Backing your trailer up

[96Pirate]

So, sometimes I don't learn from my mistakes. I think it was a year ago, maybe 2, that while backing out of my driveway I forgot to move ladder and actually destroyed it.

So move forward to the beginning of this past weekend an what do I do? Back into my ladder and push it back about 20 yards. No real damage done this time except for some scrapes on the ladder. But my vote will be for yes with damage done.

I always end up clearing my deck of tools and such and forget to go look behind when I am in a rush.

Would like to hear what others have done.

 

[scokill]

I forgot to put the swing away pin back in. I had backed the boat up my driveway which was out of the norm. I hooked up like normal, took off, tapped the brakes, and the boat rear-ended the back of my Tahoe Broke a tail lamp assembly and put a nice dent in the lift gate. I've left the wheel down, forgot to lock the hitch down a couple of times each. I clipped a guys boat trailer in the parking lot one time. Broke his tail lamp and bent the metal that holds the tail lamp. I left him a note and I went to his house and bent the metal back and upgraded both of his tail lamps to LED. Haven't done anything backing...

 

[Bennie]

Almost too scared to vote - might jinx me.
I've never backed over anything... yet.

I have however gotten into a rush and left the jack down. So.... yeah that got completely torn up. My dealership was awesome however and "found" a spare for me. I have emulated @96Pirate with the ladder, but while on the water. The kid loves to tell me that its up and ready to go. He however, also loves to forget to secure it. How it hasn't torn off yet is beyond me!

 

[Julian]

I tried backing up once and forgot that the chocks I used (front and back) were still in place....trailer wouldn't move! Like @Bennie said....I couldn't vote option 3 for fear of the repercussions karma wise

 

[Higgy]

These aren't boat related but I make my living wrenching on trash trucks... I bought a new SnapOn creeper 4 or so years ago and left it under a truck the first week I had it. Ran over it.. was able to bend it back halfway straight and am still using it to this day. Last year I bought a brand new DeWalt cordless impact, left it on top of a steer tire and then jumped in the truck and put it in reverse.. made a nice crunch going over it. Total loss... $230 dollars down the drain. Back when I was a rookie mechanic I damn near ran myself over with a Wells Fargo amored car. I was pulling the transmission and forgot to chock the rear wheels.. when I took the driveline loose (that has the parking brake attached to it) the truck took off backwards with me laying underneath it. Good thing I was young... I don't think I can move that fast anymore!

 

[njmr2fan]

First time backing the empty trailer out of a parking spot with the Ram and I had no idea where it was (no guide ons yet), backed it right into a cast iron water fountain and it and the trailer rang like bells. No damage luckily!

 

[robert843]

I tried backing up once and forgot that the chocks I used (front and back) were still in place....trailer wouldn't move! Like @Bennie said....I couldn't vote option 3 for fear of the repercussions karma wise

I had to change my answer after reading your post. Never backed over anything but a few weeks ago I was having a brake issue and after a few attempts to try and get the brake to release at storage I tried to pull the trailer forward a little and it sounded like the tires were dragging at this point i thought I had completely locked up the surge brakes that were just rubbing before but went back to discovered i had not removed on of the wheel chalks.

 

[swatski]

I forgot to trim the motor up and dragged the skeg. Twice, in one day.
True story .

--

 

[Rob9550]

I only put a hole in the garage wall while pushing the boat and trailer by hand. Wife wasn't impressed by my strength...LOL!

 

[njmr2fan]

I only put a hole in the garage wall while pushing the boat and trailer by hand. Wife wasn't impressed by my strength...LOL!

Holy! I did the same, then got the TrailerValet and now i can place the boat into the garage with surgical accuracy.

 

[msavold]

Would have preferred a "not yet" option...
Closest I've come so far is that we have a 4-pin connector so I have, on a couple of occasions, left some impressive skid marks when forgetting to put the brake thingy in. Best effect is when I do it on the gravel driveway, even with the trailer empty.