It is all the same. No matter what type of trailer you are using, backing them up requires the same process. Nothing changes when you move from a riding lawn mower and cart to a truck and an airstream trailer. All movements and directions are the same.
There may be a simulator at Apple Store but connecting to it has been difficult. However, there are many how-to videos on YouTube that can help you learn how to back a trailer if you have never done it before. Bellow there are links that may be of some help.
To learn more about how to do this deed, just continue to read our article. It has the information you want to know about so you can practice and get good at it. That is one of the secrets to perfecting this technique-- practice, practice, practice.
To be honest, we did not find too many trailer simulators that helped you practice backing up. They could exist but they may not show up as they are in the form of a game, like this option.
Also to be very blunt, you really do not need a simulator to help you. It is not like the real thing and you need to make adjustments for when you get behind the wheel of a tow vehicle.
One of the reasons we say this is because in simulators you do not have the same engine under the hood as you do with a real vehicle. You also do not have the real life nuances that are always part of the problem in backing up.
It is better to read all the how-to articles and all the tips different people give on the internet, then find a wide open parking lot or space to practice in. That way you get the feel of the tow vehicle, what it can do, and also, the feel of the trailer and what it will do.
We have linked to two that should help you understand the basic principles behind backing up. But there is nothing like the real thing to understand how backing a trailer up works.
Simulators are only good to a point but when you get behind the wheel of a tow vehicle you are going to have to deal with the power of the motor, the sensitivity of the accelerator pedal, and the balance between the clutch and the transmission.
It is not the same as the simulator makes it out to be. When you back up for real, you need a lot of concentration while staying alert for possible issues that pop up at the wrong moment.
There are some apps you can buy and download. One is called TowGo and you can read all about it on their website. This is a system with a steering wheel sensor and a hitch sensor. Then you look at the app on your smartphone to help you go in reverse when the trailer is attached.
This app is supposed to help you know which direction you will be going in before you start the backing-up process. Then there is the Apple app store which has at least one app you can download and use.
You can find it at this link and explore all that it can do for you before you start backing up for real. This is something that you would have to investigate as there is not a lot of information on the internet about these devices.
When it comes to simulators, just keep in mind that they are only helping you get used to the process. What happens on a simulator does not necessarily happen in real life.
This link may take you to one but we are not sure how good it is or if it will be effective for you. There are very few options for this process online and many would be for the big rigs and those large trailers.
Those will be helpful if you are towing a 40-foot RV trailer but not so much if you are towing a little Scamp. Even though the process is the same, the one needs a lot more room than the other, and you are dealing with a lot more weight for one than the other.
Some adaption will be required. The same thing applies to a simulator. What you learn using one of those needs to be adapted to real life as the two are not going to be the same nor will the situations be the same.
Simulators are programmed for certain actions and reactions that may not be possible in real life situations.
Since the process is the same no matter which trailer you are towing, then any of the simulators we have linked to should help you out here. Just make the adaptions necessary for the size of your boat, trailer, and weight.
One thing the simulator can’t do is program the type of trailer that has a mind of its own. You can’t program every situation into a simulator. The simulator is there to only give you the feel for backing up and the rest has to be learned in real life situations. Nothing will beat real life training.
Backing up whether it is alone car or with a trailer is an acquired skill. Simulators will lonely help so far and you cannot develop that skill until you get behind a real steering wheel in a real car with a real trailer attached.
A lot of backing up depends on the ball in the hitch. Then remember that backing up a trailer is the opposite of backing up a car. It takes time to master and you will need to get a lot of practice in before you get to the master level.