“Back it Up Terry”
Towing Tips for Reverse Trailering
As winter fades into spring many of you will break out your travel trailer and escape into the wilderness. Whether you are pulling a massive fifth-wheel or a tiny teardrop trailer even experienced drivers will admit that trailering in reverse can be less than pleasant. Anyone that has spent any time in a campground or at the lake on a sunny day has been educated (and entertained) by some poor reverse-trailering techniques. We have some useful guidance and relevant tips to keep your anxiety low and your escapades off YouTube.
1. Mental Shift
One of the biggest challenges when backing up a trailer is simply making the mental shift in your brain. When reversing a trailer, you do the complete opposite of what your brain is conditioned to do. If you want your trailer to go left, you turn your steering wheel to the right and vice versa. It helps if you realize that your vehicle and your trailer are two independent components. As you reverse your vehicle is nudging the trailer in the opposite direction.
2. Steering Wheel Grip
In a reverse trailering situation, the old “ten and two” goes out the window. Starting with your hand at the six o’clock position on the bottom of your steering wheel is one of the best tips for successfully maneuvering backward. This way as you move your hand left, your trailer will go left and vice versa.
3. Proper Equipment
Your equipment matters! First and foremost, make sure that you have the proper hitch installed to safely tow whatever it is that you are towing. Hitches are not one-size-fits all. If your truck did not come equipped with one, consider installing a backup camera. This will give you another set of “eyes” to avoid obstacles. If they did not come OEM, you should also consider upgrading to extended tow mirrors. These quickly mount to your existing side mirrors and add 5 – 7.5 inches to your mirror greatly reducing blind spots.
4. Have a Spotter
No one needs an audience in a stressful situation, but reverse trailering is best done with a helper. A good spotter will stand at the back of the trailer and guide you using hand signals and terms such as “driver” and “passenger” instead of “right” and “left.”
5. Go Slow
Parking your trailer is not a race. Hasty and abrupt movements can quickly become the chaos we have all seen on social media. Stay calm, breathe and don’t let anyone waiting for you get you worked up or cause you to rush.
6. Practice, Practice, Practice
This goes for anyone but especially if you are new to trailering. Go to a large open parking lot and practice backing into different spaces and aiming at different landmarks. This will help you get comfortable with how your particular vehicle and trailer work together.
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