hauling my bronco on a trailer

[trekgurl]

I'm trying to get back to setting up my trailer. My friend who was helping me passed away so I don't have any knowledgeable source to ask anymore so I was hoping to get some input here?

Are the "horrible freight" ratchet straps ok? if not where do I need to get them and I want good stuff.

What size (strength) and how many? and what tie-down configuration? Crossed?, suspension and frame or suspension only.

The pics are the trailer and van hooked up (trailer riding a little high-empty) and I'm hoping when I load the bronco the trailer "sits' level?

How far up on the trailer should the bronco go? I need to find the "sweet"spot so when I load I can hit the same stopping spot every time. (the distance from the front edge of the trailer deck to the front wheels) is what I'm after.

Bronco has no top and no large tires so I'm hoping the e weight is under 4200lbs?

The e-250 superduty weighs around 5400lbs empty. (verfied weight at the landfill scales). I may take the bronco throw some trash in it and go to the landfill and weigh it the same way. I can't find any other way to weigh anything around here.

Its a 16ft heavy duty trailer and supposed to weigh 2200lbs. There is a pic with the trailer specs.

If you have pics of your bronco strapped down, trailer-ed that would help.

thanks

 

[rmk57]

First off you should check the rating on your hitch. I tow a 3500 lbs. car with a 16 ft. trailer and use a class 5 hitch rated at 12,000 lbs. behind my single rear wheel f-350. The receiver on mine is 2 1/2".

 

[68rockcrawler]

I have Mac's ratchet straps with integrated axle straps and hook and chain on the other end.
http://www.macscustomtiedowns.com/p...it-with-integrated-axle-straps/Tie-Down-Packs

I love them and would never buy anything else. They are made in the U.S. too which is a major selling point for me.

 

[Timmy390]

You need a Class III receiver or better....Class III hitches used as weight carrying are rated up to 6000 lbs. gross trailer weight (GTW) with a maximum trailer tongue weight (TW) of 600 lbs.

I towed a car from South LA to central AR with a class III no issues. Used one of those heavy Uhaul car trailers......bout 8 hours.......no issues.....

As for stopping, the trailer you have has "trailer brakes" so if the E350 doesn't have a built in brake controller, buy one and add it. Once set properly you will have no stopping issues at all.

As for straps, I use the cheap HF and Tractor Supply. The big wide yellow ones.......couple of mine are camo. I hauled my Samurai to and from deer camp all year using them. The Sam has tie down hooks front and rear from shipping to USA so I use them.

I like straps/tie downs that compress/load the suspension. That keeps the car/truck from bouncing on the suspension which can cause tie downs to loosen over the miles. When hauling the car from south LA it used the over the wheel straps and they were loose at every stop.

Tim

 

[gnpenning]

Some good points so far.

The correct way to know tongue weight is with a gauge. Most won't buy a gauge for this. That leaves you with several other options. One I like is to watch the back of the tow vehicle as I'm pulling on, I'm watching to see when the rig just starts to squat (this can be different for each vehicle depending on suspension). To far forward and steering and braking becomes compromised, not to mention headlight aiming. To far back and you will have the tail wagging the dog. I want my weight to be over the axles of the trailer. This is a balancing act.

I'm a firm believer in crossing your hold downs. This will not only stop front to back movement, but also side to side.

Connecting to the frame will load the suspension. Unless you bottom it out on rough roads depending on your Bronco suspension you will be getting slack as the Bronco cycles for the bumps.

Connecting to the axles gives a firm platform and is easier on your suspension. The Broncos suspension will now cycle up and down similar to how it would going down the road on its own. The difference being some extra movement based on the trailers suspension.

I have no experience with the straps you mentioned. I do have straps and chains. Depending on what I'm hauling depends on what I use. For a vehicle I'll use chains and binders while I have both ratcheting and cam type binders I prefer the cam type. Using a swamp bar I can get them very tight. you can wrap the chain around your axles or use axle straps. The straps can also be used as tree savers if needed for winching. Depending on the straps and the locking mechanism on them they can work themselves loose and some have more stretch in the straps. Quality Chains don't stretch. Cam type don't loosen.

