning the wheel to increase the back in angle and the trailer starts to pivot. Since I have a two car garage and have a concrete drive, I have a seam at the center that separates the concrete. I'm watching that seam from my passenger mirror and am using that to keep the trailer angle proper. I also know that once my right rear tire hits the edge of the street and driveway, I'm within 1 foot of my garage door.

In my case I'm doing a blind side back in and am relying on my passenger door mirror to monitor the progress. Keep in mind I developed this method in conjunction with my wife who was holding a two way radio to keep me informed. After doing this for a while I picked up traits like the seam of the driveway, and the rear right tire position. Now I back in without her help.

So get someone to help you and establish a routine. Look for landmarks, things to line up on. It will take you a bit but you will figure it out.

The only thing that mucks up the works is if someone parks on the cul-de-sac. Dependent where they park in the circle, I may have to make more adjustments, and at times have my wife stand guard and help me thread the needle.

One interesting thing was when I had a 28' Safari, my back in was completely different in that I moved into the left side of the cul-de-sac and did a driver's side back in. When I bought the Classic and it's 3' more of length, I found that technique just didn't work due to the position of my house on the cul-de-sac.

Jack

[Hittenstiehl]

We are new to backing also. We asked for backing advice at a rally recently and these points have really helped us.

Longer trailer was easier than our popup.
When an option always back from your left shoulder/driver side position.
I the co-pilot stand at the left corner of where we are aiming to have the left corner of trailer. (Starting at the curb and then midway then all the way back)
Patience and practice.

We will also try Morgans advice to remove the WD bars for increased flexibility.

[Foiled Again]

Get 100feet of rope. Lay the rope on the ground where you want your trailer's driver's side wheel to be (assuming you're able to turn in that direction) all the way from the road to it's final stopping place. Back very slowly over the rope. In daylight I used to use water sprayed from an empty dish detergent bottle - then I had to back at night in a state park with ZERO lighting and no moon. I used 5 little flash lights for that... so if you arrive at night I suppose you could use rope lights as long as you have someplace to plug them in.

I fulltime alone and backing has always been something that I don't do consistently well. An audience has a negative effect. So does being tired... or very hungry... or in need of a "comfort stop". So if you have to stop and nap or eat or whatever 1 mile from home - JUST DO IT.

Paula

[John&Vicki]

I went through this when I first bought my trailer and brought it home. I also live at the end of a tight cul-de-sac. I found that the anticipation was far worse than the reality. Take it slow and you won't have a problem. I had previously backed up only boat trailers and utility trailers. The longer Airstream is *much* easier to back up, much less sensitive.

Poppy

[jcl]

Echoing some of the points listed above:

I would always try to back up so you can see the trailer, not a blind side turn.

Remember to think in terms of 360 degrees. When you are turning, you have to think about the rear of the trailer and where it swings, the vehicle path, and the front corner of the vehicle that may have to be swung wide to initiate a turn. Don't just focus on one point. Agree this approach with your spotter up front.

Use a spotter, and make sure they are positioned where you can see them. When my spotter walks across to the passenger side, I stop because I can't see them any longer. I wait until they are back where I can maintain visual contact. I have never used radios, but can see the logic.

Holding the steering wheel at the bottom never worked for me. When I learned as a teenager, my dad (who had me back it up while he decided where he wanted it placed) always used the terms 'left hand down' and 'right hand down' to describe required actions on the steering wheel. I use those same terms when coaching others. They can't be confused with left and right. Left and right can mean the steering wheel, the front of the vehicle, the rear of the vehicle, the trailer wheels, or the rear of the trailer. And that is after you agree that the left side of the vehicle is always the left, even if the spotter is facing to the back. Agree with your spotter what your standard phrases will be, such as 'the rear of the trailer needs to come more to the left' and not 'turn more' which can lead to frustration.

It seems like a lot to remember, but just go slow, there aren't points for backing speed.

Jeff