How to secure your vehicle on your trailer

X2. And make sure those tie-down pointes are secured to the trailer frame, not simply to the plywood floor.

 

One other thing NEVER let someone else tie it down for you, always check it yourself! you as the driver will pay the price if something happens. By law all vehicles are required to have all 4 corners tied down

 

As the skipper says "if you can't tie knots tie lots" The straps across the hood in the pic is just slack. I use lumber straps,,would not tie my vehicles down with those cheap*** offshore **** no matter what rating hopsing stamps on them.

 

I sit on the bucket and rest after I am done. small buckets are too close to the ground.

 

If just one member reads these posts and does it correctly it's been worth the time. Great advice. I feel better. I did something right! I do use the cheap ***ed straps but use the 2" wide 5000# pretty red ones.
Chains and binders are for logs and yellow dozer blades. I hauled many of those too.

 

I've done hundreds of trips towing stock cars on open trailers with 1 or 2 comealongs to hold them down. Sometimes 120+ miles a week up to 75 MPH on the Long Island Expressway.

Looking back, not the best way to be doing it, but I never had one come lose or move at all once it was socked down and checked. If I had to do it again, I'd probably be using a real trailer (made by someone else... gasp...) that had the correct tie-down points on it.

Bob

 

What's a trailer??????????

 

It's a device used to get your next hot rod project home.

 

What post 31 said and make sure you stop after a cupple miles and check your load on the trialer ore in your pants if it came loose.

 

I use wheel baskets on the front wheels, tie them down first, then pull the car back tight with crossed rachet straps in the rear. As always it is a good idea to stop out 15/20 miles into the trip to check.Wether in an enclosed or on a car hauler serious damage can be done on a trailer.

Big Jim

 

I take the tires off the rims and weld the rims to the steel decked trailer.

It is a ***** to unload.

 

Before you tie it down, Think of hitting a solid brick wall and then wonder what is going to stop that two ton weight from coming through the trailer wall and parking in the seat next to you.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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At about this time, you should have in mind two chains, capable of holding 8 tons of inertia.<o></o>

 

I've used both chains and straps and I really like the straps better. I never had any real problem with chains, although I have seen binders that were tied closed snap open. I used to use hose clamps for that myself.

That said, I started using straps 20 years ago and I haven't looked back.

 

I agree with this. I also take it one step further... I always hook the trailer to the truck myself. I've seen a boat trailer leave the ball before and the owner said he never checked it because his brother backed him up and hooked up the trailer. Doesn't matter who they are or how much experience they have. It is the DRIVERS responsibility to make sure the hitch is properly engaged and secured. It takes two seconds to check and could save you hours of heartache not to mention people can get hurt. The car you save could be your own.

 

There are not too many solid brick walls between here and central Illinois and I don't intend to go off route looking for any. As for big trucks and confused people in other cars, I do my best to avoid all of them.
Just to clear it up, we moved and needed to haul a bunch of cars, one at a time, to my place of retirement. None of my cars are or ever were trailer queens but since my wife does not drive I had no other choice.... That is since I am too cheap to pay to have them transported.
Being a retarded trucker I figured a few more trailer loads wouldn't be too difficult. Actually the seven trips were fun. Using care and common sense helps. I know, I've lost that since retiring a**** other things.

 

I do what's been posted but I'll post anyway.

4 Straps criss crossed with the winch cable tight even if the car was driven on the trailer. I always stop and double check my straps after a few miles except the last time...I was talking to my dad and was overly excited and forgot to check them. When we got to his house to drop him off the car clunked and I went and looked and the rear straps came loose so everytime I stopped it rolled forward and then back again when I would start off. Good thing I had that winch cable on there.

 

Trailers, balls, hitches, and nuts.
I wrote this before in a thread. Years ago trailer balls had a separate threaded stud that screwed into the ball. Then the standard large nut and washer held this on the reciever. We didn't know this.
I was driving my buddies pickup truck with a simple ball like that bolted to the heavy Chevy bumper with that recessed center plate. Drove taking turns from near Peoria, Ill to Mexico,MO, headed for Lake of Ozarks. I felt the boat trailer jerk and bang the rear of the truck. Lucky all three of us guys being semipro truckers had it under control. I stopped to find the trailer tounge sitting on that bumper plate. We each chewed the other out for not hooking it tight.
We soon saw the ball was still in the trailer coupling. That stud with the nut was gone. Don't believe those are sold anymore. Check your balls to make sure your stud is not a screw in type. Don't want you loosing your nuts along the way. It was there we discovered our very first Wal Mart.

 

When I was a teenager in the late 60's, I worked at a Ford dealer, and the new cars would come in on the transports with the chains attached to brackets bolted to the frames, and the tires were between 40 and 50 pounds. One of my jobs was to remove the brackets and adjust the tire pressures to normal.

I've never hauled a car on a trailer, just a tow dolly, which used the strap 'buckets' over the front tires.

 

It was explained to me by a old timer over-the-road trucker, that "you should be able to flip the trailer over and shake it, and nothing should fall off".

I'm not sure about that cris-cross strap method. I've used it before without issue, but it seems to me that if a strap breaks or comes loose, your load will shift.

