warning

[jobassing]

i was at a park with my parents and we were picnicing next to the boat ramp when this man and women come in from fishing she gets out off the boat and goes and gets the truck shes haveing a heck of a time backing the trailer like it's her first time her husbands in the boat yelling at her calling her a dumb b---ch and just bing rude when i heard enough of his abuse i was going to help well she toke off spun the truck around drove it right into the lake front end first didn't let off the cas till the truck was a floating got out of truck walked to shore looked at hubby and said your f--king trailors in the water now and off she walked i lauged so hard as did my mom who was about to let lose on this guy for bieng such a **** i don't let my wife back the trailor in but if i did i would keep the mouth shut

 

[sloopy]

Re: warning

ramps are like wedges, they wedge between a marraige!

 

[Alrobot]

Re: warning

I had to print this one out for my wife, she about fell over laughing. She is also one of the best trailer backer-uper's I know. Taught her myself, luckily the lake I frequent isn't so busy in the off season. She keeps it in one lane 99% of the time now...Guess she's a keeper...

 

[256272]

Re: warning

I'm in the process of teaching my wife to back up the trailer, and it will test a marriage. I've learned to get to the ramp a little early(less crowded) and quietly wait for her to ask me something over the 2-way radios. It has been working much better. She's starting to enjoy going!

 

[DIRTPOORE96]

Re: warning

I'd like to marry that woman. She did exactly what she was told to do. What a wife. I bet she is available right now. Pretty funny, to see that happen. I guess he asked for it. I learned one lesson, keep my mouth shut & be nice to my wife.

 

[ehenry]

Re: warning

They say that there are 3 things that are sure to test a marriage. Building a house, an affair, and the death of a child. I think teaching a spouse to back a trailer should be added to the list. What do yall think? My marriage has survived all 4.

 

[ndemge]

Re: warning

efhenry... sorry to hear you had all 4.

 

[ehenry]

Re: warning

Thanks ndemge! One was an act of god, one was because of my own stupidity and the other two had to be done. Just glad she see's something in me thats worth holdin on to and keeping me around.

 

[silverking]

Re: warning

E.F, I´m sorry to hear that.<br />Thanks god you & your wife are still together, be well and enjoy life with a smile

 

[sloopy]

Re: warning

what happened to your child, I am so sorry to hear that

 

[ehenry]

Re: warning

Thankyou all for your thoughts for my family and my child. Sloopy, we lost her 9 years ago to anancephaly. <br /><br />Wife and I made 21 years this past June. I do believe teaching her to back a trailer rates right up there with building a house as far as relationship stress goes. I lost count on the number of time she to me to "SHUTUP and go away!!!" which I finally did and you know what? She figured out the trailer backing on her own although I had to get her a vehicle with an automatic in it.

 

[mikej324]

Re: warning

My wife is better at backing the trailer than I am and more patient at the boat ramp with the other boaters, etc. We saw a similar sight, only the husband was backing the trailer on a narrow ramp in the wind and the wife was driving the boat onto the trailer. He was yelling from the cab of the truck for her to turn this way and that, lower the trim, raise the trim, he was getting mad and instead of getting out of the truck and helping her he just kept yelling, after a few not so nice words, she guns the boat it hits the trailer and lands roughly on the wheel wells, she shuts off the motor, raises it, jumps calmly from the boat to the dock, throws the boat keys into the bed of the truck and walks back to thier campsite. My wife and I just looked at each other and smiled....

 

[cmjust0]

Re: warning

I just thought of a good bumper sticker....<br /><br />"My wife only backs down at boat ramps!" <br /> <br />HAHAHA! Seriously, my wife generally has to supervise me while I'm backing up, because she's had way more experience with it than I have... Farm girl, what can I say!<br /><br />I can't tell you how many times there have been middle-aged men congregate just to "watch this lil' girl back'at trailer up," only to realize she's better than they are! To beat it all, my truck is a manual!!

 

[PDS]

Re: warning

cmjustO, I couldn't agree more. My sister was putting in a 24' with her husband and it was a drive-on, drive-off boat at a local landing and her husband was on the boat, her driving the rig and some guy had the nerve to ask her"Missy, are you sure you can handle backing that big boat down the landing?" My sister could back a boat better than this guy could back his car without a trailer.

 

[Emby]

Re: warning

When we get the boat, my wife will NOT be doing any backing up. We both know (and so does the neighborhood) how she backs up the tent trailer. At least none of the jack knifes have ever actually had a truck / trailer crunch, although I think we measured one try with a matchbook.<br /><br />To her credit, she can parallel park like no one I’ve ever seen before. I need a space at least 1.5 to 2 times the length of the truck (and 3 tries) to get it right. She can put it in a slot that ends up with only about 1.5 ft. each front & back when she’s done. FYI- This is a 1996 Dodge 1500 pickup with the extended cab and because of the canopy you have to use the outside mirrors when backing!!! It does get the occasional grin from passers by when I get out and she gets in to park it on the street.

