For the second time, I jack knifed my trailer into the side of my truck.

Cmsharp · Sep 14, 2017

These are very helpful. Dont have to lower the tailgate to see exactly whats going on with a small trailer or boat.

JimP · Sep 14, 2017

Demon-HeMi said:
Tow mirrors folded out, you can see everything you need to with a trailer, here is what i see out of mine, with these you wpuld know long before you crush a quarter panel

Were those aftermarket or Ram branded? ...and if aftermarket, which brand?

thanks

Demon-HeMi · Sep 14, 2017

JimP said:
Were those aftermarket or Ram branded? ...and if aftermarket, which brand?

thanks

those are on my 3rd gen, they are replicas of OEM tow mirrors from the 4th gens, so if you got a set of OEM tow mirrors thats exactly how you would see behind you

one of our site vendors sells them, just match the features you already have and you are good to go

https://www.1aauto.com/search?q=tow+mirrors&year=2016&model=1773

JRG18 · Sep 15, 2017

Demon-HeMi said:
Tow mirrors folded out, you can see everything you need to with a trailer, here is what i see out of mine, with these you wpuld know long before you crush a quarter panel

Wish you would have let that 12v Cummins in your mirror catch up. Woulda been a better photo haha.

Agree with everyone else OP. Practice makes perfect.

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Demon-HeMi · Sep 15, 2017

JRG18 said:
Wish you would have let that 12v Cummins in your mirror catch up. Woulda been a better photo haha.

Agree with everyone else OP. Practice makes perfect.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

thats pretty freaking funny right there!

that was actually after hurricane harvey hit here and that was a chemical plant blowing up like 5 miles away from me :crazy:

JimP · Sep 16, 2017

Demon-HeMi said:
thats pretty freaking funny right there!

that was actually after hurricane harvey hit here and that was a chemical plant blowing up like 5 miles away from me

Ah....the rest of the story.

Guess you're lucky that the chemical plant wasn't catching up with you.

I did take my truck by the body shop that repaired the first jack knife and they said that its fairly normal for people to do this with low trailers.

Now deciding whether to get one of the ready made devices or to fabricate something.

I really like the trailer mirrors but havn't you guys tried to park next to another truck that also has those mirrors? Come real close to playing tag.

crash68 · Sep 16, 2017

JimP said:
I did take my truck by the body shop that repaired the first jack knife and they said that its fairly normal for people to do this with low trailers.

When backing up a trailer, it is what's in front of you, it is your most important concern. If you can't see the trailer stop and find it.
If you can't see the side of your truck in your mirrors, they are adjusted too far out. The truck should be just visable when sitting all the way back in the seat.
With trailers(short ones especially) once it is angles far enough to hit the tow vehicle, you've pretty much lost all forward/backwards movement, your only moving the tongue side to side. Pull forward, straighten out and try again.

Demon-HeMi · Sep 16, 2017

JimP said:
Ah....the rest of the story.

Guess you're lucky that the chemical plant wasn't catching up with you.

I did take my truck by the body shop that repaired the first jack knife and they said that its fairly normal for people to do this with low trailers.

Now deciding whether to get one of the ready made devices or to fabricate something.

I really like the trailer mirrors but havn't you guys tried to park next to another truck that also has those mirrors? Come real close to playing tag.

The mirrors fold down to a fairly normal size, and you flip em up lile that when towing, i put em on all my trucks, but on my 3/4 ton i leave em up, personal preference on that truck, you get used to driving with em up if thats your choice, and you just pay more attention when driving lol

JRG18 · Sep 17, 2017

Demon-HeMi said:
thats pretty freaking funny right there!

that was actually after hurricane harvey hit here and that was a chemical plant blowing up like 5 miles away from me

Oh wow. Glad you made it out.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

TRCM · Sep 17, 2017

JimP said:
Ah....the rest of the story.

Guess you're lucky that the chemical plant wasn't catching up with you.

I did take my truck by the body shop that repaired the first jack knife and they said that its fairly normal for people to do this with low trailers.

Now deciding whether to get one of the ready made devices or to fabricate something.

I really like the trailer mirrors but havn't you guys tried to park next to another truck that also has those mirrors? Come real close to playing tag.

I have them on my 1500, and if I think parking is tight, I just fold them in when I leave.

it would be nice to have power fold, especially in the rain, but it is what it is.

68PowerWagon · Sep 19, 2017

smiley3303 said:
I am probably weird I prefer to not use my mirrors. If I look back I am naturally very good at backing trailers. If I use the mirrors I have to really focus and use the bottom of the wheel to do it. I don't know why but always been better at seeing it vs using the mirrors. Since I am only a class D driver it works fine for me. Pros out there with Class A probably would laugh at me. Clean record though and I travel a couple thousand miles a month.

I grew up on a farm & was always hanging my head out the drivers window or looking out the back window. When I started driving big trucks I had to change that habit quick. Now I am so used to it & all I use is my mirrors, even in my pickup. It's really hard to get used to when you've done it the other way for so many years.

GabAlmighty · Sep 19, 2017

68PowerWagon said:
I grew up on a farm & was always hanging my head out the drivers window or looking out the back window. When I started driving big trucks I had to change that habit quick. Now I am so used to it & all I use is my mirrors, even in my pickup. It's really hard to get used to when you've done it the other way for so many years.

I still stick my head out the window when backing up a rig, especially when i'm low bedding in really weird situations. Still use the mirror as well, just not as much as when i'm just backing a dry van into a dock.

BlkZrx · Sep 20, 2017

Shorter the tongue, the harder it is to back. I'll take a 50 ft. trailer over an 8 ft utility any day and I've been driving commercial since Reagan

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Tdjma · Sep 21, 2017

Take your trailer in and have another axle added to it

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develand · Sep 21, 2017

Less is more. Very small corrections on the wheel.

JimP · Sep 22, 2017

BlkZrx said:
Shorter the tongue, the harder it is to back. I'll take a 50 ft. trailer over an 8 ft utility any day and I've been driving commercial since Reagan

Sent from my LG-K540 using Tapatalk

I've got an extension (connects to the truck end of the hitch) that's probably a foot long that I could add. Is that enough to matter on a 10 foot utility trailer?

Is the concept that it's a little more difficult to maneuver when you back the trailer up but that also keeps you out of trouble?

BlkZrx · Sep 22, 2017

If you add length to the trailer, it would help maneuvering the trailer. Adding to the truck hitch would give you a little more clearance maybe..

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For the second time, I jack knifed my trailer into the side of my truck.

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