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How do you secure your car to your trailer?
Do you use four wheel straps or just two?
Do you secure in some other way?
Hand brake on and in gear?
Chocks (not Cadbury)
Glue?
Wing and a prayer?
Hi.
If it was me,i would have it in the lowest gear,and the handbrake full on, use at least two straps positioned so that the car could not move forward or backwards,and if possible,exerting a downward force on the suspension,to stop bounce(Towing eye front and back?). It is much better to spend half an hour longer at home making it secure to travel,than trying to resecure it by the side of a busy road.
Four straps?,why not if you have them,then relax knowing one problem is solved.
Gearjammer.
PS. It will make a difference to the noseweight of the trailer if the car is driven on or backed on,so check your figures re these.
Hi
I left my car in gear (1st) with the handbrake on. A ratchet webbing strap is applied around each wheel (around tyre). The 4 straps are then tightened until they just pull into the tyre a bit. During the journey I usually stopped a couple of times & checked the straps as they can move slightly. The straps on the wheels method is as recommended by the car trailer manufacturer & as used by breakdown organisations.
It may be wise to put some sponge / cloth between the webbing straps & wheel face if you have nice alloy wheels. If not the straps will rub & mark the alloy / paint finish.
This method eliminates the risk of the car bouncing on its suspension & straps around towing eyes being damaged.
PS. It will make a difference to the noseweight of the trailer if the car is driven on or backed on,so check your figures re these.
Good point !
I drove my Ligier microcar onto my just-bought 2 wheeled 'Smart trailer' for the first time today.
Bathroom scales under the trailer ball socket, and have 70kg loading on it -well within my laoding capacity of 200kg.
Last edited by Bill_H on Tue Nov 08, 2011 12:20 am; edited 1 time in total
Hi.
Agree with the Aldercow method,however not sure if extra straps are used to create a downward force on the suspension?, because if not,the car body will be free to bounce about even though the wheels are secure.Just a thought,as when you observe in your mirror the car bouncing about,your rectal muscles may go into involantary spasms thinking its about to abandon ship .
You can use as much rope,straps,whatever,but coupled with this, the best ting to keep a load on a trailer is to drive smoothly and try not to have to make an emergency stop by observing the road ahead.
Here endeth the first sermon
Ted.
My trailer has moveable front chocks - I measured the nose weight with the car in various positions until I had 70kg, then moved the chocks. A couple of inches forward or back made a big difference - probably because I had a single axle trailer. I use four ratchet straps around the wheels, car in gear, handbrake on, and check it after 10 mins driving, and again at every stop. My wife thinks I'm paranoid about it, but better safe than sorry!
Always use all 4 wheelstraps, tying down wheels allows the car body to "float" on its suspension hence giving a smmother ride,
if all else fails, READ THE HANDOVER MANUAL !!!!!!!!!!
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Italy
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