# Parking the trailer!!!!!!



## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

I back up with my hand at the bottom of the steering wheel. My daughter started hauling horses on her own at 16 - we taught her the same way and to just go very very slow until she got the hang of looking out her mirrors and steering at the same time. We live down a dead end lane so have to back the trailer down and then into our shed. The lane is probably 1/2 a football field long with a L at the end to get the trailer into the shed. Just take it slow and easy

Turning is always best done with wide turns, else your trailer tires drop off of the edge of the pavement as you make your way around the turn (or they go over the curb) again slow and steady and use your mirrors.


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## ACinATX (Sep 12, 2018)

Ooh, I'm so excited! And a little over-caffeinated! I went back and worked on it some more but wasn't having much luck. Then this older guy came over and said, "I was wondering what you were doing over here until I saw the cones, and then I knew you were trying to learn to back up a trailer. You want some pointers?" Of course I was like, heck yeah. So he gave me a couple of pointers and then made two really good suggestions: (1) I was backing up and turning from the passenger side, but it's way easier to back up and turn from the driver's side and (2) I should practice backing up straight first. I explained the problems I was having backing up, and he explained about how to turn the turning wheel, but I told him that I felt like the trailer always went the same direction no matter which direction I turned the wheel in.

So I tried and failed and he was like, "You want me to just show you?" And of course I was like, heck yeah. So he showed me, and then I understood that I wasn't being aggressive enough with my turning. So he had me practice straight again, and after a few minutes I got it. Then I did it again. Then I thanked him with extreme gratitude, LOL.

After he left, I practiced backing it straight again, and this time I got it no problems. Then I went for my angled parking spot, and while it wasn't as smooth I still got it without having to pull forward at all. I practiced that one several times and got it a little better. I thought about practicing an angled parking job from the passenger's side, but I decided to end on a good note LOL.

The guy did tell me that parking a little trailer is harder than parking a big trailer, and parking a little trailer from a big truck, like what I have, is the hardest. So hopefully the horse trailer, being bigger, will actually be easier!

Here's me backed into a space. You can't even see the trailer behind me, it's so small LOL.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Good for you!

I always tended to turn the wheel of the truck way too much! And I never used to use the mirrors. I was always cranking my body around.

I finally got so disgusted at myself, I put big round bales of hay in a pasture and drove backwards for hours. I'm still not fantastic at it, but manage to get it done. 

Have you ever watched a "Trucker Rodeo?" Those guys are inspiring.


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## livelovelaughride (Sep 13, 2011)

It sounds like you are on your way! Commenting about #1. I had a trailer parking space at my old barn where I had to do a S curve to back it in. Around a tree, no less. Its cool to see that the curve can actually reverse itself when you are reversing the wheel direction. However I remember having to jump in and out of that truck to check the blind spot, about 10-12 times! 
#2 The shorter the trailer the harder it is to back up and small wheel adjustments seem to work best. I found backing up a boat trailer super easy compared to my short horse trailer. 
I wish for a backup camera to hook up my trailer. Again lots of jumping in and out. Though I did mark the center of the trailer with tape and try to line that up. It helps.


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## ChieTheRider (May 3, 2017)

Set up some plastic barrels in a big field and go have at it. Nothing better than simply driving to get the hang of it. My parents forced me to drive the F550 and 4 horse BP when I was learning and we went down to the horse arena and proceeded to park, jacknife, and cry a little before I finally got it right. But now I'm able to back the thing down the crazy long driveway where the critters are boarded and out the gate without killing anything...all thanks to tearing up the community center's grass a little. 

I am guilty of looking backwards rather than using the mirrors (I use the mirrors as well) and it'll come back to bit me if I ever end up with a gooseneck. 

You're always going to need to go longer, wider, and slower in a trailer. Sometimes so long that you'll end up in the next lane. And that's ok. That's just hauling for you. Sometimes you have to wait for traffic a little longer than everyone else. I usually take back roads when hauling to avoid humanity because nobody knows how to behave around a trailer.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Yay you!!! 

