?People, for whatever reason, are more curteous to our RV than to our cars. Wonder why that is. ?
I like to think it is ?intuitive physics? ? they realize that if they hit something that big, it is not going to go well for them.
Well, not really. People in Boston were very nice when I took a long wheel base tractor and 53? trailer through the Financial District?, or the time I took the same rig through the ancient, narrow streets of Toledo Ohio. People un parked cars, backed up, tried to give directions, and did everything they could to help. I think it is because they realized I was the one person in 50 miles that LEAST wanted to be there.
I remember them with great fondness. Folks feel like they are part of the adventure when they help out, I think.
Backing can be intimidating, but it just a process of going slow and looking at what you are doing. 18 wheelers have a slogan, GOAL, or Get Out And Look. A very good friend offered to let me park my 40? coach in his back yard, a very tight place to get in to. He and I got to yelling at each other, so the next time I did it by myself. Took me maybe thirty-forty minutes to go about 25 yards. You will see that the rig rotates around the rear wheel when the front wheels are turned. As you work your way into a tight area, you may realize you have to move the rear wheels laterally (sideways) a few feet or a few inches to get where you want to go, and that may mean pulling up into a spot you left twenty minutes ago, just to scoot over a little. Look your route over, identify pinch points like a low wall, lights that stick out from the garage, soft dirt that may sink you, prized flower beds, all that. The trick is to just go a few feet, set the brake, get out, see how you are doing, then ease back a little further. You are more likely to tear something up the second or third time you do it because you think you know how to do it. Word to the wise, don?t ask me how I know.
Drive your own rig, don?t let anyone push you into a situation you are not comfortable in ? take the attitude they will just have to wait. Wives and friends want to help, and I try to tell people to just yell when they see I am going to crunch something. They mean well but do not know as much as I do about driving it. Or think I know, anyway.