I love my wife and all, but Jesus Hercules Christ...

[Dantheman]

In my experience with two teen drivers, parents are better off investing in a hands-free talk and text system. That's reality.

Yeah, no. He's already been informed that phone use while driving will result in revocation of driving privileges. My company has a robust safety program. Rule #1 is no cell phone use while driving with no exception for hands free.

Anyway, mom thinks it's a great idea, keeper.

[old goat]

I had a first gen 4Runner with a MT so my kids both had to learn to drive it. The older one wound up driving it for years. Didn't keep him from bruning out the clutch in the Audi he wound up with. At least he's figured out with two bad experiences to stay away from turnbos.
Drive in enough stop and go traffic and MT loses its appeal. My first 3 cars were MT's but mu wife said no more and I've never looked back.

[heckacali]

Switch to the boat ramp?

Underappreciated post.
Well done sir.

[BCMtnHound]

Airstream owners pfft

Just back from a festival with the family, backed up our airstream right onto its home tire pads and chocks. In the dark. Without assistance (wife was opening the house).
Kiss my shiny heinie.

[ironhippy]

I've mostly owned Toyota 4Runners for the last decade and a half.

I recently got an F150 and find backing up the exact same trailers is a lot more difficult. I'm guessing it's the longer wheel base vs the trailer, but holy crap any micro adjustment in steering and the trailer is jackknived.
I'm going to have a practice a lot.

[teleee]

Speaking from IRL experience, Telee and his Mrs. are trailer backing MASTERS

Lots and lots of practice. Plus I learned to back a 6 horse trailer down forest service roads with the old man yelling at me, makes boat ramps look easy. You should come visit again, I will gladly back you down a ramp or 3.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

[XXX-er]

I've mostly owned Toyota 4Runners for the last decade and a half.

I recently got an F150 and find backing up the exact same trailers is a lot more difficult. I'm guessing it's the longer wheel base vs the trailer, but holy crap any micro adjustment in steering and the trailer is jackknived.
I'm going to have a practice a lot.

https://www.ford.ca/support/how-tos/...backup-assist/

I was sitting next to the fish guide with his foot in it while twiddling the knob on the dash to back a trailer at warp speed across a 1 lane forestry bridge

we were so hi in the air that if he fucked up we would have starved to death before we hit the water

I was impressed with the Ford pro-trailer-backup-assist

[TahoeJ]

Yes, I have an F150 and it works great.

[XXX-er]

I just watched that vid in the ford link, at the time I had no idea what buddy was doing but it was a crazy place to be backing a trailer at speed, I wouldn't go forward on that bridge that fast

I think the backup assist came on full load f-150's, lotsa buttons so just get in and drive don' touch nuthin, I think this was a 2015 and a nice truck to drive

[dan_pdx]

We had a teardrop camping trailer for a few years that we parked in a garage at the top of a 30-ft driveway that was two or three feet wider than the trailer. Retaining wall on one side, so you definitely didn't want to fuck up in that direction. As a first-time trailer user, I eventually got my parking time down from 30 minutes to a few attempts, but not my favorite thing. I definitely felt lucky that my across-the-street neighbor's driveway was directly opposite ours.

[ironhippy]

https://www.ford.ca/support/how-tos/...backup-assist/

I was sitting next to the fish guide with his foot in it while twiddling the knob on the dash to back a trailer at warp speed across a 1 lane forestry bridge

we were so hi in the air that if he fucked up we would have starved to death before we hit the water

I was impressed with the Ford pro-trailer-backup-assist

ha, I have that but assumed the trailer needed brakes for it to work.
I'll look into it.

That being said, I am going to practice on my own as I should be able back the trailer up myself, I don't like relying on technology to drive for me.

[XXX-er]

ha, I have that but assumed the trailer needed brakes for it to work.
I'll look into it.

That being said, I am going to practice on my own as I should be able back the trailer up myself, I don't like relying on technology to drive for me.

