trailer confessions

[rhltechie]

hey ya'all,

i got my trailer today, and i am embarassed to say that i have never towed a trailer. it was horrible!! i could hear it back there and the thing is so light, or at least i assume it was because it was light...i was bouncing around all over the place. i made a 20 minute trip last over an hour because i refused to take it on the interstate. when i hit a bump it looked like it jumped 3 feet. i then pulled into a parking lot to make sure it was ok back there...well i decided to back up. well.... i just realized i cannot back a trailer...eh!! any tips?

i feel really silly

[Rigsby]

hey ya'all,

iwell i decided to back up. well.... i just realized i cannot back a trailer...eh!! any tips?

i feel really silly

remember to steer the opposite to which you want the trailer to go when reversing. Take it back to the parking lot and have a practice again, preferably with someone who can teach you

[del]

Backing up a light trailer.

step 1. unhitch trailer.
2. push trailer back to where you want it.
3. back tow vehicle to it.
4. reattach trailer.
5. proceed forward on your merry way.

Notes when you do learn to back up your little trailer, big trailers will be easy.
used to own a small tent trailer could back it up around corners only when using the five listed steps. Delegated the first four steps to x-brother in law.

del

[rhltechie]

step 1. unhitch trailer.
2. push trailer back to where you want it.
3. back tow vehicle to it.
4. reattach trailer.
5. proceed forward on your merry way.

LOL


I have been pulling it around the yard all day instead of "backing" it with my vehicle....so i guess i have been using your method already!

[asianflava]

You'll get a lot of tips on backing a trailer. Plain and simple, it just takes practice practice practice. Find yourself an empty parking lot and practice.

Oh and don't worry about the noise, it will bang and clank when it's empty. If your connections are solid, you shouldn't have anything to worry about.

[mikeschn]

Put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel, and then move your hand in the direction you want your trailer to go.

It gets easier with practice!

As for the bouncing thing, you either get used to it, or you can add shocks!

Mike...

[satch]

Yep, practice, practice and more practice. The bounce should stablize once you get some weight on it.

[Sam I am]

I've had my tear for two years and I still have a heck of a time backing it into a camp site or my driveway! I tow with a Ranger pickup and a Sebring convertible. I found that I do best with the Sebring with the top down, so I can turn my head around and really see where I'm going! The above advice by others is good: move the bottom of the steering wheel in the direction you want the trailer to go. I would add back up very s-l-o-w-l-y! Steering corrections make a short trailer respond quickly, so move in slow motion, especially your first times. You could take it to a big, empty parking lot to practice. That helped me.
Sam

[duke]

Drop your tire pressure to 15-20 psi until you get some weight on the trailer.......

[madjack]

Put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel, and then move your hand in the direction you want your trailer to go.

It gets easier with practice!

As for the bouncing thing, you either get used to it, or you can add shocks!

Mike...

....that is the easiest way to learn...goto an empty parking lot and practice backing up in a straight line first...once you get the hang of that, move on to backing into a space at an angle...make your moves and countermoves slowly and in small increments and you will soon have it down....
madjack

[jdarkoregon]

So now its up to you, go find a big empty parking lot and practice, go REALLLLLLLY slow in the beginning and in fact forever

Have fun, everybody had to learn, so you're now alone

John

[Lgboro]

I put shocks on my 4 x 9 (was a 4 x 8 Carry on from Tractor Supply) and it cut most of the bounce out of the trailer. When the tear is attached the weight will help with the bounce.

The towing will come with practice - we all had a learning curve. The short tongue on a tear trailer is more difficult to tow especially for a beginner. It's real easy to over steer and make the trailer turn to short. It just comes with practice and will be a non issue soon.

[/img]http://www.tnttt.com/gallery/image.php?image_id=36301[img]

[rhltechie]

thanks for all the advice...i will take it back out to the parking lot and spend some time backing this little thing!

[looped]

i took mine to a empty high school parking lot,, one of the maintenance workers hung around to watch the spectacle. when i backed the trailer over the only curb at the far end of the lot i could hear him laughing from 70 or so yards away.


take your time and set aside lots of time for it, i was out there for nearly an hour and still have a few sessions remaining.

[signs]

If you are learning with just the frame or a flat bed, it will help to attach something to the corners of the bed that sticks up high enough to see in your mirrors. You might check at Wal-Mart to see if they still sell the tall flag poles for the back of bicycles. They are cheaper than hitting the car with the trailer and damaging the car and trailer.


Jay