Proper trailer techniques.

[LT.]

Hey y'all, I was reading in another post about a tow truck driver and his tie down techniques. I did not want to start a debate there so I thought I would share some of my ideas with y'all and hopefully learn from y'all as well along the way.

For some time now I have always tied down my rigs by the axle in a straight manner. I do not cross the straps. I will tighten them down trying to pull the vehicle from the front and rear. I also have a set of straps for the rear that do not have any ratchets on them. The reason for no ratchets is that there is no moving parts to break. Remember, your braking is always going to stress the straps more than your acceleration ever can. On the front I will use a ratchet style strap so I can get the vehicle tight on the trailer. I also cannot stress enough that we use straps that are designed for the load. Please, please do not use cargo straps on your vehicles. Most of the cargo straps that I have seen have a working load of 3300 lbs or so. They also do not have provisions for axle loops or other vehicle specific hauling attributes in mind.

So, some of you may be wondering why I don't cross the straps. Well, I have always thought about what would happen if one strap fails and I did not see it until too late. Say, on the rear of the trailer while going down the road. If a strap or something else fails on the trailer and the straps are crossed this would mean that you no longer have equal pressure and the rig would be pulled to the side where the remaining strap is connected. Thus, pulling your load off center and possibly shifting the weight in a uneven manner and could cause ill handling of the trailer. At worst your load could shift far enough to come off the trailer. Also, when crossing the straps you are creating an area for the straps to rub against each other and may cause a premature failure. We all have had our straps in the dirt and may have picked up a rock or even a goat head in the strap. With them crossed that debris could help weaken the straps enough to cause a failure.

Some thing else we want to look at is how the trailer is loaded. There are some good rules of thumb to follow here as well. One is the weight on the hitch while pulling a tag, or bumper pull. The weight of the tongue should be 10% of the pulling weight. In effect, if you are pulling 10,000 lbs you should have 1,000 lbs of tongue weight. On a goose neck trailer things get a little confusing. Goose neck trailers come in all sorts of arrangements and the axles are located in different positions. Some have the wheels near the rear of the trailer say, like an equipment trailer, and others have them split in a more familiar arrangement like a tag with a 40/60% split.

While we are on the topic of trailer weights I cannot stress enough that we use the proper trailer tires for the trailers. Use a load rating at least equal to the trailer load it will carry. If you have a newer trailer there may be a tag on the trailer stating what load range tire to use. Also, I have seen way too many trailers used with LT tires on them. While they may work in a pinch, heck any tire is better than no tire, replace them with a proper tire as soon as possible. Trailer tires have a very specific function in life and while a LT tire may have the proper load rating it is not a trailer tire. Trailer tires are designed with some specific functions. Namely going down the road straight and keeping the load from swaying. They also are designed with braking duties in mind along with some stiffer side walls. LT tires are designed with braking, tracking, and also traction abilities in mind. Since there are no traction issues to worry about with a trailer we don't need this function on a trailer tire.

I have not covered tow rigs or towing overloaded because everyone is going to want to use different equipment and tow rigs. Towing overloaded should never be done either on the trailer or on the tow rig but, some of us do it anyway. There are a number of products available to us that will make our towing experience better. Things like air bags, weight disturbuting hitches, dual rear wheels, and the like.

Please, if you have some ideas to add please do. I am not above learning and I think everyone has something to add that I may have missed. My mind is much faster than I can type.

LT.

 

[1995zj]

Alright, since we're on the topic, I am curious as to why people are against strapping their axles AS WELL AS their suspension down? I use 4 straps in all. One for the front axle, one for the rear axle, one for the front bumper and one for the rear bumper. I tighten the suspension down to avoid the body roll my rig has on my trailer, without it if I were to swerve to avoid something, the shift in weight on the trailer would most likely cause me to fishtail more and lose control.

So what's the right way here? I see nothing wrong with it and feel it's safer this way.

 

[Cody]

I used to run chains/binders around the axles front and rear, and 2 HD ratchet straps on the front end sucking the suspension down. I had so little weight on the back of my rig that it didn't really make a difference if I sucked the suspension down in the back.