There are different ways of doing this and all have pluses and minuses. Pick what you feel comfortable with after seeing the responses you get.

Don't forget to stop and check which ever system you go with after the first few miles.

 

[kylakekevin]

Every trailer and vehicle is a little different as far as placement. Drive the bronco onto trailer and get the trailer level on level ground this is a good starting point. strap bronco down and take it for a spin starting slow and then up to highway speeds and see how it pulls. Move the bronco back and forth 6" or so till it pulls good and then mark the center lines of bronco axle placement on the trailer for future trips. As far as strapping Many different ways. I use 2.5" straps from trailer go under driver side axle then over the center behind drive shaft on the casting part and then under Passenger side to trailer attach straps outside of body length of bronco if possible. Watch you brake lines and keep strap off of them. I AM NOT A PROFESSIONAL!!This is just the way I do mine front and rear. I do like the MACS wheel tie-downs looks a lot though!

 

[Skytrooper15]

I have some bright yellow 2" ratchet type straps that are rated at 2,000 pounds only each.At some rating DOT regulations kick in and you can get a ticket from a State Trooper and have to park pretty close by to where they stop you until you are in compliance.My friend who I get to haul my 14,000 pound Cat track loader told me I had to have the loader chained down with binders and chains rated for the load or he would have to park until someone brought the correct load tying equipment.I use 8 ton ratchet binders with a comparable rated chain tying down the load at opposing corners with one ratchet binder with a chain.Don't go by my info because some states also have different laws for load carrying but call your local State Police and ask what are the regulations but when you do have the weights of the load and capacity of the trailer and that E-350 vans weight and towing capacity also.You will probably be able to use some heavy nylon ratchet straps but it's better to comply with the regs and avoid any problems.Hope this helps.

 

[trekgurl]

Thanks for the reponses,,, yeah this trailer stuff is complicted. I’ve seriously thought about selling the hold dang mess since my friend passed because it hard to mess with it without thinking about him.

I installed a class IV hitch and 10,000lb trailer bar w/ 2.5 ball rated at 10,000lbs.

I like the Mac's ratchet straps but my question is 6ft or 8ft lengths? I don’t have any d-rings on my trailer (my friend was going to help me put the d-rings on) so I’ll have to get the Direct Hook with Chain Extension.

Tongue weight,,, I’ve read about that but not sure what that’s about and how to check other than try loading the trailer and see what it looks like?

Electric Brakes and wiring

The van is a 2013 e250 Super duty, 5.4L gas, and it’s rated by Ford to tow 7400lbs* and if I understand the astric* after the 7400lbs that’s with “Using the proper safety equipment”. The van did come with a towing packaging but the bumper and the trailer lights pigtail where not installed as they put a “tommy lift” on the van. The tow package wiring from the dash to the rear of the van is there. I got a pigtail for the trailer lights/ electrics brakes (Ford oem part) but on a preliminary test I could not get the lights to work on the trailer for some reason and I have to trouble shoot that. I’m not sure where to begin. The van does not have an electric brake switch up front and I’ve been trying to figure out how to install the Ford OEM switch. As I said the wiring is there but just have to figure out to make it work. I’m not trying to figure that out here though.


Back to the hauling the Bronco

Van is rated to tow 7400lbs. The trailer weighs 2200lbs and the Bronco I’m figuring 4200lbs for an estimated total of 6400lbs.

If the weather is good tomorrow I’ll pull the van and trailer on flatest gorund I have and try and use my laptop to record loading it.

 

[Apogee]

In general, you want your tongue weight to equal approximately 10%-15% of the gross tow weight, but not to exceed the rating of your hitch or tow vehicle. With your setup, a 2200# trailer plus a ~4200# EB (seems a little high for your rig) should put you somewhere around 6400# gross, so 600-900 pounds tongue weight should work pretty well. I'd probably aim for 750-800 pounds myself and call it good.

