tractchores
Veteran Member
Cool and interesting. Gotta get one of those cameras!
I put my gopro on the tractor while I towed it home yesterday
- Thread starter Timber
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RaydaKub
Veteran Member
I grew up on a farm and had to back lots of things up from a 5 foot yard trailer to a 50 foot auger over a grain bin. Never had an issue as a kid and when I took driver's ed at age 15, the instructor asked if we wanted to stay around and do some trailer backing. I asked if he meant 2 wheel or 4 wheel. He said "Like a boat trailer." I was working with farm wagons at the time (where the front wheels of the wagon pivot). Thought it might be interesting to see if he had any advice about doing it with a pickup. I just said "No thanks."
We were at an RV park a dozen years ago. Guy pulls in with a smallish 5th wheel camper. The sites were all paved, but somewhat narrow. He backed in and pulled out must have been 20 times, but the road was a single lane and there were 10 vehicles witting in the road waiting for him. He finally pulled out and went around the circle again to let traffic by and then made 20 more attempts. You could see 4 or 5 guys sitting at their picnic tables shaking their heads and wanting to go over and help him, but his attitude toward his wife just kinda made us all cringe and stay away. I'm stunned at how many people can't back a car, muchless a trailer.
OP
Timber
Veteran Member
I had a 30' travel trailer for many years, I have seen many campground accidents. The sad thing it there is no requirements to drive a combination recreation vehicle. I know a guy that bought a expedition and a 35' slide out at the camping show. He went to pick it up, he told them everything they wanted to hear. He never drove anything that big in his life. Well he made it about 50 from the RV dealer and put the entire rig in the wood and almost killed himself in the process. He didn't understand the trailer brakes or the envimental effects on a box that big hooked to the wrong tow vehicle. Well he totaled everything, new expedition and trailer on the maiden voyage home. I have seen so many wrecked on the highway over the years that I don't understand why their isn't a special license endorcement to be qualified to drive one.
OP
Timber
Veteran Member
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Backing a trailer just takes practice. Jack and chase, jack and chase. Most people try to do it in 1 jack. Do it in several jack and chase combinations instead of 1 move. Most people over compensate and jack knife the trailer. Set up is the most important thing though, get the trailer wheels as close to where you want to slip the trailer even if you have to go on the wrong side of the road to do it.Excellent video recording! But super job of backing up your trailer. Better than I ever thought about being able to doBest watch out for the Safety Police though.
Hope you make some interesting videos now that you have the equipment and know-how.
daugen
Epic Contributor
Timber,
your comments on wrecked RV's reminded me of a conversation I had with my insurance agent, who amusingly I trained almost thirty years ago.
I was talking about getting a motorhome, a big diesel pusher, though I've changed my mind and will try to stuff myself into one of those little
MB motorhomes, so I can get 16mpg. Or so they say. What the agent told me is he didn't care what I bought, but please don't get a fifth wheel.
That really interested me. I would have thought the superior towing setup would add to safety, not detract. Well, must be a lot of overloading or folks who really don't know how to pull five or six tons behind them, because fifth wheels seem to have a bad rep in the industry. I would think wheels flying off those little popup trailers would be more of an issue (uh, what's bearing grease?).
I've driven big fire trucks, a 53 foot boat, a big semi like truck with a sod boom on the back, and pulled a farm wagon during my childhood.
Never had a problem, just have to respect the laws of physics. Many don't, or more likely, just drive distracted. Doesn't take much to get your rig weaving around back there if you don't focus on your driving. And how many truck drivers do I see on the phone? Many of them. Now there's a problem. Didn't seem to be a problem when all you had was your CB mike to reach up to.
Ok, this is a gopro and driving thread, so may I ask a kinda related question please.
What dash cam should I get for my car? Nothing fancy, but I want decent resolution and reasonably small size, though
on the dash of a Suburban there's room for pretty much anything.
99% boredom, 1% craziness. Since the camera just writes over what was recorded before, if something interesting happens, out comes the
memory card. Seems half of Russia has them, I think I'd rather have one of these vs. a radar detector.
thanks
your comments on wrecked RV's reminded me of a conversation I had with my insurance agent, who amusingly I trained almost thirty years ago.
I was talking about getting a motorhome, a big diesel pusher, though I've changed my mind and will try to stuff myself into one of those little
MB motorhomes, so I can get 16mpg. Or so they say. What the agent told me is he didn't care what I bought, but please don't get a fifth wheel.
That really interested me. I would have thought the superior towing setup would add to safety, not detract. Well, must be a lot of overloading or folks who really don't know how to pull five or six tons behind them, because fifth wheels seem to have a bad rep in the industry. I would think wheels flying off those little popup trailers would be more of an issue (uh, what's bearing grease?).
I've driven big fire trucks, a 53 foot boat, a big semi like truck with a sod boom on the back, and pulled a farm wagon during my childhood.
Never had a problem, just have to respect the laws of physics. Many don't, or more likely, just drive distracted. Doesn't take much to get your rig weaving around back there if you don't focus on your driving. And how many truck drivers do I see on the phone? Many of them. Now there's a problem. Didn't seem to be a problem when all you had was your CB mike to reach up to.
Ok, this is a gopro and driving thread, so may I ask a kinda related question please.
What dash cam should I get for my car? Nothing fancy, but I want decent resolution and reasonably small size, though
on the dash of a Suburban there's room for pretty much anything.
99% boredom, 1% craziness. Since the camera just writes over what was recorded before, if something interesting happens, out comes the
memory card. Seems half of Russia has them, I think I'd rather have one of these vs. a radar detector.
thanks
OP
Timber
Veteran Member
I just use my iphone in a windshield mount, You can use a GoPro that way too. Those are the cameras I know but their are many others too