Manoeuvring on site: are walkie-talkies a good idea?

[tacr2man]

Mines 12mtrs+ have cameras all round , and good mirrors , but still find walkie talkies useful as its little branches small posts etc that can catch you out , and I'm used to maneuvering 6x6 recovery truck with 16.5 mtrs of artic on the hook ! Better safe than sorry

 

[Steve and Denise]

Drove artics for years never used walky talkys just hand signals no problems.

 

[Lenny HB]

Mainly used to help position the grey water dump valve (which is under the centre of the van) over the drain. She is practically on her hands and knees looking underneath, so I couldn't see her hand signals or hear her very well.

Fit a camera that's what I did.

 

[TinaLes]

We have rear view cameras, bus mirrors etc, but as we are tight, we share a mobile phone these daysWell she is always with me these days....mostly. She does tend to be overcautious as a newbie, so when she shouts STOP, I usually have about 3 feet clearance, but being a loving hubby I always believe her
I can see that in tight positions a walkie talkie might be a solution, unless of course someone well liked & known to your misses suddenly appears when she is supposed to be on duty.
One thing that never failed though in our caravaning days was of course the motor movers Absolutely great for tight spots, and getting the caravan out of muddy fields.
Maybe I should think about having some fitted to the moho eh?
Les

 

[GerTee]

Don't think it would work for us, wife doesn't no left from right so at least with her own unique style of hand signals we manage to get out of tricky spots

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[TheTwoOfUs]

We have a Vision Plus reversing camera which has a built-in microphone. It can be switched off so if you have one of these just check to make sure it's not been disabled.

 

[keithchesterfield2]

I remember the good old days when I had my man Servant walk in front with a red flag to warn others of my arrival and assisted with parking - a pity I ran him over, poor old Jeeves .....

 

[Reallyretired]

We have a couple of ht, don't often need them but not a heavy item. SWMBO directs but has a habit of standing in a blind spot and giving hand signals. Them needing the ptt pressed is not a problem as the communication is only one way.

 

[denisejoe]

Denise alwa

We have a couple of ht, don't often need them but not a heavy item. SWMBO directs but has a habit of standing in a blind spot and giving hand signals. Them needing the ptt pressed is not a problem as the communication is only one way.

Denise always stood where I couldn’t see her I finally went around the Back of the van and asked if she could see the mirrors that’s when the penny dropped

 

[bobandjanie]

Janie got some for when she was following in another vehicle, she kept telling me to turn my radio off, because she never had hers on.
Wouldn't have minded if we were listening to different radio stations. Bob.

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[ambulancekidd]

Don't think it would work for us, wife doesn't no left from right so at least with her own unique style of hand signals we manage to get out of tricky spots

My ex wife looked as if she was having some sort of sponsored epileptic on the odd occasion where I asked for guidance. Her arms waved about like a windmill, I used to get angry about it but, ended up laughing as her performance was hilarious.
Incidentally I only asked for guidance when there were kids hanging around, kids are bloody suicidal at the best of times.

 

[suavecarve]

if its a particularly tight bit we have facetimed each other I can then see what's happening without the need for the normal resultant arguments if it goes wrong (yet again) just remember to check the image isn't reversed.

In my mind i was poo pooing the walkie talkies and was in the "Had signals and open your windows", and thought, "Just keep quiet" but this idea is bleeding brilliant.
Can certainly "see" us using it

 

[Glas Robin]

Not sure walkie-talkies would help much.

The Memsahib usually stands in a blind spot and uses different/random/made-up hand signals.

Mind you, I wouldn’t trust her too much anyway; she thinks there are 16 inches in a foot and can only use those new-fangled Napoleonic metric measurements.

 

[Silver-Fox]

We have them, I really like them, my wife is always too embarrassed to use them - I don't know why - they are great at supermarkets and going off to the campsite shop. Not much use though if only one person will talk

She doesn’t have to talk as you can set up a kind of morse code system. So she can respond to your questions.

