Need Sound Advice for towing Buick Roadmaster on an open car trailer.

[buick man]

Hello:

I am looking for any experienced and best tried and true techniques regarding the proper loading and most importantly,

" Strapping Down" and/or chaining down and securing of the vehicle once on the trailer bed itself to minimize lateral side to side movement/sliding as well as minimizing the front to back slide movements which can occur.

Best overall techniques wanted!

I have seen photos where some guys, in addition to the front and back strapping, also put straps shut into the car's doors and then secure the other ends to the trailer. Don't really know what's going on there. If anyone knows what going on here please comment as well.

By the way, I use to drive professionally, a semi-truck 18 wheeler, long hauling between california and the east coast back and forth as well as through mountainous and winter conditions so I have those skills sets down. I have not had a lot of experience however, hauling cars on open trailers.

My tow vehicle is a 1-ton suspension 4 X 4 Extended Cab F-250 7.3 Diesel with Banks Turbo Charger. I also have an Electric Brake installed along with a 10,000 lb hitch setup. I do not have duals on the rear. The trailer will be a Penske rented trailer with dual 5600 lb axles. I may recall they are electric brakes. I know the U-hauls are surge and not electrical braked from what I have been told so far. So, if anyone wants to chime in on this as well please do. I will be hauling from Los Angeles to San Francisco Bay area. The only real hill will be coming back right out of L.A. going north and thats a big down hill run. The towed vehicle is a Late 50's Roadmaster.

Please let me hear any input which you may have it will be well received and apreciated.

Thanks in advance!

David

Edited March 17, 2010 by buick man (see edit history)

[MCHinson]

Appropriately sized straps secured in an X pattern, prevent forward, rearward, and side to side motion.

I will let someone with more knowledge chime in, but I think that the only reason to put straps into the passenger compartment via the doorway is to secure the long loose strap ends from flapping in the wind.

[DizzyDale]

Hey David,:)Cross em as per Matts advise,NO chains use the ratcheting nylon tie downs with the straps that go over the axles.I don't know how those trailer beds are laid out for attaching the other end of the straps.Most important thing is TONGUE weight,make SURE you got enough,TOO much better than not enough.You got plenty of truck,check the straps when you stop for fuel and have at it.:)diz

[Marty Roth]

Hi David,

Matt and Diz are right on target!

Cross-tie front and rear with ratcheting nylon tie-downs - secure the loose ends - load at least 60% of your weight forward of the axle center - with your truck, the more tongue weight - the better - to eliminate sway, especially in the event of an emergency maneuver - you know, when somebody cuts you off while texting and eating at the same time.

Check trailer tire pressures, and each time you stop, feel for the temperature of the trailer axle hub bearings.

Enjoy your trip - enjoy your new Buick - wish I were driving the Pacific Coast Highway in a convertible like when we drove to the 1998 Founders Tour in Milpitas/San Jose and took the 17 mile drive on the Monterey Peninsula and Pebble Beach.

[buick man]

Well, thanks you guys for your input. Yeah that 17 mile drive is something everyone should do at one time or another.

I have read that securing the axles downward so you do not get suspension flex is a good idea. Therefore, I have gotten some axle straps, which in turn are to be connected to the belted straps that X-pattern to the outriggers on the trailer itself.

Now I understand how that would work for the rear axle but how does one go about securing and bringing down the front suspension without ruining or bending control arms and the like. I would suspect using the belly frame of the front clip?

Procedure:

Now to see if I have this right, in utilizing this X-pattern method you guys speak of for example, I would attach one axle strap to say the rear drivers side of the axle, then with a new belt strap hook to it and run it over to the rear passengers side of the trailer and cinch it up. Then run a new strap from that same axle strap and run it forward to the front corner passengers

side of the trailer and then cinch it up. Then repeat the process for the other rear passengers side of the axle? I could see by doing this that forward/aft and side ways shear movement would be minimized. Now do I understand the strapping and hold down method correctly as you guys explained?

Someone else spoke about wheel nets and how do they fasten and work?

