I keep our pontoon at the house and put it in Barkley Lake at a ramp about 8 miles from here whenever we go.?ÿ For a real entertaining afternoon, I sometimes just go out about 300' in a cove with a good view of the ramp, and see how many divorces start when one spouse is backing in and the other is directing from the boat.?ÿ?ÿ
Easier to back a long trailer than a short trailer.
I can back my trailer almost anywhere by myself in under a minute. It takes about an hour with help...
@thebionicman that??s like finding documents in a unfamiliar recorders office.
leave me alone and I??ll figure it out pretty quickly.
?help? me and it??ll take longer.
This reminds me of one morning on my way into the office...
The setting:
Texas has "frontage roads" that run parallel to most freeways/highways. The frontage road allows the driver to turn or u turn legally through a stop light or u turn lane that goes under the freeway/highway. The frontage road that gets us to the driveway that takes us to the office goes north from the frontage road, just a couple driveways past a boat dealership.
The story:
I had exited the highway to the frontage road and I'm approaching the boat dealership. Across the frontage road is a semi pulling a trailer full of new boats. The truck driver is trying to back the trailer across 3 traffic lanes, along the boat dealership building to the north. When I arrive on the scene, the truck driver is about 1/4 of the way backed in. He stops, pulls forward across all 3 lanes of traffic (which, by now, is beginning to look like a parking lot). He then tries backing again and again has to pull forward. This goes on for literally 30 minutes. By now I'm seeing coworkers "park" behind me and people were getting out of their cars and talking to other drivers. Finally the truck driver backs in about half way, stops and starts waving cars past him. I felt bad for the guy but I'd think if you're driving a rig and towing a trailer full of boats you should probably know how to back a trailer.
When I was a lad I drove for a flooring distributor and hauled carpet and roll vinyl.?ÿ OTR rigs would drop their trailers at out warehouse and we'd deliver them within our area of N TX, W AR and all of OK.?ÿ Among others I usually drove twin-screw International Fleetstars.?ÿ The dropped trailers were always various lengths and the axles in various locations.?ÿ There's a lot of difference between handling a 28' trailer with the axles sucked up close to king pin and a 45' trailer with the axles shoved all the way back to the rear doors.?ÿ I would get used to some, but others were always a PITA.?ÿ And audiences are never helpful.
I am getting better at it.?ÿ Not great.?ÿ But, better.
However, I will not even attempt to back a four-wheel wagon with a moveable tongue.?ÿ Makes Peter from Family Guy look like a genius by comparison.
that??s like finding documents in a unfamiliar recorders office.
leave me alone and I??ll figure it out pretty quickly.
You haven't done much research in the Yolo County Recorder's office, have you?
Easier to back a long trailer than a short trailer.
When I bought a milling machine a few years ago I rented a 7' drop-deck trailer to bring it home.?ÿ When I started to back it into my driveway I realized that all I could see was the upper 2 feet of the mill; I couldn't see the trailer at all (I didn't have a backup camera until about a year ago).?ÿ Parked cars lined both sides of the street, so all I had was the middle of our residential street in which to maneuver.?ÿ Fortunately we had contractors working on our house at the time, and one of them guided me in.?ÿ But even with help, that little trailer was a bear to get lined up and straightened out, it took me at least 3 tries.?ÿ The contractor got a good laugh out the experience.
We just sold our Class C motorhome (heavy duty van chassis) and bought a 35 foot travel trailer.?ÿ I AM learning to back it into camping spots.?ÿ It does help to have a backup camera on the back of the camper.?ÿ I also bought a new pickup (my previous one was 15 years old) and this is the first time I've ever had a backup camera on a vehicle either.?ÿ I can get used to that really easily.
Dual axles are definitely easier to back than single axles.
Andy
backup camera
Backup camera is only helpful for me for the last foot, making sure I stop the tongue just past the pink duct tape on the floor.
Some folks have trouble driving forward. ?ÿShould come as no surprise they can??t back up a trailer. ?ÿLol
back a four-wheel wagon with a moveable tongue.
I used to be pretty good with a tractor and hay wagon.?ÿ Now I can't back the van into the driveway in one try.
@bill93?ÿ
That's an awesome name for a band!
"Trakter and a Hey Waggin"
Maybe I should have gone I to marketing.... ???? ???? ??? ????
When I was a lad I drove for a flooring distributor and hauled carpet and roll vinyl.?ÿ OTR rigs would drop their trailers at out warehouse and we'd deliver them within our area of N TX, W AR and all of OK.?ÿ Among others I usually drove twin-screw International Fleetstars.?ÿ The dropped trailers were always various lengths and the axles in various locations.?ÿ There's a lot of difference between handling a 28' trailer with the axles sucked up close to king pin and a 45' trailer with the axles shoved all the way back to the rear doors.?ÿ I would get used to some, but others were always a PITA.?ÿ And audiences are never helpful.
Well i can say a old 4 wheel hay wagon is one of the worst to back up. Or smaller versions like pumpkin wagons. They make me cuss and I am always backing something up gooseneck bumper pull trailers. But the devil is in those wagons. I have a chicken coop built on one and my wife always tells me before we move the chickens please dont cuss the kids will be out there. But every trailer and vehicle long bed vs short bed truck all have there quirks for sure . I could back my old 16 ft stock trailer bumper pull up as well as I could go forward. With my old regular cab 94 ford. But with a 4 door f350 long bed it took some getting use to lol.?ÿ
However, I will not even attempt to back a four-wheel wagon with a moveable tongue.?ÿ Makes Peter from Family Guy look like a genius by comparison.
Years ago, my dad had me take a "tractor safety course" so I could help him and a family friend do some farm work during the summer. All of us "farm kids" were in this safety course wondering what the driving portion of the course would entail. We had all been driving tractors and other farm implements WAY before this safety course was a thought in any of our early teen brains.
Turns out we had to back a four wheel wagon with moveable tongue into a space the width of your typical machine shed door...using a lawn mower. LOL We all passed with flying colors.
back a four-wheel wagon with a moveable tongue.
I used to be pretty good with a tractor and hay wagon.?ÿ Now I can't back the van into the driveway in one try.
I know, when I was 16, I could back our short trash trailer all over and anywhere I wanted. Pretty rusty now.
?ÿ
However, I will not even attempt to back a four-wheel wagon with a moveable tongue.?ÿ Makes Peter from Family Guy look like a genius by comparison.
Years ago, my dad had me take a "tractor safety course" so I could help him and a family friend do some farm work during the summer. All of us "farm kids" were in this safety course wondering what the driving portion of the course would entail. We had all been driving tractors and other farm implements WAY before this safety course was a thought in any of our early teen brains.
Turns out we had to back a four wheel wagon with moveable tongue into a space the width of your typical machine shed door...using a lawn mower. LOL We all passed with flying colors.
Snowrunner, a video game is a truck sim. I cannot back the moveable tongue for the life of me.?ÿ
