# Backing trailer advice



## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

How large is your property? With a little 2-horse, you should be able to turn around in pretty tight quarters. Be nice to see your setup.
Are you having to park the trailer in your garage driveway or something?

I assume it is a bumper pull? Honestly, smaller bumper pulls are harder to back up than say a longer gooseneck, because it's "quicker" in the movements. So the key thing is NOT to overcorrect. Don't panic. Small changes to your wheel will make big changes in your direction. For myself, if I feel I am getting too "off" I just pull straight forward to straighten out and then go again.

To practice, go somewhere with a huge parking lot, like a Walmart or similar, at odd hours when it is not busy. Make yourself back along the lines and in tight quarters to simulate having to get through your street. Of course, when your husband is around so you can get it home again, LOL. 

Just gotta drive it. Takes practice. 

Or buy a new truck with backup assist.  Works for bumper pulls.


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## Pumphrey (Dec 14, 2020)

Yeah, it is a bumper pull I will post some photos tomorrow. Thanks so much for your help. I was feeling pretty sad today. Thanks so much for the encouragement!


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## JCnGrace (Apr 28, 2013)

Heck it would take me 20 minutes just to back mine into a parking spot when I first started pulling a trailer. Go slow, don't get discouraged and pick a day to practice when you feel like you have infinite patience.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

Get some safety cones and go to a big empty parking lot. Mark out a path with the cones that is similar to your driveway. Start practicing. You will pick it up.

If you need specific advice (e.g. you don't know how to get the trailer to turn in the direction you want while backing, or you are confused about why the trailer is tracking the way it is), ask.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

LIke everyone says, find a place to practice over and over again. There's really no substitute. Without the horses in the trailer of course. Every setup is a little different so you really just need to practice with your own truck and trailer in a big, open area. At first, you'll get it wrong a lot, but eventually, you'll get the hang of it and will be able to "feel" how the trailer is moving behind you. 

I used to let someone else park my trailer at shows because I was nervous about backing it up, but now I am confident enough to park it in a really tight spot. You'll get it in time.


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## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

@Pumphrey , If you have trouble backing that far , have you considered having a hitch put on the front of your truck? I've seen a lot of folks at boat ramps put the boat on the front hitch and drive the trailer right down the boat ramp. At work we used to put trailers on the front of fork trucks and the operator could drive them anywhere with no problem. It just requires and extra hook and unhook of the trailer.


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## Zimalia22 (Jun 15, 2021)

The way I learned to back a trailer, turn your wheel the opposite way that you want to go, that will start your trailer in the way you want it to go, then follow it on around.
I guess that's just what made sense to me and now I can back up whatever I want. 
Good luck!


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

My husband when I was learning to go reverse covered all my mirrors so I had to turn my head and see where I was pointing the trailer....
Do not pay attention to your hands but let them move freely as they seek to correlate the turn and where you go...unconsciously your hands will move naturally to keep you going where your eyes are looking.
Slowly my mirrors were uncovered and I learned to use them...
Today, haven't backed in our BP in ages, I pull into the yard, circle the back yard and park where the trailer needs to be...
I can back, just don't need to and if I had to would be rusty...but like riding a bike the skills come back easier when you knew how to do.
*Go slow* as it is far easier to make small corrections at slow speed learning.
🐴...


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

The number one thing to think about backing, is setting your truck and trailer up for the backup while going forward. 

For an extreme example, don't pull in tight to a corner with your trailer dang near a 45 to your pickup on the driver's side when you need to blind side(passenger side mirror) back into your hole. 
You didn't set yourself up for success.


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## george the mule (Dec 7, 2014)

Pumphrey, here are a few things that will prove helpful:
Get out and walk the path you want the trailer to take. Try to get a good visualization of how the whole rig has to move to make it happen, particularly at the hitch point.
Go slow-slow. If your truck has a Low Range, use it.
Adjust your side mirrors such that you can see the trailer wheels. If you lose sight, adjust 'em some more. (this assuming you have power mirrors)
Use a large steering input (pretty much full-lock) to get the trailer aimed in the right direction, unwind to get truck and trailer traveling on the same arc, then only small steering inputs to maintain the arc.
If/when you get out of position, don't try to correct in reverse, go forward to put things back on track, and try again.
If you lose your visualization, stop, get out and look things over until you have it fixed in your mind again, then get back in and drive it.
And don't forget the front of your truck. It's easy to get so involved looking backwards that you run the front of your truck into nearby objects. Try to make this a part of your visualization. This is particularly important if you are towing a Goose-neck trailer. Don't ask me how I know this  
Find a large dirt lot, and practice with it. Parallel-park that sucker. Back it in a circle, and then try a figure "8". You otter be able to do a figure 8 by only moving the steering wheel at the crossover point, at least in theory. Keep after it until you make it Reality. Om.
As you develop your skill-set, you will find this entire process breaks down to a quick look, and a few carefully executed twists of the steering wheel. Most of the time. 
KSBowmans' suggestion to put a hitch on the front is a really good one, and greatly simplifies "precision" backing. You can clearly see what's happening, and you have fairly direct control over the hitch-point position. Kinda like grabbing the tongue of the trailer, and pushing it back by hand. I use my compact tractor to move my trailers around in the yard. Mostly I use a hitch that mounts on the 3-point, but I also have a ball I can mount on the lip of the loader bucket for particularly challenging positioning.
One thing I have found that will help develop your eye for this is to practice backing your 4-wheel garden cart thru obstacles. Use half-a-dozen cardboard boxes if nothing else presents its self. Position them close enough that you can pull the cart thru with a little planning. Do so, then try to push it back thru on the same path. This is non-threatening, doesn't use any fuel, or take any special effort, and is actually kinda fun. Make a game out of it. It will really help with forming an accurate visualization. "Back-up" that cart whenever you have a chance.
In summary: Visualize. Go Slow. Practice. Practice. Practice.
Hope this is helpful.
Mods, I've typed this out several times in various threads; feel free to "Sticky" it somewhere if you think it might be useful, then we can just post a link.


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## Aldo (Aug 6, 2019)

Place your hand on the steering wheel at the 6 o'clock position. If you want to make the trailer go left just turn the steering wheel to the left. Same for the right obviously.
Makes it very easy. Have fun!


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