2016 Ford Towing Feature

[BoldAdventure]

Wha..... Ford Makes Backing Up a Trailer as Easy as Turning a Knob | WIRED

This is almost genius. There are cars that can back themselves into a parking space. Waiting to the next leap, a truck that can back a trailer into a space on it's own.

The sticker though does seem like an odd point of reference, and difficulty for travel trailers which have shorter hitches and usually things on them. There is zero room on mine for a sticker.

But you should look at this like the first iPhone which was really not great. No 3G, no app store, no front camera, pretty terrible all around, but look what has happened since.

Sometimes the first iteration is, mhem.

I think we'll see similar and more advanced systems on all of the big 3 in the next 5 years.

Any thoughts?

 

[jadocs]

I think it's pretty cool as is.

 

[Andy578]

not a bad idea really but i'd have to actually use it myself before judging how useful it is

 

[myoung84]

Not a fan. Seems like more trouble than it's worth. I don't actually find it difficult to back a trailer and have always been able to get my trailer where I wanted it just by using my eyes and mirrors...

 

[smurfs_of_war]

That's a cool piece of technology!

I will play the jerk in this scene. If you can't back a trailer up without the help of nannies, you really have no business pulling the trailer. What if the system fails and you are stuck trying to get your trailer into (or out of) a tight situation?
This is like the traction control, it's basically dumbing drivers down and replacing experience and knowledge with a gadget. A cool gadget, but still a gadget.

I can see it being very useful in certain situations though- like if my wife had to drive with the trailer on for whatever unknown reason and wasn't used to backing it up, this would help her at least.

 

[Squidbilly]

Easy, steer from the bottom. Left is left, right is right. Problem solved. I do like the integrated ladder rack and built in bed ramps. Those are friggin awesome features.

 

[14hemiexpress]

Like smurf said its cool look at me gadget but I think it would be more trouble than it's worth. Now if you could pull up that fancy new aerial 3d back up camera and select a spot for you trailer and let it go.... You might have something short of that I'll turn the steering wheel.

 

[xrsman]

I'd be scared about backing into a tree! Now what I'd love is a secondary wireless backup camera that would work with the 8.4AN screen! So you could stick it on the back of the trailer and back in where you need to go! That would be sweet when backing a 34' RV into a treed campsite lol!

 

[CC12RamLove]

Just saying, I don't think looking at a screen in the front of the truck at a tight shot of the tung of a trailer is a good idea. Even backup cameras have a warning to still use your mirror. Buy how often do people just look at the screen. Oh I can see and it has a proximity sensor and collision prevention. Experience can not be replaced by technology. Neat peace of technology but I can see using it to drop a boat down a ramp at lake havasu between the two rich drunk guys and their $200,00 go fast boats.

 

[EagleChief]

That's a cool piece of technology!

I will play the jerk in this scene. If you can't back a trailer up without the help of nannies, you really have no business pulling the trailer. What if the system fails and you are stuck trying to get your trailer into (or out of) a tight situation?

I can see it being very useful in certain situations though- like if my wife had to drive with the trailer on for whatever unknown reason and wasn't used to backing it up, this would help her at least.

Gotta agree with a lot of this!

Fortunately for me, I learned at an early age how to pull a trailer, and therefore, back a trailer. Living on a ranch will make you learn. I was hauling cows/horses/pigs/ as early as 14-15. You learn to squeeze a trailer into tight spots pretty quick.

 

[Northshoremb]

So stupid. If you can't back up normally what makes you think a knob will help? Still need to learn the knob so might as well learn to use steering wheel