idiots guide to towing a trailer!

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showaddy1

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So, actually drove the trailer to pick up new pony today... I do OK going forward (slow but safe) ,turning corners and even judging distance...but don't ask me to reverse!!
My friend came along, he talked me through it every inch of the way, but tbh the whole reverse thing still doesn't click. Can anyone give me any pointers?would you recommend lessons or visit just practice..
As always, thankyou in advance... All advice is great fully received....cant promise to follow it!
 
showaddy1 said:
So, actually drove the trailer to pick up new pony today... I do OK going forward (slow but safe) ,turning corners and even judging distance...but don't ask me to reverse!!
My friend came along, he talked me through it every inch of the way, but tbh the whole reverse thing still doesn't click. Can anyone give me any pointers?would you recommend lessons or visit just practice..
As always, thankyou in advance... All advice is great fully received....cant promise to follow it!
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It really is down to practice but getting someone to help you with a few pointers when you are doing it will help

Looking at your username ... are you in Leicester?
 
Nope. I've been towing for about 6 years now, still can't reverse, just can't get my head round it. Daughter has to do it for me, first time she did it she was about 16, she's an expert now, she's going to take her test soon then she can do all the towing thank God.

Hopefully someone will come along with some advice, just thought it might give you some comfort to know you;re not alone :)
 
Practice, practice, practice. Also go VERY slowly as the earlier you spot your errors the easier it is to correct. Is there somehwere safe you can go and practice on your own without an audience, I often finds it helps to take the pressure off and you will not be so bothered about makign a mistake. Maybe set aside an afternoon to practice so no pressure. Or if you feel you need more support maybe book a professional lesson.
 
I could give you diagrams and write a lot of advice but in reality it will not be that useful

What you really need is guidance and helpful info when you are actually doing it
 
No rog... My oh loves them! I'm always the youngest at their gigs... We are in south wales. Thanks for your reply skint... Its so bloomin fr ustrating... I'm a relatively good driver.. But can't get my head around it. My mate says I'm thinking too much?!
 
I have 2 tips, stop and think about which way you want the trailer to move and remember that the car has to be the opposite.
Don't try and fix it, once it's all going wrong pull forwards straighten up and try again
 
The one common fault is turning the wheel too much to start with which then requires even bigger and faster turns the other way to correct
 
IS it any easier with towing mirrors? I'm sure I have some somewhere... When originally buying a trailer I thought I buy an oldie... So I wouldn't mind a few dents, but in hindsight it is so heavy and cumbersome I may have been better off opting for a newer,lighter one. Though I suppose if I can master reversing this I should be able to do anything.
 
I learnt to tow using a tractor and trailer when I was about 14!! Someone told me to 'follow the trailer' [to get it to go straight]. It is a piece of advice that I have never forgotten and whether its that, or something else, reversing the trailer is something I never worry about!
 
showaddy1 said:
IS it any easier with towing mirrors? I'm sure I have some somewhere... When originally buying a trailer I thought I buy an oldie... So I wouldn't mind a few dents, but in hindsight it is so heavy and cumbersome I may have been better off opting for a newer,lighter one. Though I suppose if I can master reversing this I should be able to do anything.
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I doubt towing mirrors would help a lot

It has a lot to do with visual spacial ability and in many cases ladies do not have this as a natural ability

GOAL = Get Out And Look which I highly recommend

start the reverse - GOAL - reverse a bit more - GOAL .... etc etc
 
I also have occasional problems reversing. Some times its fine, then some days I'm so bad the YO's OH is called to do it for me. Bearing in mind that for more yeasrs than I can bear to remember I was reversing articulated lorries with no problem whatsoever, it seems to me that the smaller the combination the harder it is.i
 
The bit of advice that helped me most was that to point the back of the front wheels of the car in the direction you want the trailer to go.

that and follow the trailer to straighten up.

Take it slowly & don't turn the wheel too far or too fast. If it starts going wrong pull forward & start again.

I found it better without an audience & just had to experiment with no pressure - or horse in the trailer!
 
Tips:
Wait until ground is dry then ask to "borrow" a large flat field. Drive into the middle then reverse your car and trailer. Get to feel how much you need to turn the steering wheel to turn the trailer. Get to feel how much delay there is before the trailer turns (the longer the wheelbase of your car, the longer it takes to get movement through to the trailer). Practice over and over again in both directions until you start to get the feel of how it moves - you'll be surprised by how little movement of the steering wheel it takes to turn the trailer. Most people make the mistake of over steering because of the 'delay' then get it 'jackknifed'. If this happens, just drive forward and start again.
If you have to reverse into a gateway or other tight space, it is easier to turn to drivers side, then you can look over your shoulder to see exactly what trailer is doing, using mirrors tend to be more confusing.
Once you are in a public place, always get someone else outside the vehicle to check no vehicles, people, animals are in the blind spot.
(BTW - don't forget to turn steering wheel in opposite direction to direction you want to turn). You'll be fine. It's just practice. How much do you ride your horse before competing? Regard trailer reversing as a show!!
 
