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Backing into a site.


kathydavidb

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Trying to salvage a botched or poor back-up job is like trying to salvage an aircraft landing, best to power up, go around and try again. I try to set up a long approach which then requires minimal inputs. Trying to move the rig over a foot to the left or right means the whole thing needs to be pulled out a significant distance or you are trying to jackknife the unit, squirming the tires, tearing up turf, digging ruts or springing pavers loose.

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RV driving school for us was a good choice. Talk about what each of you should expect and follow those directions.

 

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The one thing I have observed most people do (including me) is that they do not pull up far enough before backing. This puts you behind the curve from the start. It is hard to recover without starting all over.

 

Newt

I agree Newt, I see so many people start to lose it and try to over correct and then just pull up a few feet and try again. Best thing is pull forward as far as possible and try again. That was one of the first things I learned when I started to drive trucks.

When I started out the owner of the truck took me to a vacant lot and laid boards down on the pavement and said those were other trucks and had me back in and said each time I hit a board I did about $5000 worth of damage to other truck. Also he had me back on my blind side, he said anybody can back on the drivers side.

"It is better to have more truck than you need than to need more truck than you have"

2001 Volvo 660, Cummins 400 ISX, Eaton 3 Peddle Auto Shift    
2014 Fuzion 40' Toyhauler
2015 Smart Car                                                                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                            

 

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LOL - I was talking with a buddy about this topic yesterday. His plan (6 years now) is get there before 2 - 3 pm be parked and watch everyone else rather than participate. Made sense to me.

 

Yes, we always try to be parked by 2 - - fewer to watch us and more time for us to watch others. ;)

 

Barb

Barb & Dave O'Keeffe
2002 Alpine 36 MDDS (Figment II), 2018 Ford C-Max HYBRID
Blog: http://www.barbanddave.net
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I'm sure this is an obvious point, but once you have a reference point in your mirror, it becomes a tad easier. With that being said, a motor

home seems a a little easier because you don't have all the angles on tow vehicle/trailer-5'er. I always look for the pedestal in the driver side view mirror. the idea of using cones is a excellent thought too.

96' Vogue PrimaVista, CAT 3176b, 10.2 litre, Allison HD-4060

Mollie, Rubie, Cassie and Maggie.......all rescued King Charles Spaniel's

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When our former DP was new to us I once gave Dave an arm signal that said pick it up, move it a foot left, and put it down again. He actually understood that and put it right in where I wanted it!

 

Linda Sand

Blog: http://sandcastle.sandsys.org/

Former Rigs: Liesure Travel van, Winnebago View 24H, Winnebago Journey 34Y, Sportsmobile Sprinter conversion van

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I have a hands free phone in the cab so DW stands at back calls me over the radio speakers and talks to me on her phone works much better then the cheap walkie talkies. Now the only problems I have is when she tells me to take it the other way so I have to say the back needs to go left or right.

Dave Watkins

Highland Village, TX

2014 F-350 Dually

Open Range 349RLR

 

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If I'm backing in on the blind side, I always get out and look, sometimes more than once. Bernie's instructions are to act excited if I'm about to hit something.

 

Newt

2012 HitchHiker Discover America 345 LKSB

2009 Dodge/Cummins

 

LIVINGSTON TX

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There is a universal set of arm signals taught, both of you learn them, and practice them at home until you both are confident of each others actions. They resemble military arm signals for ground guides.

Big arm, full hand movements - Walkie Talkies - One person, my wife, gives directions (EVEN AT RALLIES, MOTOR HOMES FOLKS DON'T KNOW HOW A TRUCK TRAILER WORKS, besides, it is not their rig, I don't know them or their expertise) - at 44K pounds, bending in the middle, I'm different -

And the MOST important thing --- G. O. A. L. --- GET OUT AND LOOK

I don't care who is looking, how silly I seem, who I upset, It's MY home that I'm parking

on edit - I don't talk back to her on the radio unless I'm stopped. I just listen and drive. Another thing that can help is the VOX (Voice on Transmit) to leave her hands / arms free.

