Definitely a rank amateur on backing up so appreciate the insights. Have read to put hand on bottom of steering wheel and turn it the way you want trailer to go. Know this will be an acquired skill but hope it isn't too painful an acquisition.
Anybody camped at Wind Cave National Park? We are planning on staying a couple nights in Badlands NP but thought about one night Wind Cave before hitting Colorado.
The bottom of the wheel trick works fantastically. I use it every time I back-up.
The best advise I can give is to get into an empty parking lot with no cars, light poles, or other obstruction and have a 'safety spotter' and just start backing up --- practice keep the trailer straight at first, then introduce "turns" Remember too, when things go wrong --- just pull forward a few feet, the trailer will naturally straighten out. Keep an "out" if possible so you can come back for a second try if you need too.
Set a threshold (20 degree at first, then adjust as you become more skilled) between the car and the trailer where you abort is a good idea -- bent metal is difficult to fix.
My first backing experience was with a concession trailer -- in the first year after doing about a dozen shows I had become pretty proficient. After 2 years I could parallel park with a trailer attached. The skill comes in quickly, the learning curve is more like a hockey stick ---
Night time is when it gets really hard --- you lose the points of reference. To this day, I have a hard time backing up into a familiar driveway at night. Don't feel self conscious about it. Anyone who says night time backing is easy is a liar.
Don't let anyone make you rush --- the guy behind you in the campground will just have to wait. No matter how "good" is is today --- at one point, he was new at it just like you are today.
By the end of summer you'll have score cards to hold up as others struggle...its all just part of the fun.
Enjoy your Camp Inn!