Yeah ok would be useless for you

 

[SuperMike]

When we arrive on site Managements only job is to decide which bit of the world she wants to see out of the windscreen. Any sort of directions from her, including whilst travelling are of no value. An example :

Whilst driving along one day we came to a tee junction. Left or right asks me and the reply was right.
So, I turned right at which point I was asked why, I had not turned right ?
I did turn right says I. Oh well, in that case, I meant left, was the response.

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[wingman]

Reversing/manoeuvring when arriving on site always results in a ‘domestic’!! First, I play spot the wife. Then, I have to translate a finger swirl into a corresponding movement of the streering wheel. Then I have to listen for her nails to gently tap on the van as a stop signal.

After nine attempts to park, she then tells me that I’m the ‘wrong’ way around for the sun. Grrrrr!

 

[PeteH]

Life has become decidedly easier since I fitted the Twin reversing Camera. I can watch it up to the point I lose the pitch mark and then switch to the other camera which can see the towball and how far back I need to go. Which as SWMBO has got less mobile is a bonus. Now all she does is watch for, Kids, dogs and trees from one position where I can see her.

 

[Lynne Roy]

Reversing cameras with sound are brilliant

 

[Stagman]

I have to admit, there is an element of boys toys.

We just bought some for our forthcoming trip to the outer hebrides. Will be travelling in convoy with our friends and dont expect a decent phone signal. Hoping the walkie talkies come into their own for communicating between vans.

 

[Minxy]

We just bought some for our forthcoming trip to the outer hebrides. Will be travelling in convoy with our friends and dont expect a decent phone signal. Hoping the walkie talkies come into their own for communicating between vans.

In order to save batteries, have a signal, eg a quick beep on the horn, to indicate that one of you wants to 'talk' to the other then you can both just switch them on when needed.

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[pawwavingpuppy]

We was on a camp site in the lake district last year, when a couple arrived in a big long 4 wheel drive thing with a huge twin axle caravan on the back. They stopped, got out, swopped seats, she hopped into the driving seat, and within seconds put that caravan exactly in the middle of the pitch....no manouvering, in first-time .
OH said wow what a woman
Spoke to her a few days later, apparently her dad taught her to reverse trailers on their farm, she'd been doing it since she was 12, her new partner apparently took a couple of goes and she found it embarrassing

 

[ABZSteve]

We use these. Cheap with unlimited minutes and not affected by the surroundings

 

[Anthea M]

Shouting works for me and a reversing camera for him!( I realised when I say stop and he doesn’t he hasn’t opened his window so can’t hear me!!

 

[Northernraider]

I've already trained the dog to bark once for left. Twice for right.

And she can almost say to me to you

 

[Feltwell]

I'd much rather just reverse using the mirrors, with my camera telling me when I'm close to whatever is immediately behind the van. The only time I get SWMBO to jump out is if there are overhanging trees that I won't be able to see in the mirrors. Personally, I wouldn't ever see a need for Walkie Talkies.

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[Nasher]

PMR radios are so cheap, why not buy a pair & try them?

 

[Zigisla]

There is a Walkie-talkie app for the iPhone. Don’t know how far apart it works, but saves having to buy them if you want to just try and see if it is something you want to do.

 

[Hymer 1961]

Upon arrival and prior to taxiing to the hard standing my wife jumps out of the cab and springs into action. Wearing her orange fluorescent vest and waving brightly coloured ping pong bats around in an almost manic marshalling fashion thus displaying a blatant disregard to health and safety, she somehow manages to guide me in. I have however, flatly refused to wear my pilots hat and announce to her over the tannoy “doors to manual”.
Oh! but only if this were true.

 

[Minxy]

We use these. Cheap with unlimited minutes and not affected by the surroundings

View attachment 289381

Ah ... but how long is the piece of string ....????? That's the very technical part that is often overlooked and difficult to get right.

 

[Minxy]

Hubby uses mirrors most of the time but if I do have to direct him in I use hand/arm signals (now, now .... although on occasion ... ....) trouble is although I've got them down to being easy to understand he sometimes just ignores them and ends up having to repeat manoeuvring until he gets it right ... if he continues to ignore me it is bl**dy annoying so I just leave him to it and he then sulks!

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