We're headed home for a short camping trip, towing my scooter trailer. Me playing pilot with the SO as co-pilot, golden retriever and Scottie are onboard, certified GuardDawgs. The dogs decide it's time to take a break (water the shrubs) and start begging to stop. I spot this small store separated from another small store by a huge vacant parking area. I commit to a turn and about time the coach is past the point of no return I see that the "huge-vacant-parking-lot" is really three small lots with a freakin curb system in the middle. Doh! To make things even more interesting, there is an EMT van and two paramedics working on someone in my only remaining turning line.

Backing a trailer using a rear camera with an audience should only be attempted by a professional. We finally made it. I lost count of how many times I inched forward and back at nine! Finally decided to make a run for it across a unpaved area. Fortunately, the ground was frozen solid and we did not require a tow.

So my point is, make SURE you have enough turning radius in the clear before making your move, especially if you're towing. The sage advise of holding the bottom of the steering wheel and moving it in the direction you wish the trailer to go is well taken.

BTW: No heckling from the peanut gallery. But I would be interested to hear if I am just a raw rookie or if any of you pros have gotten yourselves into a bind such as this.

Dear Ron,

You may have been a rookie, but no more. Now you're a seasoned professional.

I think ron, that you are NOT THE LONE RANGER. Been there, done that, except I pulled in a large motel lot and was going to drive thru the overhang, plenty of overhead room, I know better, but the problem was the drop off from their drive to the street was so angled that the Barth was going to hang up in the middle. Long, long wheel base. Couldn't see such when I pulled in, so with tow dolly attached I had to remove and back up. Lucky they weren't busy at the time. YEP, ron, you ain't the LONE RANGER, and I bet millions more have stories to share, if they are TRUTHFUL. GOT TO LOVE THAT ron.

Ron,

My biggest problem is the co-pilot (hope she doesn't read this). She gets confused by directions and has had me pull off onto exits that simply do not accommodate the 60 foot train that makes up our coach and car in tow. Three times I have had to disconnect and move the vehicles seperately to get out of the spot. Many more times I have had to drive for miles just to find a place to turn around.

It happens to the best of us.

Bill G

[This message has been edited by goodwinw (edited January 18, 2005).]

How much are you willing to pay to assure that your post will not be forwarded to your BRIDE? You are a BRAVE man. You have just pointed out the nice thing about a toad on a trailer. Even then it is not easy with the long wheel base of the Barth.

When I got out of that jam and back on the street, I had a pounding headache. SO was very quite and controlled the whole time. I never even knew when she poinged me with that skillet. Thank goodness we use the
al-u-minimum type instead of our old cast iron units!

It is reasuring to hear that others have encountered "obstacles" such as this. Sorry, but your misfortune makes me feel much better. :-)

Denny Crane

Ron my first major "experience" is posted in Barth Journeys on nov. 5th and titled learning experience. Valueable lesson never to be forgotten and hopefully never to be repeated.

DENNY CRANE! That is the best on TV this season, IMHO.

Shadowman, I know of what you speak. Been to ES on a motorcycle and don't see how the he11 you ever got the bus out of town! You are now a professional. :-)

Hey Ron,

I wondered if anyone would notice or if they would just assume I was my loony toon self. The last two weeks have been about a guy who kills women by beaning them with a skillet. So it seamed appropriate.

Denny Crane

[This message has been edited by davebowers (edited January 19, 2005).]

Rats! I set the VCR to tape the last episode and forgot to load a cassett in the machine!

Hay wait! Dave, you hijacked my thread.....MODERATOR! MODERATOR!!!!!!

:-)

Reminds me of the time I pulled behind a Flying J in a rural AZ town. I had dieseled up at the front pumps (AZ has additional tax on truck pumps) and I wanted to go inside, so I proceeded around back to the truck fueling/parking area to circle the building. I did not adhere to one side of the not-overly-generous area, as I was going to drive through - NOT.

There was a FENCE! When I saw that, I took stock of my situation. Not favorable, but I would give it a try (My B is not known for it's short turn radius).

As I squeaked in my semi-circle, I ultimately came windshield-to-windshield with a parked 18 wheeler that was OCCUPIED. Ohh, the embarassment!.

While carefully watching the rear view camera, I did a multitude of baby jostles back and forth, and finally got around without destroying the toad's wheels.

Neesless to say, the 18-wheeler driver that had a picture window view of this activity was laughing so hard he almost fell out the door!

I learned later that crossing the tires while backing a 4-down toad is not a fun thing to do (noticed two destroyed tires, one destroyed rim, and a broken brake line at a casual check-stop).

I learned that a Cummins M-11 does not care or know if it is dragging a toad with locked wheels! It will cruise happily at 60 mph with nary a whimper.

I also pulled the same toad from Silver City NM to Sierra Vista AZ behind said M-11 with the parking brakes firmly applied.

I usually do not make the same mistakes twice, but apparently I am determined to make every mistake once!

It must be like the story about pilots and retactable landing gears, ones that have and one that haven't yet.
I went to my neighborhood,just off the interstate fuel stop, about 12 years ago and found a major problem I was glad wasn't mine. A Professional Driver with a Buick Regal Flagcar had pulled off, refueled. Rather than go to the end of the lot where it was wide open and paved the driver circled.
Slight pause in the narrative, this was a "lotsa axles, lowboy with some type of building on it and the 2 or 3 rear axles were semi steerable.
Back to the narrative, he had to swing wide when circling because he was passing the 4wheeler pumps with the lower shelter roof. This put him on the edge of the pavement which had a crown, which,,,can you guess???
High centered the heavy, wide load. The tractor drivers could go backwards a little and fowards none.
The action taking place for the 1/2 hour that I watched, after that I thought it was best to leave due to potential venting of blood pressure, was to back up the full 4 to 6 feet possible then ram the rear trailer wheels with the back of the Buick to try to change the angle of attack to the crown.
When I went back the next day the rig was gone and the attendant from the previous day was gone so I don't know how the problem was resolved.
Tim