Willl
Elite Member
Dirt, take a browse through my Photobucket.
Trying to back a trailer is no fun
- Thread starter qni51
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2manyrocks
Super Member
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Backing a trailer is like finishing drywall. The more you mess with it, the worse it gets. Got to get it right to start with or it gets further and further and further away from you.
rdbrumfield
Veteran Member
This brings to memory of a lady friend of mine that needed my pu. It is a dakota and i made a trailer for it that is the same width. She took it to town for some reason and when she got there and parked, she got out and realized she had a trailer sticking out in road. Thank goodness she didn't try to parallel park.
So glad I didn't build it with the axle sticking out past the truck, she would most likely hooked a tire going around a corner.
I got a scolding for that one. First time she had ever pulled one.
So glad I didn't build it with the axle sticking out past the truck, she would most likely hooked a tire going around a corner.
I got a scolding for that one. First time she had ever pulled one.
WantedWolf
Gold Member
Hi Willl.
Sorry off thread, but I did look thru your pics you seem to build some handy items. I love the pintle converter.
2 questions.
1- how long does it take to remove your topper with your tractor setup?
2- What is the purpose of the fold-out fenders on the flat deck trailer?
Willl
Elite Member
1) About a hour.
2) It's a 'car hauler' feature, gives clearance so you can open the car door.
2) It's a 'car hauler' feature, gives clearance so you can open the car door.
Willl
Elite Member
My late Uncle had a utility trailer that was kind of unique. Had double ball hitches and a single rear swivel wheel.
Backing up was a piece-O-cake.
Backing up was a piece-O-cake.
Sackett2
Platinum Member
I got an above average backing ability; I can do it with or without using mirrors, depending on the mood of the day. Just don't depend on me doing it one specific way. I learned most of my backing skills when I had a f-250 supercab long bed, slide in-camper, a 19' boat and a single lane driveway in town on a busy street.
I would park in the church parking lot and wait until late evening when the traffic slowed down. then try to quickly get it stabbed into the driveway; using the small mirrors. got pretty good at it and never hit anything!
I would park in the church parking lot and wait until late evening when the traffic slowed down. then try to quickly get it stabbed into the driveway; using the small mirrors. got pretty good at it and never hit anything!
denmansoft
Gold Member
As long as my mirrors aren't in the bushes I can do OK. Not good but OK.
I haven't had to go down to the boat ramp for entertainment since finding TBN.
I haven't had to go down to the boat ramp for entertainment since finding TBN.
Egon
Epic Contributor
Fellows and Gals. I think most of you missed the whole point. I don't have mirrors on my JD 2305 and for about 6 years have trouble even turning my neck 90 degrees sideways.
To look backwards, I have to turn 90 degrees around in my seat and that is hard to do. Going to add a vidieo camera later.
Years ago I could easily back a 45' trailer between two pine trees with a total of 7" clearance using a 3/4 ton normal length pickup(with mirrors of course).
Hello Sackett2. I am TSgt Ret USAF also 52-73.
To look backwards, I have to turn 90 degrees around in my seat and that is hard to do. Going to add a vidieo camera later.
Years ago I could easily back a 45' trailer between two pine trees with a total of 7" clearance using a 3/4 ton normal length pickup(with mirrors of course).
Hello Sackett2. I am TSgt Ret USAF also 52-73.
Soundguy
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do you have a rops / canopy? they make a rear view mirror for them at the cannopy front/top.. just look up a few degrees to see back... etc... might help with the neck issue.
soundguy
soundguy
Treemonkey1000
Veteran Member
So if you put the camera on there facing towards the back and your screen up on the dash or some convenient place that makes sense to keep from twisting around. Just place the camera high enough to get a wide enough field of view to see the sides and rear of trailer. I see those backing cameras for about $100 at the NAPA store here.. Might even work for us "mirror challenged" type....
PS: Thanks for your service to our country.
rtdiggr
Platinum Member
rtdiggr
Platinum Member
henerythe8th
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Try this one on for frustrating...
I used to work part time at a potato farm years ago. We had an inclined conveyor that extended out the side of the building about seven feet and high enough to get a semi trailer under. Had to be centered or side heavy load = not stable = also gets fines!
Spud bed semi trailer with standard fifth wheel plate attached to a 'tow dolly' = 4 sets of doubles with the lower half of the fifth wheel and a long tow bar.
The dolly was attached to the pintle hitch on an 8-wheeled articulated tractor.
So there was the articulated pivot, the pivot at the pintle, and the pivot at the fifth wheel.
The trick, like backing double trailers is to back straight up with no turns...
...not always the easiest to do...
There were some times that it was simple to do.
There were a couple of occasions that after several times I gave up and got Wally, the farm manager...
I used to work part time at a potato farm years ago. We had an inclined conveyor that extended out the side of the building about seven feet and high enough to get a semi trailer under. Had to be centered or side heavy load = not stable = also gets fines!
Spud bed semi trailer with standard fifth wheel plate attached to a 'tow dolly' = 4 sets of doubles with the lower half of the fifth wheel and a long tow bar.
The dolly was attached to the pintle hitch on an 8-wheeled articulated tractor.
So there was the articulated pivot, the pivot at the pintle, and the pivot at the fifth wheel.
The trick, like backing double trailers is to back straight up with no turns...
...not always the easiest to do...
There were some times that it was simple to do.
