Trailer Towing Woes - Help

A

Astropoof

You're having a laugh
May 24, 2006
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La La Land
I've recently bought a trailer and 4x4 and whilst I have been out practising towing, O/H next to me for guidance, we have agreed that it would probably test our marriage if he tried ot teach me the reversing a trailer thing. He said and I quote " It would be like the blind leading the blind" Its not that Im rubbish at driving you understand, its just that well, you know, it's a bit like rubbing you belly whilst tapping your head.

Anyway does anyone know of a trailer towing training school in the Swindon area. I dont' need to take the test, I just need a bit more confidence going forwards (with pony on board) and also a bit of help when it comes to reversing.

At the moment, I'm thinking that if I arrive at shows early ie 6am, I can turn a big loop and face the exit, thus avoiding the need to reverse. And if that doesn't go to plan, well I can always buy a tent and wait until everyone else has left (joking)
 
Or even as I did in the early days, despatch husband on long errand, unload horse and pass off on unsuspecting child, unhitch trailer and turn round and rehitch.

Seriously it does come with practice but OH in car is probably not best plan. I spent several hours playing with trailer on my own under pretext of parking it!

Oh and child is now grown up and swings trailer around in infeasible places with no sigh of hesitation or my multiple attempts!!
 
There is something to be said for the unhitch, rotate, re hitch manouver, especially in tight spaces - did you see last weeks top gear for a good show of how NOT to tow :)

No recommendations I'm afraid - just best wishes! aj xx
 
Erm..... you know that MY OH manoevres trailers at work with allsorts of machinery - tractors and suchlike.... he says, and I quote, "It's a doddle" - grrr! :mad: Men! To save your marriage I know he will sit beside you if you want to practise (and without sneezing too ;) ), you only have to say.... he loves a project!!! And with the business park at the end of the lane.... you even have practise space! :)
 
Hiya!

Am a youngstar and had to pass my test before I could set out with the trailer! I cannot recommend the lessons enough - a calm good instructor is worth their weight in gold!! Mine taught to reverse in 2 lessons!!!! (despite a very childish temper tantrum in the middle :eek: !!) And I passed my test 1st time!! Am sure an Instructor will sort you out in no time - I guess its like horses - you wouldnt expect to be able to ride without some help!? :)

Mine charged £75 for 3 hour lessons (just to give you a rough idea of prices).

Have you tried googling trailer lessons in swindon or something?
 
My friend has recently bought a 4x4 and has just purchased a trailer. She's a very good, confident driver, but says its virtually impossible to manoeuvre the trailer as she needs to reverse into her space at the yard. She's just been practising on her own, and with one of the other liveries who tows caravans. Perhaps your local trailer centre could help out, or point you in the right direction.
 
My hubby tried to teach me also - but it didn't work. So here are my tips....the ones that really helped me. :)

When reversing - look in your side mirrors. If you see too much of the trailer in the mirror you are looking in - turn the wheel toward that mirror - works a DREAM.

When going forwards - be ready to stop suddenly at all times - don't drive too fast. Approaching intersections brake slowly, and be ready to stop even if you don't have to give way. Take the corners and round-a-bouts WIDE. Never let drivers behind you intimidate you.

With all of that you'll be a pro in no time. When I bought my horse I brought him home in a trailer and it was a 3 hour drive. Great for my confidence.
 
i have a tip, dont park too close to someone elses trailer at the yard as it gives them the hump.......also you cant shut the top doors.........have you met anyone thats done this in the past:eek:
 
breeches said:
i have a tip, dont park too close to someone elses trailer at the yard as it gives them the hump.......also you cant shut the top doors.........have you met anyone thats done this in the past:eek:
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There's an ongoing battle at our yard between two of the women who haven't spoken in a while. First woman has had a trailer on the yard for years and it has one annual outing to go and collect shavings! Now that Second woman has bought a trailer a few weeks ago and parked it in front of hers, the First woman now wants to take her trailer out every five minutes (or threatens to - it never happens). Second woman has now parked hers elsewhere, but First Woman has now complained that its too near the hose and she can't bath her horse. Second woman reckons that if she parked her trailer in Timbucktoo (sp???) it'd still be in her way!!
 
reversing under direction is quite hard - because you need someone who tells you it in a way you can understand.

My OH has done his HGV some time ago and knows how to back enornous articulated lorries - but he tends to try and tell me what to do, rather than feedback what he can see. And it always goes wrong as a result.

Father is similar.

Mother is a lot more vague and does these waves of her hand while saying "you're too much THAT way" without specifying which way THAT is :rolleyes: BUT if she helps me it rarely goes wrong ! :p I just need to clarify sometimes what the hand wave means :rolleyes:

It helps to practice somewhere - I have both our trailer to back into the yard, AND the arena grader - which is worse as its on uneven ground so doesn't respond predictably :eek:
 
VickiGG said:
When reversing - look in your side mirrors. If you see too much of the trailer in the mirror you are looking in - turn the wheel toward that mirror - works a DREAM.
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Thats a great tip!
 