When I've towed my full bodied rig, I compressed the suspension down. Towing with just the axles strapped and not the suspension didn't feel very stable to me, so I only did that when going a few miles from trail to trail.

Cody

 

[1995zj]

When I've towed my full bodied rig, I compressed the suspension down. Towing with just the axles strapped and not the suspension didn't feel very stable to me, so I only did that when going a few miles from trail to trail.

Cody

That's exactly how I feel. But reading in the other thread, it seems like people think it's stupid and unsafe because straps can come off if you don't compress the suspension down enough.

I'm just curious what everyone on here thinks now.

 

[LT.]

Alright, since we're on the topic, I am curious as to why people are against strapping their axles AS WELL AS their suspension down? I use 4 straps in all. One for the front axle, one for the rear axle, one for the front bumper and one for the rear bumper. I tighten the suspension down to avoid the body roll my rig has on my trailer, without it if I were to swerve to avoid something, the shift in weight on the trailer would most likely cause me to fishtail more and lose control.

So what's the right way here? I see nothing wrong with it and feel it's safer this way.

I used to run chains/binders around the axles front and rear, and 2 HD ratchet straps on the front end sucking the suspension down. I had so little weight on the back of my rig that it didn't really make a difference if I sucked the suspension down in the back.

When I've towed my full bodied rig, I compressed the suspension down. Towing with just the axles strapped and not the suspension didn't feel very stable to me, so I only did that when going a few miles from trail to trail.

Cody

Everyone has there personal preference and I think it will all boil down to what you feel comfortable with. If you look at the professional truck drivers who haul cars for a living they will use special made chains and suck the suspension down to prevent any movement of the vehicles. This may be done because if you had 8 to 10 cars and they all moved this may cause the load to over run the trailer. I don't know for sure just a guess. I don't collapse the suspension because I have a lot of money invested in it and I don't want to ruin it and I have a trailer that is way over kill for what I haul.

I guess it is all up to you. What do you feel comfortable with? What is your personal preference? Your load will be different from mine and different from everyone else. I am hoping that everyone will have something to offer. Perhaps something I have not thought of. Let us know what you tow, how you do it, and how you like it.

LT.

 

[anderson750]

I use 4 straps. 2 crossing in the front, 2 crossing in the back that are attached to anchor points on my bumpers, compressing the suspension. I have never had a strap come loose due to the suspension compressing further. I have towed using the other technique of hooking to the axles, and while the body movement is not major, you can still feel it a lot more if you make a sudden move.

 

[WayneXJ]

I've been using one strap on the front axle and one on the rear axle for a while. I've never felt uncomfortable, unstable, or had any problems with the body swaying.

 

[SLC97SR5]

I've been using one strap on the front axle and one on the rear axle for a while. I've never felt uncomfortable, unstable, or had any problems with the body swaying.

FWIW, I think DOT requires 2 straps for each end of the vehicle. Redundancy.

 

[1995zj]

I've been using one strap on the front axle and one on the rear axle for a while. I've never felt uncomfortable, unstable, or had any problems with the body swaying.

Have you ever swerved to avoid something though.....? :-\

 

[mbryson]

I use two chains at a minimum. Not a fan of straps. I use two log chains and a binder to the axle. NEVER had any kind of issue. If the load was "unsettled" with a limber suspension, I don't see what's wrong with securing the load with an additional strap to limit "bounce" on the trailer (your winch could even be used if desired--I WOULD NOT use it as my primary attachment point, however). I WOULD NOT use that as my primary attachment, though.

I will also use two chains on the back (wrecker units with big J on one end and chain hooks and t-hooks on the other end) and use the log chain with binder on the front to put tension in the load. The big Js are made to hook to the axle tube without damage. Watch for brake lines or other stuff as you should have your rig tight enough that it'll squish brake lines or whatever is in the way. The t-hooks (even better are the mini-J hooks) attach to a slot in the frame (even ZJ, XJ vehicles have places for those) and will use the vehicles suspension so you'll need those types of connections in more of a compression mode than you would if you were securing by the axles. The very nature of a lifted, modified vehicle suspension makes me want to attach to the axles primarily, and then if required, secure the body to a certain degree.

