Re: [VAC] Backing the trailer

["Terry Tyler" <Tylerbears@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Jerry,

In your note, you asked, "What is that "18 inch bar" 
you are talking about?  I am not sure what a longer 
receiver bar is.  I have been paranoid about a jack 
knife.  Can it only happen while backing or can it 
happen in a sharp turn?  I will head to the empty 
lot and test mine.  jerry 2982"

Jerry, because I have more than one Airstream, 
I opted to go with the same manufacturer for all 
my trailer hitches. Reese is the name and different 
lengths of receiver bars is their game. <grin>

Seriously, you can buy a Reese hitch with different 
length receiver bars. I opted for the long receiver
bar because none of my tow vehicles are sedans 
with rounded, sloping corners. 

Although I've never looked into it, my suspicion is 
all hitch manufacturers offer a similar option.

As to your question about backing up or turning sharply,
both cases can squish the front corner of your Airstream. 
The worst case scenerio is when there is a sharp turn 
that involves a dip in the road, such as exiting a gas 
station. This happens in parts of the country where rain 
occurs frequently and it's necessary to drain large 
amounts of water in a short time. I say worst case 
because it's easy to become committed before 
realizing you're going to squish and there's nothing
you can do about it in that fraction of a second 
before it occurs.
 
The most visible cue that this may be likely is to notice if 
the driveway is gouged from trucks dragging their tail 
when exiting. The more gouges, the steeper the driveway
and the more likely you will squish unless you exit at a 
shallow angle. This also helps avoid crinkling the rear
corner because of dragging your tail out the driveway. If
you put little wheels on the rear bumper, you'll have less
clearance and a better chance of crinkling the corner.
(Sorry about the reverse logic in that sentence.)

None of this is likely new stuff, but it's another example
of what you taught your kids: 1- attention to detail, 
2 - organzation and planning and 3 - thought before action.
Backing and tight turns are easily managed when you give 
consideration to these factors. It's just simple physics. 

Carry on,
Terry