Backing up

vito

Second day with my new Tab. I just can't figure out how to back up with the Tab. I watched some YouTube videos but it doesn't seem to work. I end up jack knifing too easily. Ended up unhitching and asking wife and son to lift and move Tab. Not a good long term solution. 

jkjenn

Most of those videos are with much bigger trailers. The smaller the trailer, the more difficult to back up. You were probably turning it the right direction, you just have to get used to the proper degrees of adjustment. Find an empty parking lot and work it out. You can do it!


The trick I always revert to is to straighten my wheels, put my hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and then move the wheel the direction I want the back of the trailer to go. The degree of adjustment will become more natural over time. Oh, and we all still have our issues form time to time.,

RZRBUG

I messed up the quote thingy.  My first mistake today....Anyway, what Jenn said.  Hand on the bottom of the steering wheel was my most helpful suggestion when I first started.

Also remember to back very slowly and make very small adjustments with the steering wheel.  When that doesn't work, pull up and start over.  I very seldom hit the mark on the first try.  And, I no longer care how many people are watching.

Nomad

Think slow and small - If you're jacknifing, you're over steering and it gets beyond the point of recovery. The T@B turns really quick so it's easy to over-steer because it doesn't look like too much until too late. Try backing it up straight for a hundred (or two) yards. Watch out your rear views and the minute you see the tail end sticking out in one of the mirrors, make a small correction. Once you get a feel for those slight corrections to keep straight, be just a little more aggressive (tail sticking out a little further) and correct for it. You'll get the feel for it and be an ace in no time. But remember, slow and small movements.

Rad

Don't turn around, use your side mirrors and make a very small adjustment one way, back up a very short distance, then do it the other way.  Get a feel for what the trailer is doing.  Don't worry about backing it into some place at first, just learn what small movements of the wheel do to the back of the T@B as you watch both side mirrors.  

Critical fact, no one was born with the "backing up trailer" gene.  The skill is only acquired by learning and practice.  

cbarnhill

Vito: I hear you.  I have had my Tab  45 days and camped twice both pull thrus. My next  trip is a back in so I vowed to practice before I go. Practice day was monday. My plan: get up early, hitch up (it's Phoenix-it's hot), fill up at a service station (new experience) ) and head to this huge church in town and master backing in.  Gas at Costco was a breeze. Met the nicest man on motorcycle who gassed up behind me who had lots of questions about the tab. Told him I'm a newbie and headed to the church to learn backing in. I practiced straight backing (as  PXL suggests) and here comes mr motorcycle. He offered some tips and they helped and he left.  (I don't know if he was firing on me or felt sorry for me.  I really think he just wanted to see the tab). Backing up the Tab is a humbling experience. I practiced for 2 hours. I averaged 12 forward/backward attempts before I got it parked each time. (What mr motorcycle called see sawing). I tried left and right parking. I did finally get it and I feel a little better. I believe my backing in will provide the entertainment at my next campground but I can do it. If not, I'll push it. I push it into my carport at home by myself -it's a tight squeeze, I have to as you'll see by the pic I posted of my first trip home. Trust me, I didn't look near as confident on Monday. Good luck

twocutes

We all feel your pain.  The last time I parked it at the bottom of my yard, I took the opportunity to practice backing up, as I wanted to get it further off the road.  It took me more than 5 runs at it and generated the need to tell the neighbor I was practicing, but I started to get the hang of it.  It's true that the shorter the trailer, the harder to control.  I didn't have as much trouble towing a closed motorcycle trailer in 2007 with a 2 door Jeep Wrangler.

Nomad

What you do at the campgrounds is pull up ready to back in (search YouTube for "The Dip video) - Get out of the TV and like a good carnival barker (loud) announce that the hilarity is about to begin - come one, come all to the greatest show on earth. You'll have a flock of helpers in no time :-)

jkjenn

The hardest place I have to back up is at my house because the back alley is so narrow. I am sort of re-learning again, but it comes back to you quicker.

Verna

My sister purchased a new 17' camper and I was chosen to take it to the RV storage lot.  Since it has a longer tongue t is a lot easier to back up than my Silver Shadow, which really isn't that much shorter than the T@B.

