Scared to Drive with TM.......

[scoobysue]

My boyfriend has taken me all over this summer/fall with our tm that we love. I feel bad because I desperately want to learn how to drive the TV with the TM but I'm terrifed that I'm going to mess up and hit something. Driving straight on interstates/highways doesn't scare me as bad as possibly driving on small narrow roads, bridges, or roads that are under construction..... People aren't very considerate of people with campers so changing lanes and all that can be tricky. Plus it's soo hard to see behind the tm or around it. Any suggestions on helping me ease into driving with the tm?

[Travler]

My boyfriend has taken me all over this summer/fall with our tm that we love. I feel bad because I desperately want to learn how to drive the TV with the TM but I'm terrifed that I'm going to mess up and hit something. Driving straight on interstates/highways doesn't scare me as bad as possibly driving on small narrow roads, bridges, or roads that are under construction..... People aren't very considerate of people with campers so changing lanes and all that can be tricky. Plus it's soo hard to see behind the tm or around it. Any suggestions on helping me ease into driving with the tm?

Ya just have to make up your mind to do it..and take your time.......make all your lane changes well in advance of your turn. And DO NOT allow any BACKSEAT DRIVERS. and you will be fine.

[wmtire]

Is it just the trailmanor, or is it 'any' trailer towing that you don't have experience with?

If it's any trailer, then I would suggest practicing in a big empty(ish) parking lot, like maybe a mall or something on a sunday morning. You can drive up and down the lanes in the parking lot, and practice turning, where you will be able to get the hang of how the trailer pulls behind you. You'll need to fully understand (with practice) of how the trailer tracks behind the tow vehicle, and how wide you will need to make turns in order for the trailer to come around with you, without running it up over curbs, or other vehicles.

You could take some plastic orange cones to set up, and practice turning around them, or even backing the trailer in between them (which is the advanced course :D).

Make sure to adjust the mirrors to fit you, not your boyfriend. Your mirrors are your best friends when towing trailers. Set the mirrors where you can see the sides of the trailer and the tires, while you are practicing. You can then look in the mirror when making the turns, to see exactly where the trailer tires are going across the lines at. Practice widening your turns out with the tow vehicle, until you get the trailer to turn where it needs to. You can also see where you need to keep the tow vehicle centered in a lane, to keep the trailer centered. Most times the trailer is going to be wider than the tow vehicle (TV), so you don't want to let the TV get too close to the side of a lane, because the trailer will be OVER the side of the lane

Just take it slow and easy. If you run over a marked line in the parking lot, it won't hurt a thing. :)

It won't take long, and you should have a good feel for it. It just takes some experience.

[PopBeavers]

If you can not see behind the TM, maybe your mirrors are not legal.

Go to a large empty shopping center with the TM in tow. Park with the TV and TM in a straight line.

Now pace off about 100 feet or so behind the TM. You should be able to see both mirrors on the TV. If not, then your mirrors do not stick out far enough. Fix that.

As long as the sports car behind me is following at a safe distance (not tailgating) then I have no trouble seeing him.

If you find that you become surprise because someone passes you unexpectedly, then you are not looking in your mirrors often enough. My wife is sometimes surprised when a sports car blows past her. I am never surprised. I check my mirrors probably about once a minute. My wife checks them only when turning or changing lanes.

[scoobysue]

Wow... you guys are great!!! The parking lot and practicing idea is perfect.. I could definitely do that! What kind of mirrors are you using? The kind that strap onto the mirrors and make the view wider?

[Bill]

Yup, several posts have hit it. Mirrors! GOOD mirrors! You didn't say what kind of tow vehicle you have (you might add that, along with your TM model, to your signature), but I don't think I have encountered a standard tow vehicle whose mirrors were adequate. You need aux mirrors.

There has been a lot of discussion about mirrors, and you can use the Search tool to find it. For myself, I won't settle for less than McKesh mirrors (or the knockoffs) because they provide a wide, stable view. As you will find, others prefer other mirrors.

As for how to judge the adequacy of a set of mirrors, I think this is a pretty good start.
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3658
It pretty well echos PopBeavers' thoughts about the 100-feet-back rule.

Bill

[PopBeavers]

Yup, several posts have hit it. Mirrors! GOOD mirrors! You didn't say what kind of tow vehicle you have (you might add that, along with your TM model, to your signature), but I don't think I have encountered a standard tow vehicle whose mirrors were adequate. You need aux mirrors.

