View of unloaded trailer with pickups

[Stinnett21]

Shopping for a new tow vehicle. For the last 15 years I've towed with a 2004 Lexus GX 470. My boat is 21 foot. When backing the trailer to retrieve the boat I can stretch up and turn and look and still see the back 1/4 of the trailer (it has no guide posts although I realize they could be added). I'm considering a pickup. For those who tow with pickups can you see enough of the trailer over a closed tailgate? Here I mean by turning and looking, not with cameras.

 

[roscoe]

I never could.
So open the tailgate, use the camera, or…..

Add a spring mounted bicycle flag to the rear of the trailer.

 

[Jeff J]

What’s wrong with your mirrors?

 

[Scott Danforth]

todays trucks are too high to see any unladen boat trailer over a closed tailgate. you wont see anything short of an enclosed utility trailer looking over the tail gate as you are looking nearly 5 feet up in the air

use the mirrors, you should be able to back up around a block by looking in the mirrors. if you cant see the boat, extend the mirrors. you should be able to see both sides of the trailer by looking in the mirrors

the backup camera works to hook the trailer up as you have a line of sight directly on the ball. all of todays vehicles have backup cameras

 

[Stinnett21]

Not a deal breaker, just wondering what to expect if I go that route. I suppose the same could be true for a modern SUV also. Views out the back are getting less and less and relying more on cameras.

 

[Mc Tool]

I cant get my back door open if there is anything on the tow ball ..... real well planned out .....not me

 

[redneck joe]

Learn mirrors. Takes a minute but as you get older and it hurts to turn your body and neck you will remember this post and silently thank me.

 

[dingbat]

…

 

[Stinnett21]

Learn mirrors. Takes a minute but as you get older and it hurts to turn your body and neck you will remember this post and silently thank me.

Sounds like a plan

 

[dingbat]

Drive Tahoes and Burb’s for 20 years which forced the use side mirrors.

Then had C5-7 fused 5 years ago. Turning around isn’t an option even now that we have the F150.

They will pry hitch and backup assist from my cold dead hands….lol

 

[lgaytan]

I don't have cameras in my truck I think I would like a camera only to get it in to the ball, I always back up until "gently" hitting the ball, but got launching and parking mirrors are enough

 

[tg3690]

I used the "turn around and look" method (no mirrors) for a long time and it worked great.....until you found your self trying to back down a ramp in your buddies Suburban to launch his boat. Learned real quick about using the side mirrors. Easier on the neck and back, too. Putting the tow vehicle in neutral while backing down the ramp also helps.....let gravity pull you down instead of the truck pushing you down the ramp.....easier on the brakes and easier to control.

 

[JASinIL2006]

I put guide poles on the rear of the trailer largely to help with backing the empty trailer. The poles help immensely.

 

[jlh3rd]

I don't have cameras in my truck I think I would like a camera only to get it in to the ball, I always back up until "gently" hitting the ball, but got launching and parking mirrors are enough

no camera, no problem.

 

[redneck joe]

Five years ago I got a car with a camera and I am now effectively useless when backing up my wife's car. I always back into parking spots. Mirrors are fine to get me into the hole but I've gotten out of her car thinking I'm there and I still have another couple three feet to go. It is embarrasing. I tried not using the camera in mine the other day and was sticking out into the parking lot. I can still do truck just fine, I also use the bump method for the boat.

 

[Jeff J]

I leave my trailers where they are when I disconnect. I will hit the bumper if I use the bump method. I usually drag the boat out by hand so no big deal if I don’t get lined up unless I have it on soft ground. The lawn mower trailer can easily be adjusted by hand too. The dovetail is a different matter.

There is a low tech alternative to a camera a buddy uses. It’s basically 2 stick mounted tennis balls on magnetic bases. Put one in the bumper and one on the tongue and line them up while backing. He sets them so they touch when everything is lined up.

I just get out and look a couple of times. I figure I can use the exercise.

 

[lgaytan]

the other thing I figured out is that backing up slowly is the fastest way, do all adjustments needed in one move to say it some way, I've seen people doing it fast and they backup realizes they are in bad possition and then get out of the ramp/parking lot completely to adjust possition and try back again, I do this slowly so if I'm not well aligned I notice that, make adjustments as many as needed in small movements with out needing to get out completely from the ramp or park lot. And yes always with mirrors that works for me better than turning around, when turning around I feel I loose control in direction, my head is looking backwards, and my hands at the steering wheel forward, and to add up that the trailer moves in oposite direction than your truck, it is a lot of thinking for me so mirrors eliminate at least one of those confusing things.

 

[Pmt133]

I found the mirrors on the ford and gmc to be a little small and high to be useful when backing up an empty trailer... though that means under normal driving they are adjusted properly... that being said they have a feature where they tilt down in reverse and then its okay. I assume its a curb finder of some sorts but works well for that purpose. Both my 2500s you can turn around and see the trailer but they have service bodies and the tailgate is a little lower.

The mirrors on my colorado are actually pretty good. Think that's more because the vehicle is narrow compared to a full size so more will always be in view sooner.

 

[flashback]

I've not had a problem until I offered to retrieve my nephew's jet ski. I couldn't find the trailer without putting the tailgate down and then I nearly planted the winch post into it

 

[airshot]

I don't have cameras in my truck I think I would like a camera only to get it in to the ball, I always back up until "gently" hitting the ball, but got launching and parking mirrors are enough

My backup camera sucks....Jeep decided to add a dotted centerline on the screen which blocks out the coupler on the trailer ! This line is double side by side and useless when looking for the ball and coupler. Mirrors which I learned when 13 yrs old, work best if you add a pole on each back corner of your trailer, simple pvc pipe works great. I back up over 300' with two curves and one parked vehicle to get to my barn. Learn mirrors and two white poles and you can backup any where...