can't back up a cart behind a lawn tractor. I've tried very very hard to do it properly, I even have had some success, but I'm just not getting the hang of it(I plead dyslexic). Seems it'd be easier to back up something bigger, like make a semi. I asked the siders last fall if their wives could do it. They said their wives wouldn't even try.

So fess up ladies, tell me I'm not the only one. And if you have any hints. PLEASE post them, thank you.

Men, don't you laugh at me.

-- Cindy (S.E.IN) (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), April 15, 2002

Answers

Backing a short trailer is harder than a long one because the short distance causes things to happen very fast. Three foot of distance in a tractor trailer is not enought to accomplish much but with a 3 foot trailer it is a total sideways action. Just slow down so you have time to react, the slower you go the easier it is. For those of you whom have never tried to back a trailer, first pull it to the areas front as square as you can. Second, cut your wheels the wrong way as you start to back up, then when the trailer starts to move the way you want it to bring your steering tires back accross the center line until you are basically following the trailer. Think of your steering tires as a rudder steering a pivoting two piece pair of barges. Draw this on a piece of paper and it will make more sense. There are women out there backing up 80,000 pound big rigs everyday.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), April 15, 2002.

You ain't alone. I Always check before I pull in anywhere to make sure I don't have to back up. If it looks like I might have to back up I jump out and pull the "helpless female" act. But, hey, most of the gals I know have husbands and they always pull the trailers. Wives wouldn't even dream of doing it. We had to haul our water the last place we lived, I had a little flat bed trailer with my 1200gal tank on it. After the first trip I went and bought a jack thingy to go on the tongue and a couple of jack stands to put under the back. reason being, the first trip I let the catch loose on the hitch after I got home and the tongue flipped up in the air and I could NOT get it back down, even with DD and me sitting on the tongue. We had to dip the water out to use it until a neighbor came along and with four of us, we got it back down. hauled that thing for three years and never did learn to back it. Sometimes, if it wasn't loaded, I would disconnect it from the truck, turn it around by hand and back the truck up to it from the other direction! All to avoid backing up.LOL

-- kim in CO (kimk61252@hotmail.com), April 15, 2002.

I use to play the "Helpless Female Act"----------I now play the "OLD HELPLESS FEMALE ACT"----- It works even better!!! ha!!

-- Sonda in Ks. (sgbruce@birch.net), April 15, 2002.

Back up? Not me. I also hate left hand turns where there's no light. Hubby thinks it's the funniest thing ever when I ask "How do I get there by only turning right?"

-- Bernie from Northern Ontario (bernadette_kerr@hotmail.com), April 15, 2002.

Oh, haha, back up any kind of trailer, not me! When we first moved here, we were very dismayed to find so many of the roads are still dirt, even in nice subdivisions. I one day took the goat trailer, and, thankfully, Eldest son, to pick up some new goats. After driving the long winding dirt roads in, I thought I'd take a "short cut" out. lol. Well, according to mapquest, this road was a straight shot out to the main highway. In reality, after going for quite some distance on a dirt road, we dead ended in some guy's driveway. Suffice it to say, if Eldest hadn't been along, I might STILL be stuck there!!;)

-- mary (mlg@mlg.com), April 15, 2002.

Cindy,

I was at UPS here one day and saw a driver show up pulling triples (three trailers behind a tractor) and spot the third trailer at a dock perfectly. I was totally impressed! When the cab door opened I was shocked to see this little five foot nothing, one hundred nothing blonde gal with waist length hair climb out. It's not gender, believe me. There's no way I could have done what she did and I doubt one man in fifty could.

One of the easiest ways I've found to teach someone to back a trailer is to have them look over their shoulder at where they're going and then, with one hand on the top of their steering wheel just turn it in the direction they want the trailer to go. Give that a try. I think you'll be surprised how well it works. I hope this helps.

-- Gary in Indiana (gk6854@aol.com), April 15, 2002.

garden cart behind a mower? unhitch, spot by hand, back up and rehitch.

The only way to go. :->

-- Rose (open_rose@hotmail.com), April 15, 2002.

I can back up a 26' travel trailer but still can't back up a yard cart behind the lawn tractor. Must be a 'girl thing' :) I liked the suggestion of un-hitching it, turning it & going from there. Peace, kathy

-- Kathy (beckoningwinds@yahoo.com), April 15, 2002.

I am Dyslexic, I had a hard time learning how to back up a trailer. I knew which way I had to turn the wheel to get the trailer where I wanted it, but my brain turned the correct way and my hands went the wrong way. Well one day someone saw me struggling to back up a trailer and they showed me a trick, they had me place one hand at the bottom of the steering, then watch the trailer while backing up. Well it worked for me, somehow with my hand in this postion the singal from my brain reached my hand in the correct way. Once I learned how to back up in this manner, I practiced and practiced til my brain learned it. Now I can put a trailer anywhere, not always as fast as some folks, but I can get it done. I no longer have to put my hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and I hardly ever turn to look at the trailer I use my mirrors now.

Being Dyslexic can be frustating at times, but I just have to take my time and teach my brain the correct way to do things.

Give this method a try and see if it works for you. Like Mitch said a short trailer is harder than a long one. Good Luck!!!

-- Mark in N.C. Florida (deadgoatman@webtv.net), April 15, 2002.

Ok,we have a trucking business,and I do drive a semi....backing a 42' trailer is a cinch!! Backing a cart behind a lawn tractor is a crayon of a different color...hahaha I don't think it can be done,and certainly not on the first try. Small trailers are too squirrely.

