Backing Up w/Trailer - Horror Stories

[FloatingBrick]

Didn't want to hijack joaks' thread on Publix, so I'll start a new one.

Anyone have a horror story about their first time backing a trailer?

I had to pull a small U-Haul trailer (smallest they had) with my 78 Camaro. Shouldn't be a problem I thought.

I went to U-Haul and they installed a permanent hitch and got me all set up with the trailer. Went back to the apartment and tried to back into my parking spot. After 30 minutes of providing great entertainment to the neighbors, the guy from upstairs comes down and says he'll do it for me if I want.

After 15 minutes of him trying, his roommate comes down laughing at him. After another 10 minutes, the neighbors agree I can just take up 3 spaces for two days and they'll park across the street.

Thankfully, when I got to the new place, I was able to pull parallel to the building to unload.

Months later when I was traveling out of state, my friend was looking at the hitch and he says "You know your hitch isn't centered, don't you?" THAT was a classic "Oh man!" moment in my life.

Honestly, I can blame U-Haul all I want for the first time, but I still cannot back a trailer if my life depends on it.

 

[Falken]

It is something worth practicing.

Truckers have their tricks, hit up Youtube.

If you can get handy swinging a trailer it opens a lot of possibilities.

My dad was always a trailer and roof-rack guy, I have yet to try.

 

[Chris142]

I've backed up a set of doubles as far as the last axle will allow. Its far easier to back a long trailer with a short truck than to back a short trailer with a long wheelbase truck."

 

[ls1mike]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
I've backed up a set of doubles as far as the last axle will allow. Its far easier to back a long trailer with a short truck than to back a short trailer with a long wheelbase truck."

True statement, but the long wheel base truck makes for a nice stable tow!

 

[xxch4osxx]

Originally Posted By: ls1mike
Originally Posted By: Chris142
I've backed up a set of doubles as far as the last axle will allow. Its far easier to back a long trailer with a short truck than to back a short trailer with a long wheelbase truck."

True statement, but the long wheel base truck makes for a nice stable tow!
It also makes for a smoother ride!

 

[swirlparanoid]

Never had a problem. Backed my dads truck and boat trailer down the boat ramp between two other peoples trailers at age 12, never had to stop or pull forward. Lots of entertainment to be found at boat ramps. Sometimes people would sit at the ramp we used with lawn chairs and a beer and watch people.

 

[volk06]

I can back up any trailer and put it where ever i went. Perks of growing with up gooseneck and bumper hitch. However, I hate bumper hitch trailers and prefer a gooseneck.

 

[Kruse]

I've never had too many problems, as I grew up on a farm and have backed up trailers with a farm tractor thousands of times. I will say that a four-wheeled farm trailer acts completely different than a two-wheeled trailer. When I got my CDL driver's license, I had to parallel-park a big rig into an area of four cones that the examiner set up WAY too small. (Ever parallel-park a big rig? Not as easy as it looks) There was a little bit of pressure on me as he set up the cones and told me that I had two chances to do it and if I couldn't do it in two tries, he would fail me. I will admit that it did take two tries as I completely messed up on the first one.

 

[Spazdog]

A friend of mine bought a pop up trailer super cheap. He was towing it home through a corner when he heard a loud noise. The trailer broke loose and shot past him on the outside of the corner and into the tree.

First thing he noticed of course was that the trailer was now completely destroyed. Second thing was that the hitch and safety chains were still attached to his truck. It had broken off underneath the trailer.

 

[FADEC]

I can back almost any trailer, boat, car hauler, uhaul etc. But those little utility trailers, that are impossible to see are a major PITA.

 

[JimPghPA]

Originally Posted By: swirlparanoid
Never had a problem. Backed my dads truck and boat trailer down the boat ramp between two other peoples trailers at age 12, never had to stop or pull forward. Lots of entertainment to be found at boat ramps. Sometimes people would sit at the ramp we used with lawn chairs and a beer and watch people.

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Bring it back Denny, cut it some more, no the other way, OK you just blew out the trailer tire on that curb.

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Why did you pull the boat out with the out-drive down? Answer: the hydraulic system leaked and it wont come up.

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You forgot to take off the bungees from the trailer to the back of the boat.

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You blew out the trailer lights because you forgot to disconnect them before backing into the water.

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And the classic: You forgot to put the drain plug in. That one never gets old.

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And there are always people who just have to somehow manage to fall in, or get the boat in the water with somehow loosing the grip on the line(s) or forgetting to have a line on it.

 

[wrcsixeight]

I can't claim proficiency with backing a trailer. Not much experience, but not really an issue the few times I have.

But, many years ago, one set of neighbors, the whole family were completely inept drivers. The running joke was which car would come back with a crumpled fender/ bumper today?

So anyhow, the Father, whom we called Dingleberry Phil, asked me to borrow our boat trailer. My instinct was to laugh aloud, but I held back and referred the question to my father, who rolled his eyes, shook his head, pinched the bridge of his nose, sighed, but said yes anyway.

Now Dingleberry Phil's boat was barely big enough to fit on the trailer. Ours was for a 17 foot Boston Whaler type tri hill, and his was a 12 foot aluminum v hull. I told him I did not think the runners would properly cradle his hull, but related my father's permission to borrow the trailer anyway.

Dingleberry Phil was also what we will call frugal. The closest legal boat ramp was 2 miles away, and one had to pay.

