To reverse, you crank the wheel hard back to the right while stationary (you do not want to waste any distance doing that while moving), then proceed into the parking spot. Copyright 2008-2022. https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/, https://olivertraveltrailers.com/blog/how-to-back-up-a-trailer-like-a-pro/. This web site has a diagram with the same approach as in the video. The angle between trailer and truck will be too sharp, in the wrong direction. Excellent post, thanks. At 5:00 he shows how to do an S maneuver, sharp left, then sharp right to get the back end pointing where he wants it. I finally learned when to make the turn to the right the last red horizontal arrow. I had many times the we were hauling bridge beams or large box culverts and had to back in a mile or more. In contrast the red-blue arrow version of the swoop can be done in a narrower space. moderator edit: removed obvious spam link, Here is another helpful article on how to back up a trailer that I found helpful https://olivertraveltrailers.com/blog/how-to-back-up-a-trailer-like-a-pro/, You need to be a member in order to leave a comment. It moves the front of the truck further away from the curb, allowing you to pull a little further forward. I dont know if one method gives a better approach angle than the other. 
If there is enough road to get the trailer fairly straight, no problem. I use the maneuver often, and every single time I back Mouse into my driveway. Of course if the road is wide enough you have room to pull far enough forward to straighten out the trailer, as John put it. Fun times. Copyright 2008-2022. [attachment file=Screen Shot 2018-08-21 at 12.26.16 PM.png]. Also, the video shows no "critical" turn forward to the left. It's easy! If there is an obstacle, then you cant get enough room to swing the truck. We went camping last weekend I got Ollie straight in the center both at the campsite and at the storage facility, both on the first try. August 21, 2018 in Towing an Oliver. One variable is how wide the campground road is. That's a pure Ausie rig. As you suggested, a visual bookmark is something I often do. It kicks the trailer hitch hard to the right, forcing the back of the trailer left into MUCH better alignment. It could be that it changes the trailer angle slightly, or that it positions the tow vehicle relative to the trailer in a favorable position so that when you start backing up the trailer naturally heads into its destination. If the road is very narrow, you may not have enough room to get the trailer angle positioned optimally when using the video. This is an excellent trick every Ollie owner should try to master, it works very well for making tight backing turns where you cannot pull far enough forward to straighten out the trailer. This is very cool. Sign up for a new account in our community. If the road is very narrow, you may not have enough room to get the trailer angle positioned optimally when using the video swoop. This really works, but I am not certain why. The video shows the tow vehicle "scooping" toward and away from the parking space, while the diagram shows the vehicle driving past the space perpendicular to it. Tow Vehicle: 2013 Land Cruiser 200, 33" LT tires, airbags, Safari snorkel. When I started using the Swoop at my storage facility, it did not work well. On the website, it states that "This last bit of information below will make things a lot easier too.." Well, perhaps, but certainly not clearer--to me at least. One variable is how wide the campground road is. I spent a lot of time researching backing up a trailer online, perhaps because I initially lacked any skills and my first tries were such abject failures. If nobody ever showed it to you, you might never know to try it. When I picked up Ollie two years ago,I really did not know how to back up a trailer. Good to know I can get the info here. Making things worse, putting our trailer into storage requires a 90 degree turn. Powered by Invision Community. John E Davies, Is it just me, David, or are there obvious contradictions between the diagram and the videoother than the shift from terminology: Scoop to Swoop? 2016 Oliver Elite II Hull 164 | 2017 Audi Q7 tow vehicle. I try to pick a marker to align the truck with to locate the initial turn point. The doubles you see here, like FEDX and UPS pull are a completely different deal. Video - how to reverse a double trailer. woohoo! The best advice is at the very end, 9:00. Right ones are tough. Will take note of that. "Mouse": 2017 Legacy Elite II NARV (Not An RV) Two Beds,Hull Number 218, See my HOW TO threads:https://olivertraveltrailers.com/topic/john-e-davies-how-to-threads-and-tech-articles-links/. The trick is to do that exact maneuver, but in say the last ten feet of forward motion, crank the steering wheel from hard right to hard left. The other difference is that one method has the critical turn to the left. This is an excellent trick every Ollie owner should try to master, it works very well for making tight backing turns where you cannot pull far enough forward to straighten out the trailer. By All Rights Reserved. At 5:00 he shows how to do an S maneuver, sharp left, then sharp right to get the back end pointing where he wants it. Travel and Photography Blog: http://davidstravels.net. The problem with the first video, there are no trucks that pull doubles in this country, that look like that. Finally, the S turn in the red-blue arrow version is much like the S maneuver that Johns Aussie trucker used. Is it just me, David, or are there obvious contradictions between the diagram and the video--other than the shift from terminology: "Scoop" to "Swoop"? There are guys that can back doubles, and it's a special skill. All Rights Reserved. Both of these approaches get the trailer at a good angle to back in to the campsite. The diagram is fine as far as it goes, but as you pointed out, they left off the critical S-turn back in the opposite direction. [attachment file=Screen Shot 2018-08-22 at 5.10.54 PM.png]. It is in Aussie English, so he is a little hard to understand. Good stuff! With practice I learned that for my vehicle I should make the sharp turn when the rear pillar of the drivers door reached the far edge of the campsite driveway. While I am certainly not an expert at it, I am much, much better. This does two things. Once I got that figured out this method has worked well for me at a lot of campsites. I am trying to figure out how to keep the trailer hitch aligned when reversing. But I don't think it is a contradiction. I drove a semi for 12 years, pulling flatbeds and double drops, but I had it easy, we had day cabs, so you could look out the back window on a off side back. There is one thing that is guaranteed, the more people watching, the worse your backing job is. Dont drive beyond your own ability..