Tweedrvr

I park my T@B parallel to the side of my garage.  The first time I backed up the driveway was the day I brought it home.  Took a little "this way and that way" but ended up about 18" along the side.  Perfect!  Second time was at a campground. Again success.  Even a compliment from the campground manager.  Third was back in the driveway.  Am about 1' off the side of the garage.  Have never had a trailer before, but I found the keys were suggestions voiced by other forum folks and that was to place you hand on the bottom of the steering wheel and turn in the direction you want the rear of the camper to go.  Resist the urge to turn around.  Because it's not a large trailer, I found little turns of the wheel back and forth worked the best.  Hope this and others' suggestions help.  Good luck!  You can do this!
Martha, Pittsfield, VT 2015 T@B CS-M and 2015 Subaru Forester

Ratkity

....

SweetlyHome

4 years ago I took my oldest granddaughter on an east coast vacation with our Silver Shadow.  My husband insisted I learn to back up.  Too many interested people and skate boarders in the church parking lot.  I was hot and frustrated and eventually declared "I just won't back up!"  Hubby arranged for pull through sites along the way and that worked beautifully for the first 1000 miles of our trip.  Then we visited a friend with a mountaintop home in VA with a driveway off the end of a 1 way road.  We couldn't make it up the hill.  Too steep and no traction.  Gullies on either side of the road.  Someone coming down the hill and someone behind me going up.  We got out of the car, threw up our hands and with the help of everyone stuck on the road, detached the trailer and turned her around.  Embarrassing and dangerous but makes for a great tale to tell.  This year granddaughter #2 and I will make a similar trip with our T@B.  I know how to back her up.  It just takes me about 5 attempts

Dalehelman

After nearly 40 years in trucking I have probably backed up more miles than most people go forward. The key to backing is knowing when to pull forward. Once the trailer gets out of shape trying to correct by continuing to back up just makes it worse. Pull up a few feet first then continue backing this keeps the trailer behind you and not along side. Pulling forward 5 feet will usually allow you to back about 10 feet before you get in trouble eventually you will get to where you need to be. When backing remember to think forward and you will not become the afternoon entertainment at your favorite campground.

RollingLagrima

cbarnhill said:

Vito: I hear you.  I have had my Tab  45 days and camped twice both pull thrus. My next  trip is a back in so I vowed to practice before I go. Practice day was monday. My plan: get up early, hitch up (it's Phoenix-it's hot), fill up at a service station (new experience) ) and head to this huge church in town and master backing in.  Gas at Costco was a breeze. Met the nicest man on motorcycle who gassed up behind me who had lots of questions about the tab. Told him I'm a newbie and headed to the church to learn backing in. I practiced straight backing (as  PXL suggests) and here comes mr motorcycle. He offered some tips and they helped and he left.  (I don't know if he was firing on me or felt sorry for me.  I really think he just wanted to see the tab). Backing up the Tab is a humbling experience. I practiced for 2 hours. I averaged 12 forward/backward attempts before I got it parked each time. (What mr motorcycle called see sawing). I tried left and right parking. I did finally get it and I feel a little better. I believe my backing in will provide the entertainment at my next campground but I can do it. If not, I'll push it. I push it into my carport at home by myself -it's a tight squeeze, I have to as you'll see by the pic I posted of my first trip home. Trust me, I didn't look near as confident on Monday. Good luck

Nicely done!!!!

twocutes

I am sure I will continue to be campground and neighborhood entertainment as I hone my backing up skills, but I don't mind.  I am with PX - just announce that the show is about to begin, be good natured about it, AND pretend everyone in the audience is nekked.  

Nomad

Just don't back up into a nudist colony or they will be.

jkjenn

PXLated said:

Just don't back up into a nudist colony or they will be.

You have to be careful of that around Ridgway, CO. (Orvis Hot Springs)

OzT@b

PXLated said:

Just don't back up into a nudist colony or they will be.

Unless, of course, that is your intention.  

Nomad

I'd never get it straight into a spot, be too distracted.

RZRBUG

jkjenn said:

You have to be careful of that around Ridgway, CO. (Orvis Hot Springs)

Wait a minute.  I spent the night in Ridgway State Park a couple of weeks ago.  How come I'm just now hearing about this?

