BACKING MANEUVERS-pulling up

Pull up in such a way that it will point your trailer at the point you want it to go to... Then make small adjustments as you back in again. Practice will improve your skill, and you will start to remember how the trailer reacts when you do certain things. Being able visualize in your mind what your trailer is doing and where it is at will also help a lot when you cant see both rear corners of the trailer... This ability is only learned through experience, and is not fool proof. GOAL if you have ANY doubt.

 

Go to the store, buy a large scale toy of a 18 wheeler that has some reasonable quality to it.

Using the finger and thumb in place of steer tires if they cannot move left or right will give you a consistent reasonable behavior for the input placed on the steers.

Even better if you can get a radio controlled full function 18 wheeler with proper steering etc.

The trailer always does whatever it's told to by the steering wheel, your tractor. Sometimes the slope of the land plus gravity will have it going downwards that might be unwanted.

What you do not want to do is wriggle that tractor. You will know it when you either see it being done or you are doing it yourself.

 

Turn the wheel towards the problem. I’m still learning and that made sense to me.

 

I’m no expert. But practice and repetition is the slayer of fear. Ask me how I know. LOL

 

When you are almost ready to back sraight in but you know you aren't centered? Hugging the left side? I like to pull up slightly to the left and then straighten out with the trailer. So I can just back in at that angle untill the trailer is almost, just before center, and then manuver to straighten out the trailer in the spot. Then use both mirrors to make the final straight back.

 

As soon as you start trying to back up a quad fuel or gravel trailer on a pintle, you will look back on the days of learning to back up a single trailer on a 5th wheel with fond memories, and say to yourself , #### that was so easy .
My point is this, practice and practice more, because it only gets harder as you gain experience and start pulling and backing up weird combinations. So stop, breathe, and think about it rationally. Small corrections and if you get too crooked pull ahead and straighten out a bit, then start over.
If you have a buddy with a pickup and boat, borrow it and go to an empty parking lot, take plastic cups with you as obstacles and backup around them. I taught my girlfriend how to backup using my boat hooked to a pickup. The smaller size seems less intimidating to learn on.

 

I'll try to keep this short and simple......

Most new drivers make the mistake of trying to turn the trailer into the hole.

Instead..... allow the trailer to naturally swing sqare to the hole.

Trailer Drifts Right- (BAD) the only way to make the correction is to slightly blind side and it can be difficult for a new driver. Pull up or go around and try again.

Trailer Drifts Left- (OK) Don't allow the trailer to drift to far left of course but you'll be able to pull up a little and easily make the correction.

 

I think what you are asking is if you are backed in by too close to one side, how to fix it so you are centered.

Use the Serpentine method. Pull ahead in the direction you need the trailer to go to be centered, say to the right, then left and right again and preload the steers toward the problem and back up mindful to center the trailer between the lines. Takes tons of practice..