Turning a trailer around on a narrow road
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URL: http://www.rpod-owners.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=14586
Printed Date: 20 Jun 2025 at 11:04pm
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Topic: Turning a trailer around on a narrow road
Posted By: MarkW
Subject: Turning a trailer around on a narrow road
Date Posted: 25 Apr 2021 at 9:23am
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Would anybody consider doing it using this Popular Mechanics 1968 suggested method? https://books.google.com/books?id=FtQDAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PP5&ots=bA9gRpsCNO&dq=camper%20turn%20around%20narrow%20road&pg=PP5#v=onepage&q=camper%20turn%20around%20narrow%20road&f=false |
Replies:
Posted By: MarkW
Date Posted: 25 Apr 2021 at 9:26am
Image didn't make it the first time: |
Posted By: poston
Date Posted: 25 Apr 2021 at 10:18am
Uh, no. It COULD be feasible IF it was a paved road, IF it was reasonably level, and IF you had a wheeled foot on your hitch or if it was light enough you could lift it by the hitch and move it. But if it's that light, then while not just turn it manually? Otherwise, I'd just back up to the last wide spot. I think the scheme was intended for a relatively light utility trailer. I have turned around a trailer where I couldn't just make a one-pass U-turn by disconnecting and reconnecting at an angle. One thing I did glean from the image was that Pop Mech was $4.00 a year back in 1968! It retails for $15/year now. Wow. ------------- -- Jim Virginia City, Nevada 2016 R-pod 180 2015 Nissan Xterra Pro-4X |
Posted By: MarkW
Date Posted: 25 Apr 2021 at 10:59am
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It COULD be feasible IF it was a paved road, IF it was reasonably level, and IF you had a wheeled foot on your hitch or if it was light enough you could lift it by the hitch and move it. Obviously, this would be an emergency only maneuver. I'd think of moving weight from front to back to lighten the tongue weight, temporarily switch the foot to a swivel wheel (you can buy one for $15 and they attach with the quick release pin), and maybe use wheel chocks to control the rotation. I have moved boats around a like this in the past by having somebody go stand on the swim ladder to get weight off the tongue. It's something I might try with the camper in our driveway just to see if it's workable. Oh, and $4/yr in 1968 was expensive compared to now (inflation calculator says $4 in 1968 is the equivalent of $30.15 in 2021)
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Posted By: jato
Date Posted: 25 Apr 2021 at 1:16pm
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We did this more than a few times traveling on back dirt roads in the U.P. of Michigan but had lightweight pop ups. One was a 4 man 1982 Rockwood and the other a 6 man 1993 Jayco. Both had a steel wheel that could be attached to the front jacking point, actually was more difficult to turn the car around as the road was one lane wide with sand and/or wet ditches on either side. Being older, and hopefully wiser now, I think twice before going down an unknown road because there is no way to turn our 177 around that way, no wheel on the front jack and too heavy to move manually. ------------- God's pod '11 model 177 '17 Ford F-150 4WD 3.5 Ecoboost Jim and Diane by beautiful Torch Lake "...and you will know the Truth and the Truth will set you free." |
Posted By: tcj
Date Posted: 25 Apr 2021 at 1:59pm
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I trapped myself at the end of a narrow dirt road that ended at a lake shore in the woods. To turn around I turned the steering wheel as far as it would go and backed just a few feet until the back of the rpod was almost hitting a tree. Then unhitcheded my pickup and turned it around and hitched the trailer back up with the pickup 90 degrees to the road. pulled forward a few feet with the steering wheel turned all the way towards back down the road.and repeated the process again. It onlly took about 10 minutes. ------------- 2018 R-pod 180 Hood River Edition |
Posted By: Grandpa Hiker
Date Posted: 25 Apr 2021 at 4:34pm
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I installed this Enduro Caravan Mover on my 179 several years ago. Worth every penny. https://purplelineusa.com/product/enduro-trailer-mover-two-motor-system/ Can easily turn Pod around as long as space is as wide as Pod is long. ------------- Rob & Becky 2014 Ford Explorer 3.5 SOHC V6 2015 R-179 Pod aka Piddle Pod "Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass, it is about learning to dance in the rain!!" |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 25 Apr 2021 at 5:25pm
+1 to Jato. Much easier and safer to walk the road if it's short enough or disconnect and drive the road first to scope turnarounds. Then reconnect and tow. If no turnaround presents itself then find somewhere else to camp.  ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: MarkW
Date Posted: 25 Apr 2021 at 6:51pm
We have friends with a Safari Alto that came equipped with those from the factory. Very cool, but a bit too pricey for my taste (both the Alto and the drive system).
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Posted By: geewizard
Date Posted: 26 Apr 2021 at 8:11am
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No one is capable of backing up a trailer and for long distances?
------------- 2021 Winnebago Micro Minnie 1708FB 2017 R-Pod 177 (Blue) HRE SOLD 2004 Outfitter Apex 8 camper 2014 Toyota Tundra DC |
Posted By: offgrid
Date Posted: 26 Apr 2021 at 9:00am
Depends on the road, how much traffic, and what long is. A few hundred yards with a turn or two on relatively flat ground with no other traffic sure. But then there's no good reason not to walk it first. A mile on a twisty narrow steep road with other vehicles around no way. I'll disconnect and drive it first without the trailer. ------------- 1994 Chinook Concourse 1995 RV6A Experimental Aircraft 2015 Rpod 179 - sold |
Posted By: Colt
Date Posted: 26 Apr 2021 at 11:17am
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My 'pod doesn't have a tongue jack wheel, so, no. On my last trip I made an easy U-turn in roughly 3x to 3.5x the width of the 'pod. I seemed that I could have turned even sharper.
------------- John '16 R-Pod 180 |