First Tow

Chris Callanan · October 28, 2019

Took the Boy Scouts camping this week... first time towing with the SLT... the 5.3 barely blinked... Can't say the same for my back up skills.... I need practice, lots of it.

Moend · October 29, 2019

Hold the steering from the bottom middle and steer like you are steering the trailer back wheels that usually work good for practicing. We all didn't know how to do it patience and continuous small correction will goes long way.

HeySkippyDog · October 29, 2019

With that hand at the bottom of the wheel, whichever direction you push your hand, that's the direction the trailer will go.

Once the trailer is "aimed" where it needs to be going, THEN make the necessary corrections to maneuver the truck as needed. If the trailer starts turning a direction you don't want, straighten up the truck's front wheels and put your hand at the bottom of the wheel again, and make the correction to the trailer.

I will echo the sentiment that nobody just knows how to back a trailer on day 1, it's an acquired skill that takes a lot of time. It isn't easy, so don't believe anybody who tells you it is. The advice given so far is sound. Some people advance and can just move past the whole 6:00 hold technique. I am not one of them.

I have been driving full size pickups and SUVs for 16 years, and some locations I've backed trailers have been downright challenging as hell. Just stick to the advice, use the 6:00 hold on the wheel and you'll get it. Have somebody spot you if you need extra eyes.

Don't give up!

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BigBadSierra · October 29, 2019

This was the first time this truck pulled my 33 Ft trailer for our October outting. This is the overflow parking lot at Grog's pub and grill. I backed it in from the almost full main parking lot into the small overflow lot. It looks like I have allot of room but the only way in is to back through the single lane entry way around all of the cars. LOL

L86 All Terrain · October 29, 2019

Use your mirrors, don't be one of those guys that looks out the back window. When you get in a class 8 one day you wont have a back window. 1/4 turns on the wheel, counter back before your at a 45ish degree angle or you wont get it back without pulling forward. Once you master it, try a set of B-trains and you get to learn all over and its 10 times as hard, your steering is reversed again. The longer the trailer/more axles, the easier it gets. Little single axle snowmobile trailers are the worst.

Chris Callanan · October 29, 2019

1 hour ago, L86 All Terrain said:

Use your mirrors, don't be one of those guys that looks out the back window.

Interesting - my wife, who is considered the local expert in backing up the bass boat (been doing so since before she had a drivers license!) says "don't use the mirrors, look back over your shoulder"

She was the one who backed it into the spot in the picture above .... I brought it back to our storage location and it only took me 15 minutes to get it parked back on the pad properly......

garagerog · October 29, 2019

X 3 on the snowmobile trailers!

L86 All Terrain · October 29, 2019

15 minutes ago, Chris Callanan said:

Interesting - my wife, who is considered the local expert in backing up the bass boat (been doing so since before she had a drivers license!) says "don't use the mirrors, look back over your shoulder"

She was the one who backed it into the spot in the picture above .... I brought it back to our storage location and it only took me 15 minutes to get it parked back on the pad properly......

Looking out the back window is easy to control the direction of the trailer, the problem is you cant see your wheels on the trailer or your truck's front end. I like to watch my trailers wheels and see down low to look for objects like kids, bikes, nearby cars, ditches that you could potential swing the front end of the truck into. When you watch the mirrors, you can monitor the control of the tow vehicle and trailer at the same time, when you flip round to stare out the back, you're paying no attention to the tow vehicle or it's front end. My class 8 trucks have motorized mirrors so you manipulate the mirror as you back 90 degrees into a logging road in order to see the back end of the 53' trailer. Only my winch tractor has a back window. I consider it cheating, and slightly less safe so I teach all the young driver apprentices that I hire to learn it that way in a pick up before they graduate to a aggregate truck or large tractor trailer. Getting too easy with all these cameras and sensors, Ford even has a dumby dial to reverse your steering to normal when backing up. Its not hard, just takes 10 tows of practice and you'll be a pro.

Chris Callanan · October 29, 2019

12 minutes ago, L86 All Terrain said:

just takes 10 tows of practice and you'll be a pro.

Yeah, I figured once we can actually get to the boat, I'll take it out to the Mall parking lot or something and just spend a few hours backing up

BlancoSilverado · October 29, 2019

1 hour ago, Chris Callanan said:

Interesting - my wife, who is considered the local expert in backing up the bass boat (been doing so since before she had a drivers license!) says "don't use the mirrors, look back over your shoulder"

She was the one who backed it into the spot in the picture above .... I brought it back to our storage location and it only took me 15 minutes to get it parked back on the pad properly......

A boat yes, i look over the shoulder. large trailer i use the mirrors, what i do is that i straighten out and when i see the trailer in the mirror i dont want i turn the steering wheel towards that direction and it will straighten back out. (if i see the trailer in the left mirror, turn the wheel left and it will bring the trailer back to center)

Edited October 29, 2019 by BlancoSilverado

relevante · October 31, 2019

Backing up starts before you shift into reverse too. If you know you’re going to have to turn while backing up, be sure to approach in a way that has your truck and trailer kinked in the right direction before you even start. For instance, if you’re going to have to back up and turn the trailer left, try to approach from the left to right and then turn the truck hard left at the last moment (while still pulling forward). Then you can get the wheels straightened out and back up. If you get it bent right before you start, it’ll naturally want to start going the way you want it to with a lot less fighting. And for that matter, if you want to back up straight try to be as straight as possible before you start backing up. Sometimes your options are limited but thinking a move or three ahead will make your life much easier.