"Backin up" Signals........PLEASE HELP MY BLOOD PRESSURE!!!!!

[lduguay]

We have been out 2x's in our new fiver. Each an "experience" all its own!!

I've read lots of post on backing up......"hold the wheel at bottom...", "use mirrors", "survey the site", "arrive while still light outside".....etc.........All GREAT suggestions!! My BP issue is this one....."have someone behind you....use radio".

The first time out we were delayed in traffic, arrived after dark (not one of the suggestions).....Sooooo, like good newbies, I have my DearW behind the fiver, after explaining where we need to be positioned........here is what she says over radio...."OK, now come THIS way".......not a lot of help IN THE DARK!!!!

TODAY we are taking the camper to a BIG parking lot to PRACTICE with the radios.....here are my questions:

WHAT verbal signals do you use?

If pulling past your site, (site on drivers side), where do you position truck prior to backing up...right/left/center of road? Different tips for site on passenger side?

I really HAVE to get this figured out before the NC Rally next weekend......Terry (NC Chapter leader) said something about rally members having "Olympic Score Cards" for arriving campers!!!! Gotta LOVE THAT!!!!

Thanks!!!!

 

[TXBobcat]

We have had a number of posts on this subject. You might try to do a search on backing. However here is a post I made to a thread Backing your trailer. Read the entire thread to get various opinions.

Each of us have to find a way that is comfortable for us. Be careful about standing behind the trailer, you might have to order a new bride if you squash her.

BC

 

[truknutt]

Ha Ha, this is the true test of your relationship!! We went through the same "process" & "compromised" (didn't hear that in the old wedding vows, did ya?).

If DW faces the rear of the rig and you're sitting in the driver's seat facing front, then her left is your left! Ground guide talks, driver listens. Try to have her stay in your mirror; if she can't see your face, then you can't see her! It's definitely a team effort.

As far as the actual mechanics of backing, I have the ground guide stand near the spot where I want my trailer tires to pivot; this helps with the aiming process especially on the passenger's side.

When checking your site before backing, remember to look up for any overhead obstacles or hanging branches; they wreak havoc on a rubber roof.

Good idea on the parking lot 'cause these Heartland Owners are rough (but good natured) when it comes to parking & setting up your site!!

 

[kakampers]

I was taught how to back our trailer by a good friend, who showed me how to get it backed in, usually in one shot...here are some of the main things he taught me...

1 - back from driver's side whenever possible
2 - position your rig somewhere between the middle of the road and the side that the site is on...leave the other side of the road for swing room of your truck
3 - pull forward enough to have your truck straight with your trailer
4 - back straight toward the site watching your trailer wheels, NOT the end of the trailer
5 - aim the rear tire of the trailer for the edge of the parking spot on your side, and approximately 4 feet before it reaches that point, start to cut the tail of the trailer toward your side. This will begin the process of pivoting the trailer into the site.
6 - Do not oversteer...when the trailer wheels have half-way cleared the pivot start point, bring the wheel back and start to chase the trailer into the site. Do not be afraid to pull forward and straighten up to the trailer as many times as necessary.
7 - Remember, small corrections...they are easier to adjust then large over corrections.
8 - For the passenger's side entry - everything is the same, but your spotter should be able to understand the above and instruct you when you reach these points...OR, what I like to do...adjust my passenger mirror downward so I can see the tires on that side, and have the spotter watch the driver's side and the rear of the rig.
9 - As for verbal instructions...we seldom use them as we never park at night...but if we did, try "tail toward driver's side" or "tail toward passenger side"...meaning the tail of the trailer, which tells you which way you need to turn the wheel.

Hope this helps...Kathy

 

[jbeletti]

Lance,

While I have no great ideas for you, I had to tell you your thread made me smile. My wife is smart as a whip but helping me into a site is not her strong suit. Radios, hand signals - nothing really works. So I favor pull-throughs and when I can't get one, I walk the site before backing into it.

When I need Nancy to help me, I have her focus on one thing only, "don't let me back over anything". By not worrying about side to side or how straight I am, just not letting me go too far back or hit anything in back (trees, power peds, walls etc.), it works better. The one piece of advice I remind Nancy of is "if you can't see my face in the truck mirrors, I can't see you either". So when she is gone from view, I simply stop. She figures it out after a bit and relocates.

Now with the new RV, I have the factory backup camera and it also has sound. We've yet to have a back-in site on our new full-timing adventure, but I'm sure it will come in handy soon enough.

If Pete F is coming to the NC rally, he will thank you for taking over as "the judged one" It's all in fun. See you in NC.