My trailer weight is heavier than yours (14.4k)...4000# give or take, and has an 800 pound tongue weight all on it's own. I basically center my load and then push it forward a hair, which pushes my tongue weight up to 1000-1200#, just about right for my SuperDuty F250. I run a WeighSafe hitch with built-in tongue weight gauge when I don't need to run a weight distribution hitch.

For straps, I splurged for Xmas and bought myself some MAC tie-downs, and they're as nice as everybody says they are, if not a bit pricey. That said, the usual 10000# max tensile strength yellow ratchet straps have always served me well and get the job done. I carry chain as well for different types of loads, but ratchet straps with some axle loops makes strapping down a solid-axle 4x4 a cinch.

 

[78F150&77Bronco]

When I load our Bronco on our trailer, which is similar to yours, I pull it on so the tires are centered over the trailer axles. Our Bronco never has a top on it so it is a little front heavy vs one with the top on. It tows really well there. This is just my experience. We tow it with a 94 F350 crew cab with the tow package and trailer brakes. If your van has a tow package it probably has the wiring under the dash to hook a controller to. My truck did. I have a Tekonsha Prodigy P2 controller with a pigtail from Tekonsha to hook it to the truck. Looks like Tekonsha has a pigtail adapter for your van, too.

Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

 

[Yeller]

All good recommendations. Macs tie downs are the best. Your trailer has stake pockets so the ones with chains on the ratchets work well and 6’ should be plenty long. As for crossing straps it’s really not necessary, since you will be using the stake pockets they will be at an angle which is more than sufficient. I find no need to do more than use the straps to the axles. The prodigy line of controllers is the only way to go, all you need is a prodigy II you do not need a IiI. I did not have decent picture of the bronco but my gmc weight bias is about the same. If you’d like some one on one help shoot me a PM and I’ll send you my number, if you were closer I’d be happy to help you out this together. You can do this, you’ve put to much planning and thought into it and you will
Have a blast.

 

[JeffG]

I have always had good luck with Northern Tool. I like the 2" ratchet straps like these:

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200344936_200344936

As far as placement on trailer, it varies by tow vehicle and trailer. I would try to find the spot to level out the trailer and you may need to adjust a little forward or rear. For stapping down, I like to go around the rear axle near leaf spring mount and go straight back to a mounting point on the end of the trailer (leave the straps snug, but not crazy tight).

Then, I would cross the front around the axle tubes to a mounting point and use the front straps to pull the bronco forward to tighten up the rear. My thought was I don't want a 5K piece of metal coming towards me if I have to make a panic stop!

 

[JeffG]

Another thing.. I have always been told to never back on the trailer and have the weight of the engine towards the rear of the trailer. This could cause some scary fish-tailing situations that you do not want.

 

[Apogee]

Another thing.. I have always been told to never back on the trailer and have the weight of the engine towards the rear of the trailer. This could cause some scary fish-tailing situations that you do not want.

Forward or backward doesn't usually matter unless you're limited in terms of trailer length versus vehicle length and can't position the vehicle such that you end up with a good weight distribution. With that said, long trailers with short rigs tend to be very forgiving...short trailers with long rigs can be very unforgiving and may not allow for a good weight distribution. Depending on the axle placement under the trailer, loading a rig backwards may be the only way to keep the tongue weight in check.

 

[bamabaja]

Nearly done with my hauler mods. I need to find “sweet spot” on trailer to install floor flush D rings for axle strap tie downs. Suggested method to determine tongue weight load ? Thanks

 

[Yeller]

Nearly done with my hauler mods. I need to find “sweet spot” on trailer to install floor flush D rings for axle strap tie downs. Suggested method to determine tongue weight load ? Thanks

Either purchase a tongue scale or go to a truck stop with a scale and try different weights until it pulls nice. HD trucks care far less about too much tongue weight than 1/2 tons.

 

[El Kabong]

For the trailer lights, check your fuses. Some vehicles use separate fuses for trailer lights, & if the truck wasn't set up originally with trailer connections, those unnecessary fuses probably weren't installed.

