Can you back a towed vehicle?

So I'm pulling into a nice long spot, but the young man helping me missed big time, usually my wife helps.
I've have a Class 'A' with a Ford Ranger, manual transmission, dutifully following on Demco Tow gear.
I told my guide that I would have to drive around the park and pull in again.
He said that I should just back up. I told him you can't back up a towed vehicle; it would jack-knife.
He answered, "No problem, I'll get in and steer it." We didn't do it, but was he right? Is that even possible?

 

We have tried backing up with our towed vehicle attached. It doesn't work!!!!

 

I've backed up with our RAV4 attached on several occasions to gain a bit more clearance to pull around an obstruction, but only for a few feet and only straight back very carefully. My wife and I have tested backing up by just dropping one tow arm and her steering the car over a pre-planned route. It worked, and we even made a 90 deg turn, but we would only do it if the speed of getting moved was critical and there wasn't time to fully unhook. Hasn't happened yet...

 

I have reversed a few feet. Having a person steer the towed for longer distances is needed simply because the steering geometry of vehicles is set for them to be moving forward.

Darrell

 

The front wheels of a car have a geometry similar to the rear wheels of a shopping cart. The "caster" that is built into them causes them to track in the direction of motion. If you try to go backwards the wheels try to swivel to face in the backwards direction. Shopping cart wheels can do this, unfortunately, wheels on a car cannot. That's when problems ensue.

 

OK in all honesty we were able to move a few, very short feet before the front wheels swiveled like docj mentioned. Then the wheels were scraping the ground rather than rolling. This put stress on the towbar, and we could not unhook until we pulled the MH forward and got the car wheels in a normal position again. All that took so much time, we realized it would have been better just to unhook in the first place.

 

You can do serious damage by dragging a car along once its wheels have pivoted to their limits. You were lucky.

 

By slowly and carefully backing straight, we've never had the wheels start to castor, but I am aware of the possibility and keep a close eye on my mirrors and lower rear camera.

 

Because we had heard not to do this, we were watching the car very closely so we probably only went about two feet before we stopped.

 

You came very close Doc. You compared the front wheels of a car to the "rear" wheels of the shopping cart. It should have been front to front. But thanks for adding the similarity. It made my statement a lot clearer. I expected people to be able to read my mind or simply understand my thought process without question. I'm glad you could.

Darrell

 

I suspect the stiffness of the non-operating hydraulic power steering system has some bearing on how much the castor effect is attenuated when backing. That would vary from vehicle to vehicle I'm sure.

 

When we have had to back up I get in the Jeep put in reverse and back with the motor home gently pulling it . Mom is in the motor home in reverse . Works well . Just enough room for me to reach the gas over the add-a brake.

 

Wait, you are driving the Jeep in reverse while the motorhome is pulling it? That sounds like it would rip off the tow bar.

 

My take is that Walt is saying he gently pulls the motorhome backwards with the Jeep, while his wife is guiding the motorhome with it in reverse as well. With the MH in reverse and probably just idling, the Jeep most likely doesn't have to pull very hard.

 

Perhaps I am unclear. NYDutch has it exactly. Everybody is in reverse basically at idle. We just drift back for a few feet, then put the jeep in tow mode again and off we go .

 

Thanks for the explanation. That makes much more sense to me now. Sorry I did not understand at first, but others obviously did, so I guess I just needed to think about it a little more.

So now my question is how big is your motorhome and what model Jeep do you have. I ask because those are the same vehicles we have, and there have been several times we really wished we could back up instead of unhook. Our MH is 37' and we have a Jeep Cherokee Trail Hawk, and I am just wondering if this would work for us the next time we're in a jam.

 

Careful with thinking Always gets me in trouble with DW ! This is one case where size does not matter. The last time I did this was with a 34 foot motor home and a jeep Cherokee sport. The idea is that the toad it is goes back under its own power at the same time as the motor home is going back . This will not work if a tow dolly is in use , must be flat towed. AND when you are done must must remember to put toad back in tow mode . Currently I have a 32 foot Southwind with a Jeep Liberty and it fits us and the two Chihuahuas well .

 

With all due respect I don't think it makes any difference if the toad is in gear and "pulling" the MH or if it is being "pushed" by the MH. The thing that gets you into trouble when backing a MH-toad combination is that the wheels of a vehicle are designed to swivel in the direction of travel. That's what the "caster" adjustment in wheel alignment does. When backing a MH the toad's wheels try to swivel all the way around and they can't which can cause all sorts of problems.

Having the toad's engine on and being in gear doesn't change the steering geometry at all.

What Wildfire does is put someone in the toad's driver's seat and powers up the vehicle. I contend that it doesn't matter whether or not the toad is put it gear as long as the person in the vehicle keeps the steering wheel from moving. If the toad's engine is off this is difficult; with the ignition on the power steering makes this a lot easier.

If I've overlooked something in this analysis please let me know.

 

We don't tow anything and after reading all this I'm so glad I don't. It's so much easier to just drive our small Smart Car up the ramp and onto the roof of the motorhome. I even installed a curved windbreak that goes over it so it travels easier up top and doesn't get blown around, etc.............

BankShot............(aka Smartass)

 

I imagine you are correct I have just found this works for us. There is no change to the caster . The gentle reverse keeps the strain of the towing gear ie the bar , baseplate and hitch. Over all I try not to get in those situations where I have to do it ! LOL