Lining up and straightening out.

[Boilers2000]

Newbie tower over the past 12 months...getting better but one thing I continue to struggle with is once I get the trailerined up, getting the tow vehicle inline so everything will go backwards straight and not continue to move the trailer left or right. Am I waiting too long straighten everything out. Hope I explained that clearly.

Any tips or tricks?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Practice

use your hand at the bottom of the steering wheel to make adjustment

look over your shoulder or in the mirrors to watch the trailer line (use the tires as a guide)

practice some more

you should be able to back up either in a straight line for well over a block, or be able to back up around obstacles such as trees and buildings.

 

[kaulbr]

Lots of practice and you'll get there! No other way around it. Watch YouTube videos and use ramps that don't have a lot of traffic or ones that have a lot of slips so you aren't pressured. A lot of pressure can make even the seasoned veteran a disaster.

 

[JASinIL2006]

In addition to the above, go slow when backing up. You'll have more time to make corrections if you start going the wrong way. If you try to rush it, you increase the chances of getting the trailer seriously cockeyed, which often leads to pulling forward and starting over.

Practice is key. Find an empty parking lot and put some cones out or something similar and find a technique that works for you. I do much better looking out the rear window; some folks like to use their mirrors. Find what works for you and practice.

My experience is that people are far more forgiving of a beginning struggling with backing the boat than they are of the guy who blocks the ramp for 15 minutes because he didn't prep his boat before getting to the ramp. Get everything ready for launch before you ever get to the ramp, and you'll avoid a lot of problems.

Finally, give yourself a break while learning. We all started this at some point, and I guess most of us have had our problems at the ramp. Just do your best and stay calm. In no time, it will be a breeze.

 

[Starcraft5834]

practice......makes better.........not perfect

 

[Cortes100]

I'll agree with all the above posts, that practice is the only way to get better. There is no secret solution to backing up a trailer. Everyone seems to do it different, but for me, I use the side mirrors. I don't pay attention to where my hands are on the wheel, they just move automatically while I'm watching the trailer.
One tip, watching the bow will get you in trouble faster, try to see down the side like the trailer tire. The back of the trailer moves the quickest, so the further back you can see, the faster you can make a correction.

 

[briangcc]

Single axle or tandem? Single trailers are going to wander a bit. Tandems are a bit more forgiving. In any event, small corrections as you can quickly make life more miserable by over correcting.

Lots of practice in an open parking lot away from cars or lights...perhaps a school once class lets out??

 

[dingbat]

If you want to get really good, practice with a hay wagon. A couple of levels up the difficulty ladder from a boat trailer. If you can back up a hay wagon, you can back up anything

The little 6’ trailers they sell at TSC are fun of learn on as well.

 

[Tim in TN]

It sounds like you're expecting the trailer and truck to stay straight without adjustment and that just isn't going to happen. As others have said, find a deserted parking lot, like a big church, and practice backing it into a parking spot. Don't fret over backing straight, learn to back from a slight angle so you can see better in the driver's mirror.

 

[ahicks]

Go slow!!!

 

[tramsdell]

Add visual markers to the back corners of the trailer

 

[Boilers2000]

Thanks for the tips. It's a single axle so the the unforgivness I can attest too. Practice will make perfect, eventually I will find the secret sauce.

 

[Silvertip]

Most folks wait far too long to make steering corrections while backing. Once the rig is out of line your only option is to pull ahead, straighten out and try again. Watching mirrors may seem daunting but it is really quite simple and is just another one of those things that sooner or later you get the hang of. Where you place your hand(s) on the wheel is a matter of preference but the thing to remember is if the trailer is tending to veer right, correct by turning the wheel to the right. Again, don't wait until you are grossly out of line. Correction must be subtle and immediate to stay in line. Gross movement of the wheel is another common fault and is not necessary.

 

[Lowlysubaruguy]

Best advice I have is find someone with a short trailer thats cheap I find most people stress out more when learning with something of higher value. and practice with that when you figure out how to back that thing where you want it your boat trailer will park itself where it needs to be. Short trailer require small but constant changes to keep straight.

 

[Boilers2000]

Update...once I got the back in going the direction I wanted I started straightening the wheel out earlier and that seemed to work better.

 

[SkaterRace]

For me I still suck but I like having a bigger boat. There are still times where I just have to pull ahead and out of the way and take a break. I don't mind waiting an extra 15 minutes to get out on the water if it means less stress and breaks help me with that. Example I'm at work right now and things have not been going my way today. Taking a break and I'll be good in 15 minutes.

As for the actual backing up part not the mental; I'd find a good sized parking lot like a mall and put out some cones or anything that is bright colored (assuming you do it at night)

For changing the trailer to help, I used to have a 15' crestliner that the trailer was hard to see out the mirrors so I put on guide posts with reflective tape on the caps. That was the best thing I have ever done to a trailer to make it easier to back up.

 

[mikeyk101]

What I have found to work is pretty much what everyone else is saying. Go slow and only make small corrections. But one other thing I found is that the corrections are more effective if you make them while moving. What I mean is, dont come to a stop and then move the steering wheel to make the correction, then start moving again. Rather move the steering wheel and make the correction while you are in motion. Makes things a whole lot easier...

 

[Boilers2000]

I thought I was overthinking things when making corrections while moving seemed more instantaneous than when stopping and then making the adjustment and trying to start again.

 

[JASinIL2006]

I agree with the comment about making corrections while moving (but slowly!). It's very difficult to tell if a correction is too much or too little if you're stopped; if a correction is made while moving, you instantly get to see if it helped or not. But really, going slow is really important when you're learning.