HOW TO REVERSE A CARAVAN ONTO A PITCH
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- Опубліковано 24 лют 2024
- In this video Fliss (aka The Trailer Lady), will show you how to reverse a caravan onto a pitch.
This easy to follow video will show you how to reverse your car and caravan onto a pitch without jack-knifing or oversteering!
Fliss explains how to master reversing onto a pitch using easy-to-remember techniques.
Packed full of great quirky phrases to help you look like a Pro on the campsite, this video is a 'must watch' for anyone towing a caravan or trailer.
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we got our camper last year and it mainly stayed at a campground. this year we will going to other campgrounds so i needed to get better at backing it into a site cause i wasnt very good at it with very little experience. most videos i watched were mainly people filming themselves backing up and really didnt explain what they did. this video was very helpful with the step by step procedure of steering wheel position. and/or correction. i was able to get the camper back in the driveway on the second attempt. . had the wife watch it also to make her job as spotter easier.thanks again for the video it gonna make things a lot less stressful
Best video ever for reversing onto a pitch. Everything explained perfectly. 10/10
Thank you! I'm so pleased you liked it. If you have any suggestions for future videos, please let me know
For all the people that are new here, and maybe some that are not, when you reverse its a good idea to release the stabiliser, just pull it up a bit, this is from Alko and not just me.
it save the pads and also easier to move the van as less friction
Thanks for your comment. I've heard this, but I've never done it myself.
I'm on holiday at somers wood caravan park and I couldn't believe it was you ❤ . Thanks for speaking to me
It was great to meet you, Adi. Thanks for subscribing. It means a lot. Keep watching for more videos coming soon 🙂
Best reversing advice I have ever seen. Going to watch this a few times and take notes!
Thank you! Feel free to contact me if you have any further questions
Great video Fliss watched loads of others but yours is definitely No.1
Wow, thanks! That's very kind of you to say. Keep watching as there are more coming soon
Very clear, useful and focussed video. I've watched a few on this topic and none actually did it this well.
Thank you. That's good of you to say
Best reversing video I have seen. My caravan is too low for a motor mover, so reversing is a must.
Thank you. I hope it's useful
Honestly, this is the first time I have seen one of these videos that clearly explains and demonstrates the reversing move, I have been towing for about 5 years and even now, I still struggle occasionally.
Also subscribed
Thank you. I'm glad it was useful. Come back to me if you need any further help
I wish I had Fliss beside me when I have to reverse the caravan. I used to do it well but I’ve lost so much confidence backing our caravan now and get panicky because my partner gets so annoyed with me when I make a mistake he is a terrible spotter and stands where I can’t see or here him 😔
You explain it so well I wish I could get my partner to be like that
I wish I could be beside you for a couple of hours to help get your reversing mojo back!
Can I suggest a couple of things;
1 - Take yourself off with the caravan to a quiet location and just play around with reversing. Watch the rear of the caravan to see where it goes and adjust your steering accordingly. Remember "steer towards the problem".
2 - have a conversation with your other half and establish some clear communication. If you can't see him, STOP moving! He'll wonder why you've stopped and will soon come to investigate. Tell him he needs to be able to see a towing mirror at all times. If he can't, you can't see him!
I hope that helps. I'm here if you need any more help x
@@the_trailer_lady Thank you so much for the suggestions I will definitely take them on board and take the caravan somewhere on my own and do some practice as first my partner being a better spotter I’m not holding my breath. But your video is great and I will watch it over and over again as well as the practice. Thank you 😊
@@nicolelangman9834 you're welcome
Brilliant instructional video, with superb camera angles and sound quality, makes so much sense, , I'm saving this one for future reference, wish my husband does what he told, when i tell him how to reverse our caravan onto a pitch ,you may have saved our marriage, you are a great team, best regards
Awesome, thank you!
Excellent, you covered a few points that no one else does, and did that clearly and concisely, great job!👍🏼👍🏼
I appreciate that, thank you. If you have any suggestions for future videos, please let me know
Excellent, thank you!
I have attended a manoeuvring course in the past, but this is now saved as a reminder/revision to refer back.
Glad it was helpful!
