Trailering opinions

5545 Views 54 Replies 17 Participants Last post by 10mm_, 18 h ago

Angore

Discussion Starter · 2 mo ago

4

Strange that with 100 + subsections , there isn't one for transpoting your ride .
For years I hauled my Renegade in the back of my 8' regular cab 4x4 Chevy .
All that weight plus gear has taken its toll on my spring bushings ( just replaced with urethane ) .
This will be season # 3 with my Triton 2 place aluminum with plywood deck .
I have used 4 anchor points in the past but am not a big fan of hauling my bikes with the suspension squashed .
I'm kicking around the 1 strap & 1 chock per wheel system .
Wondering what all you folks are using on your open trailers .

Cloud Tire Plant Sky Wheel

Tire Automotive tire Wheel Rim Gas

Toy block Font Red Material property Lego

Automotive tire Bicycle wheel Tire Gas Bumper

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Chief...

· #21 · 2 mo ago

10mm_ said:
The only thing I can think of that is different is that your method has the springs constantly pushing up against the straps, whereas strapping the wheels down does not. Your strap tension would be higher for the same clamping force to hold the vehicle down. Unlikely that it would matter given the strength of the straps.

Yes, you're right, I hadn't really even considered that. But remember I am only compressing those springs the 1st two inches of the of the 10" total suspension movement so while there is some tension there, it is pretty minimum and it is static.

Duece

· #22 · 2 mo ago

Chief... said:
Yes, I guess the term “hard cargo” could be applied here.

Yes, car haulers use the axles for their attachment point – for 2 reasons, #1 it is unsprung location and #2 it is one of the few location that can support the stress that they will have applied to them.

Yes I understand that you secured it to an unsprung point, and that it was the reel on the ratchet strap that actually loosened, but what caused the reel to loosen, and that was most likely the movement of the vehicles suspension when it reached the top point of the suspension movement and tranferred that energy to the strap.

And no, the suspension movement does not actually alleviate some stress on the strap. Look at it this way, if I take a tension scale and put it on each ratchet strap and apply 100 lbs to each of them. On the “hard cargo” those scales would remain at a near constant 100lbs because there are no external forces being applied to them (with the exception of inertia which would apply equally to any tie down method), if you do the same with a vehicle that is secured on unsprung points only, when the suspension moves and reaches it highest point during that movement that energy is transferred to the straps holding it to the trailer and those scales would show an increase in the lbs and over time it could loosen the reel of your ratchet strap, which is probably how yours got loose.
View attachment 111135
Most of us have seen people use their bumpers/racks for tie down points or use their winch to secure the front. And while most of them have some success and some people swear by them, some are obviously MUCH better, and the way you advocate attaching to an unsprung attachment point is at the top of the list. My method simply make every attachment point an unsprung attachment point and eliminates any external force from movement of the suspension.

Chief, sorry, just getting to this. First, I think you keep misreading my statement: my strap did not loosen from movement of the suspension, because it was not attached to anything that moves with the suspension. It was attached to the inner wheel right where the A-arm attaches. It was pulling straight back to the end of the trailer so the up/down of the suspension really couldn't do anything. I like the straps as flat as possible for that reason. It had the same opportunity move as yours does, none. Of course, inertia of the speed of trailer and me coming to a stop or accelerating as well affects them. And I still say, tire baskets are best and would be my next purchase if I wasn't selling the Defender.

Also, like I said, I understand what you're doing, and I see how it works. No need to try to explain it, it's pretty obvious and logical. I'm just saying I would not do it for two reasons. One, having to mess with those blocks (building, installing, etc.), two, concern if a strap fails and it allows the machine to bounce against the block. But all is well! Your way or mine is avoiding the moving suspension causing issues and that is best. Hell, we both know people that have attached one strap from the side of the trailer, around the handlebars and back down to the trailer who swear by it because they never had an issue. And I'm sure someone out there is someone using four blocks and completely removing the tires, so they are literally securing a fixed load. That's fine as well and may be the absolute best way, but not one I'm going to bother with....lol

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CMB

· #23 · 16 d ago

Use the tire lock down method. Fast and easy plus it keeps the pressure off the suspension.

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Duece

· #24 · 14 d ago

CMB said:
Use the tire lock down method. Fast and easy plus it keeps the pressure off the suspension.

Saw this version that gets the ratchet off the tire with the third pivot point. Pretty slick.

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Angore

Discussion Starter · #25 · 14 d ago

When I do get my new decking on and get set up with the wheel straps , I'm going to dedicate 4 sets . On the ratchet mechanism I'm going to fab 2 pieces of angle and weld them to the ratchet body to :

Center the mechanism on the tire .
Hold it on center so it doesn't work it's way off the tire .

Patent applied for . Haaaha!

