First time towing the Airstream...
Well, the first drive home with our 22' FB Sport was so nice. We have a hitch with anti-sway bars and the special braking system so it really wasn't all that noticeable that we were towing. Seemed all was going to be great, that is, until we needed to back it into the driveway.
I begin my job as co-pilot; directing. "Just go straight back", I kept saying to my pilot (aka husband)...yet the airstream was wiggling around like a wet noodle! What is happening here?! It's beginning to rain and I can see lightening in the distance. Wonderful. "JUST GO STRAIGHT BACK!"
I was getting frustrated.
Michael finally agrees to let me try to back it up. After watching me struggle a while, he kindly says, into the walkie, "honey, if you could just back it up straight..."
HA! My husband has a wonderful ability to use sarcasm at precisely the right moment! I had to laugh. Then I put it in park and surrendered it back to my pilot.
Finally we were able to get it turned around (whole different story) and pulled it straight *forward* into the driveway. Today, we have to "back it straight" out of the drive way. Is that even possible?! There has to be a way...Geesh! Michael seems to think turning off the trailer braking system (I think) may help. He definitely knows the technical side better than I.
We are newbies to camping, Airstreaming, travel trailers, towing, you name it, we have NOT yet done it. So, I invite anyone who has tips on "backing straight up" to please feel free to post
And thank you in advance.
I begin my job as co-pilot; directing. "Just go straight back", I kept saying to my pilot (aka husband)...yet the airstream was wiggling around like a wet noodle! What is happening here?! It's beginning to rain and I can see lightening in the distance. Wonderful. "JUST GO STRAIGHT BACK!"
I was getting frustrated.Michael finally agrees to let me try to back it up. After watching me struggle a while, he kindly says, into the walkie, "honey, if you could just back it up straight..."
HA! My husband has a wonderful ability to use sarcasm at precisely the right moment! I had to laugh. Then I put it in park and surrendered it back to my pilot.Finally we were able to get it turned around (whole different story) and pulled it straight *forward* into the driveway. Today, we have to "back it straight" out of the drive way. Is that even possible?! There has to be a way...Geesh! Michael seems to think turning off the trailer braking system (I think) may help. He definitely knows the technical side better than I.
We are newbies to camping, Airstreaming, travel trailers, towing, you name it, we have NOT yet done it. So, I invite anyone who has tips on "backing straight up" to please feel free to post
And thank you in advance.Total Comments 7
Comments
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Hi Mike and Emily,
Congrats on the new addition to your family. Best wishes for many wonderful adventures together. I love your pictures but even more you description about trying to back the Airstream into the driveway. What you describe is the one nightmare that keeps me awake at nights when we get our new Airstream, so it does me a lot of good to learn that I'm not the only one who worries about this. Don't worry though, I'm sure that you will get the hang of this soon. 
Congrats again on the new Airstream. Have you given her a name yet?
Cheers,
GinMame (Rion & Nobuko)Posted 09-15-2011 at 12:54 PM by GinMame 
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Chuckling to myself, as when helping my husband the first time, he says : Am I straight? LOL, he asks the woman with a crooked eye who can't hang a painting straight (not a physical defect, a mental one) ... SURE Hon, looks great! (as the Airstream sat cattywampus on the parking pad ...)
there's a thread I can't find now, about putting your hands at the bottom of the tow vehicle steering wheel (I think 5 and 7) and turning right for right and left for left and not moving it about - oversteering probably, slow and smooth Jim says ... Practice makes perfect and you'll get it in time
WendyPosted 09-15-2011 at 12:54 PM by StreamRollin
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https://www.airforums.com/forums/f514...ure-80143.html
found it ... it also has a video 'how-to" - cheers! WendyPosted 09-15-2011 at 01:01 PM by StreamRollin
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Hi Rion and Nobuko!Quote:Originally Posted by GinMameHi Mike and Emily,
Congrats on the new addition to your family. Best wishes for many wonderful adventures together. I love your pictures but even more you description about trying to back the Airstream into the driveway. What you describe is the one nightmare that keeps me awake at nights when we get our new Airstream, so it does me a lot of good to learn that I'm not the only one who worries about this. Don't worry though, I'm sure that you will get the hang of this soon.
