Backing up a trailer

[tatra805]

one more thing that jumps to mind...

dont move around too much in your seat.
You have these people which are first looking in the center mirror, then one side mirror, then the other then turning around in their seat and finally put their head out of the driver window....
The situation will look different from every angle and you will end up correcting your corrections ending up in a ditch which you didnt see because your were moving more than looking.

If the trailer can go there (and that you'll see from outside the vehicle walking around) it will go from any position, choose one and stick to it.

I'm not a pro at all but have to reverse my horsebox from street to 90 degrees double Z curved driveway through my gate with 6 inches spare on both sides of the wheelarches and van-mirrors and further aligning to the horizontal jacked driveway (so you dont see where the downside slope goes) to my horsebarn. All this over 450ft with a 35ft van-trailer combination. Mirrors only and without stopping or forward driving is how it goes now, but it took me a whole library of cursing before i got there.

practice makes perfect.

:thumbsup:

 

[sandman2234]

Go SLOW (and practice!)
David from jax

 

[newbury]

When I bought my ride it came w/ the trailer in my sig.

I live on a moderately narrow dead end court, about 27' wide.
My tow vehicle is a 20' Ford Maxivan.
My trailer is 24'.
I went and bought a 3pt hitch trailer mover.

I used to (40 years ago) drive a 5 ton pulling a trailer w/ a hot kettle for roofing tar and equipment. 40 years ago I could back that thing like it was part of my body. Didn't want to go thru the learning experience again.

 

[soulasphil]

Go SLOW (and practice!)
David from jax

That's what I've been doing for several months and I still find it tricky and make mistakes !

 

[buckeyefarmer]

One of the common mistakes I see people make in backing a trailer, is not having the trailer wheels in the right place too start with, especially when turning from an angle to where you want to back. Usually this is from not being far enough ahead, and then having to turn way too sharp to try to get the trailer in the proper place. I prefer to back on a turn, easier to see the trailer if backing with the truck. hard to describe.

 

[Brad_Blazer]

I agree pulling forward a little further to get the rig lined up good is key. I consider myself pretty good at backing a trailer but I still get my wires crossed once in a while - if I think about it too much.
I still can't back a wagon worth $%^&. The farmer I worked for back in HS could back the tractor-chopper-wagon rig indefinitely. (He did have power steering) He could also back a full wagon uphill into the barn loft with a pickup with a topper.

 

[/pine]

multiplying the length of the tongue will expoentially make it easier to steer in reverse...

 

[dcyrilc]

I've been moving trailers for over 30 years. Usually in a vehicle which requires using the mirrors. No sweat any more. Now take away my mirrors so I have to look over my shoulder...different story.:laughing: The worst I ever had to back was a 5 yard dump truck with a short narrow air compressor. By the time you could see it, it was already too late. Had to back it 1/2 mile off a bridge we were building.

As many have already said, extend the tongue of the trailer. The longer the distance from the ball to the center of the axles, the slower it will react and the easier it will be to back. Beyond that, it's all just practice.

 

[450EXC]

Turn Into The Drift

Thats my little memory tool to help me get it right.

Once the trailer starts to drift off line, turn in that direction to straighten out.

Go really slow, just creeping. Do lots of "stop and pull up" to recorrect. Once you lose it and it starting to go way off line, dont crank the wheel and try to catch it- stop and pull up 10'.

If you'r backing into a garage bay it helps to paint lines on the floor and driveway. A little 3" paint roller works great.

 

[450EXC]

Also you can buy a Quick-Connect receiver that goes on your front bucket. It clamps on with a pinch bolt.

Should be easy on/off.

 

[TripleR]

That's what I've been doing for several months and I still find it tricky and make mistakes !

Beautiful scenery.

 

[Wis Bang]

The worst I ever had to back was a 5 yard dump truck with a short narrow air compressor.

My boss always caught me when I had the fuel truck. I had to learn how to steer compressors using the center mirror and watching the raincap on the exhaust as it stuck up above the fuel tanks...

Always pull up until the tractor and the trailer are in line...Practice, practice, practice...

As a driver trainer, I'd get kids from training schools. I'd take 'em to our rail to truck yard and have them back down between two rows of railroad cars that were not parallel. They would constantly swivel head between both mirrors until I stopped them and had them look at their tracks in the dust...looked like a snake was slithering down the roadway! Got them to focus on one side mirror and occasionally check the other side and the tracks got alot straighter...Practice, practice, practice...

 

[D7E]

My boss always caught me when I had the fuel truck. I had to learn how to steer compressors using the center mirror and watching the raincap on the exhaust as it stuck up above the fuel tanks...

Always pull up until the tractor and the trailer are in line...Practice, practice, practice...

As a driver trainer, I'd get kids from training schools. I'd take 'em to our rail to truck yard and have them back down between two rows of railroad cars that were not parallel. They would constantly swivel head between both mirrors until I stopped them and had them look at their tracks in the dust...looked like a snake was slithering down the roadway! Got them to focus on one side mirror and occasionally check the other side and the tracks got alot straighter...Practice, practice, practice...

I had a few years instructing tractor driving for proficiency tests. from 16 year old kids to 60 year olds and it's amazing how much faster the kids pick it up . Again big stuff though 150+hp tractors and 30-50 ft trailers.

 

[dcyrilc]

I had a few years instructing tractor driving for proficiency tests. from 16 year old kids to 60 year olds and it's amazing how much faster the kids pick it up . Again big stuff though 150+hp tractors and 30-50 ft trailers.

Everything I towed was always bumper pull. Only had the opportunity to do a 5th wheel once hauling equipment between jobsites on a lowboy trailer. That's a whole different world when it comes to backing.

 

[soulasphil]

Beautiful scenery.

Yes the Atlantic coast is very pleasant, but this week we have been invaded by strange creatures !

 

[dcyrilc]

Yes the Atlantic coast is very pleasant, but this week we have been invaded by strange creatures !

Those are some strange critters. I'd recommend being careful if you're going out there alone. When you took the pix, I'd say some of them were sizing you up for dinner.

 

[ShenandoahJoe]

I went and read the old threads on putting a hitch on your front-end loader. After an hour or so of that, the idea came to me: when I have to haul stuff out of that dead-end, I'm just going to shove the trailer into place with the bucket, then hitch it up when it's time to pull it out. D'oh!

 

[dcyrilc]

I went and read the old threads on putting a hitch on your front-end loader. After an hour or so of that, the idea came to me: when I have to haul stuff out of that dead-end, I'm just going to shove the trailer into place with the bucket, then hitch it up when it's time to pull it out. D'oh!

Sometimes, the best plans end up being the simplist ones.:thumbsup:

 

[some zilch]

the worst thing i can think of to back up is my little tow-behind leaf sweeper. short little tongue makes it pretty difficult.

OTOH, i can back up a chain of 4 portable traffic signals (used on road/bridge construction sites), anywhere they need to go, double semi trailers, double hay wagons, and i used to routinly back my triaxle lowboy up the shoulder of the NY thruway for miles with asphalt milling machines on so i did not have to go to the next exit, turn around, go back up, go through the exit, and come back again...........

 

[D7E]

this is good !
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