guyofthewest

Hi Folks,

I am new to towing and will be taking a 24' travel trailer on some adventures and will probably be going on my own a lot. Since I won't have a spotter, I plan on having a camera system in the back of the trailer.

It would seem to me that it would be wise to spec a truck with bench seats so that I can slide over to the passenger side to get the big picture when I am alone.

Any thoughts appreciated - I am new to towing!

EventHorizon

Are you saying that you'd try to reach back to the drivers side for controls while you try to hang your head out the passenger window???? Bad idea in my opinion. Without someone else at the back no amount of moving around in the cab will help you see what's directly behind the trailer anyway. Get your mirrors set properly and you'll be fine, just take your time.

humblerb

Front seat configuration should not have any bearing on towing - alone or not.
You're going to be behind the wheel or you are going to have the truck in park and walking around the trailer/truck.

guyofthewest

Sorry I wasn't clear.

I was just thinking that when positioning into a tight spot it would be more convenient to put it in park and slide over for a peek out the passenger window, than get out (in the rain maybe) to see the full picture. My question is if this is a common problem when backing into a campsite, etc?

humblerb

Especially if it is tight, you will be getting out of the truck - even if it is raining. Can't imagine a scenario where sliding over the seat to look out the passenger window will show you any more than the mirror will show. In my opinion, you will never do that. Or at least won't do it again after you try once. Just not anything you can see from that vantage point that will assist you in backing your rig.

raisin

I don't want anyone to direct me as I'm backing. I will use mirrors from drivers seat, than get out look, back a bit than get out again.

seaeagle2

Decent tow mirrors correctly adjusted will be your best friend. In my opinion, bucket seats are more comfortable for long trips than bench seats.....

Loki 5.0

This ^ and set up so you are not blind side backing. "GOALS" Get out and look stupid!!

schmenke

Hey gotw, get yerself a girlfriend

xcntrk

Like they're any good at spotting in the first place. Get used to jumping out and walking back to assess how much room you have. What I'll do is walk back and determine that I want to move back 12" for example, then return to the driver seat, spot the ground next to the truck and move approximately rearward 12" from your spot. It's doable but not ideal. Parking alone requires a lot of back and forth...