re: Most challenging skill: parallel parking, stick or driving backwards with a trailer?

trailer, easily

especially if its like an 8' trailer

parallel parking and driving a stick are not difficult

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Driving stick is literally mindless once you figure it out.

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True, but being on a hill etc has some challenges a times. But yeh its basically 2nd nature once you master it

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The other two will always require thought

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Backing up a boat/trailer is like regular backing up to me now. I guess it just depends on the person, but it feels so natural now


Qualifier*

Backing up a short trailer that has no real tongue is ever loving impossible no matter how much you have done it

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backwards with a trailer

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been doing it for years and still have problems...I never nail it on the first try. It's like I overthink it.

I've been to enough boat launches to see most of yall can't back up a trailer and this proves it

I can d the first 2 with no problem.


I've pulled trailers many, many times, and even own a utility trailer. I still struggle backing a trailer.

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backing up a little 4' trailer with a 4 wheelr/side by side is impossible

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Yep. 4 wheeler trailers are literally impossible. We unhitch them and push them into the carport at the camp

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backwards with a trailer
Hardest of the 3 to learn, but if you do it enough it actually becomes the easiest of the 3

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It's hard at first but, like you said, if you do it enough it becomes second nature. I pulled a trailer in college doing work on foreclosed homes and I could have parallel parked a trailer after a month or so. Something eventually just clicks and working the trailer becomes crazy easy.

I never learned stick

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I've been to enough boat launches to see most of yall can't back up a trailer and this proves it

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Trailer, stick, and parallel parking in that order.

I drive stick and my PP skills are pretty superb.

You basically pull up a full car length head of the space you're trying to fit into, reverse gear, turn wheel, back up so that the corner of the car behind you is in the middle of your rearview mirror, straighten wheel, and then nudge yourself in the space. Learned the technique in driving school (actually paid attention) and it works every time.

I have done all enough that I could and believe that I actually have done some scenario of parallel parking with a trailer connected while driving a stick. It wasn't all that challenging. I have also drove stick and pulled enough trailers that I can drive any stick and can back the trailer up to the desired spot usually without a correction to be made.
If we are talking tractor trailers, I could probably do it, but not at the skill level where those guys don't skip a beat and back it up to a loading dock from a sharp angle in between two other trailers. That's some mad skill with blind spots out the arse.