Simple Parking Buddy Tip

teasac69 · Jan 28, 2015

I know most of you seasoned RV'rs don't need this type of advice, being able to back a 100 ft rig into a dog house at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, in a snowstorm....

BUT, for any of you guys that still get a bit of anxiety when you find yourself having to put your RV someplace tight or back it into a slot in the dark, etc., don't forget you have a handy communications tool at your finger tips: YOUR CELL PHONE. Have your traveling buddy get out and call you on their cell phone, then you can hear them alert you when you're getting into danger. Be sure to use your hands free talking on your truck Bluetooth or speaker phone on your telephone and keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the mirrors.

Obviously you can use walkie talkie radios but you'll be tempted to grab it to ask a question and be distracted. Hands free, bluetooth in the truck, let's your buddy use a phone, talk to you and give you up to the second views of your out of site area.

MTPockets · Jan 28, 2015

We watched a back-in in the dark where the driver placed a lamp on the top of the power pole and one on the picnic table on the other side. This gave him light and markers on each side. He just stayed in between and it worked great.

olcoon · Jan 28, 2015

Bad thing about using a cell phone, is (at least for us) that not everyplace we camp has a cell signal. We use the walkie talkies & if I need to ask a question, I stop the truck then ask it.

Nabo · Jan 28, 2015

We had a hard-wired back up camera installed on the back of our new camper before we picked it up this year. Tremendous help! At night time one of us would stand on the drivers side in the back of the campsite with a flashlight shining under the face. It makes a great target to aim for looking in the side mirror at a ghost-looking face but it really works.

Lynn1130 · Jan 28, 2015

Radios work well when cell coverage is bad. When we have cell, like backing into the storage slot, my wife calls me, it comes in over Bluetooth on the stereo and I have handsfree while backing. And it does not snow much if at all at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Low elevation. It is as hot as Phoenix during the Summer

TravelTiger · Jan 28, 2015

We use iphones with our earbud/headsets to be hands-free and get the best sound quality, instead of being on speakerphone. I try to direct while Tony backs it. We have to "thread the needle" when backing into our driveway, between a brick mailbox, the driveway curb, a bush and a metal transformer box.... And don't hit the house or the AC surround, or back off the slab or hit the fence. (We are on a cul-de-sac, driveway is slightly uphill, is only one lane wide, and not at a true 90 from the street.) I think it took us an hour to get it backed in the very first time... But now we can do it in 2 minutes.

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OEFVET · Jan 29, 2015

As stated already, we found the cell phones with radio backup works best. Always have a backup.

Hastey · Jan 29, 2015

Back up until it sounds expensive then pull forward two feet.

Lynn1130 · Jan 29, 2015

Hahahaha

SeattleLion · Jan 29, 2015

teasac69 said:
I know most of you seasoned RV'rs don't need this type of advice, being able to back a 100 ft rig into a dog house at the bottom of the Grand Canyon, in a snowstorm.... BUT, for any of you guys that still get a bit of anxiety when you find yourself having to put your RV someplace tight or back it into a slot in the dark, etc., don't forget you have a handy communications tool at your finger tips: YOUR CELL PHONE. Have your traveling buddy get out and call you on their cell phone, then you can hear them alert you when you're getting into danger. Be sure to use your hands free talking on your truck Bluetooth or speaker phone on your telephone and keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the mirrors.

Obviously you can use walkie talkie radios but you'll be tempted to grab it to ask a question and be distracted. Hands free, bluetooth in the truck, let's your buddy use a phone, talk to you and give you up to the second views of your out of site area.

We both feel silly. We got walkie talkies and used them for the last two years. It never crossed our minds to use our phones. Boy do we feel dumb!

JohnD · Jan 29, 2015

SeattleLion said:
We both feel silly. We got walkie talkies and used them for the last two years. It never crossed our minds to use our phones. Boy do we feel dumb!

We tried the hand signals . . . the airport flag waving . . . the walkie talkies . . . and even the cell phone-bluetooth connection in the truck!

None really works any better than the other, in my opinion . . .

Last night I backed the trailer in it's rightful spot between the garage and the fence by myself in one try!

What I discovered with the bluetooth is that it didn't help much at all, yet the whole neighborhood could hear us crabbing in full stereo!

:angel:

OEFVET · Jan 30, 2015

SeattleLion said:
We both feel silly. We got walkie talkies and used them for the last two years. It never crossed our minds to use our phones. Boy do we feel dumb!

Don't feel that way, maybe your cell phone plan doesn't offer you this option.

Lynn1130 · Jan 30, 2015

Walkies come in handy for many things with RVing so it is not wasted money. We do alot of backwoods camping and although we try not to camp were there is no cell service sometimes it is spotty or on quad rides it just goes away so handhelds come in handy (pun not intended). Many times it is easier just to push a button and talk rather than make a call and wait to see if it works.

