Do you let your wife 'help' you back up?

[Texas Diesel]

Always good for an instant arguement, better off doing it myself.

 

[Joe G.]

I don't let mine know what I'm trying to do. And I turn off my hearing aid. :-laf :-laf

 

[Deezul1]

I tell mine just stand back there and wave like mad if I am going to hit anything otherwise just stand still

 

[johnrv4]

I have mine use the walkie-talkie

I have my wife use the walkie-talkie. That way I don't have to try and decipher the goofy hand signals, and if she gives me wrong directions, at least I can yell back at her and she can hear it

 

[Slow Six]

I do whenever she is nearby. We use the small family band radios so she can stand where ever. Really works well when backing the fiver into the shop or hard to see camping spots. My wife is good help as she has a pretty good idea about what is going on. Using the radios prevents yelling to be heard or her trying to stay in view of the mirrors.

 

[midwestdually]

are we talking backing up to hook up to a trailer or backing up to park a trailer?





actually, i still havent figured out what woman are GOOD for?!!

 

[rweis]

We use the FRS radios. I am thinking of letting her do the backing and I give the directions in a non critical place. She has no idea of what I want in directions regardless of what I explain.



Once she has heard the way the directions are given I think she will understand.



With the radios at least we can talk and I can get information.



I drove USAF aircraft for a lot of years, and know what I want to hear. Until she actually relies on the other person with a radio I don't think she really understands.



"Back 4, back 3, back 2, slow, back 1, standby, stop", not "some more, maybe more, you come and take a look"



Bob Weis

 

[Johnny5]

Backing up to hitch up at home is next to impossible, which I end up doing mainly at night. She can never understand the saying "If you can't see my mirrors I can't see you"... not to mention the truck is just as tall as she and at night she disappears, the 55w rears have helped out a lot with that.



I do have to admit we have the retreiving a boat down pat. Usually you have to find a spot to park the boat then get the truck, well I just drop her off on shore or pier, I take the boat out of the general area and view from a distance just to stay away from the madness, we turn on the FRS's, she gets the trailer, when she starts backing down the ramp I head on over while giving her last minute instructions, drive right up done... . I always get these looks (and a few remarks) from people when I come from nowhere right to the ramp, like where you going, wait your turn... I just respond "there is my trailer"... I always see the look on their faces like "I want to do that"

 

[MN Cummins Lvr]

Originally posted by Tejas Deezul

Always good for an instant arguement, better off doing it myself.

That is the truth!!! I have her guide me so I don't hit anything... otherwise I don't follow her exact directions because she does not understand the pivot points of the 5'er. John RV4 and Fireman Dave, Mum's the word

 

[klenger]

... back, ... back, ... . just a bit more, ... OK stop, ... now move 6" to the left. :-{}

 

[ImagesThatSing]

6" to the left. hmmm ((grin)). Wildly wave if I am going to hit something. And put your hands up like this to let me know how far I am left or right. She does a great job until she gets out of sight. Then I stop, and tap the horn, she gets back in the picture and helps again. When hooking up she just moves her hands closer and closer until she has them together to let me know I am centered forward to back. Exact alignment left & right of travel trailer is easy from points on the tailgate and the trailer itself.



She is a doll, but she doesn't know 6" from 16" or a mile from 5. She didn't get the gene for distance.

 

[klenger]

Women have no concept of distance becasue they have been told all their lives that 4" is really 8".

 

[Ross]

Klenger:



ROFLMAO!!!!!



Ain't it the truth, though?

 

[B.G. Smith]

Backing

That is one of the high points of our trips. We also use the FRS radios but she hasn't been able to master the art of holding the transmit button down while talking, lots of uninteligible sound coming from the radio. I just keep her in sight "she can hear me" and when she strarts waving arms frantically or jumping up and down, I get out and go see what is wrong. bg

 

[IdaH.O.Train]

A few years ago I had my then 4 yoa daughter help me back up my truck to the hitch and I had less of a problem then with the wife. As previously stated, she likes to position herself behind the trailer, where I can't see her, and sure as heck can't hear her.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Klenger, this is gonna get me in trouble but I have to get my wife to read that - it happens every time!

:-laf :-laf :-laf

 

[y-knot]

My wife is absulotely great at helping out while backing. She and my son are both really good, and I trust them both 100%. Weather it be backing up to the hitch (gooseneck for me), or backing up the trailer, we all seem to get along, and get it done. We have a 36' tri-axle and there are many times that you can not do it by yourself, and the extra set of eye's are needed. I think most of the guys that try and leave there wife's out of the "loop", are missing out. If they would take the time and explain what they need from them in the form of signals, they would have a much better time. I think most of the women, would like to help, just they don't like to be yelled at or put down. Maybe just a few minuets explaining what it is that you are trying to do, and what you need from them, would have everyone working in the same direction.

 

[Texas Diesel]

Originally posted by y-knot

If they would take the time and explain what they need from them in the form of signals,

You want to know how many times I have tried to teach her? She is reverse challenged. It's just not her bag but she has other assets.

 

[plntmgr]

When backing our 5er in a campground, she stands where the back corner should be. (R or L) this works very well, and I've considered getting a walkie talkie headset, as punching switches as steering together is a problem for me.

 

[Steve M]

No, you're NOT fat... This IS 9 inches... That WAS an hour... and I'll park the damned trailer myself.

How many OTR truckers do you see with their wives standing out back guiding them into a loading dock? There's a reason for this.