VCCA Home Forums GENERAL DISCUSSION Hauling or Trailering Tie Down

I have a question about tie downs. I know or at least I think I know that most in-closed trailers have D-rings mounted to the floor but what type on tie down do you use to secure the car to the D-rings while transporting. And where would they hook on the car.

Most people use ratcheting webbed straps. I recommend those of at least 5000 lbs load strength. I think the best are those with spring loaded retainer on the hooked ends. There are also open hooked ends but if the straps loosen too much will jump off the D rings and provide no retention.

Many people hook straps to the frame or other parts that are free to move up and down. That is not smart as it puts undue pressure on the straps and attaching locations when the vehicle responds to bumps and bounces. It is far better to attach the straps as close to the wheels as practical. That allows the body to move but reduces the strain on the straps and keeps the vehicle in place. There are separate axle straps that are available and even some hooked ended straps with adjustable axle loops in one end. I have three sets of straps and use each depending on the trailer and load.

It is common for trailer manufacturers to put the D-rings anywhere in the trailer. I prefer them to have at least the furthest side from the trailer center to be bolted through a metal floor brace. It is much tougher to pull the D-ring out of the brace than 3/4" plywood flooring.

Chipper can you provide me with a vendor or a manufacturer so I could look this up on-line so I have an idea what to look for. Thanks for the information.

I have bought them from swap meets, Tractor Supply, Sam's Club and trailer sales places. I suggest googling trailer tie down straps and see what you find.

If you have a Camping World nearby you could check out their stock.

Thanks to both of you I just was not thinking to clear yesterday.

Hi Andy,

Here is a link for top quality tie downs.
I also recommmend the 10,000psi version and use at least FOUR.

The ends of the tiedowns will be determined by the vehicle application. For a framed vehicle, you can usually use the holes in the frame and the rear axle - as an example.

If the vehicle is unibody... there are specific holes in the body used for tiedowns, and quite often, a hook or clasp will not fit. You will require a "T" or "J" hook as an example.

Some prefer to X the tie downs in the rear. Good idea for keeping the vehicle centered in the trailer - however, it can severely reduce the capacity of the tie down - since it is no longer being used in a "straight line".

Hope that helps.....

no link here.

A common practice here is to tie the wheel to the floor and leave the suspension to do its bit unrestrained, that way there is no loosening and snap tightening of the tie down and the hooks can not undo.
Tony

I agree that it is best to tie down the wheels or axles and not the body. Tying the body or frame puts tons of force in the straps when the trailer goes over bumps and humps. When the suspension is free to move then most of that force is dissipated and not transferred to the straps.

I respectfully disagree.

I prefer to tie the BODY (frame) down, pulling it down with some decent tension on the car's suspension travel - compressing the suspesion somewhat. I learned this the hard way (like most lessons). A car body free to "bounce" with just the wheels secured allows a LOT of bouncing. Remember, the trailer has a suspension, too. So bouncing is ampliefied in the car's suspension inside the trailer.

I destroyed a gas tank on an early car this way. There was a good 8 to 10 inches of clearance when I tied the axles down. When I unloaded, the car body had bounced so vigorously that it had slammed down and dented up the bottom of the tank on the knuckles (hooks) of the tie down straps.

By using 4 grossly over-rated tie down straps (10,000 lbs) and "crossing" them to keep the car centered in the trailer, the car stays nice and fixed in postion. I have several times towed cars 1,000 miles plus, and never had a problem this way.

Before I learned to cross the straps, I had a pickup truck inside the trailer that "danced" so far sideways I actually had to jack up the front and shove it over to be able to get it out of the trailer (to clear the trailer wheel well protrusions).

I always stop after 50 to 100 miles and re-tighten the straps. Even though they seem tight when you leave, all the slack gets worked out after a few miles of things shifting and settling. After that initial re-tightening, good for the next 1,000 miles.

That's my opinion, and it works very well for me and is based on my experience, which includes trailering cars about 70,000 miles in the past 15 years or so.

(I am sure others will have strong opinions that their system is the most intelligent and well-engineered way to do it, too. Kinda like sex, politics and religion, I ain't gonna argue with 'em, cause I ain't gonna change their minds...)

Chipper, to see how best to tie your car or truck down in your trailer, you need to ride in the trailer with the car going over some of those highways in the Ozarks. That may change your mind!

You also should use a heavyier duty strap (10,000 Lb.) and no spring end.





