walkie talkies vs cell phone

JoelP said:

Do they still hold the Blue Ox contest where one of the pair backs up the rig with a blindfold through an obstacle course while the other provides voice guidance?  This would like to se.

Click to expand...

I saw that at a Winnebago GNR a few years ago. The winners (male driving female backing him up with a walkie talkie) did it in about 30 seconds. You could tell the couple had a lot of practice. No one came close to that time.

My wife can but usually does not drive the motorhome. Our technique is very simple. By making a circular motion, I can direct her to turn steering wheel right or left, and by half or quarter circle how much.
With both hands I can push back or pull forwards. Both hands waving means stop. Baseball "safe" means we are parked. If she cannot see me or is not sure, she stops.

I travel solo so I can actually back up an RV by myself.

So Tom, when you're at the rear of your RV giving hand signals, do you use a brick on the gas pedal or do you use the stick-wedge method?

Kev

The Queen is a determined woman that does what she pleases.
Hand signals are useless.
She'll back into that tree if she d*** well feels like it.  ;D ;D

Yeah the whole left-brain, right-brain man/woman communication thing can kick in with a vengeance during the RV backing process. When it does, there's usually only one hand signal used. Of course, I'm not necessarily speaking from personal experience.

Kev

NO !! NO !! Your OTHER left !!

Hmmmmm. How come the wives never get to back up and park in the sites

Click to expand...

I almost always do the parking with Jerry directing where he wants me to put the thing so he is aligned with the hookups.  When we first started RVing oh so many years ago he informed me that he was not going to do all the driving so, if I wanted to RV, then I had just better learn how to drive it.  Which I did.  We've always split the driving and these days stop about every hour, walk around, and change drivers.

When we got our first DP we took the Dick Reed's Driving School course.  Even though we both had been driving our motorhomes for many years we still learned some good tips, including how to back up effectively.

As to using the backup monitor sound system, it just doesn't work for us.  The rear diesel engine is so loud Jerry couldn't hear me over the noise.  For that matter, I couldn't hear him either so we don't bother with it.  Ron Ruward taught us to use the same hand signals pilots use after one of our less-than-stellar attempts at backing communications.  :

ArdraF

My bil always directs my sil (wife's sister) when backing stuff up. She never looks back or in the mirrors. She watches the front corners and just listens to him. By herself, she couldn't back up hardly anything, but listening to him and following his directions, she could park a full size mobile home.

ArdraF said:

As to using the backup monitor sound system, it just doesn't work for us.  The rear diesel engine is so loud Jerry couldn't hear me over the noise.  For that matter, I couldn't hear him either so we don't bother with it.  Ron Ruward taught us to use the same hand signals pilots use after one of our less-than-stellar attempts at backing communications.  :

ArdraF

Click to expand...

I never thought about the sound of the diesel being an issue, but this is is a good point.  I will need to teach my wife those standard hand signals rather than the ones she uses.  I had someone using them when I backed into a particularly narrow space with an especially narrow access road and I sure appreciated knowing exactly what he wanted me to do.

We never owned walkie-talkies, but for a while used cell phones. They were handy because with the speakerphone setting it was hands-free for the driver, and full-duplex (you can still hear the other person even while you're talking).
Eventually though, we found that voice directions can be confusing and imprecise, so we developed a system based on a small set of hand signals, a clear division of responsibilities and a pre-movement plan.
A typical back-in goes like this:

• Pull past the entrance to the campsite and stop.
• 
  Both people get out and walk the intended path.
• 
  Driver points out to spotter the track the trailer wheels will follow. They both discuss where the back of the trailer should stop and how the hookups will be positioned. Potential problems like low branches, picnic tables, etc. are noted and discussed.
• 
  Driver returns to tow vehicle and begins the process, paying attention to keeping the trailer wheels on the previously-planned track while also watching the spotter, who ALWAYS maintains a position to keep the driver's face visible in a side mirror.
• 
  It's the spotters job to watch for errant pedestrians or other problems. It's the driver's job to keep the trailer wheels on the intended track.
• 
  Spotter does not make any signals except, if necessary, "Stop". No waving, no comments, no suggestions, no instructions. The spotter is a spotter, not a second driver.
• 
  If the spotter signals "stop", the driver says nothing and waits for spotter to signal either "resume" or "come look".
• 
  During the final few feet spotter holds their hands apart, bringing them closer to each other to indicate distance to the final stopping point, then gives the "stop" signal at the appropriate time.

