Reversing- help!

[Moonchester]

Hi we are newbies, only been out twice in our van, I am a confident driver travelling over 40k per year, I am ok going forward with the van, but have no confidence at all with regards to reversing, i dare not attemp when pitching up on site for fear of making a mess of it in front of all the watchers behind the curtains, anybody have any advice?

I unhitch and push it !

 

[Mel]

What does it matter what other people think of your reversing! The ones who might go on to become friends will remember what it was like for them when they started. The others... well you wouldn't want to be friends with them anyway. So have a go. Make a pigs ear out of it, get out of the car and laugh loudly. We are British, we know how to laugh at ourselves! The opinion of people who are neither friends, family or supportive strangers is irrelevant.

mel

 

[Moonchester]

Thanks Mel , your right !

 

[trucker]

Hi Christopher, Take some time out to go to one of your local carparks on a Sunday or when its quiet and practice your reversing.

Dont try to reverse to your passengers side this is called your blind side, and it is blind you cant see anything, always reverse to your drivers side. That way you can look over your shoulder out of you drivers window and see where the back of the caravan is going.

Ive been driving hgv artics for 2 years now and still hate blind side reversing, id rather dive up the road turn around and drive back so I can reversre the easy way. You will **** it up loads mainly when othe people are watching, Dont worry pull forward and try again, sod the people watching

Good luck

Kevin

 

[swpostie]

Hi Christopher,

Have a go reversing on the following site, I found it helpful:

http://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/games/reverse.asp
Having limited towing experience with a small trailer, I found the caravan a lot easier to reverse - being that much larger everything happens more slowly.

The above game really gives you a better idea of how the caravan will respond to your inputs at the wheel.

Being new to caravanning I've only been out 4 times with the 'van but my reversing confidence is really improving - particularly after one memorable time at a Haven camp where the signpost had moved and we ended up driving through all the static 'vans to a dead end, with no room to turn around!

You've just got to bite the bullet and give it a go - it's not as difficult as you think, although I still have to sit and think for a bit about which way I need to turn the wheel to point the 'van where I want it! And I still get it wrong!

Try the game first - it's fun.

Good luck!

 

[ShadySadie]

Who cars about who is watching. As a lady caravanner who was often the only adult when towing I had to learn to reverse caravans. With two children I was some what restricted for pushing.

Practice makes perfect, try it in an empty car park. My son used our village hall car park and our vicar gave words of encouragement and guidance (non religeous).

 

[RogerP]

Hi Christopher

I started caravanning last year and was really worried about reversing. Invariably there will be a time when you have to.

That said its a small part of caravanning and so what if you are not inch perfect.

I get so far then eihter man handle the van or use the motor mover. And likewise when hitching up to leave I use the motor move to get the van to the car.

Dont worry about what others think , I'm sure those that curtain twitch are only jealous that you've done it better than them , thats my belief and I'll stick to it.

Good luck and do what you are comfortable with doing and in your time , its your holiday

 

[annierich]

Christopher - my OH and I have just spent the past day and a half on a Caravan Club manouvering course and I can say it was the best

 

[weejock]

Christopher trucker has got it right find youselve a large area and practise. When you are practising a turn try and keep an eye on when it is your caravan starts to turn. This is very handy if you have to reverse round a corner.

Try not to go from one lock to another as it is far better to draw forward and then turn your lock on.

If possible always try to have your unit straight before reversing.

And lastly don't let anybody kid you we have all had a nightmare reversing at one point. at easter I had to have 6 goes to get the van where I wanted it on pitch and I have 26 years experience on artics. ( oh the shame of it ) By the way my wife and daughter thought this was hilarious and only this weekend my 8 year old was asking if I would manage.

Best of luck and remeber turn when its straight.

 

[cooky1]

It helps if your partner stands somewhere where you car see them and that they advise you when you are reversing onto a plot. So many people stand at the back of the van where the driver can't see them and shout instructions.

I think my best advise is to take your time, don't care what others thing and have an understanding with your partner about exactly what you are trying to do. If they loose their rag then it just winds you up as well.

