Backing Up - Airstream Interstate 2019 Owner's Manual

Driving
On slippery pavement, do not use engine drag to
help slow down as this may cause the rear wheels
of the tow vehicle to skid. On icy pavement, drive
slowly and if you feel the tow vehicle skidding,
gently apply the trailer brakes only. This will bring
the tow vehicle and trailer back into a single line.
Chains do not help trailer wheels.
When going downhill in dry weather, downshift so that
engine compression will slow the whole rig down� Take
dips and depressions in the road slowly and do not
resume normal driving speeds until you are sure that
the trailer wheels are clear of the dip�
When driving in mud and sand, let the momentum carry
the rig through� Apply power gently and use as little as
possible� Stay in the tracks of the vehicle ahead and
keep the tow vehicle in the highest possible gear� If you
are stuck, it is best to tow out the entire rig together
without unhitching�
Despite even the best hitch, you will notice that
whenever a large bus or truck overtakes your rig the
displaced air first pushes the trailer rear slightly to the
right and then affects the front� It may be necessary
to steer very slightly, momentarily, toward the bus or
truck to help compensate for the sway induced by the
passing-vehicle� Do not apply the vehicle brakes, as
this can tend to exaggerate the situation. You may find,
however, that briefly applying the trailer brakes with
your manual control will help eliminate sway�
CHOCK THE TRAILER WHEELS when stopping on
a hill or slope. Leaving your tow vehicle in gear is
not enough for standstill safety. Do not use trailer
brakes as parking brakes.
8-8
WARNING
WARNING

Backing Up

In BACKING UP the important thing to remember
is to DO EVERYTHING SLOWLY and to correct
immediately if you see the trailer turning the wrong
way� Concentrate on the rear of the trailer� With your
tow vehicle and trailer in a straight line, back up
slowly and turn the bottom of the steering wheel in the
direction you want the trailer to go� Watch from the
window or in the mirror until the rear of the trailer is
pointing in the desired direction� Your tow vehicle will
be following the trailer in an arc� Straighten the tow
vehicle and trailer by turning the steering wheel more
sharply, and then when they are in line, straighten the
steering wheel�
Start in position (A) start� Turning steering wheel as
shown in (1)� will put you in trailer position (B)� Turning
steering wheel show in position (2) puts you in trailer
position (C)� Steering position (3) returns front wheels
to straight backing�
NOTE
Always try to back to your left because the visibility
is much better.
When you do not make it on the first try it is usually
much easier to pull forward to your original straight
position and start over�
If your spouse or traveling companion normally directs
you when backing they should position themselves
forward of the tow vehicle so the driver can easily see
them� Their directions should always indicate to the
driver the direction the rear of the trailer should go�
A little practice in a parking lot with the person giving
directions can save a lot of frustration when backing
into a campsite�
2019 Interstate