Picked up 5th wheel, ???Backing up

[surfbeetle]

The one thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is to remember that the axles of the trailer act as the pivot point. If you line them up next to and start your turn, you won't hit it. Also remember that the overhang of your rear bumper to the rear axle is the tail swing, you want to anticipate where that's going. Also, radios are great, I always tell my wife, "just make sure I don't hit anything and that you can see my mirrors always"

 

[LesStallings]

As Jnelson said, starting point is very important. Think about it. If you don't like what is happening, start over. Pull forward and try for a more advantagous starting point.



I've started over many, many times, each time improving the starting point.

 

[CTLindsey]

The best tip I have I learned from my spotter. Don't try to focus on the trailer look at the trailer wheels and drive them. The rest of the trailer will follow. I practiced by pulling out the traielr and backing it back in following the trailer tire tracks. I hope this helps. My firt time backing my trailer took 45 mins to park now I do it in 1 min. Thats a 38 ft 5th wheel in to a 12' wide spot at a 45deg angle to the road

 

[EricBu12]

On the rear view mirror of some trucks is the accromym G. O. A. L... ... . (get out and look) OFTEN!!!



1 "set up before you back up"... . a term I learned in truck driving school... . get the trailer in the position where you can curve it in in one shot... did alot of practicing on this, (alley dock test)... . if you can, visualise a curve on the ground where the tires of the trailer will go to get where you want it..... SMALL MOVES!!! do not go lock to lock even when straight backing...



2. If you use radios, insruct your "other" to use terms like 'Cut' and 'follow'... Cut is to make the trailer tighter turn... more angle... . Follow is to straighten out... left and right is maddening (your left or my left?... )



3. The thing on seeing the person is crucial. . you need to see them even with radios... i second the cones, get used to how long it takes for the truck to go from one side to the other to back up... . a 5th doesn't turn the trailer till the truck is facing the other way so you need to make changes fast (hence small moves)... . Sometimes it helps to pull up a little to get changed...



A longer trailer will be easier to back than a shorter trailer it reacts faster sometimes too fast... ... . I LOVE 53' van trailers. . very easy to back... . 28'? forget it... wobbling all over the place... go figure...

 

[Ron Bissett]

Back up tip.

Tip try to back with the site to park on your side . Start by passing the site with the rig just passing the turn area for the trailer keep parallel as you pass before st oping the forward movement turn sharply to the left and stop ,just a short turn of the truck a few feet the trailer will still be parallel to the curb this will give you the angle you need to start the trailer to turn when you back . The wheels on the trailer are not at the end of the trailer as on the big rigs and turn different. you must have angle on the pin to have the trailer to turn when backing or you will back straight back past the turn point . If using a back up guide like the wife and you can not see her do to getting behind the trailer out of sight STOP and Waite until she comes out from behind the trailer Or set the brake and go see where she is and be nice . Practice Practice Practice .

 

[klenger]

Ron: I think I followed most of your explanation. It sounds like you are saying that as you pull past the spot, make a quick turn to the left with the truck, but don't let the trailer swing around yet. Then back up the truck which is already at an angle. By doing this, I assume that the truck does not need as much turing radius. Right? That might help me get into my driveway, which I have to do from a 1 lane alley, and is kind of tight.

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Best SINGLE bit of advice I learned early with backing a trailer, always pull up half a trailer length FARTHER than you THINK you need to before you start backing...

 

[Ron Bissett]

Ron: I think I followed most of your explanation. It sounds like you are saying that as you pull past the spot, make a quick turn to the left with the truck, but don't let the trailer swing around yet. Then back up the truck which is already at an angle. By doing this, I assume that the truck does not need as much turing radius. Right? That might help me get into my driveway, which I have to do from a 1 lane alley, and is kind of tight.

Thats correct the truck must be at a angle to turn the trailer if still straight it will back straight until a angle is on the pin. I have to back from the wrong lane (left ) as right lane no shoulder and deep ditch. I just block the traffic for a few min. the turn with the truck is just the front for about two or thee feet just to get some angle on the pin. Hope this helps Ron Bissett In Metro Louisville KY

 

[rweis]

And of course while you are backing up watch your transmission temperatures as there is very little air flow over the transmission cooler when in reverse, especially with a loaded trailer. The transmission temps can rise very rapidly.



Bob Weis

 

[CTD 600]

Another tip is to limit the spotter's responsiblity to keeping you from trying to hit anything, but not give directions. My biggest problem with using my wife as a spotter is that she stands behing the 5er where I can't see her. Duh!

