Comments

Love the program, helped me understand the physics of a trailer, taken some time to respond and adapt.

Thanks, Guinness!

Loving this app. 

Just bought a caravan and have 3 young ones (one baby).

Nice to practice without the screaming and shouting. 

Was great for my wife to have a go so that she believes me when I tell her its not as easy as it looks. 

my respect for my own dads from the old days has gone up. 

Thanks. 

I really loved these comments - thanks very much James.  I'll bet most people would agree with at least one of them!

Great software; Much better than my driving school!

Thanks very much Laurent! Glad you've found it useful. 

Great simulator for getting used to how it looks backing a trailer using mirrors only and how the trailer responds to steering inputs from the tow vehicle. This training will be very helpful to me when backing my travel trailer into parking spaces. Thank you. It was just what I had been looking for.

Hi Rob.  Thanks very much indeed for your kind comments!

In the observer view, you can rotate the view with right mouse button, but I cannot find a zoom button. I would like to zoom in to my vehicle for fine-positioning; this would keep the vehicle in the center of the screen but move the camera closer, controlling the amount of surroundings in the picture. 

Thanks very much for your feedback, Tero.  There is no zoom feature in the currrent version of the simulator, but please message me to discuss your requirement further.

Hi there, bit of an unusual suggestion for you.  I've found your simulator excellent for learning the basics of reversing a trailer, but was wondering if you would be willing to add a long glider trailer to the simulator, as that is what I usually have to reverse.

Hi Evan.  Thanks very much for your suggestion.  I'm very happy to add this to my to-do list!

I have a 13 foot fiberglass trailer and am bound and determined that I will learn to back it into camping spaces and parking lots, but it is taking me a long time to wrap my brain around how much to turn and which way. I am ever so grateful to be able to practice here first. I watch the autopilot, then try the guided, and finally by myself (and jack-knife the trailer). I'll get there eventually. It would be helpful to have the length of the various trailers listed. I started with a caravan, but switched to the utility trailer. 

Hi Sharon.  Thank you very much for your comments and useful suggestion.  As you have no doubt found out, the shorter the trailer, the more sensitive it is to steering changes, so I agree that it would be helpful to know the length of each trailer.   I'll add this feature as soon as I can.

Hi there - would like to add my vote of appreciation. I have the app on both my tablet and my computer. Still a total novice, but im starting to get my head around the theory and physics of it all , without the stress of being in the car. Hopeful this will be reflected when i get the chance to hookup my van again.

Thanks very much, Julie.

hi there, i am coming from switzerland and want to take the trailor driving exam. i had a hard time looking for a maneuver training app. i am very glad i found this and appreciate all the setting varias. i had some issues with the internet connection, but all together really good training app. thank you for your work. i also appreciate that there is no commercials, i would pay more than 2.- for it. 

Thank you very much for your kind comments, Anina.

My brother-in-law suddenly passed away in a heart attack and now I am helping my sister to train for the trailer exam as it used to be her husband that did all the towing. This program will be helping her to continue what she loves so much, taking their beloved caravan out to visit all their friends.
Thanks, this program is helping so much!

Really glad to be able to help, Chris.   Please let me know how the exam goes!

Great application, the only thing that would be nice is if you could add a duall real wheel vehicle, such as a Ram, Chevy or Ford 3500 series pickup.  Many folks in the US use these types of trucks for towing and it would be great to be able to direct them here for practice.

Thanks very much for the suggestion David.   Please message me via the Contact page to discuss this further.

I train crew members in a search and rescue organisation to work with trailers and I have recommended this programme as a very good way to illustrate the principles.  BUT - try the Landrover Defender with the SBS R4 600EL trailer on the B+E test scenario!  This is close to one of our typical manoeuvering requirements.  It is possible to pass (just!), but the combination of the large turning circle of the Defender and long wheelbase trailer makes it very challenging.  Even your autopilot mode makes a momumental mess of it.  That aside, the programme is an excellent teaching aid.

Thanks very much for your feedback.  I'm very pleased to hear you think the simulator is a useful teaching aid.    You're quite right - the combination of vehicles and scenario you describe Is too much even for the autopilot to handle!  Fortunately, I understand more manoeuvring space is given for long trailers in the real-world B+E test.   The current B+E scene only really works for shorter trailers so it looks like I'll need to add a long trailer version too!

So good for practicing reversing the horse trailer without the actual stress that's involved on the days you're actually moving horses. So exciting to be able to 'see' my own trailer too. I find the mirror views most useful compared to the Birds Eye view and will keep practicing. It would be a great improvement if you could view the mirror views as split screen (as would be more similar to real life). Well done. 

Thanks very much for your positive feedback.  The split screen (multi-view) option you mention is already available in the Windows version of the app.  Displaying multiple views on mobile devices (phones) is challenging due to the limited screen size but I will take another look at how this might be done.

