Trailer Tips - Backing Up
Published by Sarah Racheter-Loftin · 26 August 2022
Trailer
Tips - Backing Up
When my
family reads this - they will laugh. I
am the only person in my immediate family that does not have a CDL (my little
sis just got her million miles jacket!).
That
being said, they grab the popcorn when I attempt to back my trailer and I get
lots of helpful tips (then there is yelling and there have been tears and then suggestions
where they can park the trailer).
Anyway....
Here are few things I have learned along the way!
Tip #1
Just
like in riding, our bodies tend to go where we are looking. This applies to backing a trailer as
well. If we are trying to avoid hitting
something and that is all we look at, guess where the trailer is going? Instead, look where you want the trailer to
go and keep the obstacle in your peripheral (you better believe I used text to
talk to spell that word out!). I have
found that by doing this, I have a better chance of the trailer going where I
need it to go.
Tip #2
A friend
of mine gave me this suggestion and it has helped so much! There are lots of illustrations out there
showing how to have your hands on the steering wheel that never helped me. His suggestion is to use your pointer finger
at the bottom of your steering wheel. If
you want your trailer to go back and to the Right, you would lay your left hand
at the bottom of the steering wheel with your left pointer finger pointing
right and of course you switch your hands to go back and left. This puts your hands on the steering wheel in
a more natural position. Try it!
Tip #3
New
Rule. There is no yelling when someone
is backing a trailer unless something is about to get hit. You should be talking to each other the
entire time and the guide person should be telling the driver when an obstacle
is coming up. If you are working as a
team, you all need to speak to each other like a parent would talk to a child
who is learning to walk.
Next
Rule. Give yourself some leeway. No one comes out of the womb with all the
knowledge preprogrammed. We all have to
learn how to do the things we want today.
Tip #4
Know
your limits. While we need and want to
learn how to do everything ourselves - know your limits. If you are a frazzled mess - don't try to
back into a camping spot that you have never backed into before. Ask for help (you're allowed to, I
promised). Let someone else back your
rig in or unload and take 20, 30, 60 minutes to calm down. Pick Your Battles.
Horseback
riding is suppose to be fun and relaxing - right? Down spike your blood pressure, know your
limits and bite your tongue so you're not apologizing to anyone while you were
backing your trailer.
Sarah Racheter-Loftin
08/26/22