 

I've dragged cars all over the country, some valued in excess of $1million dollars. If it's convienient w/out hurting anything I like to criss-cross the back only. The front hits 2 steel stops and I set the brake and leave em in 1st gear. Always let the suspension work when you tie things down, always 1st rate straps. They're a cheap form of insurance. The most important thing to remember is WHAT YOU'RE DOING. You're towing more wt than you're driving. Plan ahead. Check for construction. Avoid rush hour traffic and leave room for stopping. It all makes a difference. You never want your *** so tight you're makin diamonds, but remembering what your doing is the best piece of mind there is. Axle loops are a must also vs directly st****d. As tight as you can get it, movement is still important. Some straps do both, go over the axle and loop to themselves. Nice to have for cars with lots of overhang. Good luck and be safe...but not scared.

 

I cross my straps front and back.

 

HIGHLANDER it's always nice to get a pro's ideas. But one thing---------
Good luck and be safe...but not scared. ------------
I personally feel we should always be scared. Makes us more careful. When a biker or rodder is no longer scared he is no longer careful. Be scared, be very very scared.


I also feel better about the crossing of the straps. I felt that was better. Then at the beginning of this thread several guys said it was dangerous bcause if a strap breaks the load will pull the other way. If the straps break or come loose you're in trouble anyway.

Just think, they make cross your heart bras for safety. <!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

 

Agree with Highlander--do it the same way with quality straps and axle loops with protective covering--go a few miles and stop to check--another 50 miles-check again. Incidently, had a crew hauling a little mule on a trailer on several occasions. Highway Patrol gave a ticket for straps not being croseed on the rear once and again for having only one strap on the rear but wrapped aroung the rearend and secured on each rear corner trailer (bad practice). Have to be extra vigilant when towing cause other drivers at not-recently had a 5 ton truck try to drive up over my open trailer with no car on it--obviously didn't see the trailer --was a wild ride for a bit.

 

That's what I do, but I leave the come-along tight and connected to the front axle or hook or a-frame. I was towing an El Camino project up El Cajon p***, got flagged down by a trucker and discovered that both rear straps had slipped their hooks. Eye opener for sure.

 

Double check those trailer couplers and make sure the chains are properly crossed.


One more ooops because we can never be too careful. Back in 1964 I bought my 1926 Model T touring from an old guy only 20 miles from home. He offered to haul it home on his flatbed trailer. This was also before I became a trucker.
We loaded and tied it down as best I remember. Mr Carl already had his trailer hitched to his truck and I do remember safety chains.
I was in hog heaven. Had me a nice Model T touring to play with. Mr Carl had at least one or two of just about every 26 T there was, trucks too. He knew his T's and he educated me on the way home 20 miles across rural Illinois.
Backed into my driveway and we untied the T and pushed it toward the back of the trailer, after setting up the ramps. We used short boards to slow and stop the Model T as we progressed rearward off that trailer. Not quiet to the ramps the nose of the trailer jumped skyward. Stopping only when the chains were tight. He'd forgotten to hook the coupler. Pulled that ****er 20+ miles home uncoupled. Nearly lost my new toy.
Hauling our cars on trailers is not a game and things should be checked and double checked several times.

 

How about the D.O.T. in the state you are trailering in do thay have regulation

 

One of the most overlooked regulations is the lack of trailer brakes. Probably all states now have laws that state over **X weight the trailer must have good working brakes . My tandem axle farm type flatbead has four wheel electric brakes with a controler under the dash easy to get to if manual operation is needed.
Even though I was a retired trucker, I made seven trips between Illinois and Florida hauling my cars and way too much junk and never stopped at a scale.

 

I switched from straps to wheel baskets. I believe there is a advantage going over the wheel and it lets the suspension work on the car.

 

I have delivered brand new Vipers many times. I have an enclosed 28' trailer and I cross the straps and all four corners and leave the winch cable attached. After a few miles of travel I always stop and give the straps an extra click or two. Never damaged a single vehicle.

 

I've been in vehicle transport for 20 odd years and here in NZ this is the choice of the professionals moving new cars. The wheel over style locates the wheel, allows the suspension to work as it should and keeps the car securly located without touching or scratching the body work. All our straps have to be certified and do not come cheap however very rarely do we ever have a failure
The important issue to note is that you need to use securing devices that are rated twice the load being tied down for the forward movement and the same rating as the load weight for any rear movement.
So if we have a 2 ton vehicle on a trailer we need 4 tons of load rating to stop the vehcile moving forward up against 2 ton to stop it rolling off
The worst load factor in transporting a load is the sudden stop from going forward. If you hit the "brick wall" this is the most negative "g" force you can encounter.
Acceleration does not impart such high loadings as ther "stop' factor.
If I am at home moving a car on a tailer I always over use the number of strops for the forward movement restraint and equal the rear movement etc. You cannot alter the laws of Physics and when the load breaks loose its no use saying "**** we should have done that better'.
Winches are a good and interesting point. Yes they are uselful but i have always been taught never to rely on them to secure the load - Use them by all means as an additional layer of security however they are a mechanical devive with a rawl claw and these , if not lached in properly or are worn, can "jump' out and go slack.