Last minute trip (tie down info)

[MonsterBIlly]

So i am taking a last minute trip to Rubicon this weekend. I am towing from AZ. i need recommendations for trailer tie downs. I have seen the videos of cross strapping vs straight. I will not cross the straps.
But i need a recommendations for straps to buy. I have locally a trailer store, i also have time to rush amazon orders.

Please recommend what you have used successfully. Also, anything I must have. I have never gone on a trip to this scale so i am learning as i go.

Thanks
B

 

[garberz]

Most guys in my local group like Mac’s tie down system.

https://www.macscustomtiedowns.com/collections/best-sellers/products/ultra-pack-tie-down-strap-kit-with-detachable-axle-straps-511206?variant=32324076568650

Mark

 

[DirtDonk]

Don't mean to sidetrack the discussion Billy, but what's wrong with cross-strapping?

I use fairly large heavy-duty axle straps and then some nice ratchet straps to attach those to my trailer's D-rings at each corner. I prefer the cross-over method, but am happy to revisit it if there is a downside. Right now I'm straight and it does not feel as good.
Is it a case of the straps rubbing where they cross?

I do also like to take a pair of those Harbor Freight rubber wheel chocks and bracket one tire, then tie them together with a smaller ratchet/cinch strap to hold them tight to the tire.
Overall very solid.

Paul

 

[Slowleak]

I use tie down ratchet straps with separate axle straps like the Mac’s kit Garberz posted. The flat axle straps are easier to maneuver where I want them on the front suspension than the ones with twisted ends. Get a name brand like Vulcan, or Macs…….you don’t want any cheap Chinese knockoff’s…and make sure your straps have clips so they snap on and cannot come off if loosened.

 

[MonsterBIlly]

Paul

This demonstration seems to have a lot of logic behind it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIC7URvAqmM

 

[Slowleak]

Don't mean to sidetrack the discussion Billy, but what's wrong with cross-strapping?

I don’t cross strap primarily because I don’t see any benefit to it. Just negatives, and if one strap works loose, they all can. Here’s a video with a demo of that…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIC7URvAqmM

 

[Slowleak]

Ha….. Monsterbilly beat me to it!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[sanndmann3]

that was an eye opening video...

 

[71 CA Bronco]

Good point but I believe both is better. Straight and cross. He could have easily shown one straight strap breaking then another strap breaking due to the over stress.

We haul very large loads in the oil fields. I have personally seen a few go off the trailer. To remedy this issue the recommendation is for heavy loads to do both straight and cross binding. Mind you they are usually chain bound but its the same concept. Takes care of both planes. A few more straps, or chains, but much less worry going down the road.

 

[71 CA Bronco]

An example of not using cross straps in the oil patch.

 

[Pa PITT]

... WE'VE HAULED OUR BRONCO to New Mexico 18 times. 540 miles one way.
Ours ride on the back half of my 32 ft flat bed trailer . up front.
... We've changed our approaches several times. .. But I guess we now use both methods together .
But we've had issues with the flat woven straps so we us chains 3/8. & Boomers. We have one ring in the front bumper & one ring in the rear bumper . Chain goes from one side of trailer thru the RING. iT'S ABOUT 5 INCHES ACROSS & IT'S HEAVY. boom that down.
... Then we use the flat straps over the corner of the Bumpers & we use plastic corner protector to keep the strap from wearing out. .. We pull these down good & tight & this stops our Body Roll. We've pulled it a few times early on with out the Body strapped down But we felt like we could feel it sway around at times . & that wasn't good .
SO WE also use the flat axle straps over the axles .. Chains can crimp you brake lines .. So Find a safe spot before you take off. WE'VE LOADED OUR durning the summer .. We've cut our straps to useable lengths . & burnt the ends. & I've WELDED ON CHAIN HOOKS IN MORE CONVENIENT PLACES.
... & GUYS THEY SELL WELD ON HOOKS. THE Weld on hooks have a nice flat back & you get a lot more weld area.
... As were to find these items. I worked for a truck repair shop .
We sold everything to haul a load . High grade chain .. hooks ... 2 .. 2 1/2... & 4... & 6 inch straps. Boomers . Cheater bars to tighten the Boomer handles . Straps with all different kinds of ends..
..... & YE'S WE do check our load every time we stop.. Walk around pulling on the chains & straps. & we do take up some slack from time to time.
... We fell the hub bearings at each stop ... Just about 2 weeks ago . Me & another friend was hauling a trailer on a trailer home . & In a matter of only about an hour or less. The wive needed to stop .. So I got out & grabbed the hubs. Almost left half my thumb on one of the hubs it was melting down.
......
.... We've hauled ours so much The spares now have a special spot to make the trip so the can be gotten to in the dark. As we leave at 1 am & drive until about 3PM THE NEXT DAY.
ONE TRIP GOING OUT we had 3 tires come apart .. One just one trip. SO we stop about every 75 miles now.
... & We run 10ply trailer grade 16inch tires..
... Our jacks have special outside locations now to help make it faster to make repairs.
GOOD LUCK.