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Duece

· #26 · 13 d ago

Angore said:
When I do get my new decking on and get set up with the wheel straps , I'm going to dedicate 4 sets . On the ratchet mechanism I'm going to fab 2 pieces of angle and weld them to the ratchet body to :

Center the mechanism on the tire .

Hold it on center so it doesn't work it's way off the tire .

Patent applied for . Haaaha!

I think I'll go for the basket straps. They stay centered easily enough.

kobuk

· #27 · 12 d ago

Wow, after successfully tying down wheelers and SxS for over 30 years and never loosing a strap, you guys have made me question my methods! haha I've always used 4 straps loading the suspension method and in the past have looked into the tire method but I guess what has kept me from going that direction is having to have so many tie down points or e-channel all over the place. For instance, if I just take my machine it's tied down in the center of trailer, if two machines they are side by side over axels and for hunting where we have our meat trailers attached we have the machines all the way to front and trailers are right at the back end. That would be 5 different setups. Love the idea though.

MidnightRun

· #28 · 5 d ago

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10mm_

· #29 · 5 d ago

MidnightRun said:
View attachment 111934

That's exactly what I started with, it's rock solid and so fast. When we got the second sxs it had a different wheel base so I couldn't use the chocks in the same place for both so I switched to e track pieces for each corner. The longer track allows you to adjust the tongue weight (in case you have other stuff on the trailer) by moving the machine forward/back. If you always haul the same machine those e chocks are perfect.

Angore

Discussion Starter · #30 · 5 d ago (Edited)

It's gonna take alot of tooth-gritting to drill holes in this $115.00 per sheet marine plywood

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BombardierBomb

· #31 · 5 d ago

Man that's some pretty wood

I'll take "things I never thought I'd hear myself say as an adult, for $300, Alex"

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Tozguy

· #32 · 5 d ago

Angore said:
It's gonna take alot of tooth-gritting to drill holes in this

After the first hole it gets easier.

In my case it was a 5x8 sheet of porch plywood.

10mm_

· #33 · 5 d ago

I'd buy pressure treated deck boards first lol

Jack796

· #34 · 5 d ago

I did my deck from heat treated wood, light and strong enough when quite thick..

Chappy

· #35 · 4 d ago

Those Triton ATV88 (2 place) or the ATV128 (3 place) trailers are awesome! I have had a few over the years, but I don't think they make them any more or at least they are almost impossible to find....according to the Triton rep in the Southeast. This time around I ended up with an Aluma A8812S, which is awesome to fit 3 ATV's on and it only weighs #675lbs. It wasn't cheap, but less expensive than a bigger hauler because I needed to keep things as light as possible. Good luck with the cutting. I heard it's measure twice, cut once.

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Angore

Discussion Starter · #36 · 4 d ago

Chappy said:
Those Triton ATV88 (2 place) or the ATV128 (3 place) trailers are awesome! I have had a few over the years, but I don't think they make them any more or at least they are almost impossible to find....according to the Triton rep in the Southeast. This time around I ended up with an Aluma A8812S, which is awesome to fit 3 ATV's on and it only weighs #675lbs. It wasn't cheap, but less expensive than a bigger hauler because I needed to keep things as light as possible. Good luck with the cutting. I heard it's measure twice, cut once. View attachment 111939

Yep , I love it. I waited a long time to find a used one , it's a 12 .
If the guy I bought it from in 19 put 200 miles on it that was alot . I'm just now replacing the OE tires & rims .

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Frak

· #37 · 4 d ago

I have loaded two quads mounted across the trailer width, as Chappy displays, for the past ten years. The trailer is a Rat1. Rat1 built in China and required a relacing the torsion bar with a 3500 lb Standen axle. New 14 gauge SOW wire soldered and heat shrunk connectors. A full swivel trailer to tow vehicle connection. Screen mesh as a floor is original. It was sold as a tilt but that idea ended and welding ensued.
I use one strap per quad. 12 inches of Chain, attached to front fairlead, is used to hook one end of strap. The remaining end is pulled under the quad along upper trailer deck to the rear and then wrapped around the bottom of trailer and up back across the top of the trailer deck to the quad's rear trailer mount and attached to the pin. I lock the brakes and suck down on the suspension.
Stating that highway, gravel and brush trails with deep ruts have not jarred to loosen the ratchet straps.

p_hauschild

· #38 · 4 d ago

When i do have to haul my atv i use this trailer with 4 tie down points and plywood floor. That thing lived trough hell in the woods hauling fire wood and still running strong after 10+ years

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p_hauschild

· #39 · 4 d ago

& i double that PU leaf spring bushes make a difference i changed to them and Bilstein B6 shocks and the truck behaves like a dream with a trailer (even with a loaded car hauler 3T)

p_hauschild

· #40 · 4 d ago

And this my car hauler, bought new this spring (buying a new one every 5 years) it gets like 25k miles a year

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