Tips on Safely Reversing with a Trailer in Queensland

When you own a trailer you should be prepared to learn some new skills. Driving with a trailer is one thing: reversing a trailer is a whole lot harder. As we all know from movies and anecdotes, reversing a trailer can be rather difficult and, predictably, the bigger the trailer, the harder it becomes. In this helpful article, Trailers Direct discusses some reversing trailer tips to make the process easier for you. We will also touch on some of the hazards that you need to look out for when reversing a trailer.

What Makes Reversing a Trailer Difficult?

Before we go over our reversing trailer tips, it is important to help you understand why the process of reversing a trailer is difficult.

Weight

When driving a trailer, there is often a lot of mass on the trailer itself. A lot of towing occurs with large, heavy items such as caravans, boats, and other vehicles.

Visibility

The larger the item being towed, the less visibility you have, making it even harder to see where you are going when reversing.

Small Pivot Point

The trailer is connected to the towing vehicle by a small tow ball. When you begin reversing, this tow ball acts as the pivot point. Any slight change in angle affects the direction in which the trailer moves.

Now, let’s look into some of our expert reversing trailer tips.

Take Your Time

Although it seems obvious, this tip is relatable for multiple reasons. Reversing trailers, big or small, takes time, so put in the practice and to learn the correct technique. Take your time in learning this. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself and don’t expect to nail it the first time. It may take a little while! Secondly, take your time when you are reversing. The slower you go, the easier it is to keep the trailer in line with the towing vehicle. If you rush it, you are bound to jack-knife.

Avoid Oversteering

Oversteering is the main reason that people struggle to reverse their trailers. They see the trailer going off on the wrong angle and try to overcompensate with a big turn the other way. When reversing a trailer, less is more. The smaller your movements of the wheel, the easier it will be to keep the trailer in line.

Use a Spotter

If you happen to have a friend in the car with you, ask them to step to the back of the trailer and give you some guidance during the reversing process. This tip is especially useful when you have a large item blocking your vision, such as a boat or caravan. Your spotter can tell you when you are getting close to a hazard. Furthermore, if they are more experienced with reversing trailers, they can give you small pointers and tips along the way.

Get in contact with our expert team today for more tips when driving with a trailer.