Nomad

Rzrbug - I feel your pain, I always hear about these things after the fact also :-(

mickietucs

RZRBUG said:

jkjenn said:

You have to be careful of that around Ridgway, CO. (Orvis Hot Springs)

Wait a minute.  I spent the night in Ridgway State Park a couple of weeks ago.  How come I'm just now hearing about this?

How was Ridgway SP? My nephew lives in Ridgway SO I'll be going there during my early travels.  

Nomad

Be sure to visit the nudist colony and report back - inquiring minds want to know if we should make plans.

RZRBUG

Michele, Ridgway State Park actually has three campgrounds.  Elk Ridge and Dakota Terraces are close to each other.  Elk Ridge on top of the mountain and Dakota next to the marina.  Pa-Co-Chu-Puk (try to say that without spitting) is farther down the road and on the lake. 

I stayed at Elk Ridge.  The pads are paved and seem farther apart than they are because of the trees and shrubs.  Very nice metal tables and grills at each site.  The bathhouses were pretty nice as well.

This is where Booger stepped on a cactus and stuck one in his paw.  It hurt him enough that he tried to bite me when I tried to get it out.  I noticed afterward that there are several in the area, so be careful if you have a pup with you.

Oh, and I did not see a single nekked person, dang it.

Nomad

I feel for Booger - I brushed against one shooting at night in AZ - the big spines were bad enough ( hard to pull out) but there were three dozen small ones that were impossible to grab without a tweezers and hurt even if you thought about brushing against them. I could get the big ones out with my pants on but not the small ones. Pulling my pant leg off over those small ones was a treat. I was amazed at how many spines there were, I barely brushed against it. My knee was red-n-sore for a week.

jkjenn

Since you all seem so curious - towards the bottom, under "Atmosphere" (You can't make this stuff up.) http://www.mycoloradolife.com/colorado-hot-springs/Orvis-Hot-Springs.html

Verna

PXLated, next time (hopefully you won't need it), take a raw potato and cut it to fit the area of the small splines in my leg, finger, arm, etc. Put the cut side against your skin and hold it there for 30 minutes. It will draw the splines out of your skin. 

I helped my sister move her blanketey-blank cactus plants inside her house the night before Thanksgiving one year. I brushed up against one. I woke up Thanksgiving morning with my hand swollen double its normal size. I called Mother and told her I was heading for the ER, but she said to try this method. It worked, the swelling went down and I didn't have to spend half a day in the ER. 

Mouseketab

I LOVE watchin backin in shows at campgrounds

Although I bought it mainly to get the T@B in my garage at home, I create a different parking show at campgrounds. I just disconnect, and use a remote control to park my camper

Best toy ever!!!

www.purplelineusa.com

twocutes

Mouseketab - Which Purple Line model do you have?  Anything you don't like about it?

mickietucs

RZRBUG said:

Michele, Ridgway State Park actually has three campgrounds.  Elk Ridge and Dakota Terraces are close to each other.  Elk Ridge on top of the mountain and Dakota next to the marina.  Pa-Co-Chu-Puk (try to say that without spitting) is farther down the road and on the lake. 

I stayed at Elk Ridge.  The pads are paved and seem farther apart than they are because of the trees and shrubs.  Very nice metal tables and grills at each site.  The bathhouses were pretty nice as well.

This is where Booger stepped on a cactus and stuck one in his paw.  It hurt him enough that he tried to bite me when I tried to get it out.  I noticed afterward that there are several in the area, so be careful if you have a pup with you.

Oh, and I did not see a single nekked person, dang it.

Thanks for the campground info especially about Elk Ridge's sites seeming farther apart. I think I'll probably go there for a few days but hope to find a FS campground somewhere in the area as I think I'll be there at least a week so cost-wise that choice would be optimal (and now that I have my senior pass even more so)! I think the ones I saw on the map were below Telluride. Will also ask my nephew as it gets closer-if you were there recently and in town, and you ate a Eatery 66 (a 1966 Airstream "food-truck"), that was his.
 
Poor Booger -- I know all about those dang spines living here in Tucson - horrible for pets and humans alike. May visit the hot springs but will not partake of the clothing optional ones!