Lastly, I do not have an equalizer/load leveler/weight-distributing hitch nor do I have an adjustable drop/raise ball setup. I do how ever have the heavy duty rectangular receiver I spoke of that is attached to my frame. Now I will be using the Penske trailer so they may or may not supply this "A" framed equalizer/weight distributing unit. I suspect they only have a trussed front yoke with receiver which would attach to my ball unit. So what are your suggestions with my current status quo and what suggestions could you make.

I will be purchasing an enclosed trailer down the road here, but this deal fell into my lap so I have to go get it and bring home.

David

[Restorer32]

NEVER tie down a car in an X pattern. Think about it, if one arm (strap) of the X breaks or loosens the other strap will pull the car to the side ( and loosen that strap also) as the trailer bounces. Cross strapping is advice often heard but it is bad advice in my opinion. Four straps on the four corners of the vehicle are sufficient and meet DOT requirements. The single most important factor in safe and easy towing is maintaining the bearings on the trailer wheels. I am speaking from several hundred thousand miles towing experience over 30+ years. Properly strapped down, the car on the trailer is the least of your worries.

[msmazcol]

We also vote for the crossed method of tie down. Without crossing them I would be more concerned about side drift in the trailer. I DO agree , however, all that really matters is the load stays PUT. With the HD suspension under your tow vehicle the load leveling bars won't be an issue. That equipment becomes more needed with taller enclosed trailers and lighter duty tow vehicles. Place your load on the trailer with some tongue weight but there is no need to bury the back of the truck. Let the trailer carry it's share of the work. Just keep any eye on your load and tie downs and your good to go. Drive your load like the old truck driver you were and you'll do great.

[MCHinson]

Which brings me to the point that when you ask for advice, you will always get at least two different opinions. No offense to Restorer32, but I prefer the X method.

I have used the straight four corners tie down approach and I have also used the X pattern approach. I found that the straight approach resulted in a little side to side movement of the car. I now use the X method.

Research what you can and decide what works for you. While nothing that you find on the internet should be taken as Gospel, the following link (I think photos 12 and 13) show the method that I am talking about...

Proper Equipment & Safe Tie-Down Practices - Off Road Magazine

[msmazcol]

The time I do see the four corner method used is in professional car hauling. You don't see any crossing of chains. The difference being they bind down directly to the under frame not the axles. This allows them to compress the suspension almost all the way down. At that point there is no drifting and their chains don't give. Their tie downs stay very short and that is how they can have a car sitting on the last 2 inches of a tire ramp.

Still love watching it go down the road.

[Restorer32]

If your car moved even a little with the straight tie down method your straps were not tight enough. With the X method the car is guaranteed to move if one strap loosens but to each their own. Both methods usually work fine. Years ago we sold a Jag to a fellow from NY. He strapped the car to his way too short trailer with hardware store bungee cords and away he went despite our pleading with him to borrow our straps. He made it home 300 miles or so with no problem. Always wondered if he ever realized how lucky he was.

[Guest martylum]

Hi David-I read the article with interest hoping to learn from the experience of others. The 4 corners vs x tiedown alternatives are of interest-seems each has some advantages. I once went with a friend in his 1 ton dually Ford to haul his beautifully restored 5,000 # 1936 Lincoln to a show. He had put an extremely shiny paint on the box trailer floor which looked neat but made for a slick surface. We tied the car down using the 4 corners method which is my preferred method.

My friend drive through a very mountainous area of West Virginia at speeds which made me nervous even tho I knew he was a good driver. At mountain peaks I saw elevation signs reading almost 3,000.

When I opened the dropdown door on arrival in Uniontown I found the car to have shifted a foot or so sideways in the trailer so close to one inside fender we had to borrow a jack and shift the car sideways to unload it.

Questions of the week-would X strapping have eliminated the sideways slide? Had it gone another 6", damage to the runningboards would have occurred.

One certain conclusion for me-do not paint the floor of either opendeck or closed trailers with slick paint.

This friend had me install a 3" high wheel track inside and cover with rubber matting to get more clearance in case of another slide on future trips.

