DRIvING
B - 12
B
Backing Up
In BACKING UP the important thing to remember is to DO EVERYTHING
SLOWLY and to correct immediately if you see the trailer turning the wrong
way. Concentrate on the rear of the trailer. With your tow vehicle and trailer in
a straight line, back up slowly and turn the bottom of the steering wheel in the
direction you want the trailer to go. Watch out the window or in the mirror until
the rear of the trailer is pointing in the desired direction. Your tow vehicle will be
following the trailer in an arc. Straighten the tow vehicle and trailer by turning
the steering wheel more sharply, and then when
they are in line, straighten the steering wheel.
ALWAYS TRY TO BACK TO YOUR LEFT BECAUSE
THE VISIBILITY IS MUCH BETTER. When you don’t
make it on the first try it is usually much easier to
pull forward to your original straight position and
start over.
If your spouse or traveling companion normally
directs you when backing they should position
themselves forward of the tow vehicle so the driver
can easily see them. Their directions should always
indicate to the driver the direction the rear of the
trailer should go. A little practice in a parking lot with the person giving direc-
tions can save a lot of frustration when backing into a campsite.
Warning: take into consideration that when towing a trailer,
the handling characteristics are different and less stable from those with
operating the vehicle without a trailer. It is important to avoid sudden ma-
neuvers. Sudden maneuvers may lead to loss of control over the vehicle
-- trailer combination.
