This past weekend, I needed to open up the pop-up camper that we borrowed from my folks so that we could pack for our upcoming family vacation.
One thing that is important about setting up campers is that they really like to be level. (I’ve never seen one tip over, but I guess it could happen.)
The place on our driveway where we had the camper parked was not quite so level and so I needed to move the camper so that one of the wheels was resting on some wooden blocks. I tried to do this by just rolling the camper (it is fairly light and easy to move), but I couldn’t get it to roll up on the blocks. I needed to use our van to pull it the half foot forward.
My wife would have been my first choice for ‘mon back man, but she was out for the day and wouldn’t be back for a few hours.
(The ‘mon back man, of course, is the person who stands by the trailer and says “C’mon back, ‘mon back!” to the driver and directs him to steer so that the trailer or the hitch lands in the right place.)
I had no choice, so I called the boys and said, “Hey, I need you guys to be ‘mon back men!” They came running, eager to help dad get the van lined up with the trailer.
I explained what I needed them to do and we all assumed our places. I started backing the van up.
~K~, my youngest, was really getting into it, gesticulating wildly, basically directing me generally backward. Although I wasn’t lined up well, he was motioning for me to come straight back. ~D~, although not as enthusiastic, was generally motioning in the same way.
I lined the car up with the trailer as best I could and then started coming back. Although I knew I was starting to get close, their motioning was the same, general backward motion. “`Mon back! ‘Mon back!” I could hear ~K~ saying.
It was obvious to me that they needed some training. I stopped the car and motioned for them to come to the drivers window. I explained again that I needed to get the tow ball under the trailer. I needed them to tell me which way to go, left or right to get the tow ball in the right place.
I pulled forward and straightened out some more and started again. They started directing me back, right and left. As I got closer, I still couldn’t tell how far I had to go, so I called ~D~ back and explained that when I got about an arm span away from the trailer, to spread his hands to show me how far I needed to go.
He went back and they both motioned again. ~D~ brought his hands closer together until they motioned for me to stop. Apparently I was off, but I really needed to get out and find out how bad it was. I expected that I’d probably need some more adjustments.
I got out of the car and walked back. They had directed me within a quarter inch of where I needed to be. I couldn’t believe it. I let them crank the hitch down and as it got lower, it slipped onto the the tow ball, moving the quarter inch by itself. I couldn’t have asked for them to do a better job.
As I praised my boys for the good job, I remembered how I had been the `Mon Back man for my dad. It was a big responsibility and I remember wanting to do the best that I could because he put his trust in me.
With a little more instruction, they could get to be pretty good. I look forward to when I can pass on the mantle to them and trust them with the responsibility of the ‘Mon Back Man.
Not (quite) Balanced 