HOW TO BACK UP YOUR RV | Pete's RV Quick Tips (CC)

[@albertagrown]

My husband has been asked a few times by single women to park their campers... Except one, she didn't want him to do it for her. She asked him to teach her! After an hour, she was able to nail it! She was recently widowed and had decided to purchase a new camper for her and her children, because her husband had loved camping... but she didn't feel safe tenting without him. I was so pleased that my husband took time out of his day to teach her... (He also made sure that she knew how to unhook, level, turn on her hot water, etc.) I hope she's doing well now. This was six years ago!

[@kathleenrutherford733]

FANTASTIC TIP ABOUT UNHOOKING, I WOULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT OF THAT. GREAT JOB!!

[@didequen3339]

lots of trick and lessons on youtube but the only way you can master your skill is doing it. thanks for your video!

[@stockbrk0153]

Great tips! Thank you! I just got a 28ft goose neck. Luckily I have plenty of space at work to practice this. Could not imagine going in cold lol

[@Oldmanflyfishing]

Love the idea of just unhooking the truck

[@711693]

ditto! GREAT TIP

[@joewoodchuck3824]

I was told one simple instruction years ago from my brother-in-law. That instruction was "follow the trailer". If the trailer goes left of where you want it to go, make the car/turn left to correct. If it goes right of where you want, go right, etc. Works like a charm. I also find it less confusing and easier to use the mirrors than to turn my head. And now that I've had a backup camera on my car, I'd DEFINITELY put one on my trailer for safety if nothing else. They're cheap these days, so no reason to do without one.

[@Helladamnleet]

I'm hoping to pick up a 24' camper tomorrow and am nervous to back it up, but you made it look pretty easy

[@johnmoore4]

Unhooking the truck to finalize placement of camper. Great idea. I will try it next time if I can also find a faster way to attach that blasted ball and hitch.

[@DaveWrightKB9MNM]

Awesome video. We just purchased a 19 foot TT and I'm watching all kinds of videos to get acclimated to RVing. I was a firefighter and one of our driving tests was to back our rescue squad with a boat trailer attached. I mastered that quickly, but that was 10 plus years ago so I'm hoping it will all come back to me! Love all the Pete's videos!

[@joanneadomavicia5892]

let's do this

[@joanneadomavicia5892]

I have one in my dad's house and go travel with it to Indiana

[@NYslide62]

Awesome! Unhook straighten truck. Simple. Thanks

[@petesrvtv]

No problem!

[@karenboyarchuk2201]

My goal this summer to learn how to back up and drive in mountains. I never thought about unhooking the trailer, to straighten out the truck. We booked a really tricky spot with not much room to get in if we would have unhooked it would have been so much easier.

[@louie2037]

When we got our first 5th wheeler, city driving and backing up was a nightmare. But, thanks to practice, and some helpful "camper veterans", we were soon backup up with the best of them. Now days we try to get into a camp sight on Thursday afternoon, so we can spend Friday's watching the other rigs pulling in, and setting up; it's become sort of a hobby/ritual for quite few of us now.

[@MrGoosePit]

Put your hand on the bottom of the steering wheel. Use your sideview mirrors. Want the rear of the trailer to go left? Move the steering wheel left. Want it to go right? Turn the steering wheel to the right. Easy to remember, easy to do. Give it a try.

[@cluelessinky]

MrGoosePit that is the technique we use for fire trucks that use a tiller. when backing up place your hands on the bottom of the steering wheel with your right thumb pointing right and left thumb pointing left. if you want the rig to go left turn the wheel in the direction of your left thumb,vice versa for right turns. I could get the rig into the any fire house in New York City by using this .

[@MrGoosePit]

That's cool to hear! My dad was an engineer on the Chicago Fire Dept. Maybe that's where I picked that tip up long ago!

[@barbarasmith9954]

MrGoosePit uq

[@lidildevil]

Only if all the rv parks were this empty when parking lol

[@Edpalomares54]

Thanks for the voice of encouragement! New trailer owner here.

[@ambiguousdreams1]

Damn! Thanks man, it's my first time taking my trailer to an Rv park and it's gonna be a fun one haha

[@lucyferina]

I just bought a 29 ft , 32 and change if you count the tongue, never pulled a trailer that big before but I managed to get it home from the dealership and park it in my driveway reversing it only took about 5 min and it was easier than I thought. Of course it helps a lot when you have spotters.

[@klantic2]

Your videos are very very helpful. Thank you so much for taking the time to make these. Much appreciated!

[@SuperCyril2]

I find that the longer the length of the trailer, the easier it is to back up control wise.