Clannad, I think you are agreeing with ROG! The longer the trailer the easier it is as you see the movement a lot quicker, and hence can correct earlier.
 
Clannad48 said:
Sorry to disagree ROG but I find reversing a Jeep Cherokee with an IW 510 on the back a lot harder than a Volvo F88 with a trailer with 28 ton load :-) :-) :-)
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I think you just agreed with what I said .....

Small vehicle + large trailer is easier than large vehicle + small trailer

Small vehicle F88 + large trailer 40 feet is easier than large vehicle JEEP + small trailer IW510
 
I used to have a complete block about reversing the trailer. I booked up with a towing instructor for a half day session, and it was the best investment ever!

Here's how he told me to reverse the trailer - it makes it so EASY for me! Here goes:

Sit facing forwards, with the side mirrors adjusted so you can easily see the trailer;
Relax - take a deep breath!
Place your hands at the bottom of the steering wheel (very important!);
Start moving in reverse VERY slowly;
To move the trailer to the right, gently move your hands towards the right mirror;
Move your hands round to the left to move the trailer to the left;

That's all there is to it - just remember to go slower than slow and move the steering wheel in very small movements. And get plenty of practice!

It's a great feeling to know you can reverse the trailer accurately into the most awkward spaces - and to see the guys faces when they realise you don't have to ask for their assistance!

You CAN do it!
 
Practise at home in the field so you aren't under pressure. Slow is important, so use low box to save your clutch and your thigh. Don't oversteer - you probably only need to make a quarter turn of the wheel to make a difference, practise (safely!) making a quarter turn whilst looking at the wheel, so many people steer wildly with no real understanding of why they're doing so! So start straight, quarter turn go back a couple of feet at the most, straighten up and quarter of a turn the other way, straighten up, and voila, you have shifted your trailer to one side. Good luck!
 
Thankyou all so much for all your advice. I'm going to take the trailer out Tuesday evening when farm traffic gone.. And practise!! Ill let you know... I suppose the worse thing I could for in the confines of the farm is knock down a fence post or two x
 
Northern Hare said:
I used to have a complete block about reversing the trailer. I booked up with a towing instructor for a half day session, and it was the best investment ever!

Here's how he told me to reverse the trailer - it makes it so EASY for me! Here goes:

Sit facing forwards, with the side mirrors adjusted so you can easily see the trailer;
Relax - take a deep breath!
Place your hands at the bottom of the steering wheel (very important!);
Start moving in reverse VERY slowly;
To move the trailer to the right, gently move your hands towards the right mirror;
Move your hands round to the left to move the trailer to the left;

That's all there is to it - just remember to go slower than slow and move the steering wheel in very small movements. And get plenty of practice!

It's a great feeling to know you can reverse the trailer accurately into the most awkward spaces - and to see the guys faces when they realise you don't have to ask for their assistance!

You CAN do it!
Click to expand...

What an ace tip!

Don't try with an audience, that's the worst thing. Take your time, go very very slowly - basically, in reversing a trailer, you're either going to get it going the right way or the wrong way, so if you end up going the wrong way, just pull forward and then start again doing the opposite!

I can't do it if I've got someone barking instructions, but leave me on my own and I generally get it parked in a tiny spot without any hassle in pretty short order :cool: Of course no one ever sees it, so there's no proof of my brilliance :p:p:D
 
I was told to use my mirrors OR look over shoulder, never try and use both or you confuse yourself. I use mirrors.
 
I reverse using my side mirrors and know that I need to turn the steering wheel the opposite way to what I would if it was just the car.

Luckily we have a big yard (also a coal yard) and so I spent many saturday afternoons reversing my trailer all over the yard and in and out of the coal storage bays.

My dad tows a caravan and places his hands at the bottom of the steering wheel as another poster mentioned. I can't get on with this method though.
 
The simplest way I remember is that to straighten up you turn the wheel towards the side you can see the trailer in the wing mirror. Make small corrections and go slow.
 
my husband taught me to reverse his HGV lorry through narrow gaps (didn't bend and twist like a trailer but you had to be aware of the space) then he got me reversing the trailer for about an hour 2 or 3 times a week. we had a bet that everytime i drove forwards i had to give him a massage.........within a week i had it mastered (reversing that is!)! :D
 
Quick tip as it is the way I remember which way to turn the wheel when reversing the trailer - lift the hand on the side you want the trailer to turn to. So left hand up, right hand down, trailer comes round to the left of the vehicle.
 
I reckon that I can reverse a trailer anywhere it is possible!

The first time I ever had to turn a trailer was with three horses up, in a farm yard with two large cattle sheds full of cattle and between the barns, knee deep mud!
I busted all the lights on the LR both sides, got so flustered and angry! The cattle were bellowing because they thought they were going to be fed and the only satisfaction I got was throwing mud at them!

Luckily a farm hand came along and got me out of the mess - very easily. I was so annoyed that next day and for several days after I set up a series of cones and practised reversing until I had it off pat. Of course this meant the death of several cones but, I did finally get it correct!
 
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