Works every time. No arguments, and not very entertaining for the neighbors.

Off hand I can't recall a time I needed a spotter to park our coach. If I can't back in and park it where I want it, I probably shouldn't be driving it. In my view, if I did feel the need for a spotter, than agreed on exaggerated hand signals would be my preference over any electronic means of communication. If you're not confident in your ability to assess a site from the driver's seat, then GOAL (Get Out And Look)!

This Long Long Honeymoon video talks about radios vs cell phones plus stuff about signals and backing in. Its specific to a trailer but the ideas are the same for anything.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzlOfBGr1i4

Although we have cell phones - we tend to grab the FRS radios when working with the coach (backing it up, doing "light checks" after hooking up the toad, etc.)  We also use the FRS radios when we're around the campground.  When they're not in use - they sit in the "base station / charger" that is museum puttied to the decorative counter that runs along the wall in the living room slide.  We leave the radios "ON" when they're sitting in the base station.  if either of us happen to step out to walk up to the campground office, wander around the campground, go to the pool, etc. - we grab a radio. 

We prefer the radios to our cell phone for this purpose.  When we're traveling - we've both learned to pretty much ignore our cell phones unless we're expecting a call - and instead follow up on any missed calls at our convenience - using either the phone's call log and/or voice messages.  The radios on the other hand are always on - somebody can be anywhere in the coach - and hear the incoming message without having to get up and get the radio.  We use them when we stop to fuel (DW often goes in - while I fuel and move the coach) - as well as when we're shopping and wander off in different directions.

We find that the radios are more reliable than cell phones when we're just hanging out and within radio range.  No missing attempted contacts because somebody inadvertently had their cell phone muted.  No having to screw around with unlocking the phone, etc.  No issues with cell connectivity inside buildings. 

satxron said:

Before I had a backup camera I used to carry one of those orange highway cones. I would get out and put it exactly on the drivers side corner where I wanted to stop. Then I would line up and back with my left mirror until my bumper tilted the cone back. I stopped, got out, put the cone away, done. Best spotter I ever had.

Then one day I was backing into the driveway and my wife was in my mirror waving that hand mumback, mumback fast motion then she raised her hand to stop just as I hit the garage roof with the ladder. First thing I thought was where are the hand signals she knows to use. Second thing I thought was how much I missed my cone.

Click to expand...

Good news: Cone doesn't shop and spend money.
Bad news: Cone doesn't cook and do laundry.

My choice for this was a  handheld CB radio ($15 used on ebay, plus another $7 of AA batteries), the reasoning is I have a CB in the coach, which is there in case of emergencies in areas with poor cell coverage, also it has a weather alert feature in case of bad weather.  With the handheld CB there is no time lag like with cell phones, no worry about is there signal, and it is cheap.

NY_Dutch said:

Off hand I can't recall a time I needed a spotter to park our coach.  If I can't back in and park it where I want it, I probably shouldn't be driving it.

Click to expand...

Completely agree, and when traveling alone the lack of a spotter is not a problem. But a lesson learned from 40+ years of marriage and 30+ years of flying is that when you have crew available, you use them. The trick is to use them in a way that makes the experience better for everyone.

PopPop51 said:

Completely agree, and when traveling alone the lack of a spotter is not a problem. But a lesson learned from 40+ years of marriage and 30+ years of flying is that when you have crew available, you use them. The trick is to use them in a way that makes the experience better for everyone.

Click to expand...

I do agree with you, but with 53+ years of marriage and a "crew" with health issues that often prevent her from assisting, I've found it's good that I know how to do everything RV related unaided. And I still say a driver should be fully capable of operating and parking his or her vehicle unaided anyway. All it takes is a willingness to learn and practice until they know their equipment and how it performs. Thousands of truckers park large, long vehicles in tight spots every day, and there's no reason we can't do the same.