Trailers

[2400]

I've been laughing my ass off at some of the stuff in the "Patience is a virtue" thread.

I grew up pulling 2 horse, 4 horse, 6 horse, flat bed and water trailers on the ranch so I had a couple of years of practice before I got my license. Since then I've had car trailers, water trailers, horse trailers, boat trailers, etc, etc and 100's of thousands of miles with a trailer behind me.

When my ex and I were dating I was trailering my Willys all over so we could go wheeling and camping. She ALWAYS rode not drove and wanted nothing to do with backing up. She had no problem chaining down the Jeep or hooking up the trailer but that was it.

Once I figured out she was a keeper I hooked up the empty trailer and went over to our local park. I got out and said, "you're driving, it's time you learned". I pointed out that if something happened and she had to drive home, load up by her self or whatever now was a great time to learn NOT when the pressure was on.

I had her back around parking blocks, between parking blocks, around corners, even kinda parallel park it a couple of times. Then we went for a run down the freeway so she could change lanes and get on and off a couple of times. Then to the edge of a shopping center so she could practice backing up some more. Then I had her back the trailer in at the house. After that she could back up, the bumper pull, gooseneck, camper or anything else that you could tow with a pickup.

I guess the point is a little practice on a nice day with NO pressure goes a long way when it needs to get done.

 

[JayKay]

Amen brother. The big parking lot at the mall is a much better place to learn, than at the ramp.

 

[dblkluk]

I learned to back up a trailer by doing it a couple times a year putting boats in at the cabin, a utility trailer when mowing lawns etc, when I was a kid, but when I was in college, I worked for an RV dealer and that's when I really learned to back a trailer with mirrors etc.

Hooking up to and moving around travel trailers all day, all summer, or putting a 32 foot fifth wheel in an exact spot within inches at a boat show, you get pretty good at it.

Years later, I still take pride in being able to back up to and put the ball under a trailer hitch in one try. (without one of those stinkin backup cameras!)

 

[guywhofishes]

Years later, I still take pride in being able to back up to and put the ball under a trailer hitch in one try. (without one of those stinkin backup cameras!)

Impressive.

- - - Updated - - -

Confession: I just recently figured out that I should use my emergency brake to keep the ball pinned perfectly under the hitch. For over a year I was putting it in park, if it rolled off position I'd redo it... etc.

 

[johnr]

Shifting to neutral helps with vehicle roll too. What I mean is after you pull it out of reverse, put it in neutral for just a second to let the gear back off, then put in park, on my Ford it stops any vehicle movement 99% of the time. If I am off just a half inch either way when I get out and check, I pull the vehicle that much, put in neutral for a second than shift to park, and walla I am dead on.

 

[db-2]

I also learn as a young kid on the farm. Even a old horse four wheel trailer but never did the best at that or went very far in backing up.
Now I am a old guy and damn it. How does one unlearn what one did for years. Yes I can still back up but there are many things that I have notice creeping up on me that are not good. Like remembering names and having not to correct myself as I back up. Asked the wife yesterday of 47 years, no it was 46 I believe, what her first name was. Can not turn my neck and no way can I get use to trusting a back up camera.
But do not kid yourself, things revert back as one gets old and it is getting close to only sitting in the chair with my old mill. And that has even slow down. db