Advice needed..tying car down on trailer

[RDMcG]

I am towing my car to a Porsche meeting on Friday. ABout 1100km tow. I have found in the past that the way I tie it down can pull it out of alignment. Does anyone have any other ways to tie it down? I would be grateful for any help....

[anonymous-user]

I can't answer your question, but that is a lovely car

[WhoseGeneration]

There should be proper tiedown points, if you can't identify them, ask a local Porsche dealer or specialist for advice.
Might be worth asking if they recommend any suspension chocks as well.

[freecar]

Can you not sit a larger heavier car on top and strap that down!!?

Seriously though what about securing the straps behind each wheel and strapping over the tyre to the front of the wheel?

[Shaw Tarse]

MSTRBKR said:

I can't answer your question, but that is a lovely car

but why the cover on the trailer tyre?

[jagracer]

I use straps that loop round the tyres so they pull evenly rather than the fronts pulling toward each other in your case. The main part of the strap goes round the back of the tyre and this has a looped strap that sits on the front of the tyre and as you tighten the strap it holds the wheel. http://www.machinemart.co.uk/shop/product/details/...

[Reload]

What you need is to wrap some steel cables up from the trailer, across the bodywork and fasten them down at the other side. Make sure pull them really tight across the body work.

[nonuts]

Would it not be more fun to just drive the Pork?

[Greg_D]

you should put the majority of the weight (ie the arse of a 911 at the front of the trailer to stop the tail wagging the dog if it all goes wrong. you should also have some of those straps mentioned earlier (that should help with the tracking) also, you need to protect against the weight shooting forward a bit better, if you were to, for example, run into a wall, the car could move forward a couple of feet before any significant restraint is offered by the straps, i would pass them through the rear rim and attach them a lot shorter equally both sides of the rim. (ie left to left instead of left to right as you are currently attaching the rear wheels)

other than that, spot on

Greg

Edited by Greg_D on Wednesday 30th June 17:17

[v8will]

What you are doing is fine, just back some of the tension off the straps and that will stop the alignment issues. If you are pulling the alignment out something is too tight, things that are overtightened tend to damage something.

I've never needed more than the trailer winch attached to the tow eye and hand brake on, car in gear etc. Shouldn't make a difference if you are towing 1/2 mile or 1000 miles.

Nice looking rig, I use an old Brenderup tilt which is tricky enough to get a standard Carrera onto.

[jagracer]

Greg_D said:

you should put the majority of the weight (ie the arse of a 911 at the front of the trailer to stop the tail wagging the dog if it all goes wrong.

That looks like an American trailer with the axles a lot further back than European ones so it doesn't look too bad as it is.

[Shaw Tarse]

Ask Rolf Tie my Sport down

[RDMcG]

Greg_D said:

you should put the majority of the weight (ie the arse of a 911 at the front of the trailer to stop the tail wagging the dog if it all goes wrong. you should also have some of those straps mentioned earlier (that should help with the tracking) also, you need to protect against the weight shooting forward a bit better, if you were to, for example, run into a wall, the car could move forward a couple of feet before any significant restraint is offered by the straps, i would pass them through the rear rim and attach them a lot shorter equally both sides of the rim. (ie left to left instead of left to right as you are currently attaching the rear wheels)

other than that, spot on

Greg

Edited by Greg_D on Wednesday 30th June 17:17

Sounds like a plan!...thanks to all of you for the help. ( I did think of driving but with OH and OH baggage, its not a practical proposition for a one week trip with 1100km each way.)

[Kevin VRs]

If you have towing points at both ends of the car, I would suggest using them. Ignore the suggestion earlier that you do not need to tie it down, you do. The law takes a very dim view of unsecured loads.

[minky monkey]

One thing to be aware of with regards to loading the car backwards. I've spent 18 years in the recovery trade, you have to remember vehicles are designed to go forwards at speed, not backwards.

A few of the lads have lost things like wingmirror covers when they've loaded a motor backwards and towed it down the motorway.

It's not hugely common, but it does happen and is something to bear in mind!

[minky monkey]

These are the sort of straps we use. If you use them, be careful to leave enough of a gap between the strap and the bodywork that when the car moves on transit, it doesn't rub.

It'll wear through the paintwork like nobody's business.

Edited by minky monkey on Wednesday 30th June 18:55

[GreigM]

I tow regularly - if your straps are pulling your geometry out then something is wrong with the car - basically the suspension is not tight enough if it can be moved by straps. And as others have said 911s need to be rear-loaded or its an accident waiting to happen.

[Greg_D]

jagracer said:

Greg_D said:

you should put the majority of the weight (ie the arse of a 911 at the front of the trailer to stop the tail wagging the dog if it all goes wrong.

That looks like an American trailer with the axles a lot further back than European ones so it doesn't look too bad as it is.

i did think that after looking at the photos again, the thing to consider is that if you were magically to remove the tow car the jockey wheel should hit the floor, not go up.

Greg

[RDMcG]

Greg_D said:

jagracer said:

Greg_D said:

you should put the majority of the weight (ie the arse of a 911 at the front of the trailer to stop the tail wagging the dog if it all goes wrong.

That looks like an American trailer with the axles a lot further back than European ones so it doesn't look too bad as it is.

i did think that after looking at the photos again, the thing to consider is that if you were magically to remove the tow car the jockey wheel should hit the floor, not go up.

Greg

It balances out ok, is actually a bit front loaded..I took it to a weighbridge where I could get individual axles loads and it was certainly pushing down. The car is not too heavy and the trailer is aluminium, combined weight about 4100 lbs..you can see a bot of compression on the rear suspension of my tow vehicle.

[dan19evans]

use feck loads of duct tape