I vote for turning it by hand,then hook back up to the lawn tractor.

-- Johna (in central TX) (marcnjohna@aol.com), April 15, 2002.

The way I do it is this:

Whatever way I think I should turn my wheel, I turn it the other way!

;)

-- heather (h.m.metheny@att.net), April 15, 2002.

After reading the posts I understand; women do not have the back up a trailer gene; men do not have the change a diaper, mop the floor, take out the garbage, remember the anniversary, wrap a package, house cleaning, run a vacuum, be romanic, be senesitive, bake the bread, fix the lunches, fix a boo-boo, attend the school play, paint the kitchen, and many others gene. It makes sense to me!!!!

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), April 15, 2002.

haha, mitch, i beg to differ on the anniversary gene. I always forget, but I still get a dozen beautiful roses every year:) :)

-- mary (mlg@mlg.com), April 15, 2002.

I can hardly back up my car! I had to pull a small trailer from Michigan to Kentucky once. I drove almost 40 miles out of my way to find a place I could drive around in a circle to keep from backing up. I tried that at one spot and didn't have enough room. I jack- knifed it so bad it knocked a hole in my bumper. I had to holler up the hill at the guys in the gas station next door and get one of them to come and get it straightened out for me. Not a fun trip. I had a one-year=old and a two-year-old and I was pregnant with a horrible case of all-day morning sickness.

-- Gayle in KY (gayleannesmith@yahoo.com), April 15, 2002.

If it makes you feel any better I backed my pickup into the chicken house this morning. You know, Just a little bit closer....... BAM! Maybe that's why they put that "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear" on there!

-- John in S. IN (jdoofus@hotmail.com), April 15, 2002.

ROTFL... Ya'll are too funny! I can hardly stop laughing long enough to type this. I'm a female and I've been on my own since I was 15 years old and I've always had animals and therefore a trailer. I back my trailer all the time. I think it just takes practice. And I want to thank everyone for all of their posts. I'm still laughing.... Take care.

-- Jodie in TX (stanchnmotion@yahoo.com), April 15, 2002.

A critical dimension in backing up a trailer is the distance that the hitching point is behind the truck/car/tractor/lawn mower's rear axle. This makes it easy for truckers, ok for motorists and real hard for grass cowboys (and cowgirls). It will be easier if you can extend the drawbar on your lawn tractor, even just a few inches. I hope this helps.

-- john hill (john@cnd.co.nz), April 16, 2002.

Oy vey! I don't have time to read all the posts but I certainly will! Ladies, my DH can't back the trailor behind the lawn tractor either!!!! Now, it was very humiliating for me to realize I couldn't do it. I used to back a large trailor behind a pickup truck with no trouble! That #*&@ little trailor acted retarded back the lawn tractor! I gave up and quit trying.

BTW, my DH can't parallel park a car as well as I can, so there is some justice in the world!

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), April 16, 2002.

I want you all to know that I took your advice, which was similar to my husband's-we won't go there-and I actually backed it up straight for at least 10 feet. That is a record, thank you, for me. You'd think for a dyslexic, it be easier to go backwards. oh well.

-- Cindy (S.E.IN) (atilrthehony_1@yahoo.com), April 16, 2002.

You are absolutely correct....it is easier to back up a big rig than a small trailer :o). I can back a rig into a spot with an inch clearance on either side(this time I'm not using Texas license...I mean that quite literally). I can back small trailers but it sure does take a lot of fussin n cussin! One hint I can give you that works for big and small trailers is that the most important thing is your set up.....yep just like when you learned to parallel park. For a short trailer you want to pull up at a right angle to wherever you want to put it. For a single axle trailer you want to cut your wheels away where you are going to back about the time your axle passes where you want to put the trailer(double axle it would be the back axle). Stop when your tailgate reaches that same point. Now you should be about a 30 degree angle from where you are backing. Back straight up until your tailgate is within about 5 inches of the far side and then start cutting your wheels. Much easier to show someone than to describe it. Once you learn how to set up you can back anything into nearly anywhere. Makes Mike soooooo mad....he hits stuff when he backs up(like my car!) and I can slide something into a tight spot the first time.....hehehe the evil little part of me that likes to gloat just loves it!!

-- Amanda (mrsgunsmyth@hotmail.com), April 17, 2002.

You're not alone - I have trouble just backing up the car for any distance. But both my dad & dh have trouble with small trailers. When we use the family tent trailer we unhook it & push it into place. Don't tell them I told you that!

-- Bonnie (stichart@plix.com), April 17, 2002.

Never could do this. When we hauled leaves in the cart behind our riding mower, I always unhooked the cart and backed it up by hand. When the cart HAD to be backed into a certain spot, I got off and let my dad do it.

I can't parallel park, either.

-- Cathy N. (eastern Ontario) (homekeeper86@sympatico.ca), April 21, 2002.

This might sound stupid but the way I used to help visuallize backing a trailer is with a toy tractor with steerable front wheels and a trailer. It lets you see what direction to turn the wheels and no pressure. Dad put a hitch on the front of his tractor to help him put his trailers into tight places.

-- Tom (Calfarm@msn.com), April 21, 2002.

I can do it just fine as long as there are no men around. If there is they make me nervous and I goof , I can still do it just not as well. I also have no fea of hauling trailers or such cross country.Going straight is easy {hehe} pak in places you can pull straight thru helps.

-- Patty Gamble (fodfarms@hotmail.com), April 22, 2002.