Trailering a Car

[RobS]

Maybe slightly off topic, but I know there are a lot of us on this board with trailers. Here's my situation: I have a car-hauler trailer that I have only used for my tractor. It's 18', 16' flat w/ 2' dovetail. 5' ramps. Again, I have used this many times to haul my tractor, so I am plenty familiar with the trailer.

Of course, I pull the trailer with my truck which gets miserable mileage. So, I'm buying an economy car. Picking it up next week, 200 miles away. No problem, take the trailer and make a nice day out of it.

I'm curious though, as the car has no-where near the ground clearance of the tractor. Any tricks/tips to loading to avoid bottoming the front/back and middle as I cross the dovetail? The car is a first generation Scion xB (the "Box"). It sits fairly low, but is stock. There is little rear overhang but the front has some and of course the middle going over the angle.

I have access to a tow dolly, which sits lower. I've never used one before and would prefer to have the car on my trailer.

Suggestions?

 

[Blk88GT]

The only vehicle that I have problems with on my equipment trailer is my racecar because of the long tube headers and 3.5" exhaust over the edge on the dovetail.

Got a picture of your trailer with the ramps set up? I'm going to go out on a limb and say you'll be fine.

 

[MossRoad]

Rob,
I'll bet it will clear the hump just fine. You could find a spot where there is a slight hill, and back your trailer up to that to lessen the angle of the ramps, but I'll bet it won't be a problem.

On our car hauler, on level ground, the ramps end up about the same angle as the hump, maybe a tad more, but not much. Here's a couple pictures of mine.

Picture 1
Picture 2

Lot of folks use these same trailers for race cars and such and they are pretty low to the ground.

Just remember that the car has a suspension and should be secured well, as they can bounce around a lot more than a tractor.

 

[RobS]

Thanks for the pics Dave, your trailer looks pretty much like mine. I'll check it out this weekend.

 

[LD1]

My trailer is an older home made car trailer that sits higher than most car trailers, and I have loaded several cars on without problems. I think the car you are talking about has a short wheelbase, which will help out a bunch. It's the longer wb sports cars that give trouble. My '93 Firebird drags the hedder flange on the wood planks for about 2" when I load it.

Also, what kind of ramps do you have. I have found out that the construction type ramps (Upside down Angle Iron) do not work well for vehichles, esp. small cars. The angle iron is spaced too raf apart and the tires want to drop in. It's like driving over a bunch of little speed bumps.

 

[Reg]

Does the car have a sun roof ?

Think this question through... CAREFULLY !

(-:

 

[rcrcomputing]

Reminds me. Last year I made a pulley to go onto the back of my trailer so I could pull vehicles off the trailer. Make the winch that much handier. I designed it, welded it, sandblasted it, nice job!

Course the first car I pulled onto the dovetail couldn't clear the 2 1/2" high pulley and thus the whole plan went to ****..

Very disappointing!
Hmm, gues I could now mount something to make the car and inch or two higher... hmmm

 

[Redbug]

Just thinking Rob...You could take some 2x6's (maybe 2 or 3 feet long), and place them under the ramp ends on the ground. That would flatten the ramp angle by raising them. If you stack the boards, stagger the ends so you can drive up them onto the metal ramp. Sort of a wooden ramp under the end of the metal ramp. Hope this makes sense.

 

[Fultrtl]

I do not think you will have a problem. If you do need a little more clearance just crank up the front of the trailer till you get it to pass, lower it and tie it down. We always find some where on the front to tie it down so the suspension of the car your hauling can move up and down. Always tied of the rear end in the back.
Wayne

 

[Diamondpilot]

I haul about a dozen cars a year for family and friends. I did just as you did last Wednesday and bought a 1999 Saturn of the net. It was only 75 miles away but I hooked up the trailer to my F-150 and went and got it.

Here is a few things I have learned hauling about 40 or so cars, suv's, and trucks.

1: Take some 2x8's about 5' long. You may need them to put over the ramps or to lessen the approach angle.

2: Never hook the straps or chains to the frame of the car. Only hook to the suspension. I use axle straps and hook to the lower A arms on the front and to the rear suspension. This allows the car to bounce separate from the trailer. If you hook any other way the chain/strap will come off as the suspension compresses at bumps.
(Car transporters hook to the frame but pull the car down vertically to fully compress the suspension, that is ok but not practical with a trailer)

3: Cross the chains/straps in a X fashion to prevent any side movement of the car on the trailer.