In future I think I would certainly X the straps if the floor is slick.

I'm sure you have plenty of truck to haul this heavy Buick.

One more tip-stop after 10-15 miles and recheck the straps as suspension work will stretch them out.

I haul very nice cars in my box trailer on occasion and just bought a new set of straps to replace the 10 year old units.

Martin Lum

[Guest billybird]

I have never crossed a strap in 20 years of towing on both open and enclosed trailers and have never had a car to move forward, backward or side to side not ever not even an inch. I always use patio carpet in my trailers covering the entire floor installed with a staple gun. tighten all four corners down, car in first gear [or park], emergency brake firmly set. You would have to wreck for that car to move.

[JZRIV]

X pattern or 4 corners straight. This question is like asking who makes the best pizza. There have been a lot of great comments. Both methods are acceptable in my opinion and either can be used safely. The only problem I have had with the x-pattern is in the front. I attached to the control arms and the flexing of the suspension cut the strap because it was pulled towards the frame which won't happen using the straight method. So if you choose X, just watch out for that.

I almost always use the straight pattern and tie to the axle and lower control arms and let the suspension move freely. The big multi-car carriers tie to the frames because they have chains and binders capable of pulling them down tight with no bounce. The common straps, ratchets and angles used for a single trailer are not capable of doing that in my opinion. For that reason its best to tie to non-moving parts like axle and lower control arms. On the rare occasion I decide to tie to the frame, I use the X- pattern because the X pattern will limit the amount the strap relaxes on a bounce because of the angle.

As mentioned, with your awesome tow vehicle, you do not need a load equalizing hitch but they do stabilize the tow vehicle and improve safety especially in panic situations. The heavier the tow vehicle the less advantage they offer. There is no substitute for driver awareness and common sense when towing.

Already mentioned but I'll do it again. I check straps within the first 15 miles then again at each rest stop, or after you have to hit the brakes hard, or some other incident that could have caused something to shift or loosen.

Many tie-down straps have basic hooks without a spring lever to close the loop preventing the hook from coming detached if the strap relaxes enough. If you have that style consider putting a couple wraps of duct tape around the point of attachment to prevent accidental detachment.

Before I bought my trailer I tried to rent a Penske car hauler mutiple times and they wouldn't do it unless I rented a truck to pull it.

[buick man]

Thats was a great article regarding the strapping onto a trailer, with pictures to boot! Thank you.

I must admit that corner strapping works well if you have the attachments on the bed plane located so you can make the connects from axle to bed with short lengths of strap or at least a bed loop that would allow you to pull or decompress the suspension as you cinched the strap from the anchoring point on the trailer edge frame. However, most flat open trailers and especially rented trailers have the trailer frame edged fastening hooks but no in-bed hold down mounts located on the bed surface so one could compress the load.

So Restorer 32, with that said, how would I corner strap the vehicle and compress the suspension without proper in bed loops or attachment points.

If you strapped each corner diagonally from each corner axle or frame position, without applying force downward as you cinch the strap diagonally outward / forward / aft / - then it seems to me if one strap were to loosen or break you would have no lateral support as well. To work well with this system the straps or chains would need to be pulling down the suspension and would have to be as short as possible to limit any unwanted lateral lash movements. The same would occur as you pointed out regarding the X strap method.

I do like this corner method if I could compress the suspension. Short of not having the in bed hold downs I may have to do what I can.

I now have a very clearer idea of where and how to secure the rear end, however I still am having trouble visualizing how to securely fasten down the front end of my late fifties Roadmaster without strapping onto a bendable suspension member/suspension joint or looping over the frame so the strap would only slide since there are no holes in the frame that I know of in this area which would allow the front to be secured by strapping to the frame. If anyone wants to narrow this concept down for me that would be great.

I will however, picture document my adventures with this haul when it happens and post it here. Bye the way this community is something else. Thanks!