There were a couple of occasions that after several times I gave up and got Wally, the farm manager...
SPIKER
Elite Member
I can back up well enough but HATE pintle hook backing.
Mu trailer I can't see from the truck until it is slightly turned then back the other way worst is backing over the driveway hill cant see any of it! I have to have woman stand in middle of deck to see where it is going
Mark
Mu trailer I can't see from the truck until it is slightly turned then back the other way worst is backing over the driveway hill cant see any of it!
I have to have woman stand in middle of deck to see where it is goingMark
Soundguy
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rambler
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Enjoyed reading this thread.
On the farm, get a lot of practice backing up wagons (steerable front axle, ridgid back axle).
At the elevator where I dump grain, I haul 2 wagons behind the tractor. Need to drive on the scale, then back up enough to put the front wagon on the grates behind the scale.
Yea, it's straight back, and only about as long as a semi, but man you can get yourself messed up in a hurry with 2 wagons like that. Do it wrong & snap off the hitch of the rear wagon - & you can't hardly see the rear wagon at all.
I have a baler & a bale basket, I back that setup to the barn several times a day during baling. In a semi-circle around the silo. It would be like hooking 2 trailers behind your pickup, and backing it from the street 90 degrees into your garage. Sometimes it goes just like planned; a few times I'd driven away circled & started over, it just ain't gonna go!
About the hardest thing to back up is a semi-mounted plow - it has a sloppy linkage & the one rear wheel at the back favors one side more than the other - you sorta just have to follow wherever it wants to go or start over....
--->Paul
On the farm, get a lot of practice backing up wagons (steerable front axle, ridgid back axle).
At the elevator where I dump grain, I haul 2 wagons behind the tractor. Need to drive on the scale, then back up enough to put the front wagon on the grates behind the scale.
Yea, it's straight back, and only about as long as a semi, but man you can get yourself messed up in a hurry with 2 wagons like that. Do it wrong & snap off the hitch of the rear wagon - & you can't hardly see the rear wagon at all.
I have a baler & a bale basket, I back that setup to the barn several times a day during baling. In a semi-circle around the silo. It would be like hooking 2 trailers behind your pickup, and backing it from the street 90 degrees into your garage. Sometimes it goes just like planned; a few times I'd driven away circled & started over, it just ain't gonna go!
About the hardest thing to back up is a semi-mounted plow - it has a sloppy linkage & the one rear wheel at the back favors one side more than the other - you sorta just have to follow wherever it wants to go or start over....
--->Paul
jimmyj
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Ha ha ha. Backing a trailer and parallel parking are both good for hours of entertainment if you get the right subject to watch.
The one type of trailer that I have a hard time backing are haywagons with steerable front axles. Man those are tough to aim into the right space.
The one type of trailer that I have a hard time backing are haywagons with steerable front axles. Man those are tough to aim into the right space.
Wis Bang
Gold Member
When I got out of college I worked for a construction company as the fueler. The master mechanic used to say his dad [owned a sand and gravel quarry] wouldn't hire a short driver as they couldn't climb out on the running board to back up...my father said the same thing, in the 50's you would set the throttle up some, start going back & either open the door to look back -or- climb out onto the running board and steer from there while looking backwards...
After a year of trying I could back up an air compressor [single axle and about 10 feet long] with the fuel truck by watching the ONLY part I could see...the rain cap on the exhaust sticking up above the fuel tank & only visible in the interior mirror....
Most people don't pull far enough forward to get rig and trailer aligned b/4 trying to back up.
If you CAN turn your neck well, stick your head & shoulders out the side window. Hold the steering wheel at the bottom and DRIVE the trailer where it needs to go. It really works!
I was a driver trainer and the company was taking guys from driving schools, send them thru 6 more weeks of school and then I would spend a month with them b/4 they decided to let them into the Union.
Driving schools had them so worried about checking both sides that they would swivel between the mirrors while trying to back up. I'd be sitting in the passenger seat watcing the steering wheels track in the dust looking like a snake was crawling in the dirt. Had to teach 'em to stick to one side and occasionally check the other mirror. Wheel tracks would stay straight & they actually learned to be truck drivers...
Had a guy working a railyard loading trucks w/ a compound transmission that could be reversed in any gear. He could back them up in 2nd & third, almost as fast as he could go forward. Practice makes a difference.
After a year of trying I could back up an air compressor [single axle and about 10 feet long] with the fuel truck by watching the ONLY part I could see...the rain cap on the exhaust sticking up above the fuel tank & only visible in the interior mirror....
Most people don't pull far enough forward to get rig and trailer aligned b/4 trying to back up.
If you CAN turn your neck well, stick your head & shoulders out the side window. Hold the steering wheel at the bottom and DRIVE the trailer where it needs to go. It really works!
I was a driver trainer and the company was taking guys from driving schools, send them thru 6 more weeks of school and then I would spend a month with them b/4 they decided to let them into the Union.
Driving schools had them so worried about checking both sides that they would swivel between the mirrors while trying to back up. I'd be sitting in the passenger seat watcing the steering wheels track in the dust looking like a snake was crawling in the dirt. Had to teach 'em to stick to one side and occasionally check the other mirror. Wheel tracks would stay straight & they actually learned to be truck drivers...
Had a guy working a railyard loading trucks w/ a compound transmission that could be reversed in any gear. He could back them up in 2nd & third, almost as fast as he could go forward. Practice makes a difference.
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