Trailer didnt have brake, it was a smallish flat deck you would stack some rafts and gear totes on

watch the vid in the link, it appears to steer the trailer by sensors picking up signals from stickers the user puts on the trailer and i supose it moves the steering wheel cuz you don't touch the wheel

[altachic]

One of the best things I've been taught in my life yet was driving a MT. I learned on a very old, crappy subaru and I can't thank my Mom enough for that!
It's fun, it's challenging and you absolutely cannot be focusing on a phone or being distracted otherwise.
I'd way rather have Sam be focused on shifting and driving properly than being tempted to look at his phone, NO THANK YOU.

[hooked]

I learned to drive on a ‘vette with a 4-speed manual.

Unfortunately it was a Chevette.

[BCMtnHound]

Learned MT on a ‘52 Farmall International tractor. Put it in 2nd gear from stop, pop that clutch and raise the front wheels a couple feet off the ground. Good old rack and pinion steering taught you to keep your thumbs out of the steering wheel as well. Great times as a 12yo. Younger sisters never did get the hang of it.

[Diamond Joe]

Underappreciated post.
Well done sir.

Thank you sir. I'm glad somebody got it.

you absolutely cannot be focusing on a phone or being distracted otherwise.

I call bullshit on that. You absolutely, 100% CAN be focused on a phone while driving a stick. You just stop texting for a second while shifting

[skaredshtles]

Learned MT on a ‘52 Farmall International tractor. Put it in 2nd gear from stop, pop that clutch and raise the front wheels a couple feet off the ground. Good old rack and pinion steering taught you to keep your thumbs out of the steering wheel as well. Great times as a 12yo. Younger sisters never did get the hang of it.

Heh - we had an old Deere (maybe?) - the clutch was a lever you'd push forward to engage the flywheel. I learned "proper" MT on a mid-50's (probably?) Ford tractor. And of course the Deere riding lawn tractor. And the old pickup that had three on the tree with super-sloppy bushings. That one was the most difficult.

[altachic]

Thank you sir. I'm glad somebody got it.



I call bullshit on that. You absolutely, 100% CAN be focused on a phone while driving a stick. You just stop texting for a second while shifting

Just trying to hopefully eliminate more distractions. Can't hurt. Maybe you can do both but maybe someone else can't. We'll hope Sam is the latter

[yeahman]

We'll hope Sam is the latter

Actually you better hope he's the former.

[Tap]

I came here for funny quips about wives and got a bunch of dudes standing in the garage talking trailers.

Jesus Hercules Christ.

[old goat]

The garage is where our wives sent us.

[Danno]

I came here for funny quips about wives and got a bunch of dudes standing in the garage talking trailers.

Jesus Hercules Christ.

what's your opinion on loading the dishwasher?

[muted reborn]

"Look boy, while you play patty cake and do-si-do with your boat trailer in reverse for a half hour at the lake, I coulda backed that up over those mountains and come around again twice. Coulda stopped to get some pampers for you and your co-pilot too. Just pass me the keys and a few coors and I'll do it"

[californiagrown]

One of the best things I've been taught in my life yet was driving a MT. I learned on a very old, crappy subaru and I can't thank my Mom enough for that!
It's fun, it's challenging and you absolutely cannot be focusing on a phone or being distracted otherwise.
I'd way rather have Sam be focused on shifting and driving properly than being tempted to look at his phone, NO THANK YOU.

Yep. My sister and i both learned to drive on a MT Ford ranger with no power anything (steering, windows, etc). That was each of "our" cars in high school. Being a teenage boy with a rwd MT pickup truck you can be sure that i spun my tires more than a few times and left that sucker with bald tires It was a perfect car to not kill myself with because the spedometer only went up to 80mph, and i could barely touch 60 with it in 5th and my foot on the floor... the thing was utterly gutless, but man was it fun and super functional.

[dan_pdx]

I'm looking at renting cars in Italy, and manual transmissions costs about half as much as automatic. So there you go, get your kids to learn manual so they're set up for future Europe trips