Monaco SIGNATURE 2001 series, Owner'S Manual

Page: 34 / 327

The five directional signals are:
1.
Co-pilot uses left hand and arm held horizontal
with forefinger pointing right to direct rear of
motorhome to the right.
2.
Co-pilot uses right hand and arm held horizontal
with forefinger pointing left to direct rear of
motorhome to the left.
3. Co-pilot uses both arms and hands parallel with
thumbs pointing up and to rear in a waving vertical
motion. This signals driver to maintain a straight
back direction.
4.
Co-pilot holds arms vertically, hands open with
palms facing one another. Start with a wide
separation, gradually closing distance of hands, in a
rate appropriate to vehicle speed, to indicate amount
of distance to stop point.
5. Closed fists indicates STOP.
Trailers:
Trailers have only one pivot point. Trailers may be backed up. Towed vehicles
using a tow bar or tow dolly have more than one pivoting point. This makes this type
of equipment not suitable for backing. If using this type of towing equipment, plan
ahead. Park safely along the road and walk a distance if necessary to avoid a possi-
ble back up situation. Try to avoid putting the motorhome and tow vehicle in a back-
ing situation. The only way to back up this combination is to completely disconnect
the tow vehicle from motorhome. Trying to back up this combination, even as small
as a foot, will result in damage to the motorhome, tow vehicle and towing device.
The same rules for backing a motorhome may be applied when backing a trailer.
When preparing to back a trailer into a space, maneuver the tow vehicle sweeping
wide, then turn back to the opposite direction. This will set the motorhome and trail-
er in a position to maneuver the trailer into space. When backing a trailer, the driver
may become disoriented with the direction of the steering wheel and the direction of
the trailer. A tip here is to move the bottom of the steering wheel in the desired direc-
tion of the trailer. For example: If the desired direction of the trailer is left, rotate the
bottom of the steering wheel left. If the trailer moves in an undesired direction, use a
short “pull-up” method, pulling forward just far enough to align the trailer with the
space. The co-pilot should stand safely at the left rear corner of the trailer within
view of the driver in the driver side mirror using the five hand signals for guiding.
CAUTION: Tow bars or car dollies generally are made to travel in a for-
ward direction only. Most towing equipment of this type is not designed
for backing. Never attempt short back up distances with a tow bar or tow
dolly. Damage to the motorhome, vehicle or towing device will result.
Driving & Safety
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