[@radiotech181]

EXCELLENT VIDEO!!! Thanks for taking the time to make.

[@utseay]

Gosh darn buddy tubs...perfection on the YT.

[@glennestes3598]

Thanks 👍

[@petesrvtv]

Happy to help!

[@daviddion3731]

Excellent. Very helpful. Thank you.

[@Ruskin219]

Nice video with some good tips but this space is very wide open ( a lot of room for adjustment) and often one is not able to run the truck off the road into the campsite on the opposite either because of a post, tree, another parked RV, or parked vehicle.

[@Lauren-vd4qe]

Great hint re unhook the truck for a quick reposition instead of endless toing n froing with both units!

[@CaryJohnsonSD]

This was very helpful thank you!

[@badtriangle]

I've always had anxiety about backing in to tight spots and this video definitely helped. I am curious about trying to drive the rig into the front of the site and then out in order to put the back of the trailer at more of an angle already pointing into the site. Kind of like an "s" turn. This would be if space was available to so.

[@RandalMurrayPRV]

That is exactly what you want to do, if you can get the rear of the trailer heading in the right direction before backing up it is very helpful and will surly make things easier for you. Happy camping!

[@BretAllenStudios]

Tip of the day: turn towards the problem when backing up. Backing up in a straight line is where I've seen people struggle with the most. If you remember to turn the wheel towards the tail swing of the trailer, you'll be backing up like a pro in no time!

[@KentCCarpenter]

G.O.A.L. = Get Out And Look. Thanks C.R. England!

[@LorenDavis]

Thanks for the decouple / reconnect trick.

[@dalatina911]

Thank youuuuu

[@SteveDaly70]

Great video.

[@jimmyg4634]

a tip I learned years ago when backing steer into trouble.

[@simplyruth39]

we have all kinds of safety equip on our truck/TT (35 Ft). Not only are we older but my husband is 100% disabled Vet. He still drives but hooking and unhooking is difficult . If we are having a problem ,It is best to just make a new entrance or just do it back & forth. Where are the stabilizer bars and sway bars, etc. on your truck/TT ?

[@RandalMurrayPRV]

Hi Ruthann, First let me thank your husband for his service. Every situation is a little different when putting a unit on site, but it's my experience that starting over may be better than going back and forth. Going back and forth more than 2 or 3 times usually ends up worse than what you had when you started. If your camper is not equipped with an electronic tongue jack this may help you folks with the hooking and Un hooking of your unit. The truck I was using has modified rear suspension to keep things level and the campground we made the video at is very close to the dealership. Weight distribution and anti sway are strongly recommended for safe towing.

[@nmelkhunter1]

I learned to back up a trailer on my Uncle's ranch so I had a lot of room to pull forward and back up in a straight line. However, the first time I backed up that required some actual technique was at a sales barn where I had to get the trailer just right with the loading chute. It resulted in a lot of ribbing from my Brother and the sales barn foreman and could have made America's Funniest Videos. Having room while you back up really makes things a lot easier but doesn't really teach you anything. I suggest setting up some cones about 50 feet deep that are 90 degrees from the road and visualize what you need to do and then practice, practice, practice.

[@haveless]

Fantastic vid fellow!

[@kaelinandconnor]

I wish you were Close by to give suggestions on how to park it at our home. We work with a very small tight space with one side facing a down slope. I get anxiety every time we hook it up and park it.

[@camplordwillingrvpark8861]

Very good tips here... Watching inexperienced folks do this is pretty fun though!

[@cartee72]

Wife and I just bought a 25 ft, I had a 18 ft and that wasn’t to bad, but the 25 has me freaking out, any advice would be awesome

[@petesrvtv]

Check out some of our other How To videos and don't be afraid to find a big, empty parking lot so you can put out some cones and practice. Good luck and happy camping!

[@rodneylw10]

Great tips until the unhitch part. My camper cannot be unhitched without the truck being almost straight with the camper. The hitch is a pivoting design so no unhitching until the hitch stand can clear the weight bars. The good thing about the hitch is there is absolutely no sway ProPride.

[@gdcat777]

In one is by one's self, how does one line up the ball with the hitch?

[@RandalMurrayPRV]

Ha! It's not easy! :) I personally line the truck up with the two outside walls of the camper through my truck mirrors back up till I think I'm close and get out and check. A couple more checks and I usually have it. After market wireless cameras and monitor's can also be purchased to help with this. Good luck and thanks for watching!!

[@glenncalzada1707]

I think you could have put more emphasis ( camera shot ) on your front wheels and steering wheel movement. That's key in getting the back end where you want it to go. Too much focus on the trailer moving when your making the adjustments we couldn't see. Other then that, nice job!

