Reversing wives.

Jimmy Kwaka · Veteran Member

Reversing wives.

Plain Truth · Guru

Love it ,so true.

Whenarewethere · Guru

Swap wife for reversing camera.

Baggy Bums · Veteran Member

Apparently this is true. So says my hubby who purposely doesnt wind the windows down so he can hear me.

Baz421 · Guru

I know what you are saying,,,,, I'm lucky never had that problem.

Try a piece of wood where you want the wheel, aim for it, LH or RH and stop by it. Did this when travelling alone. Easy peasy

Whenarewethere · Guru

Have you got her to reverse the caravan in a safe practice area so she might understand the issues involved.

terriwa · Senior Member

Suggest you contact Global Gypsies in WA , they have a course which is non verbal just hand signals and the spotter stays in front of the vehicle at all times.

Greg.

Ge · Senior Member

I don't ask Heather for help, why you may ask well if i do i always get the same answer.
Bugger off you have parked up road trains, semis and farm machines all of our life together (43yrs),
when i offered to guide you you always said i can do it myself.
Now with i little 21ft van you ask for help, no way she says i'm getting a beer sitting down and watching the clown in the circus.
Oh well you cant win em all.
Ge

skins · Senior Member

My missus automatically picks the blind spot every single time. I've tried so many times to get her into the right spot. It's built into em I recon. Fist time she attempted to direct me it was all too hard & to save a divorce I gave up thinking near enough is good enough. 2nd time she gained more confidence & yelled out "go over your way" I mean, What does that mean. I stopped got out & asked her, I said, "what in the blazes (did use another word) does that mean, which she replied naturally over your way. I'm still lost to know. Now to either help or hinder the reversing situation I've bought 2 hand held radios. I now live in fear that I'll cause a truck smash somewhere close by. I don't have confidence & next stage will be a camera which will save my marriage. LOL

-- Edited by skins on Sunday 24th of March 2019 09:05:25 PM

Swerve · Veteran Member

They're all sisters, they just live in different houses. (Or caravans, as the case may be)

boab · Senior Member

its a poor tradesman that blames his tools many of us travel alone and manage to reverse into those same spots your best bet is to learn how to reverse and if it dosent work out lay the blame where it should be laid

erad · Guru

My wife cannot anticipate when and where to start turning and straightening up. This causes the inevitable tensions. In particular, reversing into our driveway requires a lot of guidance, and every time, she says "OK, go straight now", forgetting that the car is at ninety degrees to the van at that stage... I have a simple solution - she reverses the van into our driveway, with me telling her 'half turn left', 'quarter turn right', 'full lock right', 'straight ahead' etc. I walk along beside her giving instructions and it works very well 95% of the time. Even then she doesn't know where the front wheels are pointing and I have to watch them as well, but it generally works very well for us.

Joda · Senior Member

At last, a solution, I,m leaving the boss at home & taking a block of wood instead, seen one bloke tell his border collie to sit where he wanted the back corner of the van on the drivers slde, worked like a charm, thinking of getting one.

Bobdown · Guru

I turn the sound off on the 'Safety Dave' reverse camera, cos the love of my life is yelling at the dog to get out of the way, yelling at me to turn more when I'm on full lock etc etc. Still better than the neighbours missus who wouldn't get out of the car after her husband yelled at her.

The surpreme commander is always right.

Cheers Bob

Cupie · Guru

Our solution is for SWMBO to stand on the edge of the slab & raise her hand when the back of the van passes her.

(That gives me an aiming/start point for my reversing maneuver)

Then she goes off to check the washing machines or whatever while I put the van on site.

Works well ... mostly.

When reversing back along the street to put the van beside the house at home, she stands on the roadway to stop oncoming traffic & then gives me directions, to which I usually say 'thanks dear' & then ignore. Often my neighbour will come out to help & using that WA approach. He stands near the driver's side window & says 'RH down LHD etc' & puts me on the spot without any fuss, by which time SWMBO has checked the mailbox & started opening up the house.

-- Edited by Cupie on Sunday 24th of March 2019 11:42:16 PM

-- Edited by Cupie on Monday 25th of March 2019 07:24:17 AM

Whenarewethere · Guru

Bobdown wrote:
I turn the sound off.....

yobarr · Guru

boab wrote:
.........your best bet is to learn how to reverse and,if it doesnt work out,lay the blame where it should be laid.....

And THAT sums things up perfectly.If you can not reverse,using only your mirrors,you should seriously consider finding an area where you can practice,practice and practice.Otherwise,buy a tent. Cheers

Gazza1044 · Member

So easy wife in drivers seat and you stand beside drivers window and give directions.

Ron-D · Guru

Wife in drivers seat and you stand in front of car watching the angle of the van being reversed and instructing which way to turn the wheels,that Way she blame me for any mistakes biggrin

rockylizard · Guru

boab wrote:
It's a poor tradesman that blames his tools. Many of us travel alone and manage to reverse into those same spots. Your best bet is to learn how to reverse and if it doesn't work out, lay the blame where it should be laid.

Gday...

I have to agree with this advice ... it ain't rocket science. hmm

Cheers - John

jrg · Senior Member

Know where your coming from. I was very lucky when new at it had an old bloke (Gee my age now) tell her about the mirrors and hand signals the info coming from a third party and complete stranger was taken on board now we do a pretty good job along with hooking up.

