So Proud (LOL!)

[Texan]

The other day my son and I went to the lake just to cool off and cruise. (Translation - let him drive the boat.) Now, boy is 15 and has been driving for sometime now. I let him start pulling the empty trailer back up and park it sometime back. I never really felt comfortable in letting him back it down, loaded or unloaded. Well, since he had the keys to the truck in his pocket anyway, when we pulled back up to the ramp I told him to run up there and back the trailer down, for him to watch me to know when to stop. He was quick to remind me that I'd not taught him to back a trailer yet, but I told him that A) experience was the best teacher, B) to remember that everything was backwards, and c) to use the mirror instead of trying to look over the tailgate.

He got a little crossed up at first, but then got it straightened back out. There was another man that had just pulled up in the water and was going to get his trailer. He stopped at the top of the ramp and gave him a few more pointers, then straight back down the ramp he came! He was riding high! And so was I 'cause I didn't have to walk all the way up there to pull the trailer back down!

My wife, on the other hand, won't even try. It's sorta like getting her to go up into the attic. She fell through the sheet rock once twenty years ago, not all the way through, but far enough where I had to push her foot back up so she could stand up in the attic, but since then she hasn't needed anything up there so bad that she's ever gone back up. I tried to teach her how to back a trailer years ago, and she wasn't into learning how and still isn't.

 

[ssv1761982]

Congrats! I remember back when my little boy turned into a big helper! My wife won't try it either. It is just as easy to go by myself.

 

[Texan]

Congrats! I remember back when my little boy turned into a big helper! My wife won't try it either. It is just as easy to go by myself.

No chit!

I remember my grandfather throwing me to the wolves when it came time to learn to back a trailer. He had a mid-'70's Ford stationwagon as a company car. I had a part time job out at the lumberyard during the summer basically doing whatever anyone wanted me to do. He had some maintenance work done on his old PowerCat and didn't have time to run it back over to the other warehouse to put it up. He came back from lunch, threw me the keys, told me to go find Jeffro (one of his drivers) to ride with me, and take the boat over to storage. I was like, 13-14 at the time. Anyway, me an old Jeffro took off, boat in tow. We got over to the other warehouse and Jeff got out to open the door. I pulled up and backed it in using the mirror on the drivers side door and the rearview mirror. Never once did I look back over the seat.

When Jeff got back in the car he asked me if the Ole Man had taught me to back a trailer like that. I sat up and said, "Nope! I taught myself, just then!"

I suppose there is advantages to being in the vehicle to coach, but sometimes I think trial by error might be the best teacher.

 

[RedAllison]

First boat I ever actually drove was when I was 8yrs old, it was one of my dads jets, a Sunkisst gullwing with a 427 in it. Towing wise, my grandad threw me INTO the fire via a manual on the ramp! He had a 1981 Bronco with a 300 six & 4spd manual. That big torquemonster 300 was easy enough but sometimes I snatched it down into 4Lo & idled it up the ramp! :big grin

My wife is FORBID from driving ANYTIME a boat is hooked up! That after she bounced my Skeeter trailer off a light pole in the parking lot at Paris, TN many years ago! :furious