Hope this helps.

Chris

 

[B7510HSD]

you could also back the truck rear wheels up on wood to lift the front
of the trailer higher making the back lower to the ground...

 

[rcrcomputing]

The army doesn't tie to the axle. This is very interesting reading..

http://www.tea.army.mil/pubs/nr/deploy/fgpamphlets/pam_55-19.pdf

Also, from another forum..

Google "TEA PAM 55-20 Tiedown Handbook for Truck Movements". I'd post here, but it's 4.7 MB.

BTW, just for your edification, both PAM 55-19 (Rail movements) and 55-20 (Truck movements) make the following statement:

"A. Preparing Payload Vehicles Prior to Loading

1. Be sure all shackles are on the vehicle. Do not use bumperettes, axles, towing pintles, or towing hooks as points of attachments for chains.

....."

According to these military documents, for rail, truck (and sea) movement of vehicles, the military exclusivley uses chain or wire rope and secures vehicles by the frame, not the axles. FWIW.

 

[Eagleview]

Its Ok to tie down on the chassis only if you can get the chains/straps nearly horizontal as this allows the vehicle to go up and down using the arc of the chains . This is not allways possible with car trailers because of the length restriction so the car should be tied down on the suspension or straps crossed over the tyres which allows bounce . As you would be aware , drive the car on forward to achieve positive ball weight . A car put on backwards will cause trailer fishtail because of the reduced ball weight and the counter balance effect of the cars engine behind the trailer axles . If you look at how sprung or tyred machinery is tied down you will see the chains are close to the horizontal plane . I have seen broken chains because chains were near vertical on tyred machinery , the inertia of the bouncing machine easily overcomes the chains .

 

[MossRoad]

I used to drive 5 ton, 2.5 ton, hummers and postal vehicles of different sizes out of AM General's factory in South Bend, Indiana and load them onto rail cars all over northern Indiana. We always secured them by the frame to the rail car bed and ratcheted them down to compress the suspension. After loading, a military inspector would come by and inspect the job before the train was allowed to move. I probably did several thousand of these.

But, I have never moved a car on a trailer on a highway. I would have thought that you would not want the car to be able to move at all and want it as solid to the trailer as possible, so that the trailer's suspension would be the only thing moving back there. That would require ratcheting it down to the trailer to compress the suspension.

But after reading the advice of people that have done it, I am torn between the two.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I totally agree if moving on a rail car or a semi to pull the car down vertically and compress the suspension. This is not practical on your typical car haul trailer.

For one it would probably spring the trailer because the force required to compress the suspension would bend something.

Second if you hook to the frame and do not totally compress the suspension when you hit a bump the suspension compresses allowing slack in the chains/straps and they will come loose or break when the suspension rebounds.

I move cars all the time and only had problems when attached to the frame. Hooking to the suspension allows for the car to (float) on the trailer while keeping the wheels securely planted to the trailers deck.

Here is what I use. 4 Axle Straps and 4 Ratchet Straps.
S-Line Axle Strap — 10,000-Lb. Capacity, 21in., Blue | Axle Straps | Northern Tool + Equipment
S-Line Ratchet Tie-Down Strap — 10,000-Lb. Capacity, 2in x 8ft. | Ratchet Tie-Down Straps | Northern Tool + Equipment

Chris

 

[RobS]

Finally had a chance to check out my trailer and yes, it should be fine. I'll take some planks to get the car up a bit before it hits the ramps. The breakover isn't as sharp as I was remembering.

Uh, sunroof? No sunroof and I plan on keeping it that way!

 

[LBrown59]

I pull the trailer with my truck which gets miserable mileage. So, I'm buying an economy car.

Are you sure the car has the beef to pull the trailer ????

 

[crbr]

I have access to a tow dolly, which sits lower. I've never used one before and would prefer to have the car on my trailer.

Suggestions?

Preferences are each to their own. I have towed with a dolly many times, as well as with a trailer. For a one time trip and the ease and convenience of a drive-on dolly, I'd recommend and prefer the dolly. Easy towing and no other prepearation on front-wheel drives. Cinch it down with the wheel straps, unlock the steering column, and it will be an easy tow.

As for your trailer, I'd guess that with the 2' dove tail and then the 5' ramps, it will load up nicely. Or look for a ditch to drop the tail in and drive right on.

 

[Newblue]

Had to lift the front of the triaxle to load the wifes car.

 

[RobS]

Nice car but I think I like what's lurking in that garage bay too!