There has been a lot of discussion about mirrors, and you can use the Search tool to find it. For myself, I won't settle for less than McKesh mirrors (or the knockoffs) because they provide a wide, stable view. As you will find, others prefer other mirrors.

As for how to judge the adequacy of a set of mirrors, I think this is a pretty good start.
http://www.trailmanorowners.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3658
It pretty well echos PopBeavers' thoughts about the 100-feet-back rule.

Bill

My Chevy truck has the small factory mirrors. As you said, those are inadequate. I sue the McKesh.

My GMC truck has the newer factory tow mirrors, the tall ones. I like them better than the McKesh because:

1. They are taller than they are wide. I am more comfortable with that. This may be a personal preference.
2. They are electrically adjustable, so when we switch drivers I do not need to use wrenches to adjust the mirrors like I do with the McKesh.
3. They are heated, for foggy mornings.
4. They have turn signals in them, so the driver next to me might have a clue about what is happening.
5. They extend in or out, and fold kinda flat, so I do not need to take them off and store them in camp.

My McKesh stick out a bit further than the GMC mirrors. In fact, they may be illegally out by about an inch or so.

[Bluegrass]

Any suggestions on helping me ease into driving with the tm?

You used the right words - ease into it. I've dealt a bit with phobias (not implying you are phobic!) and the solution is to move toward the feared event in small steps. If you are comfortable with straight interstates, maybe the next step is straight two lane roads. Let your boyfriend take the rest. As you gain comfort, move to the next step. Take your time. You are better at this than you think. You just need to prove that to yourself - a step at a time.

[B_and_D]

I think you just kind of have to go for it. That's what I've done. Mirrors are very important...I'm a lot shorter than DH and he can see over the top of the TM as we tow, and I can mostly only see big trucks in the center rear view mirror, but the side mirrors are crucial to lane changing. And you have to make sure they're adjusted well. I'd love to buy some of the after-market Chevy mirrors that extend in and out, but they are pricey. I'm always looking in the rear-view mirrors when I drive anyways, but with towing, it's even more important to know where people are around you in case you have to make a sudden move. It's best to try to place yourself in traffic where you don't need to make a sudden move, but it's not always possible. The worst place for us to tow so far: Southern CA around L.A.! We both hate it. White knuckles all the way.

It would help to take a long drive around an empty area in town first, slowly, and take a lot of turns (while looking in the rear-view mirrors) to see what the TM does, and how it clears the turns at different angles and turn starting points. If you're really unsure about towing a parking lot with cones would be a good place to start.

Gas stations are my nemesis. You really have to pick and choose them and when you're in an unfamiliar city, and need gas, it can really be a challenge to get in and out of one.

I love to drive the TM and have become very good with it going forward, and am getting better at backing it up. It only takes me one try now when we get home to get it back up onto the blocks in the driveway with DH spotting. It just takes practice. You've just got to start doing it. If you boyfriend is willing to help you and let you drive, and you aren't in a hurry or tired, just start taking the wheel more and more. It just gets better.

You can do it!

[OneMoBear]

I was absolutely fearless driving our 34 foot Bounder (with a jeep behind it which got us to 50') but the TM is a horse of a different color. However, it will go where it is towed :p and I am very comfortable moving forward. I worked non-traditional my entire career but have now decided it is ok to just not want to do some things. Backing the TM is one of those things. So, for example, I may drive with the TM for hours and hours and then pull up in front of the house, get out, and tell my DH (who has TONS of experience backing trailers) to have fun! He gave me great advice when I first started driving the Bounder. You need to pay attention further down the road than you are used to. As previously stated, you'll need to watch your mirrors and be prepared to slow down, change lanes, etc. Jump on in, the water is fine, even in the shallow end ;)

Malinda

[MariaG]

Mirrors, practice, give yourself extra room and extra time to stop/slow down/change lanes etc. - all excellent advice!

Gas stations - I MUCH prefer to use truck stop gas stations - my favorite are the Flying J's, which are in pretty much every state and all over Canada. http://www.flyingj.com/flyingjPortalWebProject/flyingjPortal.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=flyingjPortal_portal_page_61
You have tons of room, and can dump, rinse, get gas, shop a little and eat all in one stop, AND they have nice, clean restrooms. I avoid regular gas stations like the plague, they just don't generally have enough maneuvering space.

[Bill]

... They are electrically adjustable, so when we switch drivers I do not need to use wrenches to adjust the mirrors like I do with the McKesh.Wrenches? On mine, the mirror heads are on a ball mount, and adjust quite easily. I haven't touched them with a wrench since I made the initial adjustment when I bought them. Wassup with wrenches?