Jim

 

[rick_debbie_gallant]

Here is all you have to do:

1. Drive up to your site, park in the middle of the road just past your site.
2. Grab two, ice-cold adult beverages from the fridge.
3. Go back to the truck, stand next to it and say to the "judges": "I know that all of you never had any problems backing in you first time. I have a beer for me and one for the best backer in person here, so step up and get er done!!."

The other thing you can do is show up at 0 dark 30 and set up. Folks should be in bed, but not for long!

 

[JohnDar]

Although we use radios, I have the wife stand at the rear of the rig, off to the side, and use arm signals. Point in the direction the end of the trailer needs to go. Or wave me straight back. Our seasonal site forces me to back in on the passenger side, so I survey the spot, tell her where I want to be and have at it. Usually doesn't result in a Maalox moment.

As a precaution, if you run into backing into a site in the dark, get a flashlight or two with the plastic wands on them, like you see at the airport. Or a couple of Star Wars light sabres.

As a drivers training instructor for the FD, I teach the kiddies how to back up a large vehicle using full arm motions. I've been known to stop the truck, get out and dress down FF's for just pointing with a finger. Or I point at them with one of mine.

 

[katkens-DW]

I have to say when Kenny is backing up if I stand where he can see me then I can't see the right side of the trailer. We use our cell phones to talk or yell which ever!! I have to keep and eye on the right side cause there is a telephone pole there which we have almost hit with the cap so I do watch it. My thing is why does he need to see me when I am talking to him all the time. He can see the house it's the right side we can't see. We always get it done some times it's easy and sometimes it's hard but in 5 years we have never hit any thing so I guess we are doing good.

 

[porthole]

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Unless the space is wide open I always get out and look first.
I figure out where I want to be and will get there without directions.
I want my spotter to only tell me if I will be hitting something or going off the pad etc.
Don’t forget to look up too.

If I cannot see the spotter in the mirror I do not move. Radios or signals whatever - no face in the mirror - no move, they figure it out.

I will let the spotter know where I want the trailer tire and will take some direction but usually try to get it where I want without the extra help.

My job has me driving 70-75,000 pound 40+ foot long FD ladder trucks.
We absolutely are prohibited from backing up without a backup person (although it doesn't stop some people).

This might help you too. I do not back up until the person in on the left rear corner and I can see him in the mirror. I will not back up if that person is on the passenger side, in the mirror or not (usually not a normal partner)

Radios, yelling and hand signals are useless at a fire scene.
My backup will move to where he wants the left rear corner of the truck.
I just follow his lead.

He goes out of sight I stop - he doesn't come back into the drivers mirror - I pull the air brakes.

You would be wise to go practice. A gravel lot may ease some scuffing of the tires if you plan on a lot of practice.
Practice can’t hurt, after all – when you were 17 you practiced for your drivers test, no?

Out of all of this though, I think the most important item is – if you can’t see the person in the mirror you stop.

 

[Willym]

We use radios. My wife stands at the rear and directs me to put the rear of the trailer to "my side" or "your side". If she says "my side", then the bottom of the wheel goes to passenger side. If she says something out of whack like "turn the wheels the other way" I just stop. I also like to walk the site first and if possible back in so that I am on the inside and can see the port side of the trailer.

 

[slmayor]

Eye contact and clear hand signals. Really big hand signals. Most important is the one that is a clear "stop" signal. For us, it is just like the traffic policeman's hand up, stopping oncoming traffic. He doesn't move until I motion again. He also doesn't move unless he can see me in a mirror. I'm the person on the ground and lining us up, he's the driver. Because of a lot of after hours arrivals, we try to be as quiet as possible, which is no talking, including yelling into a radio. If it's really dark, I walk up to the driver's window, tell him where he needs to aim for, and stand there with a flashlight pointed at the ground where the wheels need to stop. Sometimes, we both have to walk the site to decide where we want it.

It might help if you let her try to back up in an easy site, so she can see what you see when you're sitting in the drivers seat. I know several couples on here have the wife back and the husband direct. I can back if I have to, but I really don't like it and it takes me a long time. You'll eventually find a system you're comfortable with. 2 times out might be a little opimistic... LOL

 

[Duramax1]

One of the most important things when backing up is properly setting up the turn before you start to back in.

If backing to the left, pull up (and stop) on left side of the road. After a few tries you will figure out where the stop point is. For me and the Sundance, the stop point is when the front of the basement compartment reaches the right hand side of the entrance to the rv site.

After reaching this point, then turn hard right, and pull forward. Go as far as possible to the right side of the road. Then turn hard left, and pull forward until the trailer rear is pointed at the entrance of the camp site.

Then stop. At this point the rv maybe already pointing to the entrance of the rv site. If not, turn the steering wheel to the right, and begin backing in.

This maneuver gets the rear of the trailer pointed in the right direction before starting to back in. And it gives the front end of your truck room on the left side to swing the front end around.

