Thread: HOW TO BACK A TRAILER

I see Australia only ranks 105th out of 140 countries in the World Happiness Index, so that makes me unhappy.

Australia — Happy Planet Index

I'm very happy that we as a nation are happier than 35 other countries.

Wonder who is making so many Australians unhappy.

I cannot reverse a No 5 trailer in a Perentie, just keeps jack knifing ....I took 5 attempts and gave up trying getting out driveway ! I can reverse any normal trailer without much trouble but not this one.

So stumbled across this thread. I have a new camper trailer. I'm ok at backing - but the defender is a shocking car as the visibility is really poor and the turning ciricle is atrocious. So you can't maneuvre at all quickly. Big arcs are fine but no sharp moves. The only thing it's got going for it is low range. The camper we have is a TVAN but it has the drawbar extension so that probalby helps a bit.

Anyway our parking area is a bit rubbish and IMHO the only chance I reckon I've got of wedging this thing in there is with a front towbar.

My childhood home had a looong narrow driveway. Dad built a boat in the back yard. They took it out for sea trials and no one could ever get it back down the driveway. Everyone in the neighbourhood who could drive had a crack at it. It stayed out on the road for 6 weeks until there was a front towbar fitted to the falcon and after that it was just an everyday thing pushing this boat up the driveway.

Has anyone fitted one to the front of a defender? Factory bullbar.

I used to wonder, as a kid, how a bloke got his caravan into his carport off the lane. Small, both of them, but he had hardly any clearance at all. Then I saw he had a towball on the roo bar of his Studebaker. It was offset to the left and he could see down the side of the van. Simple really, but I'm not sure I'd have thought of it. And of course the steering is a bit like a forklift, really direct. You are correct re the long drawbar. I have backed things for most of my life, but a 6x4 box trailer still challenges me. Behind the Disco I can't see the thing until it's too late. No fancy tow assist features on the D2.

Hi,
A mate drilled a hole in the tyne of his forklift and put a big bolt/nut there to fit in the tow ball receiver on his van. Yep, he runs it offset, to see down the critical side of the van.
Cheers

Re the above comments -

1. Yes, the longer the effective towbar (ball to axle) the easier. e.g, my big trailer is easier than the 6x4.

2. It is really hard if you can't see the trailer! Again, my big trailer is wider than the County (or my son's D2, so easy. But the 6x4 is almost impossible - unless I put the canopy frame on, then it is easy to see, at least in the County, which has far better rear (or front) vision than the D2.

3. You reckon the Defender is bad - try a lwb series like my 2a, with no power steering and a turning circle that makes the County look good!

4. Also, the shorter the distance from the rear axle of the towing vehicle to the towing ball the better. But my DS, which had the tow ball little more than the tyre radius behind the rear axle, plus power steering and a very good turning circle had two other issues - it has a very long wheelbase, and the sides are not parallel. Think about that for a moment - difficult to back accurately by itself, let alone with a trailer!

Yep. Boat trailer is easier to back than a caravan, and a semi is easier than either of them. B-Doubles are easy too, once you get the knack. Dollies add to the fun.