Backed up a trailer into the driveway first try

[CB]

Why the guy from Toronto who is historically bad with trailers was made responsible for the snowmobiles is another question altogether, but damn it feels good to be able to park a trailer. Which only reinforces that the Airstream life is not for me.

[spacekraken]

So I can have the Airstream then?

[2Poor_sh2Furious]

@cb this is the single thing I'm worried about eventually trailering a racecar lol

[CB]

@poor_sh Practice* makes perfect.

*Has not driven with a trailer in a year and a half

[2Poor_sh2Furious]

@cb lol I was literally planning to practice with chalk in my driveway and going out and in from my street over and over (with no traffic)

[Highlander]

@cb Having a spotter when it's really tight when backing up helps immensely. I put a dual axle fire trailer into a shop with 6" to spare on each side. When my female collogue did it on the first try the rail road guys nearly died.

[Shop-Teacher]

@poor_sh said in Backed up a trailer into the driveway first try:

@cb this is the single thing I'm worried about eventually trailering a racecar lol

Bigger trailers are actually easier to back. It's the little utility trailers that are squirrely as hell.

[ForSweden]

[Chariotoflove]

@cb

Hooray! But seriously, you're batting 1000. Quit now.

[sn4cktimes]

@shop-teacher Agreed, our teardrop is twitchy AF to backup. Totally doable but a lot more micro corrections than any other trailer I’ve ever backed up.

[jminer]

@CB Well done! This is always an excellent feeling when you nail it!

[ibRAD]

@shop-teacher said in Backed up a trailer into the driveway first try:

It's the little utility trailers that are squirrely as hell.

Or a splitter that you can't even see behind you!

[SilentbutnotreallyDeadly]

@poor_sh dual axle trailers are much easier to manoeuvre when reversing than single axle...

[zipfuel]

For this reason I always pay the $8 insurance when renting Uhaul trailers... I can do it, but not well

[2Poor_sh2Furious]

@silentbutnotreallydeadly meaning 2 spread out or the ones with 2 axels close together?

[Urambo Tauro]

@silentbutnotreallydeadly said in Backed up a trailer into the driveway first try:

@poor_sh dual axle trailers are much easier to manoeuvre when reversing than single axle...

Huh, I've done my fair share of trailering but never noticed this. Trailer length seems to make more difference to me, or more specifically, the distance between the hitch and wheel centerline. Maybe it's a correlation thing, as dual axle trailers actually do often tend to be longer...

Another factor that has a huge effect in my experience is the hitch location. You get a lot more control with a "bumper pull" type hitch, than you do with a fifth wheel that places the pivot point over the tow vehicle's axle. Fifth wheels are nice for towing down the road, but I like bumper-pull trailers for parking maneuvers.

[SilentbutnotreallyDeadly]

@poor_sh said in Backed up a trailer into the driveway first try:

@silentbutnotreallydeadly meaning 2 spread out or the ones with 2 axels close together?

Two axles close together. Otherwise, a long hitch to axle length is helpful too as @Urambo-Tauro mentioned but this should be avoided with a dual axle in my view as it makes them gigantic to corner.

Never driven a fifth wheel.