 

[Moonchester]

Hi,

Many thanks everybody for this info, it will come in hopeful

best regards to everybody

 

[AnthonyCambs]

I am also a newbie, my reversing is hopeless, but its not all down to me, the wife manages to stand in the only place I can't see her, and then when I can see her she only has two movements forwards or backwards.

On my first trip i created quite a crowd watching me, it was very very funny, but we made it in the end.

If you get it wrong like I did those people twitching curtains will soon stop and come out and help if you start aiming towards them..

Anthony

 

[Stephen_374341239]

You just have a go mate. We all have to start some where.If you get into a mess just pull forward and start again your not holding traffic up so its the best place. Just make sure someone at the back to keep a look out.

 

[Steve L]

Practice makes perfect, don't let others put you off.

One tip I use when teaching friends to reverse trailers is to put a piece of yellow insulation tape at the 6 pm position on the steering wheel when the wheels are going straight ahead.

Then reverse right hand turn onto the pitch as Trucker advised, as it is much easier to do until you are good at reversing. Turn the wheel no more than half a turn with the tape moving to the right (anti clockwise) for a right turn reverse. Once you can see the van turning turn the wheel the opposite way half a turn until the van straightens up.

By doing slow movement and gently turns of the steering wheel you will aquire a "feel" of how the van behaves relative to the amount of steerage. Once you have grasped this you can try more sharper turning, being carefull not to be too agressive with the use of the steering wheel.

Don't worry if you have to "shunt" back and fore to get onto a pitch. We all have "off days", I've even taken 6 shunts to get onto a pitch, just purely through tiredness.

If I see a fellow caravanner struggling, I do offer to help rather than watch from the sidelines where all the gawpers are.

Steve L.

 

[Andrew._374353608]

Also don't do as I did the first time I brought my van home after a week away, dont assume someone is watching as I did when I seen my son standing in the front garden I hit the wall make sure the person you can see is helping you not just watching you.

Also give your self room don't expect to be able to manover in short moves, good luck and have fun and learn to laugh at yourself.

All the best Andrew.

 

[Moonchester]

Great advice on here, ill probably just go for it, besides If I get it so wrong I can always unhitch!....

 

[v.meldrew2]

Christopher

It's well worth spending 75 quid on the Caravan Club manouevring course. They teach you some basic tricks-of-the-trade and give you confidence that it is science not an art (I still use the mover when in public though!)

 

[Chaps]

I had a bit of a nightmare reversing onto our pitch at Spring Bank Holiday. Our helpful 'neighbour' stood shouting instructions and stated how easy he found reversing - he was trying to be helpful but it was actually quite off putting. Our clutch started to smell a bit so we just unhitched and let the mover do the reverse. Our neighbour's face went green with envy when he saw how good it was and then it was our turn to gloat!

I will practice some more though but only when we've changed the car as our Zafira really doesn't like reversing on grass with the van on the back. It's ok on concrete as we found out when I had to do a 3 point turn in a car park later in the holiday - funnily enough, I managed that without any problems but I didn't have an audience then.

 

[BaskettoBase]

Hi Chris..just a quick one to keep it simple.

Pull up with the towing vehicle & caravan level.

Look over your right shoulder.

If you want the caravan to go to the right, turn the wheel to the right.

As easy as that.

Keep it simple........works for me......And now the WIFE.

Mirrors are just as much fun....enjoy....

Try using a small trailer.....caravans will seem very simple after that.

 

[Duggie_374362603]

HI! Christopher

the tip i got 4 reversing is get car/van straight as poss

1 put hand on bottom of s/wheel 6pm

2 if you want rear of c/van to go left turn wheel slightly left.

3 if you want rear of c/van to go right turn wheel slightly right.

4 do it as slow as possible no hard reving of engine if you have a diesel it should just about do it without any revs at all.

5 get someone to watch your blind side at the rear of your van but still in your line of vision they walk back as you go back.

6 got the kettle on 4 a cuppa

good luck

Cheers Duggie