Backing into a tight 90 degree opening?

[mhays]

We have had our 3795 (40ft overall) for a year now and we love it. I have pulled a lot of different trailers over the years and the size does not bother me. If I have an inch on either side, I can usually get there…

However, this weekend we're going to a friend's house. His driveway is exactly 90 degrees off of the road and there's a gate. We also have a truck-camper and had (before the Cyclone) an 18' box trailer. That was no small set-up and I could make it. We have a mutual friend with a 30"+ tow-behind trailer and he's done it.

Knowing the driveway, etc… I'm afraid my Cyclone will cheat-in too much and clip the inside corner of the turn (gate post). Here is my question: It seems to me I might be better off to back in and it seems like that would eliminate the cheating-in issue? Has anyone else ever tried this?

Thanks in advance, Mike.

 

[Invizatu]

Never tried it, but I think you might be right. Either way seems a little tricky. I'm sure a professional trucker would know and might chime in.
Be sure to take video and post, might be a good learning experience. You could always set up a practice scenario in a large parking lot somewhere and give it some trys and practice both ways to see which is best. Good Luck!

 

[jnbhobe]

Its hard for me to say without seeing the driveway.If you have enough room on the street that may be the easy way to get in the driveway. I do a lot of winter storage and have 2 4x4 broncos and a jitney with 3in pipe connectors mounted on the front for 5th wheel pins to fit in. and class3 hitches. Sure does make it easy to manuver tight turns and pushing trailers into parking spots.

 

[57chevyconvt]

Not sure about 5th wheel trailers, but back in my former life as a design engineer, we had to be careful in designing a road turning radius for trailer trucks that had to back into a loading or unloading spot. You can back a big rig into a location that cannot be extracted by forward movement. The turning radius for pulling forward is greater than that of backing into a location.

 

[truknutt]

Wow, this would be interesting to watch. For me, there are to many unknown variables. How wide is the street? How wide is the gate and how close is it to the street? Are there trees, mailboxes to contend with?

Pulling in: To compensate for the "cheat-in", I'd think you have to get as far right (turning left into the driveway) as possible watching the tailswing and the aforementioned trees, mailboxes, etc. and drive 'past the driveway and then turn back into it. You have to get the pivot point of your trailer as far forward and lined up with the edge of the driveway as possible. On my shorter Cyclone 3210 and '09 F-450 setup, the pivot point is between the 2nd & 3rd axles.

Backing in: Still have to know where your pivot point is and you have to watch the tailswing (basic backing procedures that you already know).

I own a 2003 F350 C/C LB and its turning radius SUCKS! It just doesn't "kick" the front of the Cyclone as quickly as my 450 in slow-mo manuevering because of the 450's wider front end geometry.

Either way, whichever way you chose, it would be great to view the video if for no other reason than to provide an excellent "teaching opportunity".

Good luck!

 

[hoefler]

There are a lot of variables to this equation. But, if I understand the situation, I would drive as far as I can on the opposite side of the turn to get as much distance as I can, start the turn a little late as to over shoot the turn, this will get the trailer as far over as possible to get a straight shot at the gate. Then back up and jack knife the trailer as you do, then pull forward to make the turn. This usually will work most of the time for me. Every rig is different, you just need to practice and give it a try. My truck is 24' long, all hitched up, we are a little over 57' long, I have stuck our 40' Landmark where some have said it couldn't be done.

 

[lwmcguir]

If you are backing/turning 90 degrees on hard surfaces you ran a high risk of bending spring hangers.

 

[TwoGypsies]

Your truck wheelbase and available space on the opposite side of the street could make you or break you. My brother wanted us to back into his rural driveway this past summer. It is narrow with very deep ditches. There is about 15 feet of pasture available on the other side of the road so maybe we could have done it, but the deal breaker was the blind hill with people coming over at 50 mph. We found a campground nearby.....

 

[mhays]

Thanks to all of you for your thoughts. I'll have the wife take a video and will post it next week, regardless of the outcome.

 

[camr]

The fact that a gate is involved adds another dimension to the problem. The swing of the rear corners from the pivot point of the axles can make a "do-able" turn into an impossible one. Way back in my highway hauling days we would slide the trailer bogies all the way back to eliminate the tail swing, but that ian't an option. I would sugest a spotter, a set of walkie talkies, and no alcohol until it is happily parked.

 

[JohnDar]

The fact that a gate is involved adds another dimension to the problem. The swing of the rear corners from the pivot point of the axles can make a "do-able" turn into an impossible one. Way back in my highway hauling days we would slide the trailer bogies all the way back to eliminate the tail swing, but that ian't an option. I would sugest a spotter, a set of walkie talkies, and no alcohol until it is happily parked.

Or copious quantities of it in case it isn't.

 

[lwmcguir]

We had a coach with an axle issue. The first thing said at the dealers and from Lippert was that you must have made a 90 degree turn on dry pavement. That wasn't the case, however I changed out the axles and suspension to fix the axle problem. Still have the light weight spring hangers as you all do, so I will never slide the wheels on pavement unless it is absolutely necessary. Don't think twice about it with the stock or flat beds as they have 3/8 inch or heavier hangers. If you take a look at Torsion axles (we have a bunch) they really have the best way of mounting to minimize problems.