While riding quads I usually get the lead and my wife will drop back out of the dust. I will stop and wait every so often to be sure nothing went wrong on her ride but I have also found that throat mics with remote push/talk allow us to contact and keep both hands on the bars. Sorry, a little off topic but just to make a point.

SeattleLion · Jan 30, 2015

Lynn1130 said:
Walkies come in handy for many things with RVing so it is not wasted money. We do alot of backwoods camping and although we try not to camp were there is no cell service sometimes it is spotty or on quad rides it just goes away so handhelds come in handy (pun not intended). Many times it is easier just to push a button and talk rather than make a call and wait to see if it works.

While riding quads I usually get the lead and my wife will drop back out of the dust. I will stop and wait every so often to be sure nothing went wrong on her ride but I have also found that throat mics with remote push/talk allow us to contact and keep both hands on the bars. Sorry, a little off topic but just to make a point.

You're right. The walkies are invaluable. We did spend the extra 80 bucks to get an FCC license so we can use them on full power. The range is amazing.

teasac69 · Jan 30, 2015

Lynn1130 said:
Radios work well when cell coverage is bad. When we have cell, like backing into the storage slot, my wife calls me, it comes in over Bluetooth on the stereo and I have handsfree while backing. And it does not snow much if at all at the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Low elevation. It is as hot as Phoenix during the Summer

Sorry, what I meant to say was in the snow on the south rim as you back down the mule trail to the bottom on the Grand Canyon.

I can't believe the TALL TALE TELLERS aren't diving in here. Last time I mentioned anything about backing skills the stories came rushing in and made my head spin. Most of these old "salts" can drive better in their mirrors than most folks can out the windshield. All those old timers must be hibernating for the winter.

I know some rigs are easier than others to put in those tight spaces, some of you guys have rigs that require over length permits going down the highway; have to stop and eat a sack lunch walking to the back bumper to check your surroundings.

It is all about having as much fun as you can so we make our jokes, HOWEVER, even with all these gadgets and toys, nothing beats the old truckers safety motto G.O.A.L. (get out and look).

Travel safe, have fun, share your story so others can learn.

sengli · Jan 30, 2015

We use the walkies too. Had them from way back for other use, but now we use them for the RV thing only. My wife gets out and is my eyes back behind the rig as I back up. So if I back into anything, its not my fault entirely now!

boatto5er · Jan 30, 2015

teasac69 said:
Sorry, what I meant to say was in the snow on the south rim as you back down the mule trail to the bottom on the Grand Canyon.

I can't believe the TALL TALE TELLERS aren't diving in here. Last time I mentioned anything about backing skills the stories came rushing in and made my head spin. Most of these old "salts" can drive better in their mirrors than most folks can out the windshield. All those old timers must be hibernating for the winter.

I know some rigs are easier than others to put in those tight spaces, some of you guys have rigs that require over length permits going down the highway; have to stop and eat a sack lunch walking to the back bumper to check your surroundings.

It is all about having as much fun as you can so we make our jokes, HOWEVER, even with all these gadgets and toys, nothing beats the old truckers safety motto G.O.A.L. (get out and look).

Travel safe, have fun, share your story so others can learn.

OK - I admit it. I once drove all the way from Virginia to Myrtle Beach in reverse. Took a little longer than normal, but that was only because so many folks were stopping along the hiway to see the fool going down it with a 40 foot trailer backwards! (OK - I may have taken a little literary license with my description).

Kbvols · Jan 30, 2015

My dad a retired truck driver of 40 years taught me to back with just a few points. 1- get out and first see where you are backing into. 2- to the extent possible avoid backing in on the " blind side" 3- keep an eye on your tires as you are making the turn when backing. Rarely will I need the DW directing me with the cell when backing on the non-blind side...with that said it doesn't stop her from directing me thought. Thank God for volume control. The blind side is a different story the communication is helpful.

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Lynn1130 · Jan 30, 2015

KC7LB- That license gives me way more than enough power to talk miles and miles and miles

Actually, depending upon the band and the terrain you can talk some distance. What many people do not realize is that these claims of 25 - 35 miles talking is pretty much BS. At the power allowed for MURS and FRS you might get a couple of miles at best on open ground with no rise. In the trees you might get a mile or two of good clear signal, maybe. We use radios for hunting mostly and in thick forest it is pretty limited. A good antenna is worth it's weight but most of these radios you buy at Walmart do not have good antennas.

Basically, don't buy handhelds thinking you are going to talk 10 miles. It won't work.

OEFVET · Jan 31, 2015

Not if you have military grade handhelds.

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