<VV> Proper tie down of a Corvair onto a Car Carrier Trailer

[Sethracer at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/22/2006 12:35:28 PM Pacific Standard Time,  
JRVIDRINE at aol.com writes:

I  understand that you need to back the car onto the trailer to put the   
weight (60% to the rear) onto the trailer tongue.  My specific  question is  
this: 
What is the best and safest means for securing the  car to the  trailer.  I 
have 
been told to chain the front of the  car to the two front  securement points 
and then to use fabric straps  with ratchet attachments to  the rear.


Randy- You will get lots of different opinions on this one. What I did to  
confirm the trailer tongue weight was to borrow a trailer ball weight gage. When 
 tucked under the contacting point of the trailer, you can read the actual 
weight  pushing down on the ball of the towing vehicle. I moved my car fore and 
aft to  get the 10% number I was seeking. Once there, I marked the trailer for 
the  center of the front wheels and rear wheels, so I could just put the car 
back in  the same place every time. 
Depending on the fore-aft location of the wheels on your trailer, you  may or 
may not want to load rearward first. You might be able to position the  car a 
little bit more forward (Front first) and still get the tongue load you  
want. It would certainly make loading and unloading a bit easier.  On my  current 
car, I loop the front ratchet straps over the lower control arms  and snugged 
them to the front D rings, then I loop the rears around the rear  live axle 
and snug them to the rear. On a late Vair, I would loop the rear  straps around 
the lower strut rod or the drive axles and snug them up. You can  leave the 
emerency brake on for this, as long as you take it out of gear, and  release the 
Parking brake before you go. I also tow about 25 feet, stop, then go  back 
are verify the snugness of the tie-downs. Some folks like to tie-down  just the 
four wheels, so the chassis is not loaded during tow. It is an option.  - Seth 
Emerson