Any tips on reversing a van? I now drive several different sizes, all Transits though, SWB, LWB, low roof, medium roof, high roof, Luton, whatever is free and depending on load, what I need.

I can kinda reverse but I find it hard in small areas and I can't judge how far back I can go without hitting anything. Same goes when I'm on a motorway and want to change lanes, I can't yet tell how far behind me something is.

Any tips is appreciated

Think you need parking censors fitted or an audible device " Warning.... this vehicle is reversing".....................That should do it...

Think you need parking censors fitted or an audible device " Warning.... this vehicle is reversing".....................That should do it...

Got them on some vans! Yet I still can't reverse, they do not work properly as they just go off randomly, stupid things.

Carry a "spare" driver.......He can do the going backward bit....You do the going forward bit...............Sorted..

when reversing, go as far as you think you can without hitting something then go 2 foot further

Then get out and pick up the pieces:rofl:

edit: I just get out and have a look then use a point on the ground to measure how much further to go back

just practice man(?)!!!!!!!!!!!

i end up hanging out the door when reversing in tight spaces, but as ive learnt you cant cause too much damage if you just go really slow till you feel a bump! lol

also if you have 2 mirrors on either side one gives more deail just learn where the vehicle behind seems to be and give a little more space usually. orstick the indcator on and wait for a flash!

So it's pretty much, practice? Thats fair enough. I'll try the 2 feet more one day when I'm alone in a yard. As for the pick a point bit, can't as I never go in straight!

What size can I drive upto on a normal car licence by the way?

I drive different size vans myself, a Mercedes Vito, Sprinter, & sometimes even parking the 7.5 tonne Atego Lorry.

Reversing isn't that much different really. You have to remember that the front will swing out when going around corners, and learn to judge distances a bit better.

Other than that I can't really say much else as in time it will just become second nature. I was the same, never driven a van before but after a week or two there wasn't a problem.

HTH.

If anyone can tell me how to get a pic off my phone and onto the PC, I could show you what happened last time I tried reversing in a vehicle larger than that which I'm used to (oops) into a space which was too narrow...

Luckily the scrape wasn't so bad that Hertz noticed when I dropped the Mondeo back to them at Gatwick!

When I passed my test I was given the OK to drive 7.5 ton trucks. However, I think they introduced some new rule where you couldn't drive anything over 3.5 tons (including trailer)

I got in there, just before theyt changed it.

If anyone can tell me how to get a pic off my phone and onto the PC' date=' I could show you what happened last time I tried reversing in a vehicle larger than that which I'm used to (oops) into a space which was too narrow...

Luckily the scrape wasn't so bad that Hertz noticed when I dropped the Mondeo back to them at Gatwick![/quote']

If the phone came with a cable, you can use that, or if you go into MultiMedia messaging and send the photo, you can put in an email address rather than a phone number.

When I passed my test I was given the OK to drive 7.5 ton trucks. However' date=' I think they introduced some new rule where you couldn't drive anything over 3.5 tons (including trailer)

I got in there, just before theyt changed it.[/quote']

Whats 3.5t in real life? And is that loaded up or unloaded? As you can tell, I am clueless. I passed in Dec 2000, can I drive 7.5t? :confused:

Can I be sexist and comment on how many women have replied to this thread

Can't give you any advice i'm afraid, seeing as I have never driven a van in my life and have no intentions of either :P maybe get pdc fitted ALL the way around your vehicle

But I do know a man who can help - but I think he's out at the moment, possibly eating ice-cream (or is it fish and chips)

Tink's

If the phone came with a cable, you can use that, or if you go into MultiMedia messaging and send the photo, you can put in an email address rather than a phone number.

Cheers for that, I nabbed it off my sister so only have the power cable...maybe I can buy a cable for it though as I'd like to put some new themes on it anyway...

It's a K700i I think.

Anyway, I'll try MMSing the photo to my email address, as well as the photo of the 'disguise job' I did to try and hide the scrape...the disguise job consisted of driving the car around lots of muddy lanes between Taunton and Bridgwater

The most essential advice when reversing a van in a tight space is to use your side mirrors. If there's space between your van and whatever your tryin to get past, then your OK!

As for hitting an object behind you, it's down to experience. Just drive really really slowly if near a wall and if you hit it, then no harm done. You'll get to know the length of the van after a while and know instinctively when to stop.