Jimmy Kwaka · Veteran Member

rockylizard wrote:
boab wrote:
It's a poor tradesman that blames his tools. Many of us travel alone and manage to reverse into those same spots. Your best bet is to learn how to reverse and if it doesn't work out, lay the blame where it should be laid.
Gday...
I have to agree with this advice ... it ain't rocket science.
Cheers - John

You do realise this post was partially tongue in cheek, yes? More specifically, if you read it carefully, you now find that I do indeed do it without her assistance. To some, especially those still learning these skills and who are relatively new to the trials and tricks of reversing a van, then it IS rocket science. It is an acquired art, and one that I am mastering. Hopefully. But look, next time you read any of my stuff, be aware that I take the mickey on a regular basis. Don't take me, or in fact most things you read on the internet too seriously. Better yet, if you see my stuff, then just keep scrolling!

Love and kisses from Jimmy. xo

Bobdown · Guru

Jimmy Kwaka wrote:
rockylizard wrote:
boab wrote:
It's a poor tradesman that blames his tools. Many of us travel alone and manage to reverse into those same spots. Your best bet is to learn how to reverse and if it doesn't work out, lay the blame where it should be laid.
Gday...
I have to agree with this advice ... it ain't rocket science.
Cheers - John
You do realise this post was partially tongue in cheek, yes? More specifically, if you read it carefully, you now find that I do indeed do it without her assistance. To some, especially those still learning these skills and who are relatively new to the trials and tricks of reversing a van, then it IS rocket science. It is an acquired art, and one that I am mastering. Hopefully. But look, next time you read any of my stuff, be aware that I take the mickey on a regular basis. Don't take me, or in fact most things you read on the internet too seriously. Better yet, if you see my stuff, then just keep scrolling!
Love and kisses from Jimmy. xo

Some of the best belly laughs I've had in a long time............it's so funny coz it's all true.

For those experts, we can all reverse vans it's easy, but there may be something in the blind spot that we want our darlings to point out in some foreign caravan park.

Keep that tongue in your cheek Jimmy, love it... biggrin biggrin

2trout · Senior Member

Jimmy,

Clearly, in you first post, you spilled your heart. We all understand and symphersise with you. We feel for you. What great honesty, we all say. However........

Clearly in your second post, your wife has now read your first post and you are trying to suck up (probably before you are beheaded). You are trying to make up. Divorces are expensive.

Good on you, we would all do the same. I hope that you survive the ordeal and give us more of your true thoughts (like you did in post number 1). Good luck and I hope to hear from you again. Gutsy!!!!

erad · Guru

Gazza1044 wrote:
So easy wife in drivers seat and you stand beside drivers window and give directions.

Yes - I stand beside the front door (either side, depending on how close we are to an obstruction) and direct the whole operation from there. 'Half turn left', 'straighten up', 'quarter turn left' etc. Works well. My only gripe is that my wife revs hell out of the engine, slipping the clutch all the time. By the time she gets in the car, it is on virtually level ground, and all she has to do is let the engine idle and let the idle speed controller compensate for how hard the clutch is biting, bit no - Rev Rev Rev! Eventually, I get her to let the car control the engine speed and we put the van in our shed with inches to spare each side. Maybe I should widen the doors a bit???

-- Edited by erad on Monday 25th of March 2019 06:40:06 PM

moamajohn · Guru

Well aside from 2 good mirrors and and a camera on the back of the van [mainly for kids or dogs etc ] when I arrive at my site I inspect the site and work out where I want the rear of my van to be placed .I then walk exactly 12 steps forward on the right side of the site and drop a 10 or 20 cent coin at my mark .I then back in straight as reqd until my right shoulder is in line with my coin on the ground whilst still in the vehicle .Thats it ! I am generally within 4 or 5 inches within range .Simples !! Been doing it since I got the big van in 2012 and its never failed me.Sometimes someone starts watching after I have dropped the coin and I think it really pees them off as to how I manage to stop just before a pole or tree etc ! Ya just gotta stand at the side of your van in line with the furthermost rear extremity of the van { in my case the spare tyre } Give yourself a 6 inch play space then take your average steps till you are in line with say 4 inches past your drivers side vertical pillar or where you consider your shoulder will be.Thats it !Cheers

Whenarewethere · Guru

erad wrote:
My wife cannot anticipate when and where to start turning and straightening up. This causes the inevitable tensions. In particular, reversing into our driveway requires a lot of guidance, and every time, she says "OK, go straight now", forgetting that the car is at ninety degrees to the van at that stage... I have a simple solution - she reverses the van into our driveway, with me telling her 'half turn left', 'quarter turn right', 'full lock right', 'straight ahead' etc. I walk along beside her giving instructions and it works very well 95% of the time. Even then she doesn't know where the front wheels are pointing and I have to watch them as well, but it generally works very well for us.

We don't even tow, but the problem I have is, is a quarter turn from the top of the steering wheel or bottom, repeatedly! Clockwise a quarter turn to get out of a rut, miss a rock or a tree stump. But even clockwise/anti causes lack of clarity & other half is pre digital! At least I can afford a new car!

Twahoo · Member

RE: Reversing wife

Robshep · Member

Reversing wives.

spida · Guru

Maybe you could do what I do as a female solo with caravan - learn to back unaided LOL. Sometimes takes a bit of 'adjusting' to get it right . What I do appreciate though is someone to help me hook up. I get it straight but the last few inches is always tricky.