I taught myself. I just did it a few times without any "helpers" barking advice. It's just lots of trial and error in an open area where nothing could get damaged. If you really want to learn, set up traffic cones where you want to "park" and see if you can put the trailer in it.

To back up, you've got to think a little different. You've got to totally ignore what the truck is doing and think about where you want to point the rear of the *trailer*. Think only about the rear trailer bumper and try backing it to turn one direction, then try again backing it the other way. If you can learn to stop worrying about the way the truck is going, you'll be able to focus on putting the trailer where you want it... then it's just a matter of remembering which direction wheel turn puts the trailer which way.

To do a turn around you have 2 options:
- Pick a REALLY wide area, start the turn as early as you can, and just cut the wheel into a sharp circle. The trailer follows the path your truck takes. Running over a low curb isn't the end of the world but be more careful with other vehicles, big curbs, etc.
- "Three Point Turnaround" - good for turning around using a big parking spot or someone's driveway. Get good at backing so you can point the trailer at a 90 degree angle from your starting point. Back into that spot and as soon as the trailer rear bumper is at the right angle, straighten out the truck. Keep backing until truck/trailer are straight relative to each other. Then just pull forward.

If you get stuck backing it up and the trailer is at too sharp of an angle, just pull forward to correct the angle, and try again.

Do watch the mirrors and see where your trailer wheels are. I watch my trailer's wheels on a narrow road to make sure I'm not over the center line or too close to the edge of the pavement.

Good luck to you!
 
woa is me to

my big trailer problem is that i am not allowed one, id love one but i cannot get permission to spend my hard earned money, working 6 days a week in quite a stressfull job, providing for the family before myself, never wanting anything.............best i stop there
:confused:
 
After sitting in tears at my instructors yard being laughed at by teenage boys who turned a huge hay trailer round in 3 seconds flat, whilst I took 40 minutes of 'backwards/forwards/get out and kick the wheels' before I managed to turn round, I spent the whole day in the field with cones and no men in site. I've just about got it now but find reversing the trailer right easier than left.

however, OH has just anounced that it is stupid to be spending so much money on a 4wd to tow the horse once a week. (with the amount of miles we do the petrol, insurance, finance etc are costing about £1000 a month) and has arranged for the merc to go and a citroen c4 to arrive:( :( :( :(

Which means that the lovely trailer I saved up for two years for has to go (sobs uncontrollably) and I will have to beg, borrow and possibly insert large horse unnoticed onto lorry to get lifts.
 
however, OH has just anounced that it is stupid to be spending so much money on a 4wd to tow the horse once a week. (with the amount of miles we do the petrol, insurance, finance etc are costing about £1000 a month) and has arranged for the merc to go and a citroen c4 to arrive
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Citroens make great tow cars... :) good suspensions that will happily run over rough fields.

Reversing just takes a bit of practise, I usually find a nice quiet industrial estate with a bit of space and some marked bays to give me something to aim at, then make sure nobodys looking while I make a mess of things ;)

Vince
 
There is a fairly simple rule to reversing a trailer, use the wing mirrors to keep an eye on it, and when the trailer appears to be moving more to one mirror, you steer towards that side and it will straighten the trailer. It does take a while to get it right and there is no shame in practicing a lot. HTH.
 
vince42 said:
Citroens make great tow cars... :) good suspensions that will happily run over rough fields.

Vince
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Buzz is actually bigger than a C4 :(

Anybody want to buy a spotless year old bateson ascot?
 
Hi Breeches
Never a true word spoken:) I am in the same position although if I can sell my old saddle I have permission to buy a trailer:rolleyes: Now I have read this post I need to get some practice as if I ever ever ever get my trailer I really need to show I can drive and reverse it. I was given some advice though if you place your hands at the bottom of the steering wheel and keep them there left and right is actually that left and right. Please let me know if that works. I dont suppose anybody is looking to buy a saddle?:D
 
Great news, a lot of moaning and sulking has done the job, Mrs Breeches has crumbled and i have ordered a lovely classic ifor 510.
 
horsemadmandy said:
place your hands at the bottom of the steering wheel and keep them there left and right is actually that left and right. Please let me know if that works. I dont suppose anybody is looking to buy a saddle?:D
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That would work - if you have you hands at the ten to two position and want to reverse trailer to the right you would need to turn wheel to the left. If you have you hads at the bottom and want to steer right you would move your hands to the right but the wheel would be moving round to the left so to say.

Its all about small adjustsments though and not just steer in one direction and hold it. you are constantly correcting and moving.

In your tailer test though you wouldn't be allowed to hold the steering wheel at the bottom like that - you are expected to show the same level of driving as you would in your actual driving test - so correct position two hands on the wheel - mirrors blah blah.
Not as easy as you think it will be and worse if you have bad habits driving
 
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