Summer arrives on Friday, and the kids are out of school next week, so that means a lot of people are headed to the lake to enjoy some holiday time. That also means a lot of people hauling trailers… and surprisingly, many have no idea how to back them up properly.
I’ve always maintained that if you can’t back up a trailer, you shouldn’t be towing a trailer in the first place. However, what I think isn’t going to stop them, so I thought I’d throw out a few trailer backing tips to help you out. That way, if you’re one of those folks that doesn’t want to publicly admit that they can’t do it, you can read this blog and maybe it’ll help.
As I was thinking of how I was going to type up everything in a way that made sense, and then it dawned on me… rather than me try to type up all the details and hope I don’t miss anything, there’s got to be You Tube videos on how to do it, so I think I found a couple of good one’s for beginners.
So other than suggesting that you watch the videos, my only other advice would be:
Practice in an empty parking lot, or in a place with very little traffic.
The longer the trailer, the easier it will be to back up.
Don’t be in a rush when backing up.
Don’t worry about others watching you.
Mirrors are your friend.
Always try to have your vehicle and trailer in a straight line before you start backing. When having to back around a corner, start on an angle to the corner while in a straight line.
Have a helper/spotter if possible, but make sure they know what they are doing. Nothing worse that relying on someone who has no idea what to watch for or how to signal you.
If you’re still stressing out and others are waiting, pull away and let others take their turn. Maybe think about getting someone else to back it in for you.
