I tried your method this morning to back the 27' Overlander into the Airstream-port. It worked great! I had been starting out on the opposite side of the street and was always finding myself turning too sharply to folllow the trailer into the slot.
To get into my Airstream-port I need to back between a telephone pole and its guy wire - not much leeway on either side. It usually leads to a stressful time. I find I do best by myself, providing I can get out and check things out often.
Thanks for the tip!
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Phil in Bellflower
WBCCI # 9238
Carol always hooks up the truck to the trailer. We never use verbal instructions. I point in the direction that I want her to turn the wheel. She comes back slowly and most always gets on the ball with the first try.
I back the trailer in, its her job to watch the blind side and the rear. If I can't see her in the mirror then I don't move. The last back in is usually straight. A 34' takes sometime to react to the turning of the wheel so its slow and easy.
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Keep the shiny side up. WBCCI # 3485 Region 3 1stVP
Past President Tidewater Unit 111
visit tidewater Virginia's web page @ www.tidewaterwbcci.com
Rick Bell in "Silverbell"
My 31' trailer was delivered to my driveway and backed in. I then bought my long wheel base F 250, and so far have not yet towed it. I am fairly experienced at backing, as I used to drive a tow truck ( yeah in 1970's) , but my questions are
- coming out of the driveway I am entering a small street, not quite two full lanes, mailbox ( yikes) on the right, needing to make a right turn on a moderate uphill.
I could go left easier and turn around, but any advice on the right trun would be appreciated for my first attempt. I recall Robin Williams in RV taking out the stone wall on his first try....
- How do you disconnect the brakes for backing up? Unplug the umbilical or?
I do not yet have a brake controller if that is what controls this.
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Rallys twice a year..Lots of fun, food, and aluminum.
My 31' trailer was delivered to my driveway and backed in. I then bought my long wheel base F 250, and so far have not yet towed it. I am fairly experienced at backing, as I used to drive a tow truck ( yeah in 1970's) , but my questions are
- coming out of the driveway I am entering a small street, not quite two full lanes, mailbox ( yikes) on the right, needing to make a right turn on a moderate uphill.
I could go left easier and turn around, but any advice on the right trun would be appreciated for my first attempt. I recall Robin Williams in RV taking out the stone wall on his first try....
- How do you disconnect the brakes for backing up? Unplug the umbilical or?
I do not yet have a brake controller if that is what controls this.
You will have a challenge my friend. You might want to take a right turn before you get to the mail box and cut across the lawn. I have to back across my lawn because the mail box is on the right and there are shrubs on the immediate left of the driveway, but I am able to pull out of the drive way with my super crew short wheel base and 30' trailer and make my left turn. I have to pass my drive and back in from the right side of the drive way (opposite from my egress direction).
If driving across the lawn is not an option, you could swing to the left side of the driveway and cross to the far side of the street, if you can, watching the mail box very carefully. I am always afraid the tail will swing around and take out the mailbox on my way out and to the left.
As far as disconnecting the brakes, you can back with the umbilical cord disconnected. So far in my limited towing experience, I haven't thought to disconnect it and haven't had any problems.
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2006 30' Safari - "Changes in Latitudes"
2008 F-250 Lariat Power Stroke Diesel Crew Cab SWB
Family of Disney Fanatics
WBCCI# 4821 streamin across america
#2-why disconnect the embilical cord? I back with mine attached all the time with no problems. I would rather have the brakes on the trailer hooked up as not. However, I do unhook the sway bars as I was told that a tight turn could break them.
And #3 - SWING WIDE!!!!!
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Kathy, Tommy, and the fabulous furbabies, Terra and Josie
Chattanooga, TN Air #2757
well it sound as if I will have to go left and then turn around in the cul de sac which is pretty big.
Backing in later will be as with my Moho , from the left side facing out, and very slowly.
Lawn driving is not an option. Curbs are too high.
Also what was mentioned in an above post about brakes being disconnected for backing is where I got that idea. Not necessary then??
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Rallys twice a year..Lots of fun, food, and aluminum.
Most controllers will not actuate the brakes when backing. Prodigy does, but I have never pulled the umbilical to back in to my space. I certainly did not disconnect when I backed in just this morning. You will not have enough momentum when backing to cause the proportional controllers to supply any noticable amount of current to the brakes.
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John W. Irwin
2005 Classic 28 "Sabre-Dog III"
2007 Silverado 2500HD Duramax/Allison LTZ
WBCCI Region 9 Webmaster, #9632
Someone with more experience than I will have to advise you on disconnecting the brakes.
However, after you do it a few times it gets a lot easier. It sure has for me. For the most part, I use my wife only to keep me from backing in too far and into something (don't tell her, I want her to feel useful). She complements me as I can now get within 6" of the right spot backing in on the blind side and only pulling forward once.
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2006 30' Safari - "Changes in Latitudes"
2008 F-250 Lariat Power Stroke Diesel Crew Cab SWB
Family of Disney Fanatics
WBCCI# 4821 streamin across america
I've got a Prodigy and seems like I remember that you can press and hold a button to temporarily disengage the brakes? I'll have to look at the cheat sheet when I get home...
As you can tell, I back without pressing this button but have felt some minor jerking (kinda the feeling you "might" get when backing into the utility post???)...
I've got a Prodigy and seems like I remember that you can press and hold a button to temporarily disengage the brakes? I'll have to look at the cheat sheet when I get home...
As you can tell, I back without pressing this button but have felt some minor jerking (kinda the feeling you "might" get when backing into the utility post???)...
I think I'll start using the button!
I have had 2 Prodigys and there hasn't been such a button on either one of them. In fact, one of the advertised features of the Prodigy is that the brakes work in reverse.
You could run the gain down to zero, but that would lose your gain setting.
Why would it matter anyway unless you are riding the brakes while backing?
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John W. Irwin
2005 Classic 28 "Sabre-Dog III"
2007 Silverado 2500HD Duramax/Allison LTZ
WBCCI Region 9 Webmaster, #9632
When backing a trailer you can cancel
“BOOST” and “HOLD” for a period of three
minutes. This can be accomplished by pressing
the boost button continuously for five seconds
with the brake pedal depressed.
This from the prodigy instructions. I remembered someting like this for backing up, but not until I looked this up could I remember how to do it
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"Abe" & Melissa Lincoln
1976 Overlander "Spirit"
2005 Suburban w/q-steer
Hensley Hitch
WBCCI# 7627 / VAC Air #2798
Alan, I can tell you from recent experience the F250 don't turn on a dime. and a 31' trailer behind it will only make the turn bigger. Going down the road, and making big, sweeping turns, is not a problem, but the turn you are contemplating would be really tough. Wait until you have towed the trailer a few times before trying this turn. The last thing I would want is to hear how you emulated Robin Williams in this.
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