Backing in to your site

Yuglamron · Guru

Backing in to your site

Landfall · Guru

Had to laugh last year.

At the Charlesville caravan park we were placed in the last site available, next to the building, btween a tree and the building. A tight squeeze.

The attendant came out and started to direct me into the site.

I politely asked her where she actually wanted the caravan. "How close to the tree?"

"As close as you can get, I'll direct you."

"Thanks, now I know were you want it, I'll be OK."

Backed it in about 10cm clearance form tree.

She said, "Gee, I should have asked, "Are you a truckie?"

"No, I'm a driving instructor."

We both had a good laugh.

My advice, is look at the site and then decide from which direction you want to come from.

My preference is to swing the back of the caravan to the left, looking at where you want the wheels and door to end up.

That way, you don't need anyone to be near you, unless there is an obstruction on the drivers side to miss.

Dusty smile

-- Edited by Landfall on Sunday 6th of May 2012 09:23:07 PM

Gerty Dancer · Guru

We've all witnessed domestics and had a bit of a smile at some of the antics that some people get up to while reversing into their site.... either in a caravan park or a free-camp. Usually its mildly entertaining but occasionally you see something thats downright dangerous.

In a roadside stop-over we saw a near-accident when an English couple in a rental motor-home tried to reverse into a tight spot next to us. She was walking behind where he couldnt see her, and he very nearly ran into her! She screamed, and I had to tell her to always stay where he could see her. He agreed with that, so then I asked him why was he reversing when he didnt know where she was... so I started a domestic, but I feel I might have saved an injury.

So heres our advice, after a towing course and several years of experience. Theres others here with better experience and I welcome your input.

1. Work out a series of hand signals between driver and the director that are clearly understood by you both.

2 The director must stand where they can see the drivers face in the mirror and signal which way the van must go and when to stop. Keep the signals where the driver can see, no use holding hands up too high. Other than a clear "stop" call, you dont have to shout all over the campground... the driver often doesnt hear these shouts as well as the neighbors do! Calling out "youre going too far left" results in the driver going further left because that might be the only word he/she heard. "That'll do you" isnt as easily understood as "Stop!"

3. If necessary to explain where the van is going crooked, ask the driver to stop, get out and have a look... saves a thousand words!

4. Drivers, if you cant see the person behind your vehicle, do not proceed!!!

Any more hints and advice on this subject?

jimricho · Guru

Yuglamron wrote:
Hi Gerty,
Personally I think number 4 is the most important of all.
If you cannot see the other person STOP and don't proceed.

I know I am cynical but look at all the kids run over in their own driveway.If you are not sure where the kids are or cannot see them.
Don't move!
Just a few seconds can save a life.

Safe Travels

-- Edited by Yuglamron on Sunday 6th of May 2012 02:37:00 PM

Nothing cynical about that Trevor, just very good advice.

jimricho · Guru

Excellent post Gerty

Jim

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

If your tug is fitted with a UHF radio then for a few dollars more you can purchase a hand held unit and the is no need for hand signals or shouting, and the director can stand in front of the tug and direct from there, never at the back of the van.

GarrynLyn · Senior Member

Lyn stands at the back of the van with a hand held radio and directs me. Has worked a treat so far.

Cruising Granny · Guru

Over all my years I still don't understand why seemingly long-term couples could not communicate directions by hand signals and voice.
UHF radios certainly can help, as long as both parties are talking the same language.
The best is still the couple in Cairns. Both in their 70's from Albany.
After assessing the site he gets out of the driver's seat and she gets in.
She stares blankly into the space in front of the car while he walks alongside the driver's side and dictates directions. Nailed it first pop.
I asked her if she knew what he was telling her and how the vehicle and van respond. "No. He tells me what to do and it works".
She could have been blind or blindfolded. They'd obviously had been doing it this way successfully, and peacefully, for many years on the farm.

milo · Guru

we have 2 cameras on our motorhome one low and one high, also i usually try to do all the reversing
and we have a uhf hand held and talk that way,
every one needs to find there own way of doing things

Zoomtopz · Guru

A lot of Sound advice there . I had allways 'lined up' th situation . Did it .

When I did my licences for th Fire trucks .Reversing- had to have somebody

guiding you back -IF you took your eyes Off the guider- kick in th rs , if you

looked in th mirror , kick in th rs . So over th course we had to be Guiders &

drivers . When I guided old mate to drop car trailer at my place th other day-

down left , ease off , bit more off , hard right , ease off , chase it right, ease

off , straighten , bit straighter . He put th trailer where I wanted it . By

listening & doing , he is Maori , with a very Heavy foot .

As far as it is with ME , when I am manouvering Any vehicle . ALL persons

are Where I can See them At ALL times , ALLWAYS , I can't see you , I don't

move , simple .

Richo

jimricho · Guru

As a solo traveller without a backing guide, like Landfall, I prefer to back in from the left using my mirror, especially onto a slab site.

At the Top Tourist park in Mission Beach (Nth Qld) the father of the operator (a retired truckie) guides one onto their site by standing at the passenger side window, deliberately blocking the driver's vision in the mirrors. Just follow his instructions and he'll put you on site with millimetre precision.

I've heard the principal operator of Tow-Ed claim that women should do more of the backing and (therefore) men more of the guiding. At the risk of sounding sexist (not intended) I do wonder why so few women share the driving and backing when caravanning, is it perhaps a lack of confidence??

