Struggle with reversing onto a pitch? Maybe this will help you. What you need is a piece of rope/mine tape just a little longer than the length of one side and one width of your van, and 3 pegs/bricks/blocks to keep it in position on the ground. Pre-mark the point on rope/tape where the corner will be when laid in an "L" shape along length and across width of your van.
Decide the exact position you want your van to be pitched, and then lay your tape on the ground in an "L" with the short leg across the back of the pitch and the long leg on the side you are reversing in from or drivers side if reversing in straight.
Now as you reverse onto the pitch at an angle, you will be able to see the long leg of the tape on the ground either through the window of your car then as you get straighter (is that a word?) and lose the ground view of the tape, hey presto it will come into view in your (inside of the turn) mirror. (I always set my cars own mirrors (electric very easy) low and wide so that I can see the caravan wheels on the inside of a turn prior to reversing). A competent reverser (is that a word also?) will now be able to steer the required corrections to keep the van going into the bay (onto the pitch) keeping the van paralell to, and a few inches from, the tape.
And the bit across the rear? (Well here's an old truck/bus drivers tip) This is your distance gauge. What you need to do in advance is:
1. Have your outfit in a straight line on level ground.
2. place a piece of tape on the ground 8-12 inches behind the van and across it's rear
3. Now sit in the car and look at the tape on the ground in your towing mirror.
4. Then have an assistant stick a piece of insulating tape on the awning rail of your van at a point where an imaginary straight line between mirror and the tape on the ground, passes through the awning rail. (If not tape maybe paint an inch or so of the rail instead)
5. You now know that when reversing in a straight line upto any object, wall or your tape on a pitch, that if it is above your mark you have a way to go and when it gets into line then you have the clearence you originally set!
I cant stress enough that you need to be on flat ground for this to be accurate. It is particularly good for reversing into those bays in motorway service areas with the real high kerbs, or up to your garage door if the other half isn't around to yell stop!
There we are, well done if you read it all, many wont need this adcvice but maybe it'll help a few - let me know?
Andy Palmer
Decide the exact position you want your van to be pitched, and then lay your tape on the ground in an "L" with the short leg across the back of the pitch and the long leg on the side you are reversing in from or drivers side if reversing in straight.
Now as you reverse onto the pitch at an angle, you will be able to see the long leg of the tape on the ground either through the window of your car then as you get straighter (is that a word?) and lose the ground view of the tape, hey presto it will come into view in your (inside of the turn) mirror. (I always set my cars own mirrors (electric very easy) low and wide so that I can see the caravan wheels on the inside of a turn prior to reversing). A competent reverser (is that a word also?) will now be able to steer the required corrections to keep the van going into the bay (onto the pitch) keeping the van paralell to, and a few inches from, the tape.
And the bit across the rear? (Well here's an old truck/bus drivers tip) This is your distance gauge. What you need to do in advance is:
1. Have your outfit in a straight line on level ground.
2. place a piece of tape on the ground 8-12 inches behind the van and across it's rear
3. Now sit in the car and look at the tape on the ground in your towing mirror.
4. Then have an assistant stick a piece of insulating tape on the awning rail of your van at a point where an imaginary straight line between mirror and the tape on the ground, passes through the awning rail. (If not tape maybe paint an inch or so of the rail instead)
5. You now know that when reversing in a straight line upto any object, wall or your tape on a pitch, that if it is above your mark you have a way to go and when it gets into line then you have the clearence you originally set!
I cant stress enough that you need to be on flat ground for this to be accurate. It is particularly good for reversing into those bays in motorway service areas with the real high kerbs, or up to your garage door if the other half isn't around to yell stop!
There we are, well done if you read it all, many wont need this adcvice but maybe it'll help a few - let me know?
Andy Palmer
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