Trailer Tie Down Point Question

[Soundguy]

I agree with some of the others. i wouldn't put much faith in a tiedown just bolted to a deck plank.

Now if it went thru some metal.. that's a different story.

Soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Never particularly liked the surge brakes, but I figured I could live with them because of the good price on the trailer )</font>

Some people love them.. I don't

I know people that have had breaks fail on te tow vehicle, and actually used the trailer brakes to stop their truck.. kinda hard to do that with a surge brake! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Soundguy

 

[RobertN]

Is it a real stake pocket? My trailer has "C" channel welded in a few spots on the sides and front. It appears to be the same as the frame material.

I thought they were stake pockets at first; they do not fit 2x4's, nor the standard metal stake sides used on flatbed trucks. I believe now they are just solid mount chain points. They are thick steel; a chain hook "hooked" on them would not bend the material, even it was really cranked down on the chain.

 

[Av8r3400]

Agreed. I hook grab hooks to them all the time and have never bent mine. That's what they are there for.

 

[DirtHauler]

Here's a pic of the "D" rings (one on each corner), 2x4 stake pocket and the 3/8" thick rub rail on my trailer. but this is a steel trailer, not sure how you'd put them on an aluminum one since you can't weld steel to aluminum.

Oh by the way, if any one knows somebody looking for a 7 x14 7000 lb. trailer out west here...........this one's for sale.

 

[DirtHauler]

And another view........

 

[WHMOBX]

With all this talk about straps failing I am beginning to get a little paranoid. I have a 22 foot trailer that I use to haul my tractor on, but I also use it to haul a 1946 Chevrolet 2 ton truck around on. My question is, if I switch from straps to chains how can I tie onto the truck? I currently use a nylon axle straps. Are they still a week point?

 

[surfran]

Thanks Dirthauler, I would love to have attach points like that. That looks like a nice trailer.

 

[surfran]

OK new question, what is everyones opinion on bolting grade 70 chain to the trailer framework? Will that we of sufficient strength assuming I use Grade 8 Bolts? I'm thinking of bolting about a 1' piece that would stay on the trailer always (at 4-6 locations) then just hook to that and the tractor with chains and binders I would keep in the toolbox.

This would eliminate the tie down points themselves but would essentially be the same general idea as bolting them through trailer frame.

Also is there an issue with material compatibility from the bolts and the aluminum framework?

Thanks,

 

[DirtHauler]

Bolting chain to the frame sounds like it may work but you must remember that chains and bolts are a "hard" steel and aluminum is a "soft" metal so you would still have to install a backing plate on the nut side, preferably a thicker piece of aluminum.

As for your question about "material compatibility", when ever you mate steel to aluminum, "electrolysis" will occur which causes the aluminum to corrode and weaken over time.

I looked at an all aluminum trailer to see how they mounted their "D" rings but being how their decks are all aluminum and they use stainless steel bolt-on recessed D rings which I don't think would work on yours.

Now thinking on your idea of bolting chain on, I was wondering if you could instead use after market tow hooks like the ones used on the front of 4x4 trucks etc. that way you could either use straps with a loop on one end or loop a chain and binder and you wouldn't have several loose hanging chain pieces. Just another idea. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[surfran]

Dirthauler,

Thanks for the reply, and the good ideas as options to consider. I am just trying to come up with the best option. I will know more by Sunday as I am going to pick it up tomorrow. Of course we have to spend the night at the mother in laws, so I won't get time this weekend to do anything with it. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif But then again that is how I got the misses to finally aprove.......hey we can visit your mother when I go to buy it /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[tracdoc]

Hi surfran,

Another option you might want to consider is E-series track in 11 or 12 Ga. These are widely used in the cargo industry, and also for car hauling. A lot of our car racing friends use and swear by them, and we like them so much, we had them installed on our new race car hauler. Like the "rub rail" mentioned earlier in this thread, E-track lets you secure a tie down point anywhere along the length of the E-track, rather than being limited to one point choice in each corner of the trailer.

E-track can be installed after-market. It has incredible yield strength. You would need two strips of horizontal E-track. Since it is bolted every 2 inches along it's length, it can carry substantial loads, and load ratings are generally given by the rating of the specific piece of hardware/strap/chain used in conjunction with the track.

Some specs on logistic track can be found {HERE}. You can purchase track and hardware from a wide variety of places. You might want to look at e-Trailer {HERE} RJay's {HERE}, M&R {HERE}. I've bought stuff from each of these vendors and they are top drawer.

E-track is pretty reasonably priced, especially considering what it can do as opposed to a 2- or even 4-bolt single tie-down D-ring. Hope this helps...

 

[surfran]

tracdoc,

Thanks, I had been looking at this earlier tonight and this morning some. I really like the idea of it, but I thought it was only rated for 2000 lbs. and I wasn't sure how often it had to be secured.

Even with that I was thinking it would be the cats meow to have it installed for tie down of other loads not even without the Kubota on. Still may invest in it, but will probably do some more research as I didn't go to any mfg site so didn't see any mounting information.

 

[tracdoc]

surfran,

Good idea to do more research for your particular application. I quite agree that E track would be a good supplement to be able to trailer all sorts of odd-shaped and varied loads.

From my own reading, and from trailer mfr, the 2000# figure, is the nominal working load, not the maximum {HERE} Most of the clip-in hardware has a max load of 6000# (same as a good quality S/S swivel D-ring), so track and hardware have matched load capacities. This is, of course, predicated on proper installatin of the track with hardened bolts on 2" centers, both edges of each track, for its entire length. That's a lot of bolts!