Hi all
Thought i’d do a wee diary of my c&e as i didnt really get round to it for my cat c
Well after passing my cat c a couple of weeks ago i have started lessons in the same truck with a trailer,
Truck is a Renault curtain side with a slapover box I think there called…?
basically a high and low box, you knock gear stick to the left for low box and to the right for high box, no flick switch.
Done 2 hours on Saturday morning and loved it, did ok with the reverse, done it 3 times and managed it with 1 or 2 shunts each time, I always seem to end up getting too close to the left hand cones in the final reverse bay, so need to shunt forward and straighten up.
also a big difference driving around town taking corners, i seem to be overcompensating for the trailer and coming out too much.
all in all I enjoyed it very much and my instructor doesn’t think it will take me much to get up to scratch, but to be honest I feel like I need a good heap of lessons.
will be going to do another 3 hours next Saturday and probably another 3 hours the Saturday after, then see how it goes from there.
Any tips for cornering, roundabouts & reversing will be hugely appreciated!
for a first time out sounds like you did okay dont worry it will all come together , how come you are doing lessons the way you are I thought that you took a weeks course with test at end , do you have a test date ? or when ready will book a test ?
I did a full weeks course for my cat C, was about a grand with test fee etc, I had to do it when i had 2 weeks holiday booked of work.
No more holidays left for the year so doing lessons when i can (weekends), its also a 120 mile round trip for me for my lessons lol.
My lessons are £50 an hour which i thought was quite good.
No test booked yet but i have paid for it, i would like to think i`ll be ready for the test by the end of the month, no rush
Sounds good like when you learn in a car you will have to keep us all posted on how its going , do you think you will need more lessons doing it this way or can you just pick up where you left off let us know how you get on in your next lesson
I hope to be honest i will spend less than another grand on a week course.
Will be 3 hours this Saturday, 3 the following then a couple before a test… so about £500
(maybe another 2 or 3 hours if needed)
Like i say though its my only option really as i have used all my holidays up for the year
It certainly doesn’t come cheap getting my Cat C&E with all the travelling, theory tests, lessons test
Basically spending the last of my savings, but hey ho, hopefully it will benefit me in the future especially as its looking very likely I will be made redundant soon in my current office job!
Well day 2 done, and scrap the above quote from me, i performed pretty badly today, i will need quite a few more hours!
i just couldn’t seem to reverse it today, i done 1 perfect one in about 12 crap ones
we spent a good bit of the 3 hours doing reversing and seems like something just hasn’t clicked with me and reversing, even though when i tried it last week it seemed ok?!? i could do the rigid reverse with my eyes closed and never had a problem with it at all.
The problem is my reverses are not consistent, I seem to do it different each time, and make a mess each time lol
tbh i feel at a bit of a low point after this morning and wondering why Im spending all my money on all this :frowning: Have got another 3 hours booked for next Saturday morning.. Maybe im better doing a few days in a row or something so it all properly sinks in.
I found reversing the hardest bit to get my head around. 1st half was always spot on but was always making a hash of getting it into the garage.
Don’t know which bit you are struggling with but remember you have the option of 2 shunts in a C+E test so it’s not the end of the world if you don’t get it in first time.
Best of luck for next week and maybe ask your trainer to demonstrate it again. It may help now you have had a few goes for you to watch him do it and see how he negotiates different parts of the course.
dar1976:
I found reversing the hardest bit to get my head around. 1st half was always spot on but was always making a hash of getting it into the garage.
Don’t know which bit you are struggling with but remember you have the option of 2 shunts in a C+E test so it’s not the end of the world if you don’t get it in first time.
Best of luck for next week and maybe ask your trainer to demonstrate it again. It may help now you have had a few goes for you to watch him do it and see how he negotiates different parts of the course.
Dean
thanks mate
i’ the opposite, make a mess up of the first bit but no too bad with the garage part.
just when i very start the reverse i think i bugger it up, what was your routine for the first part?
full lock then move or start to full lock while moving etc?
W&D mate.
i don’t think its the trainers fault, i just had a really bad day tbh, been up most the night with a sic child then 60 mile journey very early for my lesson, I was a bit zonked.
I too at first struggled with the reverse for C+E, don’t worry this is normal for most people and you will eventually get your head around on how to maneuver the trailer correctly so don’t worry too much. Day 3 i fully understood how to get the trailer where i wanted it and how much lock to use ect, the key is to use as less steering as you can, don’t over compensate.
As for starting off the maneuver i was always taught to put full lock on while stationary at first (Artic training) but listen to what your trainer says. Personally i don’t think it’s the best way to have lessons where you have one a week, but maybe that’s the only option for you?
brawngp:
I too at first struggled with the reverse for C+E, don’t worry this is normal for most people and you will eventually get your head around on how to maneuver the trailer correctly so don’t worry too much. Day 3 i fully understood how to get the trailer where i wanted it and how much lock to use ect, the key is to use as less steering as you can, don’t over compensate.
As for starting off the maneuver i was always taught to put full lock on while stationary at first (Artic training) but listen to what your trainer says. Personally i don’t think it’s the best way to have lessons where you have one a week, but maybe that’s the only option for you?
Goodluck with everything, it will come good
afraid so mate
i live 60 miles from any trainers, and i have used this years holidays up, did my C test (5 day course) with the last of my holidays not long ago.
i`d love an entire week again with c&e but cant see that happening until next year now… so lessons on the weekend seem my only option as i don’t want to loose it completely
with all the travelling, theory tests, lessons test 