School me on trailers/straps

[BFJ93YJ]

I just bought a new-to-me truck to haul my Jeep (2000 F-250, 7.3L, extended cab long bed, etc). I am now looking for a trailer and the best way to strap the Jeep down. I have done some research, but I wanted to get advice from people who haul the same thing I will be hauling:

Trailer: The truck has both gooseneck and a normal tow-hitch. I would like to do a gooseneck, but I don't think that will happen right now, so I am focusing on a pull-behind trailer. I know I will need a tandem axle (with brakes) flatbed, probably around 14'-16'. What weight limit do you recommend? I am thinking around 7,000-10,000#. Any other advice? Anything else I need to consider (I know I am forgetting something)?

Straps: Do you guys use straps or chains/come-alongs? I know people who use both but I'm not sure what is best. I would rather use straps as they are less of a pain to deal with IMO. If I use straps, what weight and working load do I need to get? 10,000/3,500#? Higher or lower?

Any help or links is appreciated!

btw, I will be hauling a YJ on full-widths that is roughly 3,600lbs.

[ScaldedDog]

Trailer: You can probably get by with a 14' trailer for a jeep. My buddy tows hi TJ on one and it's fine, but I prefer a 16' for my 110" WB 4Runner. Tandem axle with brakes is right, but watch the tires. Sometime they cheap out and put low load range tires on the trailers, and you end up replacing them right away.

My trailer is 7000lb, and I come close to that with a 5000lb 'Runner, tool chest, etc. (7000lb trailers weigh about 100lb/ft.) A 10k would be better, but they are, of course, heavier.

Straps: Being a belt and suspenders guy, here's what I do:

http://www.scaldeddog.com/images/Trailer-rig-F.jpg

http://www.scaldeddog.com/images/Trailer-rig-R.jpg

The straps hold the rig down in anything resembling normal situations. The chains are just safety chains to keep whatever is left of the 4Runner and trailer in more or less one piece if I roll it up in a ball. Get at least 10K straps, and use the "axle savers". They are really "strap savers", as they keep the straps from getting cut.

I've got hooks on the straps and d-rings on the trailer and *much* prefer that setup to anything else I've seen.

BTW, is your truck an auto? If so, add a tranny cooler. You can, and will, get those 4R100's hot towing in the mountains.

Mark

[Big Dave]

BTW, is your truck an auto? If so, add a tranny cooler. You can, and will, get those 4R100's hot towing in the mountains.


And definitely throw some gauges on there.

As for trailers, I have a 16' 7k lb trailer, works great behind my truck (almost the same as yours) and my ZJ fits on it nicely. I use straps to hold the rig down as well.

[CSP]

Personally I'll never buy a 7k trailer again. Even with just a Jeep on it you're close to the trailer's limits. I like a little more "room to spare" and for the small cost difference I wish I had gone 10k.

Luckily I have a 14k gooseneck for larger loads, but the length is overkill for one Jeep.

[Boogerhead]

I would start w/ a longer trailer for adding toolboxes/storage they will fill up fast

[Camp]

I would agree with the idea to get a trailer with a little extra space on it. My float was 18' of deck with a 2' dove. I would also recommend getting 7000lbs axles under it as you get the bigger brakes, more choices of tires in the ratings needed, and bigger rims. It is great to have a trailer that is just big enough but, if you ever need to haul anything more, you will want the bigger trailer. Also, the added size is not noticable when pulling, parking or storing with the exception of, the bigger heavier duty trailer will pull better. Once you start getting close to the capacity of a trailer, they tend to be less stable plus, the longer they are from hitch to axles, the straighter they pull.


As for straps, I use big ratchet straps from walmart. The ones made for hauling cars with hooks on the end. I run one over each axle so it make a triangle. Never had a problem.

Here are a few pictures of the float I used to have. I wish I still had it as it was the most useful trailer I have ever owned.

[mygreenjeep]

I agree with too. I personally use a 18' with 2 feet of that being dovetail. 7000 pound rating. Brakes on both axles. Emergency break away brake box. I've hauled everything from a riding lawnmower to a friends Ram Charger to about 100 wood pallets on it and have never had any issues. Well, except the time I dropped off the jeep and forgot to turn the brake box in the cab down and ended up flat spotting all four tires when I hit the brakes.

As for straps, I use 4. One on each corner from the frame of the trailer to the axles on the jeep. I get the 3 inch wide ratchet straps from Home Depot. Not sure of the pound rating, but I've never snapped one. I also wrap the winch cable around the front rail of the trailer as a safety.

I'm a big believer in that extra strap, chain or whatever for the safety part. I almost lost my '69 El Camino off the back of the trailer once. Luckily I put the safety strap on and it caught the car just before the rear tires rolled off the back of the trailer.