I don't like straps as I've cut a few when I was a wrecker driver. Went to a chain bridle and never looked back.

Here's why I do the chains in tension. I drove a flatbed wrecker. Used a winch with bridle to pull a vehicle onto the bed and secured with two chains to the rear of the vehicle. Usually on a vehicle there are "shipping attachments" for the mfg. to ship the vehicles to the dealers (whether truck, ship or rail). Those are strong points in the vehicle for obvious reasons. The winch on the wrecker bed would pull the rear chains into tension and then I'd use a safety hook on the front in case the winch released. You don't "cross" your chains (normally) on a flatbed. In the cases of a severe accident, you'd have to use cargo straps, bungee cords, etc. to keep a hood, decklid, door, roof, etc. on a vehicle at speed as the DRIVER of the vehicle is liable for loss of load. The tension between the winch and rear chains would keep the load from wandering on the bed or getting "loose".

A super flexy ZJ, WJ or TJ or whatnot can get a little "bouncy" but if the axles are secured, it's really not going very far. If your vehicle's center of gravity is going to move over a few feet due to bouncing on the deck, I think you've got other issues. A few inches of COG will likely not make a difference in an emergency maneuver, but it COULD. In that type of a situation, you'd be damn lucky to keep things under control anyway.

In my experience, if you USE YOUR HEAD while towing/securing a load, you'll be fine. You don't want the load shifting, you want it secure in emergency situations and you want to inspect your equipment regularly for wear or other unsafe conditions. YOU KNOW your rig, your tow vehicle and trailer. Just like anything else, find a safe area to practice "emergency" maneuvers and see how your junk reacts at 15 mph, 30 mph and above if you can (that'd be interesting to go faster in an abandoned parking lot ). You'll learn a LOT about your stuff at 30 mph.

You can steer out of a situation a LOT faster than braking/accelerating, but usually a combination of either is the right move.

The biggest issue I see is people just going to fast and not being able to slow/stop the load. It'd suck if you killed/hurt someone.

Make sure whatever you're using to secure your load is RATED to handle the load.

I've attached some images of various wrecker chains and hooks

 

[Shawn]

I use two chains in the rear hooked to each side of the axle and then to the trailer. Then I pull the crawler forward to tighten the chains (chains are cut to the length I need to set the crawler right where I want it). If I haul far I place two straps in the front if close I only do one strap around the axle and out to each side of the trailer. Now, why use chains? I feel safer with the chains in the rear because if I hit something the chain is stronger than the straps and I'm not into having the crawler coming through the truck.

 

[Cody]

That's exactly how I feel. But reading in the other thread, it seems like people think it's stupid and unsafe because straps can come off if you don't compress the suspension down enough.

Well that just makes perfect sense doesn't it? If the straps come undone then it becomes unsafe? Because then the body is free to pitch however it wants? So it's unsafe to strap it down to prevent the body from bouncing/rolling, because if a strap comes undone then the body is free to bounce/roll at will?

genius.

I think it's dependent upon load, suspension, and tow rig too. A heavy tow rig with a lighter load, or towing a vehicle that doesn't have a ton of unsprung weight to begin with, or uses leaves so isn't particularly bouncy to begin with, probably doesn't need to worry much about it.

Those of us that tow with 3/4 ton, or even 1/2 ton rigs have to be a little more concerned about how the weight of the trailer is shifting around because it can make a very noticeable impact on the drive. If it comes down to one of the situations like Mbryson mentioned, where you are trying to steer to avoid something or some other sort of emergency maneuver, it may not matter either way. But just in case that little bit of extra control might be the difference between life and losing a game of chicken with an 18 wheeler, I'll just go ahead and strap my suspension down.

 

[I Lean]

I'm with Shwan....two chains in the back with wrecker J-hooks on them, set to length. Pull on trailer, hook chain hooks on, pull rig forward until tight. Then I use a chain and binder on the front to tension it all up.

I've done that with both leaf and coil sprung rigs, and have never seen enough motion to make me worry about anything. I'm far too lazy to add extra straps to the body, but that's just me.