There was a sandy beach at the end of the road, that occasionally those with a 4x4 would illegally and quickly launch their smaller boats, without issue.

Somehow Dingleberry Phil decided that 4 wheel drive was not really needed if he were to line up a row of 2x4's to the water's edge.

Now I had to goto work, so cannot properly relate what followed, but the story is still legendary among those who witnessed it, with the whole family of inept drivers trying to tow the previous stuck vehicles out of the sand with the last vehicle of 3 inline, on some pavement. At one point the cops came, then the tow trucks. It was a holiday weekend with a bunch of obnoxious NY and Nj'ers just drinking beer and laughing aloud at the absolute ineptitude of the Pennsylvania plated vehicles and drivers.

All I saw was that the boat was still at anchor the next day in the bay, and the neck on my dad's boat trailer was bent at 90 degrees, and carefully placed back in our driveway( it was light enough to move by hand). Also 2 of their cars were outside the local mechanic's shop, covered in sand and front wheels which were no longer pointing in the same direction.

A few weeks later I saw the boat was in his yard on blocks, and he was pounding dents out of the hull with a hammer.

 

[97f150]

My favorite scene at the boat ramp is watching people back down the ramp and jam the brakes on trying to jar the boat off of the trailer. Its okay if the ramp is dry, but after it had been used a bit the truck keeps sliding.

 

[DrDusty86]

NEVER had horror stories about backing a trailer myself. I can put any trailer anywhere anytime PERIOD!

I saw a Dbag in a Nissan Maxima try to back a 5x8 Uhaul trailer in a parking lot. I offered to do it for him and he got all bent out of shape. I guess he wanted to impress him wife in the car with him "MANLY" skills. I laughed as I watched him crunch his car twice.. What an idiot.

 

[kschachn]

Yet another instance where you are perfect and the rest of the world is not. Wow.

Originally Posted By: DrDusty86
NEVER had horror stories about backing a trailer myself. I can put any trailer anywhere anytime PERIOD!

I saw a Dbag in a Nissan Maxima try to back a 5x8 Uhaul trailer in a parking lot. I offered to do it for him and he got all bent out of shape. I guess he wanted to impress him wife in the car with him "MANLY" skills. I laughed as I watched him crunch his car twice.. What an idiot.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Originally Posted By: DrDusty86
NEVER had horror stories about backing a trailer myself. I can put any trailer anywhere anytime PERIOD!

I saw a Dbag in a Nissan Maxima try to back a 5x8 Uhaul trailer in a parking lot. I offered to do it for him and he got all bent out of shape. I guess he wanted to impress him wife in the car with him "MANLY" skills. I laughed as I watched him crunch his car twice.. What an idiot.


I have seen a setup you couldn't back up...in fact, I would pay to watch you try!

 

[DrDusty86]

That's right man.. get use to it.

I never cared for the people in the south Texas area so when I see something funny I watch and laugh. I have HATED the people since day one..So I'm finding some entertainment here..a Car accident a lady rolled her Tohoe into the ditch when she missed the curve in the road when she was texting...DUDE I WAS LAUGHING FOR HOURS..SHE WASN'T SERIOUSLY HURT.

 

[SwampSurvivor]

Originally Posted By: swirlparanoid
Never had a problem. Backed my dads truck and boat trailer down the boat ramp between two other peoples trailers at age 12, never had to stop or pull forward. Lots of entertainment to be found at boat ramps. Sometimes people would sit at the ramp we used with lawn chairs and a beer and watch people.

When I used to go camping, I would grab a book and spend an hour or two "reading" the book ... at a picnic table right next to the boat launch.

Was loads of fun watching people try to launch boats. 2WD trucks and FWD minivans provided a lot of entertainment. Even some 4x4 trucks had a problem.

 

[wander2039]

Originally Posted By: Kruse
I've never had too many problems, as I grew up on a farm and have backed up trailers with a farm tractor thousands of times. I will say that a four-wheeled farm trailer acts completely different than a two-wheeled trailer. When I got my CDL driver's license, I had to parallel-park a big rig into an area of four cones that the examiner set up WAY too small. (Ever parallel-park a big rig? Not as easy as it looks) There was a little bit of pressure on me as he set up the cones and told me that I had two chances to do it and if I couldn't do it in two tries, he would fail me. I will admit that it did take two tries as I completely messed up on the first one.


Same here although I never experienced the big rig part. That's what I like to tell people.. That's nothing compared backing the old 4 wheeled hay cart with a tractor!

No horror stories in all the trailers I've pulled. 16ft trailers, 33ft 5th wheels and even the 28ft+ RV we currently have. People seemed to be impressed that I can handle it so.. even my grandma one one side and grandpa on the other side. Just watch your mirrors and be one with the vehicle and trailer easy peasy!

 

[SwampSurvivor]

My father taught me to back up in an 18 wheeler around the age of 13/14. And it was more that just putting it in reverse, I was maneuvering around trailers, curbs, etc. In fact that's what I learned to parallel park with.

I also learned to back up with a trailer shortly after. I remember backing up through the whole length of the parking lot with a trailer, turning it around, doing figure 8s and parking it in between other trailers.

Both of my vehicles have blindspot mirrors. They make driving (and backing up) so much easier. It's 100X easier for me to navigate tight spaces backing up than it is going ahead ... with a good set of mirrors.

Was never perfect, but managed to to OKAY.