<VV> Trailering / Tie-down

[Jim Houston]

I read somewhere (here on VV?) that BMW sells tiedown fittings that will 
fit the Corvair slots...

Jim Houston
Brandon, FL

Sethracer at aol.com wrote:
>  
> In a message dated 5/9/2006 8:12:28 AM Pacific Daylight Time,  
> n556p at yahoo.com writes:
>
> Here's a  question for you "been there - done that" "experts".
> I'm about to take a trip to pick up a new (to me) 'Vair.  What is
> the  best way to tie-down a late model onto a trailer?  What are the
> best  places to attach the tie-down straps?  I've not done this before. 
> The  trailer I'll have available to me is a tandem-axle that's long
> enough so  the rear wheels of the 'Vair should sit about over the rear
> trailer  axle.  I'm assuming that this should give reasonable  weight
> distribution without having to load the car backward.  The trip  is
> about 500 miles each way.
> If you don't want to  waste bandwidth on such a "newbie" question,
> feel free to respond to me  off-list.  Thanks in advance.
> Phil  Raker
>
>
>
> Phil - When I trailer, I use four ratcheting tie downs and four ring loops.  
> The "ring loops" are short pieces of Nylon strapping (maybe 24") with a 
> rubbery  cover over it and a sewn ring at each end. On the front, I slide the ring  
> loops over the lower control arms - near the front spring, rings aimed  
> forward - And attach one of the hooks on the ratchet through both  rings. That way 
> the hook is easily accessable for attachment and removal. The  other hook on 
> the ratchet is attached to the trailer ring far forward. On the  rear, I use the 
> loop over the lower strut rod (The lateral steel link between  the 
> differential and the trailing arm) with the rings gathered together and  aimed toward 
> the rear) the ratchets hook through the rings and to the rear  towing hold-down 
> eyes on the trailer. While attaching all of this, the car is in  gear on the 
> trailer, with the parking brake on. After all four tie-downs are  Just snugged, 
> I take the car out of gear and remove the parking brake. At that  point I 
> tighten up the rear ratchets which, in effect, pulls everything tight  and the 
> car slightly toward the rear of the trailer.  I do not cross the  ratchets, I 
> realize that some folks do. I always tow out of gear, and usually  with the 
> parking brake off. (I do cross the safety chains between the  trailer and the tow 
> vehicle) During a trip, I generally check the tightness of  the ratches 
> whenever I stop. This is in case a tire goes down which would loosen  the ratchet. 
>  
> Just one further note, Corvairs, like almost all cars built to sell in the  
> US, and maybe elsewhere, have tie-down slots built into the subframes. These 
> are  small, elongated holes that are located and designed to allow the standard  
> Auto-carrier truck tiedowns to be attached. If you could find those, you 
> could  use those slots for your tie downs. - Seth Emerson
>  
>  
>  
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