a fifo wife {fifo wife: how to: back a trailer like a truckie}

There are two things you don’t say to me the first is girlie; I hate it, I don’t know why I just do. The second is tell me to wait for a man. It send message to my brain that sets a challenge that wont allow me to rest until its done. One thing FIFO life has taught me is I can do anything. I don’t need a man I want one. So when husband said to me last month you will just have to wait for Jack to arrive to back the caravan into the drive way so we could have extra bedding it sent a message to my brain with enough dopamine my head almost exploded.

I until last month couldn’t back a trailer, shocking I know. I take pride that I can park my 4wd and the big red truck like a man approaching a bar stool so not knowing how to reverse a trailer has always irked me. We (meaning me with husband sort of) tried once down at the dam with husband silently huffing and puffing in the car simmering on the edge of explosion. That episode it cost us $2700.00 because I burnt the clutch out riding it. That could be a slight exaggeration but you get my drift it didn’t go well. I didn’t learn and nor did we go fishing that afternoon much to the disappointment of the children.

So last week I hooked her up (the caravan) pulled her from under the house, told the children to go inside and watch TV as I set about my challenge. I needed all the concentration I could get without their helpful backing tips and screaming of a little more to the right mum. Unhelpful as they don’t know their left from their right, I’m easily confused as it is but I decieded I could do it I had watched FIFO husband do it many times and it looked simple enough. I googled it as you do in 2012 and with the advice of a random builder guy as he drove up the hill ‘just use your little finger and you’ll be right girlie’ Yes seriously like the universe knew he called me girlie.

Now I will be honest it took more than a few go’s. At one point I sat and seethed in frustration with myself for not just being able to do it. I may or may not have sweared a lot. I most definitely got out and looked again at what I was doing wrong. I did ask my neighbour to just stand their and be quiet or better still go inside rather than watch me from his verandah. Thankfully he knows me well enough to do it and not take it personally. He did however retreat inside once I jack knifed, that was clever on his behalf. It was at this point I considered finding a pair of stubbies, slipping on a pair of pluggers and a Jackie how singlet thinking getting into character may be helpful however I decided against it. I at the moment have granny arms and reversing a trailer is frustrating enough without looking at what no self control and a 40 serve pavlova looks like. So instead I took the option of just getting back in the car and emphasizing my frustration to the world by slamming the door.

It was after slamming the door and taking a deep breath that I straightened the car up again and started again. Starting with a crooked car is not be helpful. I took the random mans advice of just using my hand at the bottom of the steering wheel and started to crawl my way in; realising that going too fast will make turns to sharp. Which is why I jack knifed. Backing a trailer is the opposite to all driving rules if the trailer starts to go left you steer right so which is why it took me so long to get it; it to my brain wasn’t logical.

I did back her in and she sat on a slight angle but that didn’t make any difference to their sleeping quality I decided after half an hour of cursing, grunting in a hot car it was done.

Now if learning how to back a trailer like a truckie is one of your goals for 2013 and why not? then head here for some trailer backing advice but take it from me practise is the only way to do and do it when know one is watching otherwise you are bound to screw up.

xx Deb