I use this method, I learned to do this when I hauled Heavy Equipment back in the late 50s hauling large rubber tired Michigan and Cat loaders and dozers. I hauled them on Lo-boys and flat bed floats, with very little room on the sides for movement. It took several trips to be able to judge how much tension to put on the chains,too much and the huge tires and heavy equipment would bounce and either snap a chain or if too loose the machine would work dangerously close to the edge of the trailer. In fact I used chainers and load binders (Boomers)back then and on my car haulers until around 1997 when I began using heavy duty nylon straps and ratchet fasteners. Nylon will stretch enough that they need to be checked at noon and after sitting overnight, be sure that you don't wrap the nylon part where it will work on a sharp edge of the car or trailer and wear into. On my 28 and 53 I use a type of end hook that fits the rear spring at the very rear of the spring near the shackle. On the 28 I tie the front to the springs and on the 53 I use a loop of the nylon material around the front crossmember usually just in the center fastened to the center mounted winch with a 1/4" safety chain & load binder on the front bumper bracket.....You got to understand that in a bad accident or rollover the car WILL probably come loose,so don't have an accident when haulng a car or truck on or in a trailer and not expect heavy damage to the car and trailer, even the tow vehicle and your body may suffer! No repeat no one But God will be your protector, especially not the Government safety laws.....

Having said this...I have come to believe that there is not any method that is BEST.... do what you think is BEST for your situation.

If you crash and don't burn or get hurt, it is rated as a somewhat good landing, by the boys I fly with.

I am sure that you have what you consider valid reasons for the way you secure trailered vehicles. My experience hauling antique Chevys over the past 40 years has resulted in the way I secure them and the equipment I use.

Over the 50+ years of towing trailers, I have broken straps, chains, binders, had binders come loose, lost tie downs, pulled d-rings from floors, broken heavy rings welded to trailer frames among other damage to the equipment. In addition have actually bent frame horns or body points where straps or chains were attached, dented parts and even torn some parts loose. Yes I constantly check the tie down system for looseness as well as condition of towing equipment and have done that over the 40+ years.

I agree the movement of the vehicle on a trailer (particularly at the rear of the trailer) can be amplified compared to one driven over the same road. So it is a good idea to position tiedown where little or no damage is done if the body bottoms on the frame. Just keep in mind that the vehicle suspension is designed to dissipate energy and control movement.

I did not calculate the exact mileage but am sure that last year alone I trailered old Chevys in excess of 10k miles while attending 7 VCCA tours. One trip was nearly 6k miles.

I use a 3/4 ton heavy duty (w/trailering package) long wheelbase pickup as my tow vehicle because it provides vastly increased stability and safety compared to lighter duty equipment. I also use load equalizing hitch for my enclose trailer and if the load is heavy also use it on my open trailer. Much of the reason for the selection of equipment is because of our family towing experience and that of a large travel trailer company and their "Caravan" club.

I guess this means that you haven't done everything right?
You are a mere whipper snapper, with only 50+ years of car-hawling old vehicles, several of us have that much time in the CHOW LINE!

Chip started real young..

Actually it is approaching 60 years if you count the wagons and trailers behind the farm tractors. Yes, I was really young when I started pulling trailers. Did not even have a drivers license but didn't need one that far out in the boonies. Only time we saw a cop was when someone died and they brought the JP.

And Mack, still have some things yet to do.

Roy, you would think he should get SOMETHING RIGHT by now wouldn't you?

Pore Kathy! When such a nice looking kindhearted lady is stuck with an old 90 year goat like him, it get's me here , or is it here or is it there , well it get's me somewhere!
...Just kiddin' Chippero'

WOW! You guys must be older than dirt!!!!

I think Mack invented dirt. He continues to spread a fertile rich supplement .

Did you know that when dirt was new it was clear? then it corroded....I was a teenager then and worked for a few years trying to get rid of the corrosion color. Chipper told me to just get used to it being brown.... And that is the truth....

Ok, so there is snow on the mountain and the coals are merely smoldering in the stove, and the twinkle in the eye is slightly out of focus!


Thank goodness I still have my driving license........

WATCH OUT!! newbie! I am a'comeing thru, peddle to the metal .... and hell bent for election!

Old Cars Weekly magazine did a two-part series of articles on how to strap a car to a trailer. The first part was in the March 10th issue and the second part was in the April 28th issue. Beamer

Beamer,
since many of us don't get the Old Cars Weekly, could you copy the article and either email it or copy and paste it here?
Thanks,

Mr. Mack, Sorry for the delay in responding. I don't have any way to scan the articles and get them into my computer. If they were just words, I could retype them but there are several photos. I would be happy to send you the OCW issues containing the articles if you like. Either let me know here or send me a PM. Beamer

Beamer,
Can you make B&W photocopies and mail them? Look for a PM