David

Edited March 18, 2010 by buick man (see edit history)

[Restorer32]

We never strap to the frame. Usually 2 straps around the real axle and two around the front axle on "old" cars, thru the A-arms on newer vehicles, tightened as tight as possible plus a little bit. On a 6500# ALF Speedster we recently built for a customer we welded heavy lifting lugs in 4 convenient places on the axles. Blew out 2 tires on the trailer on a recent trip but the car didn't move. We tow with a 3/4 ton Dodge Turbo Diesel pick-em-up which is the best tow vehicle I have ever owned.

[msmazcol]

When we load the "newer" stuff with a-frames I like to use the mini J hooks. They lock nicely into the elongated holes in the frame and give a good solid ring to attach the strap hooks to. It does take some movement out of the suspension though because you are binding above the spring point.

Edited March 18, 2010 by msmazcol (see edit history)

[Guest JSmitty]

I was browsing topics, and this one is a bit interesting to me. As the systems designer for Mac's Custom Tie Downs, the question of whether to cross straps or not comes up almost daily here in the office. While no tie-down method is perfect in all situations, I see images of damage on a pretty regular basis from one strap failing, and the crossed strap pulling the vehicle to the other side of the trailer.

The other point that we've found is that while crossing straps often does reduce a little of the side-to-side creep that can happen on the road, in doing so they are at a severe angle to the direction of travel - forward. Straps are strong in a straight line - and you will achieve the full 10,000# static breaking strength in that line. The more severe the angle, the weaker the straps are. This is a big problem in a collision.

So, we would say that IF everything goes as planned, either method is equally valid. I personally don't cross my straps, because if a Moose jumps in front of me, I don't want to be rear-ended by the car in the trailer when the straps fail at being pulled sideways. That 4000# Buick triples it's weight pretty easily in a collision.

But don't take my word for it - our video page has some industry leaders weighing in on what they think: www.macscustomtiedowns.com/tricks

[msmazcol]

Very interesting. Would seem the ideal set up would be to have the straps crossed but also add an additional set straight on at the rear axle.

Perhaps overkill, but!

Thanks for the info.

[West Peterson]

How about sending a strap across to the opposite corner, then straight back? You'd cover both bases that way, wouldn't you?

[F&J]

Very interesting. Would seem the ideal set up would be to have the straps crossed but also add an additional set straight on at the rear axle.

Perhaps overkill, but!

Thanks for the info.

Well, to me it sounds like you are adding yet another strap to fix the weak link brought about by crossed straps. Also, don't just add the one rear straight strap, you should do 2 to gain the needed total breaking limit??(in a crash)... but to compensate for straight straps on the rear, pulling against crossed fronts...you should add straight fronts, right?

I am with Resorer 32, you are asking for uneeded problems by crossing, and I just don't see a gain in real world towing.

[Guest JSmitty]

Personally I like a four wheel net situation into a track system, with the track running right under the wheels. Several months ago a client was towing a '32 roadster this way on the second deck of his stacker trailer, and when things went wrong (the trailer ended up on it's side) he opened the door to find the car hanging safely from it's nets.

Now for the sad part; the CHP threw a strap over the trailer in their hurry to right it, and compressed the trailer over the very valuable car.

All in all, redundancy is a good thing, but there is a higher initial cost, and more time involved with the tie-down procedure. For me, peace-of-mind during the trip lets me enjoy being out on the road a bit more, and the extra effort is worth it. I can see it being a pain if you were in a hurry, though...

[F&J]

That net system sounds VERY impressive.

Too bad about the car surviving the crash only to get wrecked later.

[msmazcol]

Thanks again JSmitty for the information on tie down straps. Went to Mac's web site and noticed that the Versa track and E track show no load limits on them.

Just curious how the stuff is rated? I know E track has been used for years in commercial trailer applications. Most times I see it wall mounted for load stabilization. How does it hold when an accident occurs and now the trailer is on it's side? I use some E track on the walls of my trailer. I use it to keep stuff organized and off the floor. When I purchased the lock in rings they came in a variety of ratings even though they all "looked" the same.

I'm always looking for an improved way of doing things.

