Securing on a Trailer..

[NCFJ]

I trailer vehicles often and always secure to the axles if possible. As mentioned above the brake hard lines some times makes this hard to do. I use four straps.

A word on crossing the straps. A rigger told me once, when he saw my cross straps securing a rig on my trailer, that if one of the crossed tie downs lets go the tension of the remaining tie down will start to pull the vehicle to one side due to bumps etc. I have strapped mine straight down since.

 

[elkaholic]

A word on crossing the straps. A rigger told me once, when he saw my cross straps securing a rig on my trailer, that if one of the crossed tie downs lets go the tension of the remaining tie down will start to pull the vehicle to one side due to bumps etc.

This is true. I had a rig with a fairly limber suspension at one point that was also heavy as h*ll (6250 pounds on a 92 inch wheelbase) :whoops:. When strapped down straight, rough roads would end up with it moving about on the trailer no matter how tight I strapped it down. Crossing the straps with appropriate chafe protection solved that. But you are correct in stating that if one strap lets go, the side force from the other will pull the rig in that direction.

An ideal situation is to use wheel bonnets like is often seen on show cars, but bonnets in sizes to fit off road tires are expensive and the rigging ends up with a lot more parts.

 

[R.K.]

I strap my rig down by the axles with the straps crossed front and rear.

One of my buddies got in a wreck on the way to Harlan last year towing his buggy. He had his straps straight, not crossed. The impact of the wreck shifted his buggy sideways a little over a foot, almost knocking it off the trailer. It ended up cutting the inner sidewall of that tire on the edge of his trailer. I'm pretty sure crossed straps would have prevented this. He crosses his straps now!

 

[NCFJ]

After seeing that I am thinking I should go back to cross strapped.

 

[krzyabncanuck]

I have been crossing mine for over 30 years now but have never done it any other way so have no clue which is better or worse. I also use chains and binders thouth.

 

[Fort Knox]

I cross mine front & rear and use axle straps, making sure not to trap brake lines under the straps. A buddy of mine learned that lesson for me at GSMTR one year. Had to replace the hard lines before he could wheel. I have been also strapping the sliders down on each side to prevent body roll, but that part is probably unnecessary.