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2016 Ford F-150 Adds Pro Trailer Backup Assist System

Glassman

Glassman

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AR
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This is really neat technology. Heck, I could let my wife handle the rig with something like this.

On the other hand, I feel I've got to put my "Old Guy" hat on and say something like "We're going to forget how to do things for ourselves."

My concern: You're at a crowded ramp after a long day on the water. Now you need to retrieve your boat. This "Assist" system fails due to a bad sensor. You've never backed a trailer by hand in your life. Problem.

It's not any of us that will be "stuck" in this situation. It's our sons and daughters who grow up with this technology and won't know any other way.

I suppose our grandparents said the same thing about the automatic milking machine...
 
They make an automatic milking machine??? :confused:

and all this time I've been buying it in jugs! :p
 
I watched the video and you still need to "steer" it with a knob on the dash instead of the wheel. Confused me even more!

From what I can tell, it helps most with backing straight (keeps the "target" in the center). This can be very handy with short trailers but you still gotta use some gray matter to back the trailer around a curve.

It will be interesting to see or try in person, but one thing is for sure... Ford is foolish for claiming it will "make towing a trailer foolproof". Fools are amazingly creative. :D
 
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Any male on this planet can figure out the milking motion pretty quickly.:p
 
Does it have a button to help with Adult beverages?
 
Just another feature to make people crappier drivers. All these "innovations" only make people lazy.
 
I can't justify the cost of the truck (and I don't even know what it is) by that set of features alone. Besides I like that I do it the old fashioned / hard way. Its a good skill to have.
 
I have become pretty proud of my trailer maneuvering abilities as of late, but my problem is I rarely have "boat people" with me when I go out so that leaves me to have to drop the trailer in and pull it on basically by myself which takes a lot more time and pisses everyone off at the ramp. If this actually works well enough to dumbie proof trailer backing for some of my less than talented friends, I am in! Besides, I will need more than my naturally aspirated V6 to tow my next boat anyhoo. I pisses me off that we need technology like this.
 
d_coyne1984 said:
I have become pretty proud of my trailer maneuvering abilities as of late, but my problem is I rarely have "boat people" with me when I go out so that leaves me to have to drop the trailer in and pull it on basically by myself which takes a lot more time and pisses everyone off at the ramp. If this actually works well enough to dumbie proof trailer backing for some of my less than talented friends, I am in! Besides, I will need more than my naturally aspirated V6 to tow my next boat anyhoo. I pisses me off that we need technology like this.
Click to expand...

My wife can drive forward with trailer. I back down, jump out, launch, she parks. When we come back I'll back trailer in water, drive boat on, she will drive out. We take less time than average boater.
 
That is crazy! Pretty neat invention. I am proud of my trailer skills, but this would be cool to have for the wife to use if we still trailered the boat. I still remember Labor Day in 2010 before we were in the marina. I came around the bend at the local boat ramp and the line for the ramp was 20 deep. I just looked at my wife and said pick one........boat or trailer. She had somewhat done both to that point on slow days as training, but on this day we were going to have to be fast. She saw that I was serious and she just says "BOAT". So I put her in the water and off she went. When I cam back to the courtesy dock it was a mad house. Dock was maybe 15' x 20' in size and there was a doze boats fighting for a spot to pick up people. I thought for sure I was just going to have to swim to her. After about 15 minutes I see the "F'it" look on her face and she just make a bee line for the corner of the courtesy dock. She slowly pulls right up, I catch the bow and shove her back and step onto the boat at the same time. It was a pro maneuver!!! I gave her a big hug, slapped her on the ass, and said hand me a miller lite!!!
 
PolarXJ said:
Just another feature to make people crappier drivers. All these "innovations" only make people lazy.
Click to expand...
When I was teaching my son to reverse, he looked down at the rear camera display in my car. I was shocked. He said everyone he knows reverses with the display instead of the traditional 'arm around the passenger seat and turning your head to look backwards.' Well, now he has it down and it's a good thing since his car has not rear backup camera.
 
scokill said:
My wife can drive forward with trailer. I back down, jump out, launch, she parks. When we come back I'll back trailer in water, drive boat on, she will drive out. We take less time than average boater.
Click to expand...

I'm really proud of my gf, not only did she learn quickly how to back up and into the water allowing me to pull the boat off as she drives away but she is constantly improving her skills as I'm now able to have her drive the boat and trailer on the road. Definitely future wife material! :):)
I have my Class A license and I'm not surprised that they're coming out with this system, so many people cannot back up!
 
@MrWizard
Just curious....What is a "Class A" license?
 
Zarrella said:
@MrWizard
Just curious....What is a "Class A" license?
Click to expand...

Means that I can pretty much drive anything with wheels :) lol
Actually, it's a Commercial Drivers license... The 'A' denotes the class of vehicles I'm able to operate.
 
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