Get someone to guide you or use a Reverse Mate the Back Up Buddy
Are you new to reversing a camper trailer or caravan? Or maybe you’ve been doing it a while but still get anxiety at the thought of reversing in a crowded campground with an audience. Either way, keep reading because we have some tips to share with you on how to smash it (in a good way) at reversing your caravan or trailer.
Reversing your caravan or trailer around corners or on an angle is a lot harder than reversing straight back. Aim to get your caravan or trailer as straight as possible before reversing. Of course, this is easier said than done in a crowded caravan park but if you have the space to drive forward so that you can position yourself perfectly to reverse straight backwards, this will make things a lot easier.
If you have someone to guide you, enlist their help by getting them to stand at the rear corner of your caravan. Make sure they give both verbal and hand directions and try not to lose your cool when they start making circles with their arms and you have no idea what they mean. It helps to talk about what the signals mean before you start.
If you have someone to guide you, enlist their help by getting them to stand at the rear corner of your caravan. Make sure they give both verbal and hand directions and try not to lose your cool when they start making circles with their arms and you have no idea what they mean. It helps to talk about what the signals mean before you start.
If you’re travelling solo or you can’t deal with your partner’s guiding technique (it’s a common problem), grab yourself a Reverse Mate. It’s basically a system of high-vis markers that makes it much easier to see where your caravan or trailer needs to go when reversing. Here’s what the Reverse Mate looks like:
The Reverse Mate high-vis marker system comes with:
The markers feature reflector strips for night visibility, foldable base plates, built-in LED lights and collapsible poles.
Yes, practice really does make perfect and it’s incredibly helpful to set aside time to practice without the pressure of an audience. Remember, the opposite rule applies when it comes to reversing a trailer or caravan. If the trailer needs to go right, you will turn your steering wheel to the left and vice-versa. The best thing to do is find a big open area like a paddock or empty parking lot and just give it a go. This allows you to get the feel of which way to turn the wheel and work out what works best for you.