Teaching my wife to back a trailer...

[gregintenn]

...any advice?

[RED333]

Teach her to use the mirrors, not look over her shoulder. Best place is in a big parking lot, try to keep it between the lines. Last but not least, get some one else to teach her, yall might not talk for a few days.

Edited May 27, 2020 by RED333
Because I can

[gregintenn]

The boys both jump in and back it wherever they want it. Not her.

[quedz]

 

[Chucktshoes]

As someone who teaches other folks to back a trailer for a living, I endorse the advice to have someone else do it. Barring that, ensure that no matter what happens you keep a calm and measured tone. Recognize when she is fatigued and stop the lesson. After the basics of how to turn the steering wheel and learning to anticipate the trailer, the best thing you can do is just let her poke around and get the feel of it. Your number 1 job is to spot and ensure that she doesn’t hit anything. Any time she backs and doesn’t hit anything or jackknife the trailer and damage it or the truck is a solid Mark in the “win” column. 

[hipower]

Don't. 

[TomInMN]

The bottom of the steering wheel goes in the same direction the back of the trailer will go.

If you do plan to eventually get out and guide, be sure her windows are down and radio are off, be sure she can see you and your hands in her mirrors, and stay well away with a clear escape route so you don't get crushed.

[jpx2rk]

Any particular reason as to "why" you want to go down this road???  

[Johnny Rotten]

Buy a Ford

 

[bud]

.

Edited May 27, 2020 by bud

[1gewehr]

Verify your insurance coverage before starting.

 

[buck1032]

Red and Tom nailed it. We have a very, very long driveway. Down a hill, around a curve and out onto a dead end road that has large drop offs on each side of the road. I back our 5th wheel down it. I have tried to get the wife to do it and she is hesitant. Other than what Red and Tom said my only input is take it slow, slow, slow.

Edited May 27, 2020 by buck1032

[peejman]

Have someone else do it.  Longer trailers are easier than short ones. 

 

[gregintenn]

3 hours ago, jpx2rk said:

Any particular reason as to "why" you want to go down this road???  

Yeah. When we go out in a boat, she feels bad because I load and unload it by myself. Doesn’t bother me as that’s how I do it when she doesn’t go, but it bothers her. She asked to learn.

So far it isn’t going so well.

[quedz]

9 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

So far it isn’t going so well.

[DaveTN]

14 minutes ago, gregintenn said:

Yeah. When we go out in a boat, she feels bad because I load and unload it by myself. Doesn’t bother me as that’s how I do it when she doesn’t go, but it bothers her. She asked to learn.

So far it isn’t going so well.

[TomInMN]

When I was a kid, I saw a man and woman taking their boat out of the water, winching it onto the trailer. Nice rig, new truck, new boat. Looked like maybe a ski setup. I thought something sounded funny but couldn't put my finger on it. Plus, the adults must know what they're doing, right? (This was before I was a teenager.)

They got the boat all the way onto the trailer, got in their truck, and we're on their way. About halfway up the ramp the boat stopped moving while the truck and trailer kept going. It's pretty loud, leaving a boat halfway up the ramp like that.

 

Edited May 27, 2020 by TomInMN
Typo, moved additional thoughts to new post.

[gregintenn]

1 hour ago, DaveTN said:

Now this is the sort of thing I would like to avoid.

[E4 No More]

When I was a kid my parents raced sailboats every Sunday, and go on weekend regattas. I've seen quite a few disasters on the boat ramp. I'd keep my wife far from there so that if something went wrong it wasn't her fault.

[TomInMN]

If she just vwants to be more help with launch and recovery, maybe you guys can figure out a different responsibility for her if backing up the trailer doesn't work out?

[gregintenn]

1 minute ago, TomInMN said:

If she just vwants to be more help with launch and recovery, maybe you guys can figure out a different responsibility for her if backing up the trailer doesn't work out?

She's nervous about driving a boat as well. She hasn't torn as many taillights off a trailer as I have.

[10-Ring]

Show her the fundamentals, then let her practice on her own at the house.  Don't watch.  Write off the truck bumper, tail lights, and bed corners before she starts.  Whatever you do, don't tell her that she is doing it wrong.  

[jpx2rk]

7 hours ago, gregintenn said:

Yeah. When we go out in a boat, she feels bad because I load and unload it by myself. Doesn’t bother me as that’s how I do it when she doesn’t go, but it bothers her. She asked to learn.

So far it isn’t going so well.

It's been a while since the wife went fishing with me, but I would back the trailer in, wife would be in boat when I actually launched the boat and then she would crank it up and idle around while I parked the truck/trailer.  She would idle back to the dock and pick me up.  When loading up, I would back the truck/trailer down to the water, and then load the boat.  She would pull the rig up to the top and park, she didn't have to back up or make any serious turns.  It worked fairly well for us.  YMMV

It would be easier to teach her how to control /drive the boat, from starting the OB when launched to dropping you off at the dock and idling around while you get the truck/trailer for loading.  It takes time but just have to avoid the weekend crowds so she won't freak out.  Boats bounce off the docks pretty good, and usually just a minor scratch or scuff mark is the only damage.  JMO .

Edited May 27, 2020 by jpx2rk

[E4 No More]

1 hour ago, jpx2rk said:

It's been a while since the wife went fishing with me, but I would back the trailer in, wife would be in boat when I actually launched the boat and then she would crank it up and idle around while I parked the truck/trailer.  She would idle back to the dock and pick me up.  When loading up, I would back the truck/trailer down to the water, and then load the boat.  She would pull the rig up to the top and park, she didn't have to back up or make any serious turns.  It worked fairly well for us.  YMMV

It would be easier to teach her how to control /drive the boat, from starting the OB when launched to dropping you off at the dock and idling around while you get the truck/trailer for loading.  It takes time but just have to avoid the weekend crowds so she won't freak out.  Boats bounce off the docks pretty good, and usually just a minor scratch or scuff mark is the only damage.  JMO .

Naw, saw one of my parents friends lose a finger between a dock and the sailboat. They got hit by a wave just as she reached out to grab the dock and lost her right ringer finger in an instant.

[Grunt67]

When I saw the topic title " Teaching My Wife to back a trailer ", by Greg, I said,now this has got to be good, LOL.

As others have advised, let someone else do it, and live a longer life. JMHO