Jim

kandagal · Guru

I used to be able to back a 85 ton truck under the upheld bucket of a loader in a quarry in the middle of the night with only the marker lights on the loader arms to guide me. Lots of years ago so dont know how I'd go now.

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

kandagal wrote:
I used to be able to back a 85 ton truck under the upheld bucket of a loader in a quarry in the middle of the night with only the marker lights on the loader arms to guide me. Lots of years ago so dont know how I'd go now.

practice, practice, practice, practice, that's the name of the game biggrin

kandagal · Guru

Oh Wombat I don't practise That's why I have a chauffeur now (I have a marriage licence which is written mostly in Welsh so I tell him that's where it says he has to do the reversing + other things I think up from time to time.

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

kandagal wrote:
Oh Wombat I don't practise That's why I have a chauffeur now (I have a marriage licence which is written mostly in Welsh so I tell him that's where it says he has to do the reversing + other things I think up from time to time.

Bore Da

Prynhawn Da

Nos Da

kandagal · Guru

Just because I was married in Wales Wombat doesn't mean I can speak the lingo. That's if what you wrote was in welsh. Cheers

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

kandagal wrote:
Just because I was married in Wales Wombat doesn't mean I can speak the lingo. That's if what you wrote was in welsh. Cheers

then how do you know you ARE in fact married if you could not understand what was being said biggrin

boy do they talk fast

Bore Da = good morning

Prynhawn Da = good arfternoon

Nos Da = goodnight

briche · Guru

We used to add to the 4:30 comedy show when we first started but soon realized that safety is the main element in this exesice so we brought a couple of little UHF portable's. Not only did it take away the element of a hitting someone but also not hitting someone's van or other structure. As far as we are concerned best things we ever bought with the added advantage of reducing the stress levels between us. Don't wait go buy a couple of them briche

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

make sure you get the new 80 channel ones, not the old 40 channel

miroku12g · Senior Member

I have a towbar fitted to the Front of my tug,
Quick & easy to swap rear to front & then I can put the van in the smallest / tightest spot ever EASY !!!

Miroku 12g

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

miroku12g wrote:
I have a towbar fitted to the Front of my tug,
Quick & easy to swap rear to front & then I can put the van in the smallest / tightest spot ever EASY !!!

Miroku 12g

that's cheating, but a good idea

Gerty Dancer · Guru

jimricho wrote:

I've heard the principal operator of Tow-Ed claim that women should do more of the backing and (therefore) men more of the guiding. At the risk of sounding sexist (not intended) I do wonder why so few women share the driving and backing when caravanning, is it perhaps a lack of confidence??

Jim

What he said to us was that women driving and men directing is a better combination, because (his words, not mine) women will usually obey their husbands directions but men tend to second-guess their wife's directions. It sounds really sexist but I suspect he's right!

As for women doing more of the driving, come on ladies! Dont leave it all up to the blokes, they might have a hang-over, or a broken leg, or (like mine) a heart attack and you will need to be able to drive and tow! I admit I dont drive much, just enough to give him a rest and keep myself in practise.

signwilson · Senior Member

the uhf radios work great never a problem

Gerty Dancer · Guru

We gotta get a better one of those hand-held radios, ours cuts out quite a lot and is unreliable.

Happywanderer · The Master

I do all the driving Gerty, he just can't be bothered. lol

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Goes to show doesnt it, you can do it and do it well HW! Have met women who just simper and say "O no I dont drive". makes you wonder how hubby might feel if he needs help.

Cruising Granny · Guru

jimricho wrote:
As a solo traveller without a backing guide, like Landfall, I prefer to back in from the left using my mirror, especially onto a slab site.

At the Top Tourist park in Mission Beach (Nth Qld) the father of the operator (a retired truckie) guides one onto their site by standing at the passenger side window, deliberately blocking the driver's vision in the mirrors. Just follow his instructions and he'll put you on site with millimetre precision.

I've heard the principal operator of Tow-Ed claim that women should do more of the backing and (therefore) men more of the guiding. At the risk of sounding sexist (not intended) I do wonder why so few women share the driving and backing when caravanning, is it perhaps a lack of confidence??

Jim

I have often asked the same question of the woman of the team.

"Oh, I couldn't do that. It's too big. I leave it to him and I read a book or sleep while we're travelling. He gets too cranky."

No kidding. That's the response many times.

If I want to do something it's up to me. So over the years I learned to back a 6x4 trailer with the help of former husband. Backing a tandem stores trailer on the cattle station was breeze after the little one. The caravan is a bit bigger but the principle still applies. It's all about the position of the back wheels when you start. Then it's all up to me using my mirrors. I can't reverse while turning around and looking back.

I always recommend the woman of the team to learn to tow the van, even it it's just forward, to get the feel of how it behaves, what the tug feels like, even if they don't reverse to the site. If "driver" falls out the van and breaks a leg they're stuck, when they could be continuing their travels, giving him time to see the sights.

One couple put the tug on the tilt tray, the van was towed home, and they flew home until injuries and health were restored to normal.

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

A couple of years ago I was taken ill coming across the Nullarbor, Mrs W drove the tug & van back to the Yalarta police station, the policeman took us around the back to an aboriginal clinic, we were flown out that night by the RFDS to Port Augusta, 4 nights there while the manager of the clinic at Yalarta had our tug and van in his lock up property, the nusre said if I had not got to the clinic within 30 mins I was dead, really great people out there, we did not even know the clinic was there.

Have always supported the RFDS and will continue to do so in the future, a great organisation.