[Big Dave]

Murdoch's also has a good supply of straps, and other trailer stuff.

[BFJ93YJ]

Thanks for all of the pics and responses guys. Glad to see I am in the ballpark of what to get. I will keep my eye out for something that pops up on CL. I think I am going to go with the ratcheting straps. Scaldeddog: that is exactly how I was thinking of running the straps and safety chains.

It is an auto. I have gauges in it; EGT, Boost and Trans temp.

Do you recommend buying new or should I focus on a used one (as long as it meets my requirements and looks to be in decent shape)?

[Cresso]

Do you recommend buying new or should I focus on a used one (as long as it meets my requirements and looks to be in decent shape)?

No harm in looking at the used stuff, but you may find that most owners are rather proud of their beat-to-death trailers. I only looked very briefly and found the used stuff to be awfully close to the price of a brand new trailer. I spent a few hundred more than the dilapidated crap on CL and got a new one custom made to my specs.

Places and specs for buying new trailers have been discussed in this forum ad nauseum. I recommend a quick search for more info there. The general consensus seems to be to head east or south. The farther you go, the cheaper the trailer.

[nord]

Get the 18' trailer - with 7K axles, E-Rated 16" tires for the reason of getting your tow vehicle home if it breaks down. A 2000 F250 Powerstroke is pretty reliable, but at some point you will lose a CPS, glow plug relay, injection harness, tranny (if auto), turbo seal, rear diff if you tow hard, etc. Some of those are fixable on the road if you are prepared and research it in advance, but it sure would be nice to have a buddy with a truck tow it somewhere.

Careful of straps - they work great, but tigheten them up and hook them to the trailer in such a way that when you hit bumps, or hit the brakes for an emergency stop, that they don't stretch and come unhooked! I've a buddy who lost is race car after slamming the brakes for a left turn in front of him. The entire load went forward, creating enough slack for the hooks to drop down, then when he let up and could go again, the 1967 Porsche 911 went off the back. I nearly lost a round hay bale for the bumps on I-25 and the flex in the trailer (see photo) - these bales scaled at 1500lbs each, and the trailer is flexy. I now turn it sideways, double strap it, and stop frequently to ratchet, until they settle in. Need to figure out how to reverse hook these so they don't fall off if the straps flex - without cutting the strap material. Is there a common/standard way to do this?

jon.

[CSP]

Get the 18' trailer - with 7K axles, E-Rated 16" tires for the reason of getting your tow vehicle home if it breaks down.

Just clarifying that Jon is recommending 7k per axle. Most of the entry level car haulers are 7k total, or 3.5k per axle. Many of them also come with passenger car rated tires that seem to have a short life.

Personally I don't see much need to go over 5k per axle, which is what I should have done...

[74BuckinBronc]

I've got a 7000# capacity trailer and while it's been a great trailer, I would have like to get a 10000# trailer. Thrify Nickel is also a good place to search for trailers and their website was pretty easy to use last time I used it.

As for straps, I have three 10k straps that I buy/replace from Sams club. They are about $14ea. I also use a 4k come-along on one corner that doubles as my winch. I tightly hook the straps to the frame on the bronco to the stake pockets on the trailer to take the bounce out of my bronco. I tried going around the axles and hated the way I could feel my bronco lean around corners and bounce on bumps. I ratchet nearly as hard as I can and have yet to have any issues. I do check and recheck the straps each time I stop. I also replace straps every year or so. Best thing is not to store them outside in the sun.

Should we cover how to load your rig on the trailer ie balance?

J.D.

[ColoradoXJ]

from cdot (pertains to commercial vehicles, but these are pretty good guidelines IMHO)

Part ?393.100 requires all commercial motor vehicles transporting
loads to be loaded and equipped to prevent the shifting or falling of
the cargo. Part ?393.104 requires the load to be secured from
longitudinal and lateral movement. Towing carriers transporting
loads on a roll back type wrecker, must secure the load in at least
two locations in the rear, and one location in the front. i usually went two in front, two in back when transporting equipment/loads/vehicles over 500lbsEach tie
down assembly must have at least one half the working load limit
of the weight of the cargo being transported.


hope that helps...

[MAMA]

www.talcospecialties.com for all things towing cheapest anywhere we use the axle wrap back onto themselves like 16 bucks a corner.

[ScaldedDog]

Careful of straps - they work great, but tigheten them up and hook them to the trailer in such a way that when you hit bumps, or hit the brakes for an emergency stop, that they don't stretch and come unhooked!

The only kind of straps I'll use are the ones who's hooks have anti-release clips, and I hook them to d-rings that have been both welded and bolted (belt and suspenders again) to the trailer. Any hook that can come loose, will.