Top advice. Really well explained. Thanks for posting. I always end up using my motor mover but next time I’m having a go with the car using your guidance. Thanks again
Go for it! And let me know how you get on. I'm here if you need any help
Good tutorial, at the end of the day it's practice practice practice, I'm a HGV driver and am reversing 40 foot trailers into tight spaces all day but I find it so much more difficult reversing a caravan
Thank you for your feedback. Did you know that the longer the trailer, the easier it is to reverse? A caravan is much shorter than an HGV, plus it's your pride and joy, thus making it harder to reverse
Thank you, that was really helpful 😊
I love you video .
Thank you. Keep watching for more content coming soon 🙂
Great advice, well presented. I went on caravan reversing course and I’ve learnt as just by watching you video.
Thanks for the tips great channel. 😁👍
Great to hear! Come back and tell me how it went
Great video Fliss and Andy.
Thank you. We have found this to be an easy-to-learn method, but I know there are other ways to do this.
Great informative video
Thank you. That's very kind of you to say
That made sense, thank you
You're very welcome. Glad it was helpful
A lot of Australians need to watch this. It's an all too familiar scenario played right across the country. Retirees and families who buy a LandCruiser or a Dodge RAM and a 3t caravan to do "the lap" around Australia. Many can't reverse a car let alone their new toys and become the entertainment when backing up into a spot at the caravan park.
I believe it's important to be able to reverse a trailer of any kind on the road.
Excellent. I'll watch it again. That comment about pulling forward at the end I guess applies to UK hitches. In Australia, our hitches are different. At least we drive on the right side, same as you. Reversing right is better than left as you can see the van better, rather than looking through the car to the van.
Pulling forwards is to reset the over run brakes
@@the_trailer_lady Our couplings are direct on to a towball. We don't have that concertina spring mechanism.
The stages of reversing to 90 degrees were well explained and demonstrated. Tomorrow I will get to practise this, reversing on to my front yard. I tend to start the turn using the bottom of the steering wheel, but I can see that I have to return the wheels to straight after that, before opposite lock. One thing though, is that you were directing an experienced driver. It would be interesting to see you video a newbie reversing the van with your directions. Another issue is that many caravan sites are not level left to right. I use a ramp either before or after the wheel on one side, depending on the fore/aft slope of the site. That's not an issue with our hitches, but with your concertina hitches, that could be more difficult, I imagine.
Great video. I'd be interested in understanding more about positioning using your mirrors when you don't have a person to guide you in, and how to do a nearside reverse where it is WAY more difficult to see where you are going.
Thanks for your suggestion. I'll add it to my list of topics to film
Very good.
Thank you. More content coming soon
Absolutely brilliant. I’ve just purchased my first caravan and really nervous about towing it. Especially the reversing side of things. I think I’m going to need to do a course somewhere. If you can recommend anywhere. I live just outside Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. Thank you. Andy.
Hi Andy. Why not come and see us!? We are only down in Sudbury (South Suffolk). The Camping and Caravanning Club run their courses from Coventry, and I'm not aware of Caravan & Motorhome Club offering courses in your area. You could try the HGV driving school based at the Norwich Showground just in case they can help.
I noticed the ends of the caravan bays are nicely angled try doing it on a pitch where there not angled and the wardens or owners tell you not to run over the grass or people opposite have there cars parked in the way , I also am a class 1 hgv driver but have struggled on some sites also do a blind side reverse
That is a tough manoeuvre to complete. Campsites are getting tighter to manoeuvre around due to caravans and tow cars getting larger and larger. A shunt or two is always a good way of getting yourself out of a tight spot
Had to watch to find out what a caravan and a pitch is!
I hope we answered your question!
Nice video, with a simple and repeatable technique. What's your recommendation for starting position i.e. caravan wheels in relation to the corner of the pitch and distance from edge of roadway?
My saying is 2 feet out and 2ft passed, i.e., 2 feet away from the edge of the roadway and the rear of the caravan, not the axle, 2 feet passed the pitch.
@@the_trailer_ladywe had this exact same question. Thank you so much for this. We’ve been caravanning 15 years and never had the balls to not use the motor mover! Next time we’ll give it a try!
