Backing a Trailer 101 -- do you have hints for me?
Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2012 2:17 pm
HI Folks,
Newbie here. I am the new proud owner of a hand built teardrop (not built by me). My boyfriend and I towed it from it's birthplace in Nebraska back here to So. Cal. I am fine to drive and turn but... it has been MANY YEARS since I towed a trailer (U haul type 5x8) and even though I had the hang then of backing the trailer, I don't seem to remember how to ride the bike, so to speak.
Do you have hints, rules of thumb, suggestions for me about backing a trailer of this size? I would love to hear your suggestions. I live in a fairly rural place so I can find wide open spaces to practice, but I'm the type who wants to have some fallback concepts so I can reason out what I am doing rather than just go and start driving backwards and hope I don't do the dreaded "jack knife".
I am pulling the trailer with a 2004 Toyota Tacoma (the smaller version than the current model) with an extra cab, so the truck while not enormous is a bit long compared to the trailer.
Thanks for any ideas.
Stephanie (catinmoon)
Newbie here. I am the new proud owner of a hand built teardrop (not built by me). My boyfriend and I towed it from it's birthplace in Nebraska back here to So. Cal. I am fine to drive and turn but... it has been MANY YEARS since I towed a trailer (U haul type 5x8) and even though I had the hang then of backing the trailer, I don't seem to remember how to ride the bike, so to speak.
Do you have hints, rules of thumb, suggestions for me about backing a trailer of this size? I would love to hear your suggestions. I live in a fairly rural place so I can find wide open spaces to practice, but I'm the type who wants to have some fallback concepts so I can reason out what I am doing rather than just go and start driving backwards and hope I don't do the dreaded "jack knife".
I am pulling the trailer with a 2004 Toyota Tacoma (the smaller version than the current model) with an extra cab, so the truck while not enormous is a bit long compared to the trailer.
Thanks for any ideas.
Stephanie (catinmoon)