I had one incident at a rally (Escapade) where the parking guys took the radio from her to direct me. I shut it down on the spot (sound of air brakes locking), sight of me getting out of the truck, with the keys in my hand --- Who are you? What are you doing? SHE will park me, you have ANYTHING to say, tell her and she will relay it to me. She is the ONLY parking person that I will listen to.

If you notice, a crane operator deals with one ground person and he stays in sight of the operator at all times.

Right on! I once had a RV park guide tell me HE had to park me. I asked if damage occured to our MH, is the RV park responsible. When he said no, I told him to go away NOW.

We use walkie talkies, but, arm signals do not experience dead batteries, and are a great backup plan.

 

2000 Winnebago Ultimate Freedom USQ40JD, ISC 8.3 Cummins 350, Spartan MM Chassis. USA IN 1SG retired;Good Sam Life member,FMCA ." And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country.  John F. Kennedy 20 Jan 1961

 

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OK, I'm late to the party here but I'll add my $.03 That said, I'll be mostly emphasizing some really good points made above.

 

1: Stay calm, don't yell, love each other. Unlike docking a boat or landing an airplane (I've done a LOT of both) you can stop the motion anytime and take a breather. GOAL is VERY VERY good advice.

 

2: Like the flying business the "Briefing" is a very good tool. Pull up, park off to the side and you and your guide (if you have one) get out. Show that you will try to skirt the picnic table with this corner until the first wheel is abeam and then you're going to go hard over and slide the front that way etc etc. Try to BOTH visualize the operation BEFORE you start it.

 

3: Communication is good. Either agree on and use specific signals, or use a radio or cell phone. I use the latter as I have lovely hands free in the truck. And yes, If you can't see my eyeballs in the mirror, I can't see you.

 

4: Practice. Not at the campground. In an early Sunday morning empty mall parking lot. Bring cones. No stress. Another helpful tool is a tractor trailer toy, like some of the Hess Christmas issues. Practice on the dining room table and start visualizing pivot points and all that. Do it together.

 

My rig is 65 feet over all, and If it fits I can get it in there. (Have a CDL and have been driving long and wide, as in 125 foot wing span, things for a long time.) But i still brief, GOAL and take it slow.

 

Good luck.

Previously a 2017 Forest River, Berkshire 38A, "The Dragonship". https://dragonship.blog/

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Guest ticat900

It's not the easiest thing to do. Is there a good way to guide your RV back into a site? The wife tries hard but the little finger points are difficult to see from 50 ft. away. Neighbors with good intentions often use different confusing signals. What works best for you? Thanks for any info. Dave.

MIRRORS and Back up camara.First Stop get out and take a good look at where your going to back into.Take notes and back in.

Of course the wife as a aid is always welcome

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Since my wife has not always been able to act as a spotter due to health issues, our coach is equipped so I can easily back up into most any site unassisted. The dual rear cameras let me see everything from the rear bumper back to several hundred feet, and the side mirrors give me a good view of the side clearances and rear tire locations. Over the past few years, it's only in the tightest of situations that I even ask her to spot.

Dutch
2001 GBM Landau 34' Class A
F-53 Chassis, Triton V10, TST TPMS
2011 Toyota RAV4 4WD/Remco pump
ReadyBrute Elite tow bar/brake system

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Thanks for all of the comments. I guess backing is just one of those things that is difficult for many people. I'll take it slow and be more patient with the wife's signals. thanks, Dave.

2006 Coachmen Aurora 36ft. Class A motor home. 2009 Honda CRV toad. "Snowbirds" apprx. 6 mos. each year. Travelling to the SW each winter than returning to Wi. each summer. Retired and enjoying our travels along with Buddy the cat.

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I generally do just fine. My tips are pretty much in line with what others say:

 

  1. If possible, always back from the driver's side - doing it the other way puts more pressure on the spotter to give good directions
  2. Pull forward so the rear of the camper is 5 to 10 feet past the campsite (at least that's the distance with my shortbed pickup with a slider hitch - your best starting spot may vary)
  3. Watch the camper tires and turn just tight enough for them to clear the edge of the campsite driveway
  4. Once you get the tires on the side you are backing from into the edge of the campsite stop turning and start "following" the camper into the site with the pickup - imagine the camper is puling the pickup

 

Of course, safety issues are in play:

  1. GOAL - at the beginning of the backup for sure - then anytime you have any doubt whatsoever about where you are and what is behind you
  2. Look up - don't get so focused on the ground that you forget tree limbs, etc.