Hi Jim,

Just wanted to compliment you on you superb programme. Excellent, true to life operation  which is even more enhanced with the addition of the Mirror surrounds. You are an absolute genius sir.  I never get fed up practicing on this programme it will come in handy for when I am out with my caravan. Keep up the good work. If ever anyone is looking for verification on how good your programme is feel free to point them in my direction.

Regards

James

Thanks for your very kind words, James!  Glad you like the new Mirror Surrounds feature.

Love, it!

Thanks very much Alex!

Thank you very much indeed for your kind comments Serban.   It's really useful to hear what you think of the different views available and how you are making use of them.

Great app and it has helped me with the mechanics of my reversing both car and HGV trailers, especilally being able to see what the wheels are doing. I'm not so keen on the mirror options though. Would it be possible to give a true L/H mirror, R/H mirrow view like you get when in the drivers seat as at the moment the images seem to be flipped? 

Thanks very much for the positve feedback Mark.  I'm 99.9% sure the mirror images are the right way round but please take a look at the Mirror Labels page, which will hopefully clarify things.  If you're still not convinced, please let me know!

Yes, you are right. I think there is some weird brain correction thing going on that made me think it was wrong. Maybe because in the real world you see the rest of the world the correct way and a small image in the wing mirror flipped horozontally. 

Brilliant app, helping me get ready to tow my camper. I would like a few more vehicle and trailer options. Also I think the option to use the steering wheel as the controls would be great

Hi Jade.  Thanks very much for your comments and suggestions.  If there is a particular vehicle or trailer you would like me to add, please message me via the Contact page.

Very awesome.

This is going to help getting in some practice.

Are steering wheels already usable on the software? (Would need to buy one, so I can't test it.

Thanks very much for your comments Daniel.   Details of how to access steering wheel support can be found on the Registration page.

Great caravan simulator. I have tried all options and too many different situations. I also switched between too many view options to understand which direction I should move the steering wheel. I also tried other games/simulators before, but none of them gave me a real driving experience.

Toller Wohnwagen-Simulator. Ich habe alle Optionen und zu viele verschiedene Situationen ausprobiert. Ich habe auch zwischen zu vielen Ansichtsmöglichkeiten gewechselt, um zu verstehen, in welche Richtung ich das Lenkrad bewegen sollte. Vorher habe ich auch andere Spiele/Simulatoren ausprobiert, aber keines davon hat mir ein echtes Fahrgefühl vermittelt.

Hi Niyazi.   Thanks very much for your comments.  I am very pleased to hear you feel the experience is realistic!  

Thank you! I just purchased a camper trailer. I have a narrow driveway and am on a busy road. I don't have many places to 'practice.' This feels just like the real thing. Thanks again!

Thank you very much for your kind comments, Adam!

Just an update on my last comment.

I have now got my caravan from France back to the UK and stopped at 4 campsites along the way and I was amazed that I could reverse onto the pitch with no problems just as in the simulator.Your software is excellent and taught me to confidently reverse so expect a donation for your time and trouble to write this.Thank you once again.

Thank you so much for your positive feedback Mel!

Its really good software, great job , I really improved while prapering for my HGV test .Thank you 

Thanks very much Mohammad.   Really pleased you found the software helpful!

Hi Jim,

Just wanted to compliment you on your great piece of software. I really enjoy honing my reversing skills. It has really come in handy when reversing ny caravan for real.

Thanks James

Thanks a lot James.  Positive feedback like this really makes the project worthwile.

Hi Jim, 

No problem sir. 

Great piece of software and now feel confident to bring my caravan back to the UK as it's been stored there for the last 7 years with only short trips to a local campsite and now needs some repairs due to damp getting in while we have been locked down.

Thanks very much for your nice comments Mel.

Hey, would it be possible to add another trailer behind as a tandem trailer setup for testing? Thanks. 

Hi Brandon.  Thanks very much for the suggestion - I think this would be a real challenge!   Please message me directly via the Contact page to discuss this further.

Great software. If you added a HGV part to it, this would take off!

Thanks very much SC.   I will certainly investigate what it would take to make the simulator usable for HGV drivers.

Hi there,

Thank you for a just gorgeous software! I find the Windows version even better than the Android app. As other users have suggested, a steering wheel compatibility would add much reality feel, as well as real motor skill training. Is this feature up and coming?

Best wishes,

Hi Simon.   Thank you very much for your kind comments!

Work on this feature is now in progress and I hope to be calling soon for volunteers to help test it.

Great! I look forward to see it.

i just purchased a Wingman Formula GP steering wheel and would be glad to test it with ReverseMyTrailer

Hi Jim,

a bit more info on my last comment:

It was for a SUV and Horse Trailer1 reversing through a Gate in wall.