[buick man]

Well it sounds to me that the J-Hook idea is what to use in the front especially if you don't want to bend lower control arms or pivot lower ball joints.

Ok. Let's summarize here. If I owned a flat trailer my first thing to do on it would be to secure a truss plate front and back under the bed welded to the frame itself. Then I would use this base plate system to attach a hold down at each corner which would go through the bed above so I could corner strap and cinch downward the suspension with short straps and have a ratchet system that would torque down all travel on these straps good and tight - On all fours. Then I would double strap forward and aft, tight for oppositional surge forces. Now with this setup the downward force would control roll/yawl and the forward/aft tension would control surge and creep. Without the suspension rock n rollin, the harmonics of E=mc2 would not be a problem.

However, I am renting a penske trailer. Makes me want to rethink this whole thing. I guess I will have to go and recheck the penske trailers out and check for hold downs locations, number of hold downs & access to hold downs etc. Then I will have to make a judgement call. This trailer no doubt has no suspension suppression capabilities to cinch it down. It may also have limited areas to strap and cinch forward and aft. That is probably why you see cars being hauled on these rented trailers behind a U-haul van truck bouncing up and down and swaying port and starboard on down the road. I always try and pass these guys as quickly as possible.

David

[MCHinson]

You have received a lot of good (and conflicting) advice.

I think it has already been said, but don't over think it. If you take 4 appropriate straps and attach them in any manner in which they are tightly cinched down to four strong points on the trailer, the car will stay put on the trailer.

It will not matter if you cross them or do not cross them. The problem you have trailering will involve another driver that you see on the road, or if the trailer were not maintained propertly, a bearing or tire problem on the trailer.

Any rental trailer designed to haul cars will have appropriate tie down points, as that is what they are designed for.

Strap the car down and enjoy the trip!

[DizzyDale]

Hey,I always X em and always keep them as straight as i can front to back on all 4 corners.SOMETIMES the best spots to tie down are not around the rear or front suspension if the straps are on too much of an angle.Keep the straps parallel with the car as much as possible Yes the straps need to be tight but don't break the car in half.As someone stated previously air those trailers tires up to spec and check them everyday your towing.I believe with a class 3 or 4 receiver the capacity is doubled when using a weight distributing hitch versus a ball only:)diz

Edited March 19, 2010 by DizzyDale (see edit history)

[Guest Wayne_Koffel]

I must agree with Restorer 32. I never cross strap but if you do don't do it in the front. Just a couple other points not mentioned so far. Be careful putting the straps over the rear axle, as many people crush the brake line that may run along the top of the axle on cars with juice brakes. If you cross strap, make sure your straps are not going to slide inword as they will loosen up. Always use the wide nylon straps as they are the strongest. Never use chains on a collector car or anything else. As hard as it may be to believe , those straps are stronger than chains. When tying down the front, I sometimes use nylon straps with a hook . That way you won't have to strap around tie rods,stabalizer bars, etc..

You have a good heavy vehicle to tow with. The heavier and more stabile the tow vehicle, the better the ride for the item your towing. I once saw a guy at a national meet towing a 5000 lb. vehicle on an open trailer while pulling it with a Chevy light duty pick-up. That trailer pushed that truck all over the road and that's an accident waiting to happen. Good luck.

[charlier]

Personally I like a four wheel net situation into a track system, with the track running right under the wheels. Several months ago a client was towing a '32 roadster this way on the second deck of his stacker trailer, and when things went wrong (the trailer ended up on it's side) he opened the door to find the car hanging safely from it's nets.

All in all, redundancy is a good thing, but there is a higher initial cost, and more time involved with the tie-down procedure. For me, peace-of-mind during the trip lets me enjoy being out on the road a bit more, and the extra effort is worth it. I can see it being a pain if you were in a hurry, though...

When I had my car trailer built I had E-Track installed almost the entire length of the trailer floor on both sides. The E-Track is bolted to the frame of the trailer. I use wheel baskets over each of the four wheels and ratchet them down to the E-Track. That along with setting the parking brake and putting the manual transmission in gear make for a VERY secure trip.

