Need Help Backing Up To Hook Up Trailer.....

[FishingFool]

I got the same problem. When I had my 15 ft Duraboat it was light enough for me to pick up. Now with the 17' Smokercraft its way too heavy for me to jostle and hook it up. My back and ribs are so messed up I have a boat I take out when someone comes over to help me set it up on the Ball.
Backing up is another horrible job for me. I can turn to the left real easy but not to the right.Are you putting this camera on the back of the boat or the truck? Im curious to know how it works.

I went from a 14' boat to a 16.5' boat. Within the 1st 5 mins of pulling the trailer away from the seller, I jump 1 curb while turning right and LUCKILY only hit the concrete pole trying to pull into the gas station, LOL! Wasn't use to the wider turns I guess. Man, if I hit the gas pump instead..... Fortunately I only clipped the left fender or was it right. Don't remember now. Held with ducktape until I got home and ordered a new one, lol.

Backing a trailer up is hard. After my 2nd year of owning a boat, I got decent with it. I've been a boat owner for about 4 years now and I'm pretty good at it now. Just takes practice, simple as that. You'll learn how your trailer will react when you react.

I put the camera on my truck. This LCD monitor does have 2 A/V inputs. If I wanted, I could put a 2nd camera onto the trailer but it isn't needed for my situation.


So I had my first real test with the camera and monitor today. It went fantastic! I don't think I can watch the monitor while backing up into place. I lose that depth perception and it throws me off. So what I do is look back out the window to line up properly and then slowly backup looking at the monitor for the hitch. 1st attempt, I wasn't sure how far back to actually back up. It looked good on the camera, so I got out to verify. It was perfect! Just had to lower the coupler straight down. Now I know what to expect.

The weight of the monitor is making my visor sag. I may just leave it be, unless the OCD in me kicks me.

[Gringo Pescador]

Nice! that is really cool - have to put it on my list.

I took a white ink pen that is used to mark steel beams and put a line on the top center of my tailgate to give me a site to go by so I can get pretty close but depth still takes a little work. As far as towing, I went from a tent trailer and my 12' cataraft trailer to my 20' Willie. I've hopped a few curbs turning corners so far but getting better at it. What I did find out though is after being used to backing up those short trailers backing up the longer one is a breeze!

[Bodofish]

Go one better. Park the boat in exactly the same spot and make a couple reference marks you can see. Hooking the boat up by myself is a slam dunk, first try every time. Never miss by more than 2"

[racfish]

My problem isnt launching the boat for me. My trouble comes backing up my 8' wide boat into my 8'5" driveway. I have one friend who does it in one backup attempt. When I do it I block the street for twenty plus minutes. I do the same mistake everytime that is turning the wheel too much. If I could see from behind my boat I think it would help alot.

[Gringo Pescador]

My problem isnt launching the boat for me. My trouble comes backing up my 8' wide boat into my 8'5" driveway. I have one friend who does it in one backup attempt. When I do it I block the street for twenty plus minutes. I do the same mistake everytime that is turning the wheel too much. If I could see from behind my boat I think it would help alot.

Take an idea from the car wash. Get 4 train rails and secure them to your driveway, make 2 tracks just big enough to fit the trailer tires into and grease the inside of the tracks. Then all you gotta do is get em started in the tracks and they will stay there!

[FishingFool]

My problem isnt launching the boat for me. My trouble comes backing up my 8' wide boat into my 8'5" driveway. I have one friend who does it in one backup attempt. When I do it I block the street for twenty plus minutes. I do the same mistake everytime that is turning the wheel too much. If I could see from behind my boat I think it would help alot.

Oooooh. So you have less than 3" on each side of the trailer. Ouch, that is very tight.