# Parking A 30ftr Tt



## jtbmoore (Apr 29, 2008)

I am about to pull the trigger on a 30rls TT and I am worrying about parking the thing. I just sold a 18ft TT and it was a piece of cake to back into sites. How much harder is it to park a big boy. I went to a friends house and looked at his 30rls and man did it look big. I guess I am getting a little cold feet. I want a trailer I am not worried about taking it out because it is hard to back in. Any thoughts or advice?

Thanks.


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## NobleEagle (Jul 8, 2006)

Drive slow, Turn Fast, take your time, enjoy and remember...they wouldnt make it and let people register it without a special license if it was THAT hard. Don't let it get to you. Take our time and practice. You'll be fine...Any questions? Just ask....Someone here will be glad to help!


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## 2224 (Jun 5, 2006)

jtbmoore said:


> I am about to pull the trigger on a 30rls TT and I am worrying about parking the thing. I just sold a 18ft TT and it was a piece of cake to back into sites. How much harder is it to park a big boy. I went to a friends house and looked at his 30rls and man did it look big. I guess I am getting a little cold feet. I want a trailer I am not worried about taking it out because it is hard to back in. Any thoughts or advice?
> 
> Thanks.


The longer the trailer the more time you have to respond to it bending.
As stated take your time and stay cool. You will do fine. It is the wheel base that counts and not the box on the chassis.
Good Luck


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## Ray C (Apr 4, 2007)

very easy to get around i think my utility trailer is harder the only thing i have found is some times you have to back out of the pull through sites because the road is a little narrow but that is no big deal


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## Crawfish (Sep 14, 2005)

Actually, the longer the trailer the easier it is to back. I had a 26 footer at first and it backed really good, then a friend of mine bought a 35 footer and ask me to back it in a site for him. Man, it was so easy I could not believe it. If you had no problem backing your 18 footer you will find backing a 30 footer is much easier.

Leon


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## Nathan (Jan 2, 2007)

The longer they are, the more benignly they respond, and acutally, I found backing up my 28RSDS to be easier than my 10' pop-up. It does take a little more room, but once you get used to it, not that much.









IMO, backing is easier than tight forward driving because you are controlling the pointing of the rear of the trailer which is the hardest part to see so you are concentrating on that.

Things to remember for a larger TT are needing more clearance around it at all times. With a short TT, you don't notice the cut in on corners as much as you will with that big boy. Also, remember that if you turn sharp, the rear of the trailer will swing out and can clip things...... (watch out for gas pumps...







)

Forgive me if you are already good at it, but before you back in, get out and survey the spot. Figure out where you want the inside trailer tires to go and mark it (stick, pavement line, scuff mark in the dirt, etc). Get a spotter with 2 way radios to watch the corner you can't see (but make sure you can see the spotter at all times). Then back it up, also keeping an eye on the TV to ensure it doesn't get too close to anything. Good Mirrors help greatly.

Good luck with your trailer shopping. Make sure you have enough truck before you buy that new beast!


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## mountainlady56 (Feb 13, 2006)

Rule #1: Keep all kids/distracting things away from you......this means DON'T let your child gather all the neighborhood kids together, like MINE did, the first time you're gonna back it into a 10' wide space with your HOME on one side of the 10' and your privacy fence on the other side of the 10"!! 
Rule #2: Go to Walmart or any place with a big parking lot and practice backing. When the cops pull up and ask you what you're doing, just tell them it's for the good of natural resources........you don't want to hit trees when you park the first time in a campground.
Rule #3: Remember when pulling IN to parking areas that curve, to swing out a little more than you would with a shorter trailer because those axles are a little further back on this model.
Rule #4: If you get frustrated, just STOP!! Someone, like my friend zoom-zoom will come along and park your OB, offer you a pina colada after your long drive, and then turn you loose to go set up your now-in-place OB, along with your cousin who accompanied me, and we're both about 3 (maybe 4) sheets in the wind.