This is such a good informative thread that I was inspired to do a blog post based on it.

Our "Here and There" Blog

 

2005 Safari Cheetah Motorhome

 

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I think one of DW's problems when spotting is visualizing how the 5er needs to move ahead of time. By the time she gives the input it is to late a lot of times. She is a whole lot better now but it takes practice and more practice. At first it is like she want the rear of the 5er or tires to be moved left of right in a couple of feet. Bottom line like everyone has said it takers a lot of practice to get good at this. Yep no yelling though DW seems to know when I am frustrated even when i am not yelling. That happens after almost 49 years of marriage as she still keeps me around. :)

2019 Thor Chateau 28E on a Ford E450 chassis. Maybe awhile but will get a new picture forgive one up there it is my old rig.

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The one thing I've learned in almost 5 years is don't get excited if I don't get it right the first time I just drive around the loop and start over and it does get better over time if you can identify your mistakes and learn from them.

John

2017 F350 King Ranch DRW 6.7 4.10 B&W hitch

2017 DRV MS 36RSSB3

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The CR England video is very good. Specifically the technique of picking reference points is helpful. Again, take some cones in an empty parking lot and determine where your key points are. Be consistent and make small changes until you have it down.

Previously a 2017 Forest River, Berkshire 38A, "The Dragonship". https://dragonship.blog/

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Using hand signals and cell phones is what my wife and I do. For a normal back in site, we both get out and look to see where the parking spot is. Then she guides me into it.

What has helped us tremendously is parking at our work sites. We follow an Oil Rig around East Texas. ALL of our sites so far have been parallel parking! That can be interesting when there is a 2ft drop off all around your parking pad. Most of the pads are 30 foot wide and 75 foot long. We park along the outermost edge and as far back as we can.

Doing this with the Dodge Dually was interesting, parking with the Volvo is actually easier with the tighter wheel cut.

 

We use the GOAL method, and the "If I can't see you, I stop" method. Hopefully some good camera's shortly will make it easier.

Alie & Jim + 8 paws

2017 DRV Memphis 

BART- 1998 Volvo 610

Lil'ole 6cyl Cummins

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I have towed 10-15 travel trailers and many cargo trailers over the last 40 years and have learned how to back them pretty good. Now that I have gone to a 5er I have to learn all over again. The hardest thing to learn so far is that if you turn too far on a 5er you can not straighten out no matter which way you turn the steering wheel and the only way to is to pull forward, I figure out that point is about 30-45 degrees, not sure which yet.

 

My brother-in-law has millions miles in a tractor trailer including doubles and triples and is trying to help me. At my house I park my trailer/5er where I can not get the slides out on both sides so it is a little tight. This summer I watched my B-I-L back it in on the first try and I learned where I was messing up, but now I have to figure out in my mind. The main thing I learned was that once the 5er gets started turning you have to make the truck follow in the trailer tracks instead of continuing to turn. The last time I backed in I managed to make it in 3 tries instead of my usual 5-8 and I only had to start over once the last time was just to pull forward to move over a little.

 

So it depends what you are backing up how you do it, but I still like my hands free phone method of being spotted because my wife was constantly standing behind the trailer were I could not see her giving me hand signs, no matter how many times I told her if she could not see me in the mirrors I could not see her.

Dave Watkins

Highland Village, TX

2014 F-350 Dually

Open Range 349RLR

 

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Another good video:

 

Paul

My son is in a job that requires backing up of semi's all the time. He taught my wife basically what this video shows and it works great. It's a simple system and works like a charm. As others are saying...only my wife directs me. If she can't for some reason, I do it myself, hoping in and out of the truck--better than somebody else that simply isn't on the same wave length as me.

2007 Arctic Fox 32.5 rls for full-timing, now sold.

2014 Sunnybrook Sunset Creek 267rl for the local campgrounds now that we are off the road
2007 Silverado 2500 diesel

Loving Green Valley, AZ (just South of Tucson)

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