Bill

[PopBeavers]

Wrenches? On mine, the mirror heads are on a ball mount, and adjust quite easily. I haven't touched them with a wrench since I made the initial adjustment when I bought them. Wassup with wrenches?

Bill

When DW and I switch driving, we need to change the position of the McKesh mirrors. DW is shorter than I am, and I sit farther back.

If the tension screws at the ball mount are too loose, then the mirror will not stay put at highway speeds. It will move out of adjustment, requiring a stop to correct.

If the tension screws are too tight, then you break the mirror when attempting to change the position.

I was never able to find a sweet spot.

Besides all that, when backing the TM along a drop off or curb, I like to point my mirrors lower than I would while driving down the road. The electric butting makes this very easy.

fwiw, the factory replaced the broken mirror after I explained how it happened. I paid shipping. That won't do that again if I break another one.

When there is only one driver, there is no reason to change the mirror position at ever driver switch.

[mtnguy]

I will check the trailer tracking via the mirros by trying to just clear certain spots on the road (lines, irregularities, potholes) during a turn......that helps when I need to figure out where those trailer tires are going during a tight turn with obstacles. Also, on twisty mountain roads with little traffic, I will do the same thing with the center and side lines. And on the road, I keep check on the mirrors to make sure I am in the center of the lane, and not drifting to 1 side. And of course, constant check on the mirrors for vehicles. Sometimes you can't find a vehicle that you knew was there just a moment ago, and he might be hiding in your blind spot. A secret to discovering these phantom cars on a sunny day is to look for thier shadow.

[mbd4kids]

Just a bit of advice for backing up: if you hold the bottom of your steering wheel, you turn it in the direction you want the TM to go. (i.e.holding bottom, want TM to go to right, swivel hand to right.) It goes the opposite of what your vehicle goes. It's the only way I can back up, and yes, I'm a woman, but I still do it better than DH :)

[PopBeavers]

Just a bit of advice for backing up: if you hold the bottom of your steering wheel, you turn it in the direction you want the TM to go. (i.e.holding bottom, want TM to go to right, swivel hand to right.) It goes the opposite of what your vehicle goes. It's the only way I can back up, and yes, I'm a woman, but I still do it better than DH :)

This suggestion comes up frequently. However, for me it is confusing so I just. keep my hands where I normally would.

But it certainly would be worth trying.

[AstroBruce]

I turn the wheel one way. If that doesn't work, I turn it the other way.

[rotor_wash]

This technique works while using your mirrors. For example, as you look in your mirror and you want the back of the trailer to go left, your hand placed at the bottom of the steering wheel rotates to the left (clockwise in this case). Turn the wheel the direction you want the back of the trailer to go. They still teach this to the kids at the Army Motor Pool that may or may not have any driving experience.
Now teaching how to hover taxi a helicopter, well....

[mbd4kids]

I use my mirrors or one of my kids to tell me which way the trailer needs to go, standing outside the car, of course. We have to back into a 12 foot opening in a section of fence which is challenging with the width of the street and my monster tow vehicle (Suburban). Probably a piece of cake for you veteran drivers, but the hand on the bottom of the wheel is what gets us in!

[Queeniereads]

You can tell how wide the TM is if your mirrors are approximatley the same width, so if your mirrors make it thru, the TM will. Just remember to turn wide -- I ran it over a curb once. UGH Stay in your lane and don't be unpredictable. Others will mostly go around you. I ended p towing thru Cleveland at rush hour becuase it was my shift. LOl GOod luck. Queen

[scoobysue]

Awww.... thank you guys soo much for all the GREAT tips... I'm going to give it a shot... what do I have to lose? (Well, let's not go there... You don't want to know what happened when I drove the popup camper we had... LOL) You guys are awesome!!!!:D

[ED-n-KEL]

If it's any trailer, then I would suggest practicing in a big empty(ish) parking lot, like maybe a mall or something on a sunday morning. You can drive up and down the lanes in the parking lot, and practice turning,

I second this idea. This is how I taught my sons how to drive.
My youngest (now 17) has been driving in parking lots since he's 13 (he was always big for his age).
I would bring him to the church lot and have him abide by the lanes, stop signs, etc...then practicing to park....and eventually learning to back in to a space. Once he had this down, I then taught him how to drive a manual transmission. This early experience has made him a very good driver for his age.
When my niece came in to town for a visit (1yr older than my son) she could not do the basics that my son had been doing for many months.

Practice and experience is everything for this kind of stuff.