Seriously, the MOST helpful thing that I used when backing my 31RQS was turning on the running lights. That little bit of illumination from the rear and the front help you to line up better than anything else I found. Of course, you can also take you a pair of hitchin' sticks and put one on each edge of the rear bumper. That may help as well.
Good luck, and don't worry, you'll do fine. If I can do it, anyone can do it. Just make sure you have sufficient mirrors to see with, as well.
Darlene


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

The difference will be you will need to obviously pull up further before backing up. Your overhang is bigger but backing up, thats rarely a issue. Remember the difference in the angle of backing up is only around half of the difference between 18 and 30 because the axles are still somewhat in the center.

If all else fails, ask for a pull thru site









You ll be fine if you could handle the 18









John


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## bentpixel (Sep 2, 2006)

One trick that has help me line up a night is to step off the exact point I want the rear blindside and put a battery powered lantern just off the pavement/parking space. Also, I turn on both white side lights. 
Prevention is my G. O. A. L. (Get Out And Look) You can always take it to a large empty parking lot and practice working around some cardboard boxes.























This website might help too. Someone else here explained the 45 degree method but I can't seem to find it right now. TT don't like to jackknife as tight as the big rigs can, but with patience you can get in and out okay.

BTW, with a successfully no contact landing your always the hero no matter how long it takes.









Best of Luck,
Scott


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## Northern Wind (Nov 21, 2006)

I went from a 12 foot pop-up to a 24ft 5th wheel to a 33 ft 5th wheel not much difference accept length, when you back up the front responds slow but the back is quick! and there is a lot more back, so when you think you are close chances are you have already run over your wife


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## jtbmoore (Apr 29, 2008)

Northern Wind said:


> I went from a 12 foot pop-up to a 24ft 5th wheel to a 33 ft 5th wheel not much difference accept length, when you back up the front responds slow but the back is quick! and there is a lot more back, so when you think you are close chances are you have already run over your wife


LOL


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## mswalt (Sep 14, 2004)

I still have trouble. Haven't been able to get the wife, yet!









Mark


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

mswalt said:


> I still have trouble. Haven't been able to get the wife, yet!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yikes.....don't let her read that.


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## MaeJae (May 12, 2005)

Nathan said:


> The longer they are, the more benignly they respond, and actually, I found backing up my 28RSDS to be easier than my 10' pop-up. It does take a little more room, but once you get used to it, not that much.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


All excellent advice!!!

I am the hitch-er-upper, tower, un-hitcher, setup person in my family.
My husband usually spots for me. I did have my 10 year old daughter 
spot for me and she did great! *Communication* is the KEY! 
Whos left... whos right ...??? get that settled and you are good to go!

One thing I CAN NOT STAND is people coming over to ask if I need help!
Mostly men(they usually ask DH where they can get a wife like that- LOL)
or woman saying to their husband ... go see if she needs help.
Well, I don't... 
Our friends know that when they see us coming into the campground 
to go and get a chair and a beer for DH and have a drink waiting for me 
when I am done. But otherwise stay clear unless I ask.








(It is hard with the whole "town" telling you which way to turn)

Good luck, I am sure if you have backed up a camper
before you will not have any problems with a 30 footer!

MaeJae


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## tdvffjohn (Mar 10, 2005)

You are correct in that help can sometimes make it worse. After over 25 years with a tractor trailer and longer with campers, I tell any of my 'helpers' to just stand at the exact spot the corner of my camper needs to be and only say anything if they think I will hit something. This way I get the extra set of eyes which is fine and I aim the trailer corner to where they are standing.

John


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## 'Ohana (May 20, 2007)

To repeat what others have said and before attempting to back in, get out and survey your site and mark where your tires and or rear bumper want to be.

As an aid I carry along a couple of those little collapsible orange cones to use when needed.









Ed


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## Eagleeyes (Aug 1, 2007)

I find the longer the trailer, the easier. Just go slow...

As for the wife, I have to know where she is. Who else will I scream at??









Bob


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## Oregon_Camper (Sep 13, 2004)

Eagleeyes said:


> I find the longer the trailer, the easier. Just go slow...
> 
> As for the wife, I have to know where she is. Who else will I scream at??
> 
> ...


Glad to hear this is a "game" everyone plays.


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