@jameshodgetts7541 what's the worse that can happen? Top tip! Keep hold of the steering wheel longer than you think once the caravan is straight on the pitch. Many people see the caravan is straight and take the lock off the steering wheel. This just makes the caravan turn again.
Excellent video Iv struggled for years reversing my caravan always use the motor mover but being able to reverse would be a lot quicker to do specially if it’s raining. Jyst one question ware would you position the caravan jyst before you start reversing 👍
I'm glad it helped. Start the manoeuvre approx. 2 mtrs passed the pitch, but you do have to play with it
I also offer a 3-hour reversing master class including reversing along a single track country lane!
O right how much ? 👍
And ware are they held ?
@@the_trailer_lady Hi you said you offer a 3 hour course ? Ware are these held and how much ?
Well given loads of car drivers have trouble revercing their cars so with a caravan on a A frame and of course they have problems,Fliss has explained it using the mirrors,but you do not even have to do that,open the drivers window stick your head out and if you want the van to go left put left hand on top of steering wheel and turn steering wheel to the left say to 10 oclock position watch the van and if it need s more or less move the steering well ,in a car you should only need the 10 to ten pass to control the van
Yes, the mirror effect. I must admit I use a combination of the two myself . I think it depends on the type of person you are. I had pupils for the B+E that could only reverse by sticking their head out the window or looking over their shoulders and others who were staunch mirrors users. Thanks for your comment
Full lock isn't really an ideal action to take when reversing any articulated vehicle. More often than not, more corrections are needed to compensate as you can find the caravan turning too sharply and you end up on an acute angle when parked and have to shunt forward to correct. Starting further away and at an angle that is closer to 1 or 2 o'clock (if imagining a 12 hr clock with 6 o'clock being the target destination) rather than at 3 o'clock is easier to reverse into too.
Small adjustments rather than large ones (full lock) make for a smoother procedure.
Also, for anyone that gets stuck with which way to turn the steering wheel, if you hold the wheel at the 6 o'clock position palm up and turn the wheel in the direction you want the caravan to go when reversing, that will determine which way you need to turn the steering wheel. An easy trick us truckers have used when starting out driving.
Thanks for your comment. I teach full lock but then return to straight wheels to let the caravan turn more slowly and avoid any acute angles. This is a simple method for those new to reversing a caravan, and the technique can be adapted once people feel more confident
What Mirrors do you have i have a Ford Kuga and they look much better than the ones i am currently using
We use Milenco Grand Aero Platinums. They are not cheap, but I find they give the best view. I will be filming a video on different mirrors and how to get the most out of them
To get set up for the reverse I make sure I’m about two steps out and four along to the rear of caravan. Right?
Yes, that is the general rule I adopt, but it does alter depending on the space I have. Less space, tighter turn and vice versa
A great lady.. I'm useless at trailer work.. my partner deals with it... She is better than me 😂... I'm not not shy to admit it... I don't have a caravan but I'll practice with my trailer..
It is all about practice. The more you practice, the more permanent it becomes in your mind.
Use the motor mover it’s a brilliant bit of kit and stops all the damage ….
They are brilliant for manoeuvring into tight spaces, but it is a skill caravanners should have, especially when on the road.
@@the_trailer_lady I’ve owned 6 caravans over the years and the last two have had motor movers. 1. Position close to the pitch.
2. Unhook the car.
3. Switch on motor mover and position exactly in the pitch.
4. Put the kettle on…..😬
Question - your video is great. But, I have a longer caravan (I think 23 foot) twin axle. Normally when I'm reversing, I have plenty of room around me and I can get it in. One year, I had quite a tight space (single track road with other caravans parked and caravan site "furniture"). If I'm going to reverse in to a tight spot - how to I position the car and caravan in the first instance?
EG - firstly, (if reversing onto OS pitch) do I want to be as close to OS, middle or NS of the road? Where do I want the tail end of the caravan to be? Inline with the pitch or past the pitch?
Hi. Great question!
There is no definitive answer to this for the following reasons;
If you pull up closer to the offside (OS), you will allow more room for the front of the towing vehicle to swing out when reversing. However, the downside is that it will create a tighter turn and potential Jack-knifing situation. If you pull up on the nearside (NS), the opposite will happen and you may not have room for the towing vehicle to manoeuvre, but more space for the caravan, thus minimal chance of a jack knife.