My $.02.

Mark

[Snake]

I know there is a debate on straps or chains here... I personally use the good ole' harbor freight chains with one rachet binder and a swivel? binder. I triangulate on the front and rear axle.

I have found if you hook it to the bumpers/ frame chains and straps tend to loosen up after a while with suspension movement. At the axle, the only movement is tire absorbtion. I followed a friend to moab with straps on his and half way there the straps were holding, but very loose. Chains usually need a tighten as the load settles too, but no where near straps.

I would recommend 2 chains($30), 2 binders($30), 18ft, 10K trailer(new or used)($1500-2500). The extra length pays for itself. I could put atleast 2 atv's or more camping junk on the long hauls.

This is what I have and it has been great for 3+ years now even with the stock wood boards. Oh, and if you plan on running the passes electric brakes will be more user-friendly than hydraulic trailer brakes.

[nridler]

Hey Eric, its good to hear you got a tow rig. I use M&R transport straps. The front straps wrap around the front axle and connect to themselves. The rears do the same but have a ratchet attached to them. Their fast and easy to use. Just roll the jeep back until the front is tight and then ratchet it from the rear. They do stretch a little, but by the time I drive down my hill and get to the first diesel station (which is about a mile) I'll get one more notch on the rears and then I can drive without worrying about them becoming loose. They have the protective sheaths and are rated at 10,000 lbs each. I like my 7000 lb trailer, but it would be nice to have a trailer that could handle a broken down tow rig. I think the straps were about $100 for a set of four.

[SCOUTMAN67]

I've got a 7,000lb 16' with 2' dovetail. I haul Scouts, pickups and Travelalls on it all the time no problem. The heaviest load I've ever run was a '85 Chevy K30 from Chicago to Denver. The trailer did fine, but if you have cheapo tires they'll make themselves know pretty quick :eek: I run 205/70/R15 used car tires from Big-O. They're like $10 and usually last pretty long depending on how sharp I turn in parking lots :D

I also run a chain in an "X" pattern hooked to the front leaf springs near the shackle, then run a chain looped around the rear pumpkin with a load binder. Then, I use bungee cords to tighten up the slack just in case the chains loosen for whatever reason. In 30k miles of towing like this I've never had a problem.

-Gary

[jeepn4evr]

Personally I don't own a trailer, but a friend lets me borrow his 18 ft any time I want. I have a 74 CJ5 that goes on there most of the time. As stated before it is a little big just for the Jeep, but I have also towed fullsize trucks on there. (ie full size Suburban from here to MI) Its ALOT easier to park a longer trailer without jacknifing it. Anything shorter & I have to try 3 times to get it in. Also if your tow rig breaks down & you can borrow a truck you will have the length & weight rating you need to tow it home. Most of the time borrowing a truck & filling it full of gas is ALOT cheaper than paying the tow company, just as long as you dont break borrowed truck.

For securing whatever I used to use the straps you could buy from Home Depot on the front & a chain on the back. That worked great for the most part till I almost lost the Jeep off the trailer when something came loose due to jeep rocking back & forth. Last summer I bought one of these: http://www.macscustomtiedowns.com/category/PackageDeals . I bought that before hauling suburban to MI & got about an hour down the road & checked everything. Found I had left suburbabn in neutral, but it hadn't moved at all. Depending on what I am hauling I might still put an extra chain or tie down on there but shouldn't really need to, its just for my own piece of mind. The best money I ever spent period.

[SCOUTMAN67]

Anything shorter & I have to try 3 times to get it in.

Sorry John, I just had to laugh at that. :D

[jeepn4evr]

rereading my post I geuss I set myself up for that one & leave it up to you to find it & exploit it.

All I am gonna say is I have had no complaints :D

[guapotaco]

http://www.uscargocontrol.com/2x8shortwideratchetstrapwaxlestrap10000lbs-p-51.html
best deal i've seen on some cool axle straps, cheaper than mac's etc...
cheaper than AW link below, and stronger too

[CLYDE]

Heres a great resource for anything related to tieing down vehicles. All this stuff is commerically rated for towing and recovery purposes. Dont cheap out on securing your rig, not only could you lose your rig, but you could kill someone in the process.

http://awdirect.com/

[pdrhound]

http://www.macscustomtiedowns.com/product/79/PackageDeals

quick, easy and strong and quick

[Impaired]

http://www.macscustomtiedowns.com/product/79/PackageDeals

quick, easy and strong and quick

I have a few sets of these. 98mph across Utah/Colorado, start stops with no rolling back and forth. Like metioned above check at first stop. 18ft trailer for one rig.