Tow backup

[jagpot]

I know this sounds like a funny question but what is the reason that you can’t back up with a tow? If a tranny is unengaged, shouldn’t you be able to? Asking for a friend. Lol.

 

[team bradfield]

Damage to the tow bar

 

[Neemer]

The front wheels will whip around. If your rig is dead straight, you may be able to back a few feet. I did that once in the truck fuel lanes to be able to move to a different lane. I backed about ten feet and I took it reallllllllll slow.

 

[Richpatty]

Like others have said, it puts weird pressures on the tow bars…. And you could probably do it really slow and carefully, but not for very long.

 

[Boat Bum]

I can't speak to a tow bar but with a dolly you can backup only until the trailer starts to deviate from perfectly straight behind the coach, by that time you should have already started your correction. The problem is the coach cannot react quick enough based on the length of it's wheel base.

 

[Rollin Ollen]

I know this sounds like a funny question but what is the reason that you can’t back up with a tow? If a tranny is unengaged, shouldn’t you be able to? Asking for a friend. Lol.

The steering geometry on the towed vehicle is engineered for forward motion. When you let go of your steering wheel after making a turn, the forward motion resets the wheels to center (the Caster effect). Reverse causes the wheels to try to do the same but they will lock in a turned state because they cannot do a 180 degree turn making it very difficult to keep the towed going straight. Tow bars are not engineered to handle this force.

 

[Alan_Hepburn]

The steering geometry on the towed vehicle is engineered for forward motion. When you let go of your steering wheel after making a turn, the forward motion resets the wheels to center (the Caster effect). Reverse causes the wheels to try to do the same but they will lock in a turned state because they cannot do a 180 degree turn making it very difficult to keep the towed going straight. Tow bars are not engineered to handle this force.

For a visual interpretation take a look at a typical shopping cart - the front wheels always pivot around so they lean toward the direction you're pushing the cart. That's the "caster" setting built in to the wheel. Cars have the same caster setting so that the front wheels want to return to center after a turn.

 

[Neemer]

For a visual interpretation take a look at a typical shopping cart - the front wheels always pivot around so they lean toward the direction you're pushing the cart. That's the "caster" setting built in to the wheel. Cars have the same caster setting so that the front wheels want to return to center after a turn.

Unless it’s a Walmart cart.

 

[DennisT]

When we had our first one setup the installer related a story about someone that didn’t believe the “don’t back up” warning.

Well, they tried and broke both struts on the toad.

So towbar not made for backing up and the vehicle has different stresses when pushing backward while hooked up as well.

 

[John&Andrea]

If the rig is straight I can back it a short distance but no turning. As others stated, possible tow bar damage.
Sometimes I need to back up some to pull away from the gas pump. I make sure I’m straight when I park. Not backing the tow in a camp site.

 

[Rollin Ollen]

When we had our first one setup the installer related a story about someone that didn’t believe the “don’t back up” warning.

Well, they tried and broke both struts on the toad.

So towbar not made for backing up and the vehicle has different stresses when pushing backward while hooked up as well.

Exactly, Tow bars are engineered to be able to hook up easily. They slide and then lock when fully extended. That lock is easily released by pushing a lever thus the ease of use that folks look for. That lock is not engineered to withstand the force of "pushing" the towed.

 

[Underboss]

I am of the belief that the only reason you cannot back up is, as stated earlier, is the toads steering geometry that will force the wheels to turn when in reverse. They are aligned to go forward with the set caster. Tow bars themselves should be able to push a vehicle backwards if the caster (wheel turn) was not an issue. Afterall they can take the pressure from inertia when emergency stopping the coach
The damage to the towbar occurs due to the sudden wheel turn when reversing which puts sudden and extreme pressure on the tow bar arms.
I also have been able to back up a few feet but watched the wheels of my toad and stopped when they were still straight