Posted by PickupTrucks.com Staff | May 20, 2015

By Aaron Bragman

Towing is an integral part of pickup truck ownership for some people. The ability to hitch up a trailer and haul whatever you like, anywhere you like is a measure of freedom that Americans are fortunate to enjoy. But towing also can be a major source of stress for truck owners, especially new ones who haven't yet mastered the skills necessary to operate a truck with a trailer attached — especially in reverse. Even the most seasoned trailering veterans can get confused sometimes: Which way do you turn the wheel to get the truck to go in the direction necessary to turn the trailer the way you want it? For old hats, it's challenging. For newbies, it's downright daunting.

Ford thinks it's come up with a solution, employing all of the electronic controls, cameras and sensors available on the redesigned F-150. Called the Pro Trailer Backup Assist, the system allows the pickup driver to use a knob on the dashboard to control where he or she wants the trailer to go, without touching the truck's steering wheel. Sounds like magic, doesn't it? Works like magic too.

There's some process and setup involved at first. When you order the new trailer tow package for 2016 (which is likely to cost a few hundred dollars more than the $695 it costs for 2015, according to Ford), you will get six special checkerboard stickers. To make the system work, you affix one of them to the trailer's tongue in sight of the truck's backup camera. Then you break out your tape measure because you have to input four metrics into the F-150's computer so that it knows exactly how big your trailer is. You'll measure the distance from the truck's license plate to the center hitch ball, from the center ball to the sticker, from the backup camera lens to the center of the sticker, and from the tailgate to the center of the trailer's axle (or the average of its multiple axles if it has more than one). Put all that info into the system, name your trailer, store it (the system can save info for up to 10 trailers) and you're ready to go.

The truck needs to know how big your trailer is as it uses that info to help guide the pickup-trailer combination using electronic steering controls. Using many of the same sensors and systems that Ford uses for its automatic parking and lane keep assist systems, it turns the wheel and limits your speed as you do nothing but guide the trailer using a knob on the dash and operate the brake and throttle. The more you turn the knob on the dash, the more the trailer turns. Let the knob go, and it returns to center, and as you back up it centers the truck on the trailer. Gone is the guesswork on how much to turn the steering wheel, in what direction, etc.

For veteran trailering people, it's going to require some relearning and practice. For folks new to the activity, it will also require some practice — but it does simplify the task considerably.

I tried the system out at a marina just south of Detroit, where Ford brought a 2016 F-150 prototype and a MasterCraft ski boat hooked to a single-axle trailer (the system can accommodate trailers up to about 33 feet long). The assembled media were given a demonstration, then invited to try the system for themselves by backing the boat down the ramp into the water.

Having done my fair share of towing and trailering, I fell into the camp that needed to unlearn my backing-up skills. But I quickly found that with a little practice on a large, flat parking lot, I could accurately put the trailer where I wanted it in less time than it would have taken had I been sawing the steering wheel myself. It's eerie to watch the pickup spin its steering wheel freely — without you touching it — as you simply steer the trailer where you want it to go using the dash knob. But no more so than Ford's equally eerie yet accurate automatic parallel parking feature. And if you feel offended that the truck is now going to take over and replace your hard-earned backing-up skills with electronic nanny control, know that the system is entirely defeatable — simply don't switch it on when you back up or steer for yourself using the wheel instead of the knob.

We predict more owners will be using it than not, given the awesome convenience that the system provides. It will be a considerable boon to new truck owners and inexperienced towers looking to haul anything from their first camper to a race trailer. We're looking forward to trying it out in the real world as soon as 2016 F-150s become available.

The new feature will be available for order this summer at dealerships, but we don't expect to see any 2016 models on the ground until late fall or early winter. So far, Ford has five patents related to the new PTBA technology, with 10 more pending.

Cars.com photos by Aaron Bragman; manufacturer images