Tips for backing up a boat trailer

[funbun]

[Snubby]

Not to sound argumentative, but that technique will not work with every boat trailer. On my boat with the positioning of the winch stand you will mess the tailgate up quick with any minor turning. Also, I've been pulling trailers for my job and recreational purposes for more than 20 years. To get good at backing trailers you need to learn to use your side mirrors only.

[funbun]

But the first step is the method prescribed above. Then a person will naturally learn to use their mirrors. This video isn't for people who have been backing trailers for 20 years. It's for someone who has never back a trailer before. It is not a video meant for everyone with every boat trailer type. What you mention goes beyond the scope of the video, that's not to mention this will be a series of videos covering more and more aspects of boat trailers.

Don't be so short sighted: as if what I'm saying is the only thing that exists in the universe. A person doesn't have to learn to use their mirrors at first. By your method a person should never use training wheels at all. What good is that is they break their skull the first time out? What is important is they earn the relationship between the turn of the wheel and the way the trailer moves, gradually progressing them to more difficult methods over time.

Just like learning to fish, I learned on cane poles first. Learning to fish on bass rigs first will turn more people away from fishing than a simpler method first. Then they'll progress to more complicated and specialized methods later. But I why can't apply the same method here? Always remember that there is always a limit to any method. Any one method is only designed to address a specific problem, not be a total solution to solve all the problems of the universe.

No one starts as a ninja master. Things that are second nature to you may be incredibly difficult for someone starting out. It's obvious to a ninja master that you should turn a hip a certain way or position your foot a certain way. You don't even think about it. But you cannot assume that a beginner understands those relationships. You cannot skip steps, like backing with mirror only the first time out. Just as a child cannot learn trigonometry or physics if they can't even count. Get'em count well first, then we can go on to algebra, trig, and physics later on.

If a person gets the boat in the water safely, who cares if they used the mirror or not? If they crash the trailer trying to use the mirror first time out . . so much for that method. It isn't about how good you are, nor is it about how long you've been backing trailers. It's about brand new people terrified of backing a trailer. With your method they'll remain terrified. With my method they will at least get out of the drive way and be on a track to learning better ways to back up.

[artcarney_agr]

To get good at backing trailers you need to learn to use your side mirrors only.

Amen

[artcarney_agr]

You cannot skip steps, like backing with mirror only the first time out....If a person gets the boat in the water safely, who cares if they used the mirror or not?...It's about brand new people terrified of backing a trailer. With your method they'll remain terrified. With my method they will at least get out of the drive way and be on a track to learning better ways to back up.

I agree you cannot skip steps, which is why you should be advocating that new boat owners unfamiliar with backing a trailer first learn how to do it in a large empty parking lot.

If someone is terrified of backing a trailer at a ramp, then they are not prepared and obviously skipped the most important step of all.....which is practice away from the ramp. A boat ramp is NOT where you learn.

Also, there's more to it than just backing down a ramp, there's that whole other issue of parking with a trailer, which so many new boaters fail at and damage other vehicles and trailers in the lot, especially on busy weekends.

[funbun]

I agree you cannot skip steps, which is why you should be advocating that new boat owners unfamiliar with backing a trailer first learn how to do it in a large empty parking lot.

If someone is terrified of backing a trailer at a ramp, then they are not prepared and obviously skipped the most important step of all.....which is practice away from the ramp. A boat ramp is NOT where you learn.

Also, there's more to it than just backing down a ramp, there's that whole other issue of parking with a trailer, which so many new boaters fail at and damage other vehicles and trailers in the lot, especially on busy weekends.

Which is why I'm starting in the driveway! lol How they going to get to an empty parking lot if the boat trailer is stuck on the drive way, lol! Hello, it's called thinking it through! Come on ppl! Over all else they have to get out of the drive way, lol! They can't start at the boat ramp as evidenced by starting the video in the drive way, the best place to practice! Just pull in and out of the drive way in a straight line. That's the whole point of the video. It's like you people haven't even watched the video nor have you truly paid attention to what was taught, how or why!

Come on ppl, watch the video and take notes! Next time you ppl need to actually watch the video and understand the time and place I've chosen in the stinkin video. In your comment about not skipping, you skipped a major step yourself! My goodness men. I'll have to think twice about posting beginner videos here.

Since you ppl have a much better way of teaching please go make an appropriate video to show me how to do it better. nowhere in the video did I advocate practicing at the boat ramp. I demonstrated in the driveway. Thus practicing what I preach. And demonstrating, fully expecting them to do likewise. Sigh x10. That's how you learn copying exactly what you see. Once you learn a bit more, then venture out to an empty parking lot.

Again your method is teaching them to add before they can count. they have to be able to get in and out of the drive way in a straight line, or learn to make the proper correction and shown in the video.

[CrappiePappy]

Actually, Funbun .... most people do not have their vehicle between the boat & house, so they're not going to have to back the boat out of the driveway. But, I get your point about beginners learning to physically turn and look back at the trailer to see which way it's going when the steering wheel is turned L/R. The idea of learning to use your tips in a empty parking lot wasn't made to diss your method, but likely to give the inexperienced person a more comfortable area to make mistakes in .... just like when teaching a person to drive (and not destroy your belongings or those of the neighbors).

I think the others were simply adding their take to the next steps of learning, which this tip video didn't portray ... but which your following videos will. They just kinda jumped ahead of the process. No reason to diss them for that.

Remember .... the #1 unwritten rule of this site is to "agree to disagree, and do it with civility".

[wannabe fisherman]

even after all of this the best thing to do is go to a large parking lot and PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE !!!

[Barnacle Bill]

Never have used side mirrors.

[SeaRay]

The way he described it in the video is how I learned to back a trailer and I have been using that method since 1968. (Yea, I"m getting old). Once I learned how to maneuver the boat there are occasions that i have to rely on mirrors at least in part. This is true when the ramps have a curb separating multiple ramps. It's hard to see them without using the side mirrors but I still have my hand on the bottom of the wheel. Makes everything simple.
I have an SUV so I open the tailgate and it's clear sailing to the water. On some of our shallow ramps I've had to climb through the tailgate to avoid wading in 40 degree water, but at 74, that is not as easy as it once was, especially if I have to crawl to the front seat.
I try to keep rubber boots in the car in winter time for cases like that but I sometimes forget.