You'll get more and more confident and I do think the horse trailer will be easier to back up. I can correct the direction of the trailer no problem now. If I am not quite lined up to the space I am backing into, I can easily shift it one way, then another, correcting until I get it just right. I used to have the same issue with the trailer continuing on its path, but not anymore. I think it's a feel thing - the more you do it, the better you'll be.


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## george the mule (Dec 7, 2014)

Hi AC, All
Driving a trailer takes practice. Backing a trailer takes loads more practice. There is simply no magical way around it.
But here are a few tidbits that may help.
Turning. Remember that the BP trailer is being controlled by the _back_ of your truck, not the front (steering) wheels. In wide turns this isn't noticeable, but it becomes significant as the radius of your turn decreases. It also means that the greater the distance between the front wheels and the trailer wheels, the more noticeable it becomes. Thus a large trailer will not track as tight of a radius turn as a small one. You need to compensate by initiating a wider turn with the steering. Use all of the available space for the front of the truck. If trying for a real tight turn, this often means driving in the opposite lane. Signal, and just wait til traffic clears. (And watch out for morons who will inevitably try to sneak past on your right.)
Backing. Again remember that your rear-end is controlling the trailer. This is why the steering input is opposite, and sorta non-linear.
Until you get a good handle on it, get out and inspect the situation. Try to visualize the path your trailer needs to follow, and the direction your rear end needs to be moving to accomplish it. Parallel parking is very good practice, backing in a circle, or figure 8 are advanced games to play.
At first go dead-slow. Use large steering input (pretty much full lock) to get the trailer pointed in the right direction, and then another large input in the opposite direction to get the truck on the same arc. Then use small steering corrections to maintain the arc. If you get things mis-aligned, straighten the whole shebang, and try again. Repeat to yourself: "Large input to aim, small input to maintain."
Another thing that will help is to adjust your truck side mirrors such that you can see what the trailer wheels are doing.
And you'll laugh, but one silly thing that will really help, especially with developing a realistic visualization, is your 4-wheel garden cart. Set up a bunch of obstacles, and practice pulling the cart thru them. If it's too easy, move the obstacles closer together, such that you really have to think about it to weave thru w/o bumping into anything. The cart handle is analogous to the steering wheels of your truck, the pivot point of the tongue and box is the hitch point, and the cart body is, or course, your BP trailer.
Once you get a feel for this going forward, try the same path pushing the cart backwards. UhHuh, backwards.
This is actually kinda fun, and is non-threatening, 'cause you are very unlikely to damage anything. And it doesn't waste any fuel. Get someone to do this with you and make a game of it. You will find that the same visual integrations required to move the cart thru the obstacles apply to driving a trailer.
Hope this is helpful! Steve


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## george the mule (Dec 7, 2014)

Me Again.
On trailer rattles and other noises.
Loud harsh bangs when you drive over a bump often indicate worn or broken suspension components. Put it it up on jack-stands, climb underneath, and carefully inspect the situation to prevent unpleasant surprises, especially on a horse trailer.
Rattles are usually things like stall dividers, doors, and windows. Generally these can be mitigated to some extent by "loading" the hinges. Get a handful of the heavy rubber "trucker" bungies, and use them to put the pivot points under tension. How much you can accomplish varies, but it's worth a try, 'cause the other option is to replace the hinges, and that gets spendy PDQ.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

george the mule said:


> Rattles are usually things like stall dividers, doors, and windows. Generally these can be mitigated to some extent by "loading" the hinges. Get a handful of the heavy rubber "trucker" bungies, and use them to put the pivot points under tension. How much you can accomplish varies, but it's worth a try, 'cause the other option is to replace the hinges, and that gets spendy PDQ.


We do that "loading" George...
I use the small stick-on chair glide pads you use to protect floors from scraping chair feet or furniture.
1 pad per issue makes a much quieter trailer to tow around..
Our trailer is steel, a stock style and can BANG, *BANG* and more _*BANG!!!*_
Those pads are magical...
We now sport them on the escape doors, dividers, tack compartment, windows that open/close and yes, the steel horse entry door...they flatten easily and no water entry happens either.
Since they are so cheap, when they get to flat we toss em and put in new ones for a quieter ride for the babies {and us}...  
🐴...


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