We use chains and binders because, well, we've got 'em I second stopping after a short distance and checking your load. You might be wasting your time, but then again, you might just save your *** and someone else's life. Several years ago a women north of where I live had a board come through the windshield of the car she was riding in as a p***enger. It smashed her head pretty badly, blinding her in the process. If a board can do that much damage, imagine what your roughly 4-5K pound car will do.
I like that straps, stretch, and pull down the vehicle...chains have no ability to do so. Chains also, depending on material, rust, and can do more damage to the surfaces they may come in contact with. I like to see the vehicles suspension compress, when the straps are tightened...leave it in neutral, cinch the straps toward the tounge first, then the rear, always keep them spread as far apart as possible and the vehicle weight forward on the tounge. I keep the winch attached, also, as an extra precaution, although I run the cable through a Kevlar strap at the vehicle. Then, I put it in park after tightened, or set the brake and chock it, if manual. Thats what I was always taught, and have always done. Never had a prob... I stop and check it ALOT! I obsess, though...
I always use 2 chains in the front around the axle, or a arm and 2 chains in the back around the rearend. My trick is to let all the air out of the tires, chain it down and tighten the binders are tight as I possibly can with the help of a cheater bar, and then pump the tires back up. By doing that if there is any place where the chains aren't tight when the tires inflate it takes up that slack and it's super tight. I've never been one to trust a strap when hauling a vehicle. Moving a couch or a washing machine, I'll use a strap, but a car, chain is the only way to go IMO.
All that and then run it in the fast lane at 80 mph with the stereo full blast and never check the rear view mirrors! See it all the time.
Straps are fine,, 2 in the front straight ahead from the ch***is, 2 in the rear X-ed from the rear end. Few years ago we had a customer rolled his truck and enclosed trailer (he wasnt hurt) he sent us pictures of his car upside down hanging from the straps.
I've been helping haul cars since before I coulld drive them I'd guess I've helped load up and haul about 300 cars which isn't bad for 23 year I haven't lost a vehicle yet. Now I drive trucks for the goverment(USMC) and we secure all kinds of stuff to our trucks with rachet straps.
Pretty much everyone here will be fine and not loose a car in normal transportation. Its the abnormal incidents that one has to account for as best as possible. I always work to the ideal, Plan for the worst, Hope for the best. Kept me alive through 6 different combat theaters. I think it would work here too. Think of the absolute worst thing that could go wrong, I guess in this case a traffic accident (Abnormally fast accel/decell speeds) and set up to survive that. If that means chains and straps so be it. Doc.
As an Ironworker and a certified heavylift rigger, I find straps to be proper devices for tiedowns. The important thing to pay attention to is correct use. Sharp edges are the hazard to be most often encountered when binding down a vehicle, such as tail pipe hangers shock bolts and other things of this nature. Also vehicle wieght is greatly increased by heavy breaking or hard turning. In our usage if a sling is subjected to a shock load it is taken out of service for recertification or disgarded. Also web type straps should not be left exposed to direct UV rays, as they will reduce the srength greatly. Knots should not be used on staps as they will reduce strength by as much as 50%. Another factor to consider is chinese made devices are always to be watched carefully because thier quality is very much suspect. I recently towed a model a ford coupe from california to Louisiana with 3000 lbs. staps from home depot with no problems. I did use 6 straps and also chains for added safety, with the chains left slightly loose. The safety factor for slings and straps is set at a ratio of 5 to1 with the safe working load being the lower number and 5 being the fail point. Highway truckers used slings as much as possible because they are much easier for one man to deal with. If you notice on the road they will use a softener around sharp edges to protect the straps MickeyC from the bayou
I run a wrecker and a rollback for a living. 90% of how we strap down cars in using straps. AW Direct and Truck N Tow are good places to buy properly rated straps. Always use a 4 point tie down. I have seen guys using just the winch to hold their chains tight lose cars.
Why, I've only been hauling stuff for 10 years and only lost 4 cars so far. Really, its been over 30 and after the 1st car we ever moved, have not lost one since. You have to learn somehow, we learned on the 1st one what not to do. We had that one tied down with chains holding it from rolling back real good, never even thought it might roll forward! We were heading to the race track with our dirt car on the trailer, when a light we were coming up on turned red. My buddy (car, truck and trailer owner) slamed on the brakes and the car rolled off the front of the trailer and stopped at the trucks tailgate. Took us about an hour to get it back on the trailer. Since then its been 2 chains pulling forward and 2 chains pulling backwards, all tied to suspension pieces. I see nothing wrong with using good USA made heavy duty rachet straps in place of the chains. What amazes me is how lax many people are about tying things onto trailers. I was with a guy once that was hauling a race car frame to someone. We put the frame on the trailer and he was ready to go, not tied down at all. I questioned him and his responce, "Never lost anything yet!" We were about 4 blocks from his house, pulling away from a stop and the frame slid off the trailer and onto the ground! Fortunately, nothing was damaged and we were the only ones there. We through it back on the trailer, tied it down and delivered it. He has tied everything down since then. I saw another guy using a wood decked trailer to haul a race car to and from the track. The front stops were 2" x4" wood blocks nailed to the trailer floor and the car was pulled against those with a come-a-long. Nothing on the rear, nothing else on the front, and this was probably a $20,000 car! When I saw that, I had a fit, and he unhappily added a couple 2" Walmart rachet straps. Don't know what he uses these days, but I suspect he is another guy that goes around saying "never lost one yet". I could go on, but you get the idea. Until someone actually looses one, or knows someone that has, most just don't think whatever they do is wrong. Gene
s'what do, except my chains are on built on ratchet tensioners on my trailer and my winch is a 10ton cap ship's hand crank winch and my trailer has lock in wheel chocks to (got that idea from my he****).
The Jalopy Journal