Try 10 yrs of reversing this - it kind of makes transits seem quite easy

Correctly adjusted mirrors are the most important thing when driving anything that has solid sides. Forgetmasses of sky in the view, I always like to see the bottom corner of each side in the mirror for easier reversing. Take time to study where the van is before you get in, so that when you look into the mirror you get a better understanding of where you are in relation to distances and the nearest parked car.

Other than that, practice.

One major thing....forget all the bowlocks about looking over your left shoulder. Use the outside mirrors only, and perhaps likewise when driving the car...it can help.

Correctly adjusted mirrors are the most important thing when driving anything that has solid sides. Forgetmasses of sky in the view' date=' I always like to see the bottom corner of each side in the mirror for easier reversing. Take time to study where the van is before you get in, so that when you look into the mirror you get a better understanding of where you are in relation to distances and the nearest parked car.

Other than that, practice.

One major thing....forget all the bowlocks about looking over your left shoulder. Use the outside mirrors only, and perhaps likewise when driving the car...it can help.[/quote']

top advice there from the Kentish Man...

Any tips on reversing a van? I now drive several different sizes' date=' all Transits though, SWB, LWB, low roof, medium roof, high roof, Luton, whatever is free and depending on load, what I need.

I can kinda reverse but I find it hard in small areas and I can't judge how far back I can go without hitting anything. Same goes when I'm on a motorway and want to change lanes, I can't yet tell how far behind me something is.

Any tips is appreciated [/quote']

apart from already stated only use your mirrors.....

I find it best when arriving at premises that require reversing .......

is to do that first before making the delivery ..... cos as you arrive

you can see clearly the obsticals that are in the way ..... and also

if you are facing your drive away position ........ that means if another

vehicle turns up while your making your delivery its not going to make

it more difficult .... hope that makes sense

Whats 3.5t in real life? And is that loaded up or unloaded? As you can tell, I am clueless. I passed in Dec 2000, can I drive 7.5t?

I passed in 2000 and you can't drive anything above 3.5 ton and get a lot of restrictions on towing.

As for 3.5 ton most standard vans eg transit are designed for this, however some vans including a certain model of the new transit exceed this. The 3.5 ton is the maximum permissable weight of the vehilce. ie the vehicle and the load.

As for when to stop and why I said get out and have a look; when i did my HGV class 2 (any rigid body vehicle) the reverse excercise requires you to stop in and 800 mm box at the rear. To do this a cut in the spray supression is used to line up with the box as a legal cheat. Now I don't drive them much and they all vary in length so i find it easiest to back up, stop see how much further I can go and then back it in using a point as a guide.

When i am at work driving private ambulances and stuff (Vauxhal Movano) you usually can see how far you are close to other objects by shadows and lights getting closer. I.E by shadows the rest of the light will disapear. I.E by your vehicles lights it will get brighter and bright. When overtaking vehicles just guess how long the car is in feet and count how many feet when overtaking it. OR when indicating some nice person should flash you to let you in!!!

Hi Moose

I don't drive a van, so you're all safe What about turning it into a bumper car to minimise any impact? I.e. get a few of those solid rubber balls that dogs chase and cut them in half. Then stick flat side in strategic positions on bumper. Might only be needed on the worst van(s). There might be a proprietary equivalent, though I guess you chaps might know that better that I.

I'm sure I've seen some sort of periscope mirror attached to the back roof on some 4x4's BTW so am wondering if that might help, or perhaps an extra side mirror which could be seen in the normal side mirror if there's no back window. Perhaps we could persuade devonuptopia to design one that could be adjusted hydraulically from within the cab?

Mo

I drive 44te articulated, cryogenic road tankers for a living.......and we have to get into some really tight places day and night.

Most of the customer storage tanks were positioned when tankers were much smaller than they are today and customers leave skips, pallets, cars etc in the way just to make things even harder :(

The best advice I can give.....is check the area you are going to reverse into, dont be embarrassed to get out and look befor you start reversing....check approx distances and look for ground level and overhead obsticales.

During difficult reversing manouvers I sometimes stop short of where I want to be and get out and have a look..... pace out how far I need to go back...pace out the same distance rearwards from the centre of O/S front wheel (which I can see from the cab window)...once the centre of the front wheel reaches the mark I then I know I'm where I need to be

Word of caution..... sometimes people offer to help watch you back...most are OK but some cannot be trusted.... I have come across a few helpfull idiots who would quite happily guide you back into something :eek:

Hope this helps, Bill