Yours is not the first time I have heard of vehicle anchored using E-Track and wheel baskets not having a scratch after a trailer accident. Personally I feel that this method is the most secure way to tow a vehicle if the trailer and vehicle permit one to do so.

Unfortunately, this method does not work if one is renting a trailer or if the trailer being used does not support the use of E-Track. Anchoring a vehicle down with this method can take more time to do it properly. The vehicle being anchored also needs sufficient clearance for the baskets, straps and the ratchet mechanism. I am fortunate in that the three vehicles that I tow all have sufficient clearance and just about identical wheel tracking so the tires of the vehicles all line up with the E-Track.

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

David, I will chime in with some observations. I , also drove semis for a few years[36]. ALMOST all trailers I observed swaying as you refer to had the toung elevated above level. It is my believe that the hitch on the towing vehicle must be such that when loaded, the trailer tounge is lower slightly from level.

As others have said, position the load so that the front of the trailer[toung] is a few hundred pounds heavier than back

Enjoy

Ben.

[Guest JSmitty]

Thanks again JSmitty for the information on tie down straps. Went to Mac's web site and noticed that the Versa track and E track show no load limits on them.

Just curious how the stuff is rated? I know E track has been used for years in commercial trailer applications. Most times I see it wall mounted for load stabilization. How does it hold when an accident occurs and now the trailer is on it's side? I use some E track on the walls of my trailer. I use it to keep stuff organized and off the floor. When I purchased the lock in rings they came in a variety of ratings even though they all "looked" the same.

I'm always looking for an improved way of doing things.

Both types of track are very strong, and will exceed the 5,000lb rating of a standard flip-up D-ring found in most trailers. I prefer the VersaTrack because it is easier to use and clean, and if you use an idler fitting to pull a strap below a fender, the fittings are more than an inch lower.

There is a Heavy Duty ring for E-Track rated at 6,000lb, and VersaTie fittings are rated at 5,000lb - but test well north of that number at most angles. I have the test data if you are interested.

[msmazcol]

Please be assured here I'm not trying to get cocky here but only gain some knowledge.

If a typical web strap has a breaking point of 10,000 # does the track system or D ring, as it might be, automatically become the weak link?

When I hear the stories of severe accidents where the anchor points held up I become curious. Some trailers I've looked under have little or no steel reinforcing for the D ring anchors. This would make that a weak spot likely to fail. The one big plus I see to the track is it allows multiple anchor points to all cross members if done right.

With 5,000 to 6,000# rating though it is loosing something in my simple mind math.

[DizzyDale]

Dear msmazcol,Are you referring to those D rings that are screwed through the plywood floor:eek:.Yea i thought so.diz

[dalef62]

Wen I trailer my big heavy Crosleys I strap them at the corners in the front and cross the back straps. The front straps are only 2' long and the backs are the rachet type. Of course most Crosley guys thing the straps I use are overkill but better safe than sorry.

[Guest JSmitty]

Please be assured here I'm not trying to get cocky here but only gain some knowledge.

If a typical web strap has a breaking point of 10,000 # does the track system or D ring, as it might be, automatically become the weak link?

When I hear the stories of severe accidents where the anchor points held up I become curious. Some trailers I've looked under have little or no steel reinforcing for the D ring anchors. This would make that a weak spot likely to fail. The one big plus I see to the track is it allows multiple anchor points to all cross members if done right.

With 5,000 to 6,000# rating though it is loosing something in my simple mind math.

You are absolutely correct that the system is going to fail at the weakest point. If your D-Rings are secured in 3/4" plywood instead of the steel of the chassis, then the plywood would fail first. Rusty or sub-standard bolts could fail. If your straps far outstrip the D-rings, the rings will fail first.

In the case of the stacker that went over on it's side, four wheel nets were used, with each connecting immediately in front and behind the wheel - that's a total of eight 5,000# fittings. I suspect that having double the number of connectors played a significant role in preventing further damage.

[msmazcol]

Thanks JSmitty now I get the math. By using a wheel basket you use two fasteners into the track system. The double of the 5,000# eyes give you the max rating of the 10,000 straps.