 

[Navigator]

I had this same conversation several years back with my brother-in-law because he thought it would be easier to use straps than chains. I (through several life lessons) have learned that chains are the way to go. I was explaining this to him as we traveled to a competition in New Mexico.

Before we made the return trip I secured our rig with chins over the diffs and under the axle tubes front and rear taking up the slack with binders, I then suck the suspension down with the front and rear winches. We made it all the way back to Hwy 6 a few miles off of I-70 when we were in a head on collision and after driving over the escort that drifted into our lane the coupler on the trailer gave out and the trailer rolled several times on the highway, even after dragging down the highway and rolling with the weight of the Jeep and trailer the two never separated. Had they come apart there may have been a much worse outcome.

Long story short, chains will always hold up better then straps and if you go from the axles there is a better chance of everything staying together even in a worst case situation. Chains or straps to the suspension will almost always come unhooked in a catastrophic event.

Just my experience.

 

[WayneXJ]

Have you ever swerved to avoid something though.....? :-\

Yep, I've had to dodge deer a few times in Spanish Fork Canyon and then there's I-15 through Utah county with all the construction and great drivers. I've been towing this way for at least 9 years, and my worst experience was flat towing with a 1/2 ton truck. In the future I'll probably add another strap the the rear though.

 

[EB101]

Heading to CrawlFest this year, we got out of town late and just in time to hit the glazed ice in Utah County. Before I realized there was ice, my rig was going down the freeway sideways across all 3 lanes. Somehow it came back around and in some wide fishtails the trailer caught the temp barrier. The short of it is.. somehow it straightened back out, no damage anywhere. For a few minutes I was wondering how my straps would hold when it all flipped. Axle straps in the rear, straps to the d-rings on the front sucking down the suspension maybe 4 inches. Glad it didn't move. Re-considering my tie downs.

 

[mbryson]

Heading to CrawlFest this year, we got out of town late and just in time to hit the glazed ice in Utah County. Before I realized there was ice, my rig was going down the freeway sideways across all 3 lanes. Somehow it came back around and in some wide fishtails the trailer caught the temp barrier. The short of it is.. somehow it straightened back out, no damage anywhere. For a few minutes I was wondering how my straps would hold when it all flipped. Axle straps in the rear, straps to the d-rings on the front sucking down the suspension maybe 4 inches. Glad it didn't move. Re-considering my tie downs.

IMHO, icy roads and a trailer are a nightmare waiting to happen

 

[LT.]

I am really digging on the debates. Chains vs. straps. I use straps now but, in the past I used chains. The straps I buy usually have a ribbon sewn into them. When you can see the ribbon it is time to replace the straps. I still use chains on wrecked cars when I don't care how they look. The wrecks are all being hauled to the scrap yard. I have heard a horror story about using chains. I was told that you may have a weak link and you would not know it until it was too late. I guess it could be true. It has not happened to me yet.

In regards to chains. Make sure you are using transport chains and not log chains. Transport chains carry a higher load rating than the log chains. I think most transport chains are a grade 70 or better and should be marked every so often on the links. I am not too sure about the log chains strength. Check this out. http://www.uscargocontrol.com/Flatbed-Trailer-Products/Transport-Chain-Chain-Binders

How about chain binders? I have used both the boomer kind and the ratcheting kind. Any thoughts on this?

LT.

 

[Chevycrew]

My personal preference is the right rear axle housing, out at the tire, hooked to the left rear of the trailer, and opposite for the other side. Front is the same idea.

Straps all around, crossed front and rear, leaving the body loose.

 

[ChestonScout]

I always chain my axles and use 4 straps to suck the suspension down. With as tall and as flexxy as my rig is, I can feel the body roll if it isnt sucked down.

I think its way overkill but worth the extra 5 minutes to strap down.

I use normal binders but thats just because I havent spent the cash on ratcheting ones yet. I always tape the handle down after its tight. Harbor freight electrical tape is really cheap and holds them perfectly.


One trick I have learned is to always have the binder on the drivers side of the trailer. That way I can see it in my mirror and if it does happen to open (never has) I should catch it pretty quick. But even if it did, the straps should be a good fail safe.