Backing up a trailer?
decadent and depraved
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 6,703
Likes: 6
From: Right Behind You
Originally Posted by [left
mudmaker[/left]
]I guess it has never been an issue for me. why not just turn your gain down when you're backing if you're worried about it.
]I guess it has never been an issue for me. why not just turn your gain down when you're backing if you're worried about it.
Tim
Junior User
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 60
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From: Elizabethtown, KY
Usquequaque fossor!
Originally Posted by thorseshoeing
Braccae illae virides *** subucula rosea et tunica Caledonia-quam elenganter concinnatur!
Vah! Denuone Latine loquebar? Me ineptum. Interdum modo elabitur
Vah! Denuone Latine loquebar? Me ineptum. Interdum modo elabitur
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 699
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From: northern Michigan
Maybe oit is the trailer I tow, Horsetrailer with living quarters, a lot heaivier then a big camper and I have to run the brake gain higher to get the braking action for the weight. Everyone I know with this type of rig has the same issue and corrects it the same way, 4 low, don't lock the hubs as 4 x 4 traction is not neaded and we all run manual locking hubs, pull the plug on the trailer while backing into our spots. Never needed lights from the trailer when backing it as it has always been light out.
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,498
Likes: 3
From: Windsor, Colorado
That is honestly the first time I have ever heard of using 4 low for backing unless you didnt have enough power to back up in high range. Even when I hauled cars grossing 42k I never had to use 4low. And the only time I ever pull the plug backing is when I put my boat in the water.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 24,724
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From: Blue Hill Township
Practice practice practice. I have a 3 stall driveway that narrows down to 2 and has a nice angle on it back home. I stuck a 25' enclosed in the 3rd spot of the driveway with no problem. It was much trickier than it sounds.
Bottom line is that you just need practice. Whether it is a 4x8 utility trailer or that 25' enclosed I have no problem backing up trailers. I have had quite a bit of practice though. Go to a parking lot or something and just keep trying it.
There are some people who will always struggle with it though. Backing up a trailer comes naturally for some and is a struggle for others. Good luck!
Bottom line is that you just need practice. Whether it is a 4x8 utility trailer or that 25' enclosed I have no problem backing up trailers. I have had quite a bit of practice though. Go to a parking lot or something and just keep trying it.
There are some people who will always struggle with it though. Backing up a trailer comes naturally for some and is a struggle for others. Good luck!
Fleet Owner
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 24,724
Likes: 74
From: Blue Hill Township
Originally Posted by mudmaker
That is honestly the first time I have ever heard of using 4 low for backing unless you didnt have enough power to back up in high range. Even when I hauled cars grossing 42k I never had to use 4low. And the only time I ever pull the plug backing is when I put my boat in the water.
Why anyone would pull the plug is beyond me. If I feel they are being a problem, I will turn off the brake controller, but it hasn't been an issue as I have a Prodigy.
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 699
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From: northern Michigan
The main reaon for going to 4 low is to cut your ground speed while backing up, gives more time to react if things get complecated. I always recommend it for people new to towing for that reason. It is also handy for those of us with lots of experience when tring to back into a tight spot or a curved drive.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,496
Likes: 3
From: Simpsonville, KY
Why don't you just... slow down?
Don't make things complicated. Just turn down the gain on the trailer! Lights are very important... I've come close to rear ending folks who decided nobody needs trailer lights anyways, be it going forward OR backwards. I tow horses commercially with a half dozen different trailers and none requires 4 low or removing the plug. Only one requires turning down the gain, and that's the brand new one with sensitive (but very nice) brakes.
Don't make things complicated. Just turn down the gain on the trailer! Lights are very important... I've come close to rear ending folks who decided nobody needs trailer lights anyways, be it going forward OR backwards. I tow horses commercially with a half dozen different trailers and none requires 4 low or removing the plug. Only one requires turning down the gain, and that's the brand new one with sensitive (but very nice) brakes.
New User
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
Originally Posted by mudmaker
That is honestly the first time I have ever heard of using 4 low for backing unless you didnt have enough power to back up in high range. Even when I hauled cars grossing 42k I never had to use 4low. And the only time I ever pull the plug backing is when I put my boat in the water.
I take it that you dont drive a standard transmission. I use 4 low when backing up my 18 foot trailer so I can let the clutch out and back up slow and steady without slipping the clutch. The clutch will last alot longer!
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,498
Likes: 3
From: Windsor, Colorado
Originally Posted by conetractor
I take it that you dont drive a standard transmission. I use 4 low when backing up my 18 foot trailer so I can let the clutch out and back up slow and steady without slipping the clutch. The clutch will last alot longer!
Freshman User
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 38
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6.0L heavy loader. left is right and right is left is true only if you are dealing with only one pivot point. If you have two then you steer in the same direction that you want to go. Just a tip from a truck driver.
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 958
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From: Las Vegas, NV
Originally Posted by Ironhorse7
Next tip: Practice, like in a school parking lot. You might not realize it, but every time you do it you're training your mind, and after a while it will be again.
LOL. Hahahaha
But there are great suggestions here. For me putting my hand on the bottom of the steering wheel, and using the mirrors works great. And practice, a lot. In an EMPTY school parking lot!
Last edited by smokestone52; Oct 21, 2007 at 07:51 PM.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 5,377
Likes: 2
From: Elkhart IN
Originally Posted by mudmaker
have had both auto and 6spd. Under normal circumstances I have never used it, but to each his own.