That makes sense.

Will you possibly attending the 75th gala?

[buick man]

Great thoughts, views, explanations, and advice. You guys are all outstanding.

Ok so I am now rethinking this.

I went and checked out the Penske trailer. It turns out the one which would be available would tow 4,000 ibs max. My Roadmaster is 4,300 lbs. . Another matter is my wheel base ( cap to cap ) is 127.5 inches. The rear of the car continues another 4 feet plus. The front continues on about 3.0 plus feet from the front center point.

From tip to filter the car is just around 17.5 feet in length. These trailers are 16 feet in length. Ok, so with this trailer or any 16 ft trailer this allows me 10.6 feet for my foot print. Then I would only have 6 feet of trailer to work with. Meaning the car body would be at least 1.5 feet longer than the trailer. The front tires would need to be no further than 3 feet from the front end of the trailer. A lot of weight would be on the front 1/3 or the trailer. The brakes are surge not electric as I was 1st told.

Well Scratch That!

Now am I thinking this out correctly or would a heavy duty 16-footer work here?

If not, than it looks what I need is at least a 20 foot trailer, with dual 7,200 lb axles with solid rim ( not spoke ) 8-lug wheels with hopefully the largest wheel bearings made. I do know that most 5,200 lb axles out there have the smaller bearing hubs. The 7,200 axles have the larger ones. I am also finding out that rented trailers are surge brake setups. Last but not least are the tires the rental companies use. Big IF factor here as well.

I have towed cars before back in the day for some good distances and did so with only brawn and shear will power as my co-pilot. Those days are gone. I tend to use a more polished micrometer approach to things these days.

I could hire someone to do it but wheres the adventure in that. So I am thinking if I can rent a good 20-foot heavy duty equipment trailer that would be the ticket.

A trailer like this one. Too bad it's in Iowa!

http://bigtenrentals.com/20-ft-10K-Flatbed-Specs.html

David

Edited March 21, 2010 by buick man (see edit history)

[msmazcol]

I'm thinking with as much research as you are putting in this you may just want to hire a pro. They could have picked it up and had it on your door step three or four times by now. I'm starting to think you may not be comfortable making this tow. If you can't relax and roll with the load don't do it. A nervous trailer puller is a wreck waiting it's turn. If you are OK with pulling a trailer there should not be white knuckle marks in your steering wheel.

Be safe.

[Bhigdog]

I cross tie my cars in the trailer and have never (knocking on wood here) had them move and I've towed over some horrendous (read Pennsylvania) highways. BUT, am I the only guy that attaches the ties not to the axles or lower suspension but to the front and rear bumper brackets and pulls the suspension down. I figure that way the the body is not yoinking all over the place and stressing the tie downs and that system spring loads the car to the trailer so even if a strap slightly slackens it's still taut with the tires firmly pressed against the floor. Am I missing something here?............Bob

Edited March 21, 2010 by Bhigdog (see edit history)

[buick man]

No Bob that sounds good. No I am not a nervous driver just a skilled one after all the semi work I have done. If I had my own trailer right now, i would have it set up right and no worries. The rented gear is crap.

I did not fully understand that when I initiated this post. Besides if I wanted to hire someone I would not of posted in the first place and where is the adventure in that?

But thank you guys for all your input and techniques. This has no doubt helped me and will do the same i am sure for anyone doing an armchair search and looking into doing undertaking a haul.

I have found a guy who will rent me his enclosed trailer and he is a local joe.

Torsion bar suspension, nice tires and solid 20-foot rig. i have decided to go with that. Beside having hold downs at each corner straight off fore and aft, he also has hold downs just under the axle areas where I can cinch down the

suspension to get a good hold. Now with this rig I feel more confident that the equipment matches my driving skills and equipment expectations.

I will no doubt use a combination of what I have learned here to fasten and secure the car so everything and everybody can get-er-done!

Thanks guys, and I will post the results when I get back in a couple of weeks.

David

[msmazcol]

Good luck, you will do just fine.