The issue also appears to be there for Driver View in the other options.

Another way to identify the issue is that when the steering wheel is turned Right, the tow bar moves left (in Driver view)!

Regards

Chris

Hi Chris.  I hope the Mirror Labels page will help explain the movement of the tow bar too.  If not, please let me know.

Thanks Jim.

Agreed all OK, because its a reflected image!

Jim, absolutely fantastic piece of software.  You have thought of just about everything.

However, I believe that the Driver View is in an incorrect orientation.

i.e. In the other views (Observer and plan view caption on RHS), the turn direction is towards the driver from a passengers perspective, but in the Driver's View the opposite is shown.

Hope this makes sense.

Hi Christopher.  Thanks very much for your comments.

I'm fairly sure all of the orientations are correct but there's always a chance I've missed something! 

Please take a look at the Mirror Labels page, which might make things clearer.  If you're still not convinced, please let me know so we can discuss it further.

Is reversemytrailer compatible with any steering wheel/pedal controllers?

Hi Shaun.   There's no support yet for steering wheel controllers but I'm hoping to add this very soon!

Downloaded to have a play as I am about to teach my wife to back up the caravan.   I'd love to see the steering wheel on top of the screen in mutli view so that I can actually see it turning in the relevant direction.  possibly even control it with the mouse to make it even more realistic.

Hi Brad.  Thanks very much for your suggestions - I'll add them to the list for consideration!

My wife and I used this app to help prepare for our B+E tests. The top-down view really helped us to make the link between steering input and the direction the trailer moves.

This app is a must-have for anyone with an upcoming B+E test!

Great app and great developer. Cheers!

Thanks very much, Chris!

Very helpful application to understand the mechanics of reversing a trailer. Especially for visual learners like me. It helped me to get my BE trailer driving license!

The top view is great to get a feeling for the overall situation while the rear mirror view is a very realistic simulator of what you see if you are actually in the car.

Thanks very much for your kind comments, Jarno.

Supperb, when I  first started I was hopeless. Now after 8 hours of practice I am very confident in my abilty to use a trailer. Thankyou. A five pound donation to you. Cheers.

Thank you very much Paul.  Great to hear you found it useful!

Great program, it really helped us before going to our caravan towing course - the instructor was amazed that my wife and I did the reversing manoeuvre on our first attempts!

One suggestion - make the mouse wheel control the left/right movement. That way, you can turn the mouse 90 degrees and pretend it's a steering wheel. I already do this by putting the mouse arrow on the steering slider bar, but it's a bit fiddly and any slight movement of the mouse scuppers it.

Thanks and keep up the great work!

Thanks very much for your comments and also your interesting suggestion.   I'm currently working on some improvements to the driving controls so I will look into offering this as another steering option.

Hi Jin,

thank you very much for your app... tomorrow I have the B+E exam and If I approve It's thanks to your simulator that it helped me a lot to understand how the trailers reacts with wheel movements. This app should be recomended in every auto school, the problem is that reduces the number of classes that you have to do and their income :)

Excellent work!

Hi Ruben.   Thank you so much for your very kind comments!  It's a pleasure to have been able to help.

When will there be an Apple version? This was recommended on Horse & Hound as well as British Horse Society. Need the version for iOS 

Hi Heather.   I'm very glad to hear you're eager for the iOS version to be available!  It's currently going through final testing and if all goes well it should be ready within the next few days.

Hi

Firstly, excellent work, really good and useful piece of software, however I would like to add one thing.

I am red/green colour blind and am having serious difficulty with the small grid map in the bottom right hand side of the simulation screen and when I look at the birds eye view. I really struggle to the vehicle and trailer against the background! Is there anyway to be able to change the colours on the background, and or vehicle and trailer?

Thanks very much for making this point.   There is no way to change these colours at the moment but I agree there should be.    I'll email you separately to discuss this in more detail.

I really like your application. Thank you! However I have few ideas for a potential improvement.

1. It would be nice to have some really small and low trailer e.g. 2m long motorcycle trailer - short geometry should be harder to control. Low profile harder to check visualy.

2. Many tips on the internet recommends to handle steering wheel at the bottom, to match direction of trailer with the hand movement - it would be nice to show whole circle on steering graph - so one can focus on bottom part as well.

3. Little bit higher maximum forward speed would be nice to save time during initial position setup.

4. Customizable key bindings would be great - stoping with the right click, maybe steering with the mouse wheel etc

Again thank you very much for the app, I'm looking forward for a real experience in the following days.

Thanks very much for your excellent suggestions.  I was already planning to add a short wheelbase trailer, which can be really difficult to manoeuvre as you rightly point out.   I'll also take a look at your other ideas as soon as I can.

This app was really helpful in getting my B+E licence. A couple of hours in the simultaror combined with 1.5 hours of real trailer reversing was enough to seal the deal, without any previous experiance in reversing enclosed trailers. This program is really good too get the inital training.