[@michaelrollins2240]

Chase the trailer. Watch the rear of the trailer not the tires. Even if you (GOAL) get out and look, with all that over hang you have a greater chance of hitting something on the passenger side when you swing.

[@maxhill5025]

My direction guide steers the front end instead of the rear end of the trailer. Much less confusing. And that person is right outside the driver's window so I can see and hear them easily. Try it next time. Of course the person directing has to know what they are doing also....lol

[@CJS309]

What size was your trailer and was that a half ton you were pulling the trailer with?

[@albertagrown]

Just remember, steer the opposite way to the direction you want your camper to go!! lol Also, the longer the camper, the easier to back up! Our 17ft was a nightmare... Our 29ft, MUCH easier!! Also, why do women get such strange looks from people when towing a camper?? lol

[@kariedeming7888]

just bought a larger RV that has a weight distribution and has a sway bar for towing. I understand the sway bar needs to be removed before attempting to back up , but what about the weight distribution bars? Can those remain on until you get the camper where you want it still w easy removal from the truck?

[@deephorizon1365]

Karie Deming they can stay on while backing up

[@drjbb]

I noticed you do not have your weight distribution hitch hooked up. We are looking at a new pull type trailer and I was wondering if I need to unhook the bars on the hitch before backing up.

[@RandalMurrayPRV]

It depends on the anti sway device you are using, today's new hitches with built in friction sway do not require removal before backing up. The truck in the video has modified suspension and this was shot close to the dealership, I strongly recommend weight distribution with anti sway for anybody trailering with a light duty pick up. Thanks for watching!!

[@karensutherland6219]

We are new to camping and have a 29 ft. 5th wheel. it is stressful backing up for us. I am spotting, but need help so there is not a divorce. what are the simplest terms to learn what we are doing wrong? is there a book or directions to follow as we learn?? the video looks so easy...but can't seem to master this. we are heading out for our first long distance trip, and so concerned about the need to back up....such as stopping for gas or eating. we really are not ignorant people, but cannot seem to figure this out!! HELP?

[@noflyzone44]

Thanks Great!

[@Taeganishot]

Can you please clarify, is it better/more efficient to take the equalizer bars off prior to backing the trailer up?

[@cos103080]

How long is that trailer and how much does it weigh

[@petesrvtv]

The Outback Terrain 299TBH is 32' 6" long and has a dry weight of 6,343 lbs

[@yanidy2939]

you dont use weight distribution hitches?

[@RandalMurrayPRV]

I do use weight distribution when necessary, and I strongly recommend them. I have been towing trailers all my life, the suspension on the Toyota in the video has been modified and the campground the video was shot at is very near our dealership, this is why I was not using weight distribution. Again weight distribution is strongly recommend for safe towing and a must for people that do not have a lot of experience. Thanks for watching! happy Camping!

[@Visibile444]

if i use sprinter van 144WB, highroof. 6 cylinder 3.0 4X4 188hp,325 torque. able to pull trailer the size what you had in this video?

[@RandalMurrayPRV]

The Sprinter Van is rated to tow between 5000 and 7500lbs depending on equipment, your dealer should be able to give you better info. The trailer in the video was in the 6500lbs range I believe. Thanks for watching!!!

[@yanidy2939]

But how do you back up using a long bed crew cab? Your's is a short bed w/c is easier to pivot.

[@RandalMurrayPRV]

You would back up the same way, just may need a little more room with the long bed, but all of my tips still apply. The truck size in the video is the most common I see at the dealership that why we used it for this video. Thanks for watching!

[@yanidy2939]

thanks

[@WeAreAllAroundGaming]

Turn the wheel towards the mirror you want the trailer to exit.

[@luminosity2206]

the trailer will go in the direction your hood is facing while backing. Just turn your hood slowly as you back and the trailer's real end will go that way. This has been the least confusing and stressful way of backing I have learn. I always had a problem placing hands on the wheel and that sort of thing. Try it, you will be amazed how it works. Just go slow and move the hood in the direction you want the trailer to go.

[@stevo8869]

2 very good tips!! Just purchased our first camper and I'll definitely remember these!! Thanks!!!

[@danwoelke2694]

Instead of going through all this, just buy a back-up camera. They are only $17 at Amazon...

[@newsveteran4466]

Dude, you talk WAY too fast. Slow it down "just a hair."

[@danielbrethauer2666]

Perfect speed..you can make him out and he tells you everything you need to know without having to watch a half hour video. BTW, you can always change the playback speed on the video.

[@GreatMotherofThree]

This was really helpful. Thank you!