Tips On Backing Down Sloped Driveway

[pilotpip]

Do you have enough room to pull in forward, and turn the camper around using one of these https://trailervalet.com/shop/trailer-valet-xl/ ?

Brother in law bought one, and I laughed. But it does help him get in a driveway with a very tight turn safely and much easier than trying to back in with his truck.

[powerscol]

Do you or a neighbor have a compact tractor? Just get a hitch adapter for the bucket and use the tractor to pack it in. Or practice, practice, practice, very slowly.
Merry Christmas

[Santa61]

I too have a long curved drive that requires finesse in order to back into our home parking area. In my experience it is best for me and my wife to use radios to communicate. I'm not certain the width of your drive but it looks similar to what I negotiate. Ours is 13' wide which requires you to be mindful of the movement of the truck. Where this will be an issue on the turn/radius part of your drive. You will want to keep the wheels of the trailer as close to the left side of your drive as you approach the bend in order to give your truck enough room to turn as well. It is best to watch the wheels on the trailer and not concern yourself with the tail swing since it appears you have nothing along the sides of the pavement to concern yourself with. As mentioned earlier, going slow is your best friend. Once you have made this backing experience a few times you will naturally develop key visual points of reference that will become your friend. You will know exactly where you want your trailer wheels and when exactly to make your turns.

[Tom&Trish]

Feel your pain!
We have a long “S” turn driveway. So not only do we have to make a very sharp turn to back into the driveway BUT that’s followed by an S turn to clear the house and several large oak and crap myrtle trees.

I’ve found the best way is to practice in a parking lot with cones. When backing up straight place your hand either on the top or bottom of the steering wheel, I use the bottom.
If you raise the wheel UP on the right side watch which way the back of the trailer goes. Same for the left side.

Next is to use a target to back the Trailer to.

This is how the big boys that drive semi’s are trained.

YES the observer is very important!!
And should be visible in your mirror!!!!!
YES Slow and Easy is important!
YES communication is very important!
YES patients is very important!

Happy RVing

[BillinSC]

Could not have said it better!

Nice and slow, and have a spotter who knows how to find you in the mirrors. Some have used walkies to communicate.... others by hand signals, and some with many years of marriage, patience and a little luck !

[adaycj]

A few things. I use a cell phone instead of a radio because the reception is good at my home. Always on two way communication that is hands free is best for me.

Watch your trans temps. Lots of loading the torque converter at low speeds with little airflow. It shouldn't be a problem unless you have quite a few attempts in a short time. My truck gains almost 50 degrees in temp backing up my driveway.

If you are towing TT and not a 5th you may find it easier to unhook your weight distribution system before backing up. Most modern hitches can stay in place while backing up, but they can be noisy and make the vehicle feel a bit odd on inclines or declines.

[DoubleMRV]

Truly appreciate the advise and encouragement. Assume that you also have to deal with a slope downward ? and that is what I am most concerned with. Not having much expereince I was concerned that the trailer might overpower my tow vehicle (RAM 2500) but from the feedback I have been receiving that appears to not be a concern. Need to get the first trip down under my belt and I should be good. Thanks Again and Happy Holidays to you and all the fellow RVers out there..

[DoubleMRV]

Great advice.. Thank you. Will post a follow up after my first trip down.. Happy Holidays !!

[IBEW Sparky]

Great advice.. Thank you. Will post a follow up after my first trip down.. Happy Holidays !!

I don't know if this is an option for you or not but I have a front hitch on my truck that I use for various stuff. I found it extremely useful to manuver my daughter's TT around in my parking area where she stores it. It's much easier to see exactly what you are doing and make minor adjustments when facing the RV. Like I said it may or may not be an option for you.

[bsteward1957]

I’ve found the best way is to practice in a parking lot with cones. When backing up straight place your hand either on the top or bottom of the steering wheel, I use the bottom.
If you raise the wheel UP on the right side watch which way the back of the trailer goes. Same for the left side.

Next is to use a target to back the Trailer to.

This is how the big boys that drive semi’s are trained.

When I went to school to learn to drive a tractor/trailer, we were taught to forget about holding the steering wheel at the top or bottom and then trying to remember which way to turn it. We were told to remember 1 simple rule. Steer into trouble. If the trailer is veering to the right, turn the wheel to the right, if it's veering to the left, turn the wheel left.

Happy Holidays.