/Fredrik, Sweden

Thank you very much for your kind comments.  It's great to know we've been able to help you!

thanks a lot for this great piece of work! Could you possibly consider to add support for real driving wheels and pedals (basically Joystick)? In my understanding this would be a tremendous leap towards putting this knowledge into life proficiency.

Kind regards from Germany.

Thanks very much for your positive feedback!  I'm pleased to say that adding support for gaming controls is already on the list for future development.  I believe it would add an extra level of realism to the simulator experience and I hope to look into it over the next few weeks. 

The app worked very well for me, I especially liked the physics tutorial. Practicing a bit before my first real life attempt with the trailer helped me!
The only feature I could imagine adding is being able to customize/change the geometry, eg width of the road, width and length of the ramp, width of the garage door. 
Thanks for the nice work,
Gabor

Thanks very much for your feedback - I'm glad you found the app useful!

Your suggestion about customising the dimensions of scene objects is a very good one.   It would allow users to set their own levels of difficulty and is something I hope to implement in the future. 

Very nice simulator! It could use a split screen view showing just the mirrors simultaneously. I found the mouse is the best device for steering in this since you have both speed and control. I also found the "quick start" was anything but! most of it is self explanatory, just launch the sim and then have a help button. The android version could use tilt to steer too. Can you add harder obstacles, like reverse and park in a garage?
(posted on Youtube 03/08/2020)

Great learning tool! Thanks for releasing it free too!

I want to contribute as a software developer. Any chance of the source code being open-sourced, or available for other contributors like myself to add features and give back? Cheers from Australia!

Thanks for the positive feedback!   Thanks also for the offer of help with new features but there are no plans at the moment to make the code open-source.

Had a play, suggestions to improve it:-
Make the forwards & reverse work from the up down arrows like the left & right arrows do the steering.
Have a view of both mirrors & front at same time. Like you would in a real car.
Sort out the left right view confusion.
Add a BE towing test reverse layout. The park between cars is similar but an actual sim of the test would seal the deal.

The up/down arrows should already control the forward/reverse speed - unless you are in Autopilot mode where forward is disabled. Please contact me separately about this and I'll try to help you get it working.

I'll look into adding the BE towing test reverse layout in the near future, although I don't want to risk positioning the program as an alternative to a real world training course - it definitely isn't!

Your right park & left park & corresponding mirror views dont seem to match.

Currently doing right park with right mirror view but the view is from the left mirror & the parking space is to the left of the car.

I get asked about this a lot but I'm pretty sure the images are the correct way round. It can be confusing because it's easy to forget that the screen images are not direct views but reflected views.

Using your example of a right turn approach with the right mirror view, the reflection of the side of the car and the side of the trailer should appear down the left edge of the mirror, with the parking space visible further over to the right (as in the real world).

Also, as you reverse into the gap you should expect the side of the trailer to become more visible in the mirror as the turn begins.

If you're not convinced, please let me know and I'll send you more detailed examples.

I was thinking about this last night. I this no your right. Its the size of the image and that it does not look like a mirror so the brain sees it as a direct view. Framing it in a mirror mask would help as would having both mirrors on screen at same time.

I agree with all of this. I will investigate some solutions.

I have been looking for a serious simulator for a while to point my clients to pre training. However this seems to have made a simple thing overly complex. Also to be of true value to help with doing it for real the only view that matters is a true style mirror view of both mirrors at same time with a front screen view ahead.
I will be down loading it now & trying it to the death to see if it is good enough for my clients.

Thanks very much for taking the time to try the program.

It has been difficult to find the right balance between making it simple to use but sophisticated enough to be of value. Although I'm currently showing only one mirror view at a time, I did experiment with multi-view displays. The main problem was trying to find a layout of views that would make best use of the space available on a single computer screen.

Here is a link to a demonstration video of one arrangement I tested but decided not to include in the current version. Please let me know what you think.
https://youtu.be/l4LSXxs2pO0.

If you couldmove the mirrors into the correct places it would be better. Better yet reduce mirror image size and shape them like mirrors. Make it like a car sim as the driver would see it.

I'll investigate some alternative multi-view layouts

Just a preliminary comment: I have seen ‘gaming’ style baby programs illustrating and simulating reversing with a caravan but have never found a ‘serious’ program which genuinely takes vehicle geometry into account. I shall download the program on my W10 pc and give an honest opinion then. But why could it not be there for my iPad, a perfect platform. I could have a virtual steering wheel and pedals...

Thanks very much for taking the time to try the program and I look forward to hearing your comments in due course. I'm sorry it's only available for Windows at the moment - that just happened to be the development environment I chose to use. I'm currently investigating the feasibility of making versions for Android and iOS but these will take some time to put together.