At Moving Insider, we talk a lot about driving your vehicle with a moving trailer attached. As we get into the thick of summer, many people are practicing backing up a different sort of trailer – a boat trailer.
Let’s say that you just bought a boat and you can’t wait to take it to the lake. Your boat trailer is hooked up and you’re ready to tow. Like many people, you feel very comfortable towing a trailer, but your blood pressure increases when you think about backing it up. Yes, everyone at the dock will be watching you and you don’t want to hit anyone or be the person that takes 20 minutes to get their boat in the water. As we’ve said before, backing up a trailer takes practice, no doubt about it. So it is a good idea to find somewhere to practice the art form that is backing up a trailer.
Backing up a trailer is counter-intuitive. If you want to back up with a trailer, the trailer moves in the opposite direction of the back of the vehicle. This can get complicated and you can find yourself moving back and forth and pulling forward for another try.
Try This Trick
Here is the trick I use to simplify the process. I put my left hand on the bottom of the steering wheel, so the 6 o’clock position. When I move my hand to the right, the trailer goes right. When I move my hand to the left, the trailer goes left. This will still take some practice, but it really helps out when you get in a jam backing up and you can’t remember which way to turn the wheel. I advise that you go slow and be sure not to jackknife the trailer by turning too sharply. If you get the trailer going in the wrong direction, simply pull forward to straighten out and try again.
Could it really be that easy? Try putting your left hand on the bottom of the steering wheel, practice, and impress your friends with your newfound skill.
Want more help? Check out this video, where we demonstrate how it’s done.
