We are horrible at backing into our site!!!

[martin2340]

Having driven a tractor Trailer for a living many years ago I learned the technique that SargeW described by setting yourself up using what I call the snake maneuver. Hug the side your site will be on, as you pass it turn your tow vehicle to the opposite side of the road until the back end of you TT is at the entrance to your site. Turn your steering wheel in the opposite direction that would do normally if you did not have a trailer and begin backing up. Your trailer should now be heading into your site. As you are backing up you will now need to start correcting your steering following your unit into your site. I f room allows pull forward to straighten out your combo and complete backin. Be patient as other have stated.
I also use orange cones if no spotter is available and will place chocks behind rear wheel where I want to stop.

 

[blw2]

I don't have any real-life campground experience yet, but I've been practicing parking my Class C in various places around the yard.  I'd love to trust my mirrors, but I don't really know what I'm looking at.  For me, what helps is just getting out of the motorhome and seeing where I am.  At first, I'd back up about 3 feet and then I'd get out and see where the back wheels are and look at the tracks and figure out exactly where I'm headed.  Now, I can back up about 15 feet at a time, and I'm learning to understand the mirrors.  I don't know if I can use this technique at a campground with people watching, but it sure works at home!

This is exactly what I was getting at in practicing in a parking lot.... lots of parallel lines you can use to get used to what you are seeing in the mirrors.

 

[decaturbob]

I haven't driven a big rig of any type since 1973 since I was in Air Force qualifying for their version of a CDL to transport our portable radar units. I did have a recent opportunity and granted this wasn't a backing into a space but I did have several obstacles with a narrow street in front of our house and a drive way that had a 9'-6" clearances and the RV is 8'-6" wide, city bus traffic and regular neighborhood traffic.  I viewed a couple youtube videos to refresh the "pivot point rule" for turning and  I literally obsessed the 3 hour drive back from Iowa where we bought it.  I pulled in ok on first try with my wife outside making sure I wasn't going to hit a brick planter on one corner of the drive and a small retaining wall on the other.  Its all about practice and understanding when and where to start your turn....either forward or backing in.  Now we haven't  pulled out yet as we are cleaning and provisioning our RV and getting our 2 cats used to it....but the obsession will come back pretty quickly.....

 

[ironrat]

All good info. One confusing thing is that looking in your mirrors requires a different in put from you than if you turn and look back, use the mirror and forget about looking back, listen to your spotter! 

 

[Bill N]

As somebody said, different ways to back depending on type of vehicle.  I have never had too much trouble but did find a valuable YouTube that gave me a general positioning to start a 90 degree backing of a motorhome.  Works every time.  My wife and I have had numerous discussions about how to guide me but she doesn't seem to want to use any signals.  She just stands back there (frequently goes out of mirror range) and does nothing until I am about to hit something.  So I get out and have a good look around and tell her to signal when I am in a certain position.  Sometimes that works. LOL

Somebody mentioned always keep your back wheels in view and in the direction you want to go.  This can result in disaster as the front of the coach swings  into that tree at the entrance to the parking site so also frequently take notice of your front surroundings too.  The one scrape on our coach reminds me of that.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

LOL!  The only damage I ever incurred backing up was because I got too focused on the back end and forgot the front. Broke the side view mirror on a tree that tried to jump into my driver side window! That was a shock I've never forgotten, and fortunately the lesson was not terribly expensive!

My wife isn't much for the hand signals either, but she likes giving verbal directions on a 2-way radio and we have agreed that she can say "your side" (driver side) or "my side" (passenger side), and that "OK" means I can keep moving and "Stop" is of course stop. And I don't move if I can't see her. And if I'm ever in doubt, I stop and go look myself. Having a mental picture of the site helps me stay comfortable with the directions I am getting. I usually get out and look it over it before I start.

 

[Tom and Margi]

Since I have always been left and right challenged, I'm delighted to hear someone else uses "your side" and "my side".  ;D  It certainly saved us from a lot of confusion over our traveling years.  We used FRS radios when backing.  I gave Tom very few directions.  He used the mirrors and I was mainly back there to keep him from hitting something he couldn't see.

 

[John From Detroit]

Well, I have directed many into the site.. Some understood the standard hand signals, Some got left and right reversed (So I simply reversed them)  I will describe those in a second.

Alas.. I have far too many years expierence backing trailers under conditions you would not believe (Grew up on a dairy farm) to be an expert at advice giving but I have read some books.. They have advice I do not use.. The main tip is to put your hands on the BOTTOM of the steering wheel, not the top as you normally do

And to go Right, Push Right,, Left, Left.  That may help a little
(Me I just put brain in reverse,, Usually works)

Now:  hand signals.. All use both hands. Make sure driver can see you

To ask him "More to the right"  Move hands in a sweeping motion from in front of you to the right
To ask "More to the left"  (YOu can guess this) Sweep to the left

To tell him he is straight and needs to come STRAIGHT back.. Hands in front of you, Palms facing each other, Move straight up and down (Like you are pointing to a set of rail road tracks)...

Come back.. Hold hands up in front of you palms facing you, "Come Hither" motiion

Pull forward:  Hold hands up palms facing Driver, PUSH motion

Stop: Arms crossed in front of chest like the bars on a RR crossing sign.

And as I said, if he moves wrong way on left/right,, Swap your signals...

First time I encountered these they made instant sense.. The understanding was total.. Never seen this set of hand signals before but there was NO WAY to misunderstand them save for "left/right" when backing a trailer.

Now.. When you back a 2 wheel trailer around an "S" curve ending between two bulidings so close together that there is not enough room to get past trailer if you are centered..... You have an idea of my Teenage years.

 

[Houston Remodeler]

But what to do if you tow only a scant few times a year ?

1- Breathe.
2- Realize you are in the majority.
3- Become one with your inability to precisely back-up a trailer the size of an aircfart carrier.
4- Release the anxiety when finished.
5- Drinking helps. No matter how the parking job went, reward yourself with a cocktail.

 

[Wilsonbubba]

Thanks, everyone, For your great ideas !  We have a 2005 Dutchman , 30 foot . We are excited to try out all your advice , and will let you know how we make out !

 

[Moebius]

Thanks, everyone, For your great ideas !  We have a 2005 Dutchman , 30 foot . We are excited to try out all your advice , and will let you know how we make out !

I am guessing this is a class A. We took a driver's confidence course where we bought our coach (class A) and part of the course was placing dots on the windshield (blindspot), the convex side mirrors, and both sides of the coach. The ones on the sides of the coach tell the co-pilot when to have the pilot stop and begin the turn away from the site. When the pilot only sees only half of the co-pilot in the mirror, the pilot stops the coach and begins the turn into the site, with the co-pilot giving hand signals, etc.

The instructor suggested that the male half let the female drive and back it in since usually the male gets the rig hooked up. I found that to be a little sexist, but their usual crowd are retirees, so it made sense. The very first time Amber backed into a camp site using this method, she did it perfectly. Seriously.

If you need additional details, I can scan and post some of the class materials that apply to this.

Amber just found a YouTube video from Lazydays, which is where we took our course.


The start of the video:
https://youtu.be/4CeThR_A4VI

Starts at the backing in section
https://youtu.be/4CeThR_A4VI?t=31m58s