 

[FordBronc]

Macs has a great rep. Well no matter the straight or X way, (I am a straight pull guy with chains and boomers). 1st get and use a HD nylon under/over axle strap.

As in under the dvrs side axle tube, then up over the pumpkin, back down and under the passenger tube. Than chains and boomers.

Do not strap the bumpers, let the body/suspension do its thing freely. Just make sure the axles are strapped down. Center the load evenly over the trailer tires. Maybe with the weight slightly fwd. Have some one spot you from the side and watch the suspension squat of the tow rig.

In cab electric brake controller work? All elec connections, trailer tags current? Trailer chains to truck hitch in an centering X. Trailer spare?

 

[Slowleak]

Most I have seen are not “straight” or “crossed” but somewhat of a hybrid of the two methods with straps pulling at an angle like this.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[DirtDonk]

All good info guys. Thanks
I'm going to play around with some straighter setups than a full cross. My trailer is pretty nice in that it has the D-rings in pretty convenient spots for the Bronco, and other potential lighter load tie-down points with a track system in both the long and short dimensions.

I have used the side rails of other trailers in a pinch, but only if I felt that the attachment was safe and secure. In the one video that the guy did, he showed using an axle strap over the side rail. I did not like that either, as the strap was pulled hard over an edge of the trailer. Not a super sharp edge certainly, but an edge nevertheless. It was probably better than yanking his particular tie-down sideways, but the method had it's own downsides as well.

Pays to make your trailer suitable for the load. If it does not have tie-down points in the right spots for your particular load/vehicle, they need to be added.

Paul

 

[DirtDonk]

Another aspect to this that might have been asked already, is the location of the Bronco on the trailer. I load mine so that the tongue weight is in that normal 10-15 percent of overall weight range. My axles are quite far back on the body of the trailer, so it's very easy to over load the front if you roll too far forward.

If you've never done a test, it's kind of fun to get the old bathroom scale out and make a cantilever out of some wood and blocks. I think I was trying to zero in on about 600-650lbs tongue weight and used a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio with the cantilever setup.

Paul

 

[FordBronc]

Here are some cool ways to secure a load, if you do not have dedicated D rings. The 1st one is from Macs, and then some other ideas.

The goofy writing is showing where to drill a hole to be able to put a paddle lock thru the stake pocket-D ring adapters and securing your investment.

And another cool idea. https://www.weigh-safe.com/

https://www.weigh-safe.com/product-category/ball-mount/

 

[Pa PITT]

... OH & I forgot to add.. TAKE YOU a temperature gun. I've got one from Harbor Freight It doesn't cost but about 25.00$..
... But on mine a couple weeks ago. After it was fixed I checked it when we headed home .
One side was hotter than the other . One side was just 99* that's good . But the other side was 140* I wasn't sure it it was too hot for another long trip & I sure didn't want it to ruin the new axle. SO I LET THE RETAINER NUT Off on notch on the Castle nut. & tHE NEXT STOP ABOUT 10 MILES DOWN THE ROAD IT WAS ONLY 95*.
So Now I'm a big believer in the heat gun. Temperature gun.