Backing up a trailer: Grounds for divorce?

Pics of the boat!

 

Buy a Ford with trailer back-up assist.

 

Ex-GF got a boat of her own. I tried teaching her. We are no longer together. THE END

My method is get the thing relatively lined up to start. Then do most of the backing in a straight line with little steering. If you see the trailer in your right mirror steer right. If in the left mirror turn left. Small movements. If you get too out of wack, pull forward a touch. Less than 1 car length forward can really fix issues before they get out of hand. Bigger trailers with smaller tow vehicle make it easier. I wouldn't suggest backing a 4x8 HF trailer with a dually crew cab full bed truck but if you can master that everything else will be cake.

Edit: or do the above. Warning though. You still do have to be aware of where your nose is at when the truck is snaking backwards

 

It's the small things like this that are hard to teach when all the focus is on what the trailer is doing. Watched a guy get a concrete pylon (protecting an electrical box) wedged between his brush-guard on what had to have been an $70K dually Ram as he was backing up his 5th wheel at a park up near St. Augustine.

 

This is what I always tell people.

Steer towards trouble.

The thing I dont like about the hand at the bottom of the wheel method is you're telling people to 'turn left to make the trailor go left' when you're actually turning the wheel to the right. They get confused, then pissed, then they get out and storm off lol.

 

I'd rather go through a messy divorce than have to backup my single-axle trailer but that's just me

 

If you grew up backing one of these types up everything else is child's play. Take a close look at the front hitch and axle. I'm sure the resident JD equipment expert can fill us in.

 

It's the way I was taught long ago, and the way my brain thinks about it.

I have to translate in my head when a top-wheel backer is giving me directions on backing.

 

Great thread.....this issue has been the number one argument/yelling initiator for me in the last ten years! Wife gets out, insists on "guiding" me in....can't understand why I can't instantly make the 42 ft TH'r change direction the instant she changes from left to right..... I once tried to get her to drive/back it up so she would "get it"...that resulted in me not "getting any" for a month!

 

Yup. Or just be a moving marker for the areas (or objects) that are tough for me to see.

As I tell the wife, just show me where I need to be and I'll slide it right in, gentle-like.

 

We would make a good team.

 

If you try and it doesn't go well you might be contributing to the divorce thread.

 

Just make sure to position yourself so I can see you in my mirror and let me know if I'm going to hit anything and I'll do the rest.

 

Spoken like a seasoned veteran.

 

Are the friends hot?

 

In fairness, those short wheelbase things are actually harder to back up than a boat on trailer.