Top Gear’s guide to driving well: reversing a trailer

The first and most important thing to remember is when you’re reversing, the trailer will turn the opposite way to the way you’ve turned the steering wheel. So left is right, right is left and black is white, if you’re making contemplative assessments about the world we live in.

The trailer will also turn more sharply if you apply more steering lock. So, take things calmly and slowly. Imagine if an episode of Countryfile could drive and then try to mimic that. No need for a gilet, though.

But what if you’re not just making a sharp turn, or reversing straight back? Well, our original answer would be to abandon hope, all ye who attempt such a thing, but it turns out that there is a way to reverse a trailer around a long corner.

The trick is, once you have the trailer on the right trajectory, to straighten up your vehicle’s wheels and follow the trailer around the corner. Make tiny adjustments if you start heading off your intended line – big adjustments will just throw the trailer out to one side or the other.

When reversing a trailer, vision is all-important. Not ‘important’ like Vision ended up being in Avengers, but actually important. So adjust your mirrors to give you the best possible view backwards. After all, that’s the way that you, and modern civilisation, is going.

Through thorough research, we have found that it is possible to put your head out of the window without a) immediately catcalling at passing pedestrians or b) shouting something inflammatory at a person who’s wearing the wrong football jersey. This occasion is while reversing a trailer.

So, set yourself up so that you’ll be reversing in a right-hand-arc, if possible. That way, you can lean out the window and look directly at what’s happening. If you are in a left-hand-drive vehicle, reverse in a left-hand-arc. If you are in a centre-seat car, like a McLaren Speedtail, reconsider your choice of towing vehicle. Open-top vintage Bentleys, on the other hand...

If you’ve used too much steering lock, you’ll push the trailer properly akimbo to the point where you could run your car into your trailer and damage many important things, including a) your bumper, b) your towbar mount, and c) your pride.

So, make very small, gentle adjustments to your steering angle and watch the trailer to see how it responds to your inputs. And, if your trailer does decide to take a left turn at Albuquerque, remember the hitchhiker’s guide and don’t panic. Just grab a towel to mop your brow, then drive forwards until you’re in a good position to have a second go.

But if you’re just on your way to jack-knifing, stop and consider things. Turn the steering wheel in the direction that the trailer is going – i.e. if it’s pointing out to the left, turn left – and you can recover more often than not.

Or, if it helps you remember it, turn into the direction of the jack-knife.

In cases where you can’t see over or around the trailer, getting someone to act as a spotter is a must. If you can’t see under the trailer, don’t panic: that’s how it’s designed.

With the use of a spotter, rather than just relying on visual cues, you can get aural confirmation of how you’re doing with helpful dialogue like “right hand down!” “straighten up!” and “AAAAGHHFFFFFSSSHHHH THAT’S MY FOOT, YOU F...”

They can also assist you with hand signals, but be advised that they may become a touch more animated and, er... strident if you have, in fact, backed over their foot.

Practice really does make perfect. Well, that’s what we keep hearing anyway, and we still can’t surf.

Anywhos, if you’re sweating about having to reverse a trailer in the near future, why not rent an empty trailer, drive to an empty car park and practice all the excellent techniques you’ve just read? You’ll see it’s not actually so hard after all. And if it is, in fact, so hard after all, at least you’ll know ahead of time.