 

[BigBabyLou]

Re: warning

How come that the ladies always know how to parallel park but don't have any clue how to back up a trailer? I have the same problem at home: my "better half" is from far North so she is used to parallel parking but put her behind the wheel of a truck with trailer attached and she won't go straight even forward <br /><br />I admit, I am a lousy parallel parker ... but I have never needed it! So I didn't have any practice. But I bought my boat and trailer, had to back the whole rig into the water and I did great, even though it was the first time of my life backing up a trailer. How come? Was I born with the "backing genes"? <br /><br />Life's strange sometimes.<br /><br />Lou<br /><br />P.S.: Recently, I had to turn around with my 26' cruiser (on the trailer) on a tiny downhill road and a narrow entrance to a crowded parking lot. Boy, I tell ya, it was tough, almost scratched a Lexus ... but got the rig turned around and left with pride.

 

[wezie]

Re: warning

Because we virtualy never allow a practice moment in an empty parking lot, away from the crowd and ramp and time pressure. Most of us could use the practice and anyone new will need it.<br /> I doubt that the number of women that "can't back a trailer" is any higher than that of men who can't. We get practice at the ramps and in the drive and at the dealer and with the guys and off by ourselves. We take no time to allow others to play; except when we have to, often in front of a crowd. <br /> And probably because boats do tend to be guy things. They are full of nuts and bolts and wires and winches; things in which many women are really not interested.<br /> I have backed the boat into the storage barn hundreds of times; she, not yet. I practice in the middle of the day, she is there at the end of the day when all are tired; so I do it.<br /> We can do better, just have to do it!<br /> Now those other folks are just hopeless!!!

 

[Fishbusters]

Re: warning

Wezie I disagree I think my wife is scared of the big rig as a whole. She will back it once I have it on the ramp so I can keep my feet dry and will pull it out after I drive it on as long as the ramp is not too busy otherwise I am usually on my own. We have gone to an empty lot and praticed and she knows how just will not do it. She also will not drive the rig down any road. It is not that I will not let her or she can't do it just won't.<br />I think this is the case for a lot of women. I think they get a little intimidated by the size of our toys especially when you put the big truck together with the big boat. Most women prefer a small car to a big truck or even a van thus the advent of the mini-van and popularity of the mini-suv as opposed to the full sized ones.

 

[BassMan283]

Re: warning

fishbuster has a point. They gotta WANT to do it. Anybody who can drive can learn to back a trailer if their teacher knows anything about it.<br /><br />A little story (try to keep it short): about 25 years ago, when I was still driving semis, I was at the local bar one night and a lady I knew slightly found out I was a trucker. She went ape. Told me how she used to catch rides with truckers when she was hitchhiking, how great it was to be riding high above the road and said, "I just wish I could drive a truck, but I'm too small (5'1", maybe 110 lb.)." I told her I knew a couple of drivers in the 5'4 to 5'5 range and I didn't think it would be a problem. Told her she should go to the local community college's trucking class and see what happened. She enrolled the next quarter and in 3 weeks was backing a 45' trailer down the slalom without touching a cone. Never saw a woman that high. Last time I saw her about 12-13 years ago, she was driving a new Pete with a 450 Cummins, walkin sleeper and a 45' reefer and happy as a clam.<br /><br />Now, on one hand, she may have been somewhat of a natural. The teacher told me she was one of the 3 or 4 best he'd ever taught. But she was also very highly motivated.<br /><br />Let's see, where was I? Oh yeah. Backing.<br /><br />Where most people have trouble backing is that they're trying to figure out where to put the tow vehicle in order to make the trailer go where they want it. Forget the tow vehicle. All it can do is follow the trailer. So you got to drive the trailer, specifically the left rear wheel of the trailer. If you get that wheel where it's supposed to be, everything else will follow.

 

[GreenScrew]

Re: warning

We just bought "our" first boat last september. The first time I took the wife and kids out in it, I let the wife back the trailer. We were at a very narrow, steep, gravel ramp. Not the best situation for a beginner. It drove me nuts! back and forth, back and forth. Use the Mirror. On and on it went. Finally we got the boat in and all went well. Until we got back to the ramp at the end of the day. She jumped out and proceeded to walk up the ramp to get the truck. Whoa Nellie.... There's other people that wanted to recover their boats so I made her stay and I went and got the truck. How embarassing. The narrowness and steepness at the top of the ramp and the angle that you have to approach it from make it very difficult. I had to back and forth about three times to get it right (took her 4 or 5). she had the biggest grin. Then I remembered that my loving wife (and highschool sweetheart) was the FFA (Future Farmers of America) princess when we were juniors in High School. Part of that competition required backing a pipe trailer with articulating front wheels through a gnarly obstacle course. I also remember that she did it without touching a single cone. She also bakes, and sews, and...... Think I'll have to let her practice, and keep my mouth shut as others have suggested. Wouldn't want to add boat backing to list of wedges after 17 years. <br /><br />Tight Lines