Reversing Technique

Donk
They're having us on surely!!! This reminds me of those old mathematical tricks where you multiply by 25, add 33, deduct the age of your mother and it gives you your birthday. I just can't see it working with the number of variables involved - length of the individual's large steps, turning circle of the tow vehicle, number of turns lock to lock, length of the caravan, length of the draw bar, depth of the site and not to mention the embarassment of people watching while you step out your starting point and carefully lay your stick on the road (all the time praying that this b-----y thing is going to work.)
I always rely on the simple principle that slowly slowly wins the race. Its a lot easier to get it right when the site is on your right hand side and you can see the right hand wheel/s of the van as you reverse back in. A little bit of right or left hand down at the right place at a slow speed makes all the difference. I think the main mistake people make is trying to put the van back from a fairly straight position rather than bending the rig 90 degrees to put it in.

tessa

It probably sounds more complicated in my inital post than it actually is but i am interested if it actually works

Regards Don

Sounds like it is all about creating a measured and repeatable angle and distance from the site that you are trying to get into. If you can put the van into the same relative spot each time driving forwards (which is pretty easy) then you will be assured of getting it into the correct spot when going backwards (which is the hard bit for many people) after doing a practiced targeted repeatable back-up.

Cheers
Muddy

Damn - that's my secret, and now it's out!

not.

Cripes, someone is trying to make something simple into a nightmare?

Still, if you have trouble reversiing the van or trailer the practice it gives you working it all out would be worthwhile!

It's long gone April 1st!!!

Jee wizz. It'd be a whole lot easier to just learn to drive!!!

It's not that hard really I keep telling the missus!

HUGO

Please don't read this as rude, but I'd suggest just learning to reverse properly in the first place would be a helluva lot easier and prevent a lot of future road rage too.

It's not hard, especially on something as 'visible' as caravan.

No.1 tip - Learn to use your mirrors. Only girls with Elna presses and hairdryers turn their head. When's the last time you saw a professional truckie looking over his shoulder?

No.2 tip - Plan your approach and position yourself correctly from the start. If you're too cramped a simple reverse becomes challenging.

No.3 tip - don't be afraid to take a 'second bite' at it. Literally a few feet forward again can make a huge difference towards getting the right approach angles.

No.4 tip - get a toy car with a trailer that has a tow hitch BEHIND the rear wheels like you car. A model truck with a turntable positioned directly over the back wheels wont demonstrate this as clearly. Sit down at a table and practice reversing it, paying very close attention to the concept of a car 'pivoting' around the back wheels and how that determines the movement of the towball hitch. Hard to explain in writing, but trust me on this and when penny drops it'll become easy.

No.5 tip - buy some stick on convex mirrors from Supercrap / Repco etc (only a couple of bucks each) These are the best things since sliced bread - I kid you not. They will make life so much easier and safer.

No.6 tip - practice.

No.7 tip - practice some more.

No.8 tip - and always REMEMBER THE RULE OF THE SEVEN P's!

PRIOR
PREPARATION &
PLANNING
PREVENTS
P.I.S.S.
POOR
PERFORMANCE


Hope this helps - Good luck mate!

The way I was taught years ago was to put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel, not the top. If you want the trailer to move left - move your hand left, if you want to go right move your hand right. Never be shy to go forwards a bit, before it gets too crossed up. I find reversing around to the right much easier as it is not on the 'blind' side. Finally my wife uses a hand held CB to direct me. This is much better than hand signals and yelling.

Whole thing smells of witchcraft and sourcery to me.

Then I don't own a carryvan so I probably don't know what I am talking about.


Long live the camper trailer!

Craig

Thanks for the feedback so far but i was really asking has anyone tried or is anyone using this method (i am interested if it works) more so than asking how to reverse a caravan

We have been full time on the road for the past 7 1/2 years & i don't normally have to much trouble putting the van on to sites (being a 23 footer helps though)

Regards Don

Interesting read and as a non-expert, it sounds too simplistic given the already mentioned variables however I'll not discount it until I try it...

Personally I have found the best friend of anyone new to reversing trailers is low-range, slowing everything down as much as possible gives the driver that much more time to come to terms with what is happening behind them and as such that much more opportunity to react...

I practiced with a 6x4 trailer and have mastered that. I kick my truck driver husband out of the seat when it comes to backing the trailer. He blames the Aframe. I get a kick out of goingtothe dumpand watch the fellas face when i have succsefully backed up and a shella hops out. Im sorry but if a females place is in the kitchen I will always have funwatching fellas back into things. I also back the van no worries. i do however like my electric mirrors and adjust them down.
Sorry fellas for not understanding how you could possably stuff it up.