Why is it so difficult to back up a trailer?
Backing up a trailer: The concept strikes terror in the heart of anyone who’s tried it. With all of the things that can possibly be hit in the world — other cars, fire hydrants, pedestrians, buildings — backing up a vehicle alone can be nerve-wracking. Adding a trailer to the mix only intensifies the nightmare. But why is it that a trailer is so difficult to back up? The answer lies in the design of a trailer hitch. Most trailers are attached to a vehicle with a ball hitch. The ball-and-socket connection allows for a trailer to turn along with the vehicle that it’s towing. Without this feature, a vehicle towing a trailer would be like an extremely long single vehicle, and making a turn would require a couple lanes of traffic. The ball hitch provides the joint that eliminates this need. But that same joint can also make backing up a trailer a really difficult task. It provides the straight line you’re trying to achieve in reverse a place to break. Suddenly, the trailer you’re towing h
