Reversing a trailer
Backing up with a trailer feels backwards at first, because the trailer turns the opposite way to your steering. With slow speed, small inputs and a helper outside, most drivers can learn it in a few practice sessions.
Whether you are launching a boat or parking a camping trailer, the same method works. Provincial handbooks, including Ontario's, recommend practising in an empty lot before you try it for real.
By the end of this topic you can
- You can explain why a trailer turns the opposite way to the steering wheel.
- You can back a trailer in a straight line using small corrections.
- You can reverse a trailer around a corner or into a site with a spotter.
- You can recognise the start of a jackknife and correct it.
What you need to know and understand
- To back the trailer to the right, steer left; to back it to the left, steer right.
- Holding the bottom of the steering wheel helps: move your hand the way you want the trailer to go.
- Short trailers react faster than long ones and are harder to control in reverse.
- Small, early corrections work better than big late ones.
- A spotter outside the vehicle should stay where you can see them in your mirror.
- If the angle gets too tight, stop, pull forward to straighten and try again.
Why steering feels backwards
When you reverse, the back of your vehicle swings one way and pushes the front of the trailer with it. That sends the back of the trailer the other way. A simple fix is to put one hand at the bottom of the steering wheel. Move that hand left and the trailer heads left; move it right and the trailer heads right.
Backing in a straight line
Expect to make many small corrections. The longer you wait, the bigger the correction must be.
- Pull forward until the vehicle and trailer are lined up straight.
- Lower the window, check all around and use both side mirrors.
- Reverse at walking pace or slower.
- Watch the trailer in the mirrors. If more of it appears in one mirror, it is drifting that way: move your hand at the bottom of the wheel the other way, a little at a time.
- Straighten the wheel as soon as the trailer responds.
- If it drifts too far, stop and pull forward to straighten rather than forcing it.
Into a campsite or driveway
To back around a corner, first pull past the opening so the trailer starts in a good position. Turn the wheel to start the trailer swinging toward the opening, then turn back the other way to follow it around, so the vehicle chases the trailer in.
Get out and look before you begin. Check for posts, rocks, low branches and hookups. Agree on hand signals with your spotter, including a clear stop signal, and stop at once if you lose sight of them.
Spotting a jackknife early
A jackknife happens when the angle between vehicle and trailer gets so sharp that they touch or bind. Signs include the trailer filling one mirror completely or the angle growing quickly. Stop, pull forward to straighten, then reverse again with smaller inputs.
Common mistakes
- Reversing too fast, so the angle grows before you can react. Go slower than walking pace.
- Making big steering inputs. Turn the wheel a little, wait, then adjust.
- Relying only on the rear-view mirror. Use both side mirrors, and get out to look when unsure.
- Keeping going when you cannot see the spotter. Stop until you can.
- Trying to fix a bad angle by reversing more. Pull forward and start again.
Test yourself: Reversing a trailer
Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.
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Sources: Official MTO Driver's Handbook, Towing section (ontario.ca); ICBC Towing a Recreational Trailer guide (icbc.com). Independent guide, not affiliated with any licensing agency. Always check the latest official rules with your province or territory.