Congrats again on the new Airstream. Have you given her a name yet?
Cheers,
GinMame (Rion & Nobuko)
Thanks so much for your reply...we do not have a name for her YET! I'm hoping something on our first trip (tenatively this weekend will inspire us!) I'll keep you guys posted...
Thanks again,
EmilyPosted 09-15-2011 at 05:38 PM by MikeandEmily
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Hi there, Wendy! Yes, we did a LOT of oversteering...my most common sentence this afternoon was, "slow and easy" and "just slightly..." He did a most fantastic job parking this time, I think I'll blog about itQuote:Originally Posted by StreamRollinChuckling to myself, as when helping my husband the first time, he says : Am I straight? LOL, he asks the woman with a crooked eye who can't hang a painting straight (not a physical defect, a mental one) ... SURE Hon, looks great! (as the Airstream sat cattywampus on the parking pad ...)
there's a thread I can't find now, about putting your hands at the bottom of the tow vehicle steering wheel (I think 5 and 7) and turning right for right and left for left and not moving it about - oversteering probably, slow and smooth Jim says ... Practice makes perfect and you'll get it in time Wendy
Emily Thanks again for your post and the link!!! It's definitely helpful...Posted 09-15-2011 at 05:41 PM by MikeandEmily
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Hi Mike and Emily,
We're just coming to the end of our first season with the Airstream (or any trailer for that matter) and you'll be pleased to know that we are finally getting it backed up properly more or less first time now. Like you we have a Walkie and like you, Mrs T issues instructions that, although I carefully follow them at the steering wheel, the Airstream doesn't always do as we think it should. We've found that a short pull forward can often correct a problem backing up and that the back of the trailer takes a few seconds to respond to whatever the driver does in the tow vehicle, so as the spotter you have to make allowances for that. It doesn't help that our drive isn't quite lined up with our garage, either, so lining the trailer up to allow the access for the other car can be a little taxing.
Someone said that we should take the anti-sway bars off (not the weight distribution!) for backing up, which we do now. My towing guru says that it doesn't matter but at least without the sway bars we don't get the howling whale song from the friction pads.
Anyway, you will get the hang of it eventually, just as we did. Good luck with your new baby!Posted 09-16-2011 at 10:51 PM by MrUKToad
Updated 09-16-2011 at 10:51 PM by MrUKToad (Typo) -
Hi!Quote:Originally Posted by MrUKToadHi Mike and Emily,
We're just coming to the end of our first season with the Airstream (or any trailer for that matter) and you'll be pleased to know that we are finally getting it backed up properly more or less first time now. Like you we have a Walkie and like you, Mrs T issues instructions that, although I carefully follow them at the steering wheel, the Airstream doesn't always do as we think it should. We've found that a short pull forward can often correct a problem backing up and that the back of the trailer takes a few seconds to respond to whatever the driver does in the tow vehicle, so as the spotter you have to make allowances for that. It doesn't help that our drive isn't quite lined up with our garage, either, so lining the trailer up to allow the access for the other car can be a little taxing.
Someone said that we should take the anti-sway bars off (not the weight distribution!) for backing up, which we do now. My towing guru says that it doesn't matter but at least without the sway bars we don't get the howling whale song from the friction pads.
Anyway, you will get the hang of it eventually, just as we did. Good luck with your new baby!
Thanks for the tip with the anti-sway bars! We will definitely give it a shot. Our next planned use is 10/1/11 (boondocking for a night!) for a 1 day charity cycling event. Should be interesting....
I appreciate your help, again.
EmilyPosted 09-19-2011 at 06:53 AM by MikeandEmily