Where possible, stay central in the access road and make your turn from there. You may also need a couple of shunts to allow both car and caravan to manoeuvre in a tight space.
In relation to your second question, pull up with the rear of the caravan just past the pitch (approx. 1m). Again, this reference point may vary depending on the turning circle of your tow vehicle.
Whatever happens, keep calm and never be afraid to use motor movers. Some sites are just too tight to manoeuvre large car and caravan combinations on. It is safer and less stressful in the long run.
@@the_trailer_lady Hi, thank you very much for taking the time to respond. between your video and your comments, this should really help me in the future. I do need to get some more practice is as picking our caravan up from storage to site and back again once a year, I'm not reversing with it enough to gain the experience I need.
I did have a trailer (about 5/6 foot long) and was making headway with reversing that as using more often until in broke! My new Erde 102 is just TOO small for reversing well as can't see it the mirrors until it's already jackknifed!
@wscottcrawford oh you've got to love an Erde trailer. They are a nightmare, like you say. They are just too short, and there isn't enough distance from the hitch to the axle, which is why it mis-behaves.
It does all come down to practice. I take it you have a seasonal pitch thus not being able to practice to often. You could always hire a trailer for a weekend and practice with that. Thanks for watching
@@the_trailer_lady Hi, unfortunately not a seasonal pitch. We've had a caravan since the early 80's and my parents decided back then to store the caravan near the caravan site we always went to thus saving taking it long distances. Only gets used normally two weeks and that's it. However, a few years we did split our holiday and travelled with it further away. If storage yards were cheaper near where we live, we would move closer to make more use of it.
@@wscottcrawford storage is very expensive 😫
How far from the pitch should the caravan be before you start to steer?
I usually start 2 paces passed. You can go further passed and reverse following a more gentle arc
Thank you.
I might even won't use the mover. thanks
Great. Give it a go, and let me know how you get on 😀
If you have motor movers it’s a lot easier.
In small spaces, they are brilliant, but there's nothing like the smug feeling you get when you reverse the caravan onto a pitch first time 😉
I used to teach road craft and I have caravanned for over 35 years. How would you like to removed 51% of all insurance claims it’s very simple don’t reverse your caravan with your car use your motormover and all our insurance premiums will go down. However, you must must learn how to reverse a Caravan, but when it comes to pitching pull up just passed the pitch want unhook, connection, motor, mover and motor, move it onto the pitch. If you do that you will remove 51% of all insurance claims, it really is a no brainer, and if in doubt next time you’re away, go and talk to the warden and ask them how many Ballards have they had damaged through people reversing their caravans or you can just look at the Insurance industries new figures. Well-known Club quoted me, £670 for my insurance premium I went to a household name insurer and as long as I agreed to use the motor mover to reverse it onto the pitches. I got it this year at 240 last year. It was 200, but there’s been a big increase in thefts of Caravans as we know
That's a new thing I haven't heard of before. How can insurance companies insure for that.... or is it a case of, if you hit the caravan whilst reversing, you're not insured?
I think you should be able to reverse, especially on the highway but campsites and storage yards are getting more compact and caravans are the largest they've ever been, so using the motor mover would reduce the risk of hitting something or someone else.
Hello sorry for late reply. I really don’t know I would imagine if you revers the caravan and you hit something and sat it in they may question but when I asked would they cancel the insurance they said no. It like asking do you turn your alarm on or fit all the locks etc.
Wishing you well
James
@jamesfoote8916 something to keep watching to see if this becomes a trend with insurance companies.
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Get your husband to do it save time
I like your style! But it's also cool 😎 to be able to do itself
@@the_trailer_lady It was a joke I couldn't help myself fair play girl
@@lorrynortheastguy4787 🤣👍🏻
better still fit a caravan mover
Thanks for your comment
What is a pitch
A caravan pitch is the area you pay for on a campsite to 'pitch' your tent, caravan, or motorhome
im a ex class 1 driver and you give too much infamation besides caravan towers never back caravans on now thay all use motor mover so it them that can reverse and them that cant you should get in a artic and drive it
I just want to help people. Sorry if you feel I share too much. I have driven an artic and reversed it. It was an amazing experience!