Hehe... .....

 

[ram2]

We are just testing our computer system to see if we can post.

 

[RNixon]

Just came across this and it brought back memories. We picked up our 30 ft. 5th wheel, and brought it straight back to house to get ready for long trip next day. I had never driven with anywhere near so big a trailer. Got home and had to get trailer into driveway. I should have sold tickets. Must have been the funniest thing neighbors ever saw. Fortunately had help from neighbor who had owned trucking company for many years. Managed to get in driveway in only an hour or so. <bg>



Backing just takes practice. I can almost always get it in driveway or park site on first try now. Esp. pull-through sites. <vgb>



On sat dish issue, suggest you consider new phased-array sat dish. No aiming. http://www.kvh.com/Products/Product.asp?id=92

Expensive - yes - but cheaper than divorce lawyers.

 

[JimScott]

Just noticed this thread, I see its been going for a while. I've been pulling trailers all my life. Learned how on the farm with a tractor before I was old enough to get a license. Anyway, now that I have a fifth wheel, I find it harder to backup than a conventional trailer. This is because the conventional trailer responds more quickly to steering wheel changes. You have to move the front of the truck over a lot more to make the fifth wheel respond equally. Other than that, the principle of backing is the same. Good luck!

Jim

 

[TRCM]

AGREE !!



Because you have no leverage with a 5th wheel like you do a bumper pull.



But it also won't jackknife as quickly backing up either... lol.



My first time backing a 5vr required me to put it in a hole that only had 8" clearance on either side, and due to a telephone pole, you cannot back straight in.



I got it in the first try, but it was not centered. Centering it took about 7 tries. I park the trailer between my garage and the fence. Don't worry so much about the fence.



I got to get me some towing mirrors, cuz when loaded, there's no way you can look back and watch what you're doing.

 

[surfbeetle]

... Anyway, now that I have a fifth wheel, I find it harder to backup than a conventional trailer. This is because the conventional trailer responds more quickly to steering wheel changes. You have to move the front of the truck over a lot more to make the fifth wheel respond equally. Other than that, the principle of backing is the same. Good luck!

Jim

I agree. Once I got my sliding 5th wheel hitch, I had remember to compensate for the increased leverage when the hitch is slid back into "manuvering" position. It was completely different than when it's in the normal position.

 

[LYoder]

get a signal meter as said. but here is something to ponder... get a cheap tv. . small like 13" inch and set it close to you and get signal watching the tv... no need help. . pnce you get signal there you go... this is how i do it... dont need no ones help... maybe a little inconvience to get reciever and tv. . but it works.







____________



2003 dodge dually ho six speed white larimne jacobs exhaust brake b-d air filter and more to come

 

[Short Stack]

Practice, practice, practice. I drove truck for a long time witch helped. I now pull a boat behind my 5er, one of these days I am going to go to a big parking lot and see if I can back up at all??? It might just be embarasing.

 

[Neibe]

Remember sometimes the best move when backing is to pull forward our trucks are so long that it sometimes takes a long time for the front end to break over so it will steer the other way. In this case I like to pull forward a little bit to straight out the back end. Also, putting your hand at the bottom of the wheel and move your hand in the direction you want the trailer to go.

 

[jwduke]

What ever you do, please don't get in to it with your wife! I read about divorces on RV net.

 

[terrywerm]

Reading through this thread brought back many memories of when I was learning to drive truck 25 some odd years ago. In the years since then I've seen seasoned drivers with hundreds of thousands of miles of experience that still have difficulty during backing manuevers, so don't beat yourself up if you have trouble getting it down pat. Take your time, keep your spotter in view, pull ahead if need be, and number one: the spotter's role is to keep you from hitting things, NOT to give instructions. It'll keep you from having to spend a few nights on the couch or in the fiver out in the driveway!



I was fortunate enough to grow up on a farm, so backing trailers and wagons became second nature. I even got to where I could be out in the field and back up the tractor, field chopper, and wagon fairly straight if I got into a muddy section that I couldn't get through. I was in deep doo-doo though once it started going crooked!



Once I moved up to the fiver, backing it was a piece of cake, and I was extremely thankful for the years of experience. To put my fiver next to my garage, I have to put it through an ess pattern, missing the corner of the garage roof on the right by about 4" and missing a tree branch with the left front corner of the trailer by about 4" also. I put it in an out myself, the wife closes her eyes each time I have to squeeze it in there. :-laf Naturally, if the fiver is only going to be unused for only a couple of weeks, it sits out on the driveway instead of backing it into "the hole". Why take the chance?