damn tie down straps anyhow

lothario · #1 04-16-2007, 12:20 AM

I hate loading up the bike onto the trailer in the dark after a long day anyhow. Yesterday my trailer was being pulled by my cousins truck and I was in the cab with him. Thought I had the bike strapped down pretty good, but we were really hauling ass on aunpaved forest road, probably about 20 miles. Got back into town, pulled into the local greasy spoon for a late night burger. I thought I would fo back and kick the tires and check on the bike.There it sat on the trailer with both straps just blowing in the wind. This is a small one bike flatbed trailer with no sides. One front tire was hanging half on half off the side.Ihad'nt had a good laugh for a while, but talk about dumb luck.I have no doubt there were times whenall 4 tires were in the air as we weredriving out of the forest. Orderd a LouisianaTrailer Dog this moring.

maxdun · #2 04-16-2007, 01:02 AM

I put these clips mountain climbers use, called carabiners[spelling] on the ends of my straps so if the suspension should give more my straps can't come unhooked.

They come in differant sizes and weight limits. Sold at building supply stores.

My straps came unhooked once so I figured this way out.

BigBuck · #3 04-16-2007, 05:01 AM

Guard Dog and trailer dog are awesome. I have them both.

07OUTLANDER650XT · #4 04-16-2007, 10:52 AM

If you dont tie each strap to itself, it will come undone,every strap on every trailer ive tried with my can-am, the straps come loose somehow, no matter how tight i crank em. so i just started wrapping and tieing each hook together insteed of hooking to the outlander.

rinconq · #5 04-16-2007, 12:13 PM

I have had a few come loose on me. Didn't seem to happen on my Honda. But I also have an enclosed trailer now and perhaps am a little more careless. But I have been more careful and upgaded to Ancra ratchet straps and really tighten down. It seems to work.

dmented692006 · #6 04-16-2007, 03:08 PM

i used to have that problem and i figured out if you get someone to sit on the front and then the back to squat the suspension while you are straping them down they wont move a bit. i never use the pull straps i will only use the ratchets because the pull straps will loosen. also i never use the hook on the strap to attach the strap to the 4 wheeler i wrap it around w/e bar im putting it on and stick the end of the strap through the closed eye of the hook that way the hook wont pop off.

**outlandish** · #7 04-16-2007, 05:40 PM

Speaking of straps, can anyone recommend some decent ones and where to buy online? Trailering out to Tennessee in a couple weeks and mine are getting frayed. Thanks

Adamokid · #8 04-16-2007, 05:45 PM

I just placed an order with them.

http://www.macscustomtiedowns.com/scripts/default.asp

maxdun · #9 04-16-2007, 07:10 PM

these look interesting & not priced to bad

LINK

edited to shorten link

getouttytheway · #10 04-16-2007, 09:07 PM

I got my ratchet staps at www.strapworks.com. I didn't like how much I had to compress the suspension in order to get the machine anchored so that the straps didn't come loose. I was afraid of comprssing the shocks and collapsing the springs. I went to using tire bonnets instead that I purchased from www.bulldogatv.com. On there web site is a link to ATV TELEVISION where these tire bonnets were picked as some of the best ATV products for 2006.