 

[Nothing Special]

Lots of thoughts and opinions on trailering. Even though there are some disagreements I didn't read anything here that I think is off-base. Just different opinions. Speaking of which,here are some of mine.

Brake controller
You talk about wanted to get a stock Ford one. I don't know that Ford ever used one that's very easy to retrofit onto a vehicle. But any auto parts store will have a selection of aftermarket ones. I'd stay far away from the timer-based ones. The proportional ones are a little more expensive (you can still get an OK one for under $100), but they are much easier to use safely in my opinion.

Tongue weight
Backing or forward on the trailer doesn't matter directly, but it will affect tongue weight which does matter. 10% ~ 15% of the total trailer weight on the tongue is probably best for handling, so 600 ~ 900 lbs (as someone said above) is a good target.

You can measure tongue weight with a bathroom scale. Set a board on a couple of jack stands, with one jack stand on the scale and the board pretty close to horizontal. Measure the distance between the jack stands (the points where the board sits on the stands). Find the point 1/5 of the way across and set the trailer tongue on the board at that point, with the tongue closer to the stand that's not on the scale (so if the jack stands are 30" apart the tongue should be 24" from the stand that's on the scale and 6" from the other). Take the scale reading, subtract what it read with just the stand and board, and multiply by 5 to get the total tongue weight.

You can also estimate by measuring the tow vehicle squat. Put a known weight on the hitch (I suggest standing on it, assuming you know how much you weigh) and measure how much the rear end sags (the vans rear end that is, not your own!). Then hook the trailer up and measure how much that makes it sag. Divide that amount by the first value and multiply that by the first weight. So if it sags 3 times as far with the trailer, that means the tongue weight is 3 times what you weigh. This isn't exact, but it should be well within 100 lbs.

Or a quick-and-dirty that comes close is to center the Bronco over the trailer axles, with the Bronco on facing forward (this was also suggested above). The empty trailer should be balanced pretty well, and the front of the Bronco is a little heavier than the rear. It's still better to actually weight it, but this is usually close enough (but not if you are loading up a bunch of spare parts or whatever).

Tie downs
There are good arguments for tying to the frame, but I prefer going to the axles. Others have said this too, but I like that it doesn't loosen and bang into the tie downs as stuff bounces. Also it lets the Bronco suspension help smooth out the trailer on rough roads.

I usually run the rear tie downs straight back from the axle to the back of the tire, and then angle out to connect to the trailer. This gives some side-to-side support, but mostly keeps the Bronco from coming forward.

In the front I usually cross the tie downs. This isn't quite as strong at keeping it from going backward (but I'm less worried about that than coming forward) and does a better job of holding the side-to-side.

 

[trekgurl]

ok got it loaded, no video though

So loading it was no problem. It would probably load without the ramps in 1st gear. The ramps make it easy to load.

I wasn't exactly centered side to side , probably 1.5 -2 inches to the right ( looking at it from the back).

So I was just guessing where to stop it, so beginners luck probably came into play and from the look of things I wouldn't drive it any far forward? The side pics are not great as I had a tree and a lamp post in the way.

The bronco is not centered over the trailer wheels but I thinking every trailer the loads differently?

I understand loading it a pulling it around is the one real way to tell how it will pull but I had to get one thing done at the time for now. I don;t have any tie down straps yet. I need to get in a flat parking lot some too as my driveway is not big enough.

Looks like my straps need to be 6ft in the front and 8ft in the rear? I don't know. Any thoughts?

The front of the trailer still has some "rise" to it. I would have thought all the weight of the engine would have "settled" it down more? The e250 van is a superduty with 5500lb springs. It just didn't look like it settled as much as I thought it should.

Any body else see anything or have any feedback?

What I need to do is find the same spot every time I load it so I'll mark the trailer floor etc.

 

[bronkenn]

Looks like it is ready for a long trip. I would screw a board on the trailer deck to use as a location stop.