Trailer sense -- Tips, Tricks, and Traps
04-20-2015, 07:10 PM
#17
Addict
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04-20-2015, 07:21 PM
#18
Race Car
on Featherlight open trailer's, remove drivers side wheel fenders, Before driving car onto trailer, so you can open the door, vs climbing out the window.
04-20-2015, 07:35 PM
#19
Somebody told me that once, and it should have been in my list. 
It will save the park pawl in an automatic and will hold if a manual tranny is left in neutral.
True story, circa the early 1990s:
I rent a u-haul, the biggest they have, a 24ft International diesel with a 5 speed stick and an open car hauler. Load up the truck with everything I own, set the parking brake, but leave the transmission in neutral. (expecting the parking brake to actually work on a u-haul is pretty funny right there). Proceed to load up the car and the whole rig starts to roll as I get the car fully up on the trailer. At this point the car's brakes are pretty useless. Thank God I was near the bottom of the bowl in the parking lot and there was nothing to hit. It rolled back and forth a few times and stopped.
-Mike
It will save the park pawl in an automatic and will hold if a manual tranny is left in neutral. True story, circa the early 1990s:
I rent a u-haul, the biggest they have, a 24ft International diesel with a 5 speed stick and an open car hauler. Load up the truck with everything I own, set the parking brake, but leave the transmission in neutral. (expecting the parking brake to actually work on a u-haul is pretty funny right there). Proceed to load up the car and the whole rig starts to roll as I get the car fully up on the trailer. At this point the car's brakes are pretty useless. Thank God I was near the bottom of the bowl in the parking lot and there was nothing to hit. It rolled back and forth a few times and stopped.
-Mike
04-20-2015, 08:49 PM
#22
WRONGLY ACCUSED!
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This is an awesome and very timely thread.
I was at the track last week and some guy did this same exact thing! What a coincidence!
[QUOTE=Steward B.;12219603]Oh, and disconnect the winch from the race car, once it is in the trailer and securely tied down
[QUOTE]
Actually, I usually leave it tied on as the last line of defense. Rather buy a new winch than a new car!
This, perhaps, is the most important rule. Every close call I have ever had was because this rule was violated.
I have done this so many times!
That's what she said.
Rule # whatever - Make sure not to scare the living **** out of yourself every time the sun comes up and you catch a glimpse of your trailer in the rear view mirror and think someone is tailgating you!
Every time! Every time I go to the track this happens to me! ....stupid.
[QUOTE=Steward B.;12219603]Oh, and disconnect the winch from the race car, once it is in the trailer and securely tied down
[QUOTE]
Actually, I usually leave it tied on as the last line of defense. Rather buy a new winch than a new car!
Rule # whatever - Make sure not to scare the living **** out of yourself every time the sun comes up and you catch a glimpse of your trailer in the rear view mirror and think someone is tailgating you!
Every time! Every time I go to the track this happens to me! ....stupid.
04-20-2015, 09:07 PM
#23
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This is indeed timely. I just picked up my open car trailer and towed my car from NHMS yesterday. I didn't consider leaving the car in neutral, that's a good tip.
No one has mentioned crossed versus straight tie downs
The trailer manual seems to mention checking lug nut torques over and over. Something about the lateral forces making them loosen more often. Not sure how true that is.
I still have no idea how far forward to pull my car on the thing. I kind of left it equidistant between the built in tie downs without knowing better.
Probably should have, you know, read the manual better.
No one has mentioned crossed versus straight tie downs
The trailer manual seems to mention checking lug nut torques over and over. Something about the lateral forces making them loosen more often. Not sure how true that is.
I still have no idea how far forward to pull my car on the thing. I kind of left it equidistant between the built in tie downs without knowing better.
Probably should have, you know, read the manual better.
04-20-2015, 09:18 PM
#25
04-20-2015, 09:24 PM
#26
The Penguin King
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Wrt to the winch, I always leave mine attached as a safety. My winch is powered by the truck, so as long as I disconnect the cable that powers it there is no chance for it to accidentally engage.
04-20-2015, 11:02 PM
#28
Racer
Tow Vehicle overhang (the distance from the center of the rear axle to the tow ball) - less is more.
The shorter the distance from the center of the rear axle to the tow ball reduces the leverage any side load on the tow ball has on the rear tires, and the vehicle will feel more in control.
I have seen an Audi Q5 or VW Toureg tow a trailer better than a Ford Expedition or Lincoln Navigator, where the short overhang makes up for a shorter wheel base.
I am also a BIG fan of the Reece cam load leveling bars that push the trailer back to straight behind the tow vehicle using the weight of the trailer being carried by the bars.
And carry a small grinder for when your friend locks his keys in the trailer and needs to cut the lock off, and he doesn't have an extra set of keys.
(This has a corollary; when something breaks on the race car ALWAYS buy two replacement parts to prevent a second failure.)
The shorter the distance from the center of the rear axle to the tow ball reduces the leverage any side load on the tow ball has on the rear tires, and the vehicle will feel more in control.
I have seen an Audi Q5 or VW Toureg tow a trailer better than a Ford Expedition or Lincoln Navigator, where the short overhang makes up for a shorter wheel base.
I am also a BIG fan of the Reece cam load leveling bars that push the trailer back to straight behind the tow vehicle using the weight of the trailer being carried by the bars.
And carry a small grinder for when your friend locks his keys in the trailer and needs to cut the lock off, and he doesn't have an extra set of keys.
(This has a corollary; when something breaks on the race car ALWAYS buy two replacement parts to prevent a second failure.)
04-20-2015, 11:42 