How to Back Up a Trailer.

[Nerusulmulp]

Well MD you had me pretty excited until the ramp at the parking garage then Rick spit out the hook.

That said I would bet that is not that far away with proper sensors installed to a trailer for those who have trailer fright......

I have a confession I must toss out there. I have one trailer I never use because I just can not back it up!!! It is a short tongue, short wheel base - single axle - old yet very well constructed 'stock trailer'. To add to my confession my dad who built the said trailer seemed to back it anywhere he wanted to with great proficiency sort of like the VW Trailer Assist. My other trailers I back them all over pretty well with ease. But certainly not as good the the VW Trailer Assist......

[nicholasse60]

Short tongue and short wheelbase are difficult. I rebuilt and extended the tongue on my 4x8 utility trailer several years ago. Much nicer but I'm not as good as those VW engineers. That must have been a fun project to work on.

[Nikolairomb]

I put a cap on my truck and it has made my backing up skill look terrible when I used to put it right where I wanted it the first try!!!

[NobleCaban]

London's streets were set up for horse and cart livery service, the station wagons that ran from the rail depot into the city. One early motor delivery vehicle was a 3 wheeled tractor with a quick coupling and carts of roughly the same size as the old horsecart. They were close to a zero turn miniature tractor trailer, pretty neat. I think learning to back a hay wagon was about the most frustrating learning curve... I'm sure I'd have to turn the tractor around now http://countryplans.com/smf/Smileys/default/cheesy2.gif

[NikolayEa]

I tried my very first trailer a couple summers ago when I got a popup camper.
It is a lot harder than it looks.
I tried the mirror trick, holding the steering from the bottom instead of top, a few different "tricks" but nothing was really sank in or made it feel natural. I think the only advice I got that actually helped was to imagine you have the ball in your hand, and you are walking the trailer back (as if you are holding the weight). With this in mind, as you look back you tend to naturally know which way it needs to go. I am still no expert, and every time I get back from a trip it takes me 10 minutes to back into the perfect spot.

My friend's Dad is a truck driver, he said there are even truck drivers that suck at it, and when they get to the port in New Jersey they pay someone to back up their trucks so that don't have to. Not sure if they have someone there just for that or what... sounds funny.