If you need to back in on the blind side, just do the opposite as above.

I have seen this maneouver being taught by professional driving schools on the internet and I have found that it works well for me.

If it is not apparent to you from the description, what the manouver does is essentially put your truck and trailer in the same position they would be if you were exiting from your rv site.

 

[rebootsemi]

I drove over the road for years and got real practiced at backing big rigs so when we got the 5'er it was no problem. I used to say I could always tell when a tractor had power steering as the front of the rig was all over the place.
Drive up to the site, get yourself out of the truck and walk and look where you want to end up and always make sure you LOOK UP. Next most important is the setup, 2nd most important is to keep your eyes moving, meaning keep checking both side mirrors and what is going on around you "DO NOT JUST STARE AT ONE SPOT" because you will hit something with the trunk.
Go to a big parking lot that has lines in it and just practice, practice, practice. Practice from both sides, one thing I learned early in my trucking life was that "IF YOU ARE NOT SURE GET OUT AND GO LOOK"
It's only backing not a IRS audit.

 

[lduguay]

I LOVE THIS FORUM!!!!!!

SLMayor..........I Love my wife......behind the wheel, I DONT THINK SO!!!! Getting her there would be the biggest challenge!!

BC....oh, I have searched, read and reread.....just looking for "fresh" ideas and everyones suggestions/tip are awesome!

Jim, no tellin what Terry has planned for me at the Rally.....so if I get a 3 on the scoring I will be happy

I think the best "suggestion" was the "adult beverage" angle......we do not partake, but I think this just might be worth a trip to the store!!!

THANKS ALL for the responses......gotta go PRACTICE NOW!!!!
(after that I might NEED the "adult beverage"!!)

Lance

 

[2010augusta]

The way I have always visualized backing any trailer is, the trailer will go the same way as the back side of the steer tires. in more words if the wheels are turned to the right (as in making a forward moving right turn) the back of the wheels are pointed to the left, and that means that the back of the trailer will try to point to the left too.

 

[FARMER45]

The first thing i do,, is send my dw on a walk to the far end of the camp ground, when she gets back, we are parked, and still speaking

 

[branson4020]

The first thing i do,, is send my dw on a walk to the far end of the camp ground, when she gets back, we are parked, and still speaking

A wise man.

 

[vesteroid]

I am totally new to the forum, but have been driving trucks and trailers all my adult life.

We (my wife and I) started with a bass boat where she had to back it into the water so I could run the boat. I took her out on a winter weekend and had her practice putting the boat in the water about 29 times.

The trick in my opinion is to have whomever is helping you to stand in view of the mirror and learn how to move to stay in view of the mirror and to point left and right. use LARGE hand signals that are easy to see such as waving back, or stop with the entire arm vs a finger or two. holding the arm completely pointing left or right, vs again just a finger. Make sure they stay out of the way of the trailer, and move from side to side if they cant see (an obsticle for instance). Make sure they can see the mirror, if they cant, you cant see them.

now for the driving part, you can say move the wheel this way to go that way all you want, you have to get in there and do it to learn. Its much more than just which way you turn the wheel, its WHEN you turn the wheel if you are going to make the turn. my best advice is to "drive" the trailer, not the truck, in other words look at where the rear of that trailer is going and adjust your steer to match your desired direction.

Good luck, and practice makes perfect (especially in an empty parking lot)

 

[Ray LeTourneau]

I haven't tried this with my wife yet because I can normally get the rig where ever I want it to go. When we were workkamping in CA, one of my responsibilities was to help guide rigs into sites. After I got the driver set in position to start backing in, I would stand right next to the drivers window facing the rear. I would tell him to turn his wheels to the right and start backing up, while watching his trailers position and adjusting his turn as he was backing, the hardest part was to gain the confidence of the driver and making sure he was turning the steering wheel in the right direction. As he was backing in, I would walk along side and continue to talk him back.

Backing in the big 45ft. pushers was a piece of cake. Nice tight turning radius.

If a guest didn't want our help, I would stand back and make sure he didn't do any damage to his coach or the parks property. I received a lot of thanks from the wives.

 

[Bobby A]

Well, this would be a good topic for a seminar at the national rally. I know I might be a marked man by saying this, but I have a hard time backing also. some times easier than other. I find it very offensive and disrespectful when you have a bunch of people standing around watching and taken bets if your gonna hit something or how long it takes for you to get in. The camp grounds we stay at in Fl. has extremely small sites and the first time I had to back into my site, I got out of the truck and made a loud comment so the people could hear me, and they kinda dispursed. The RV life style has many good people and would do anything to help an RV'er in need of help. so when you see me pull in at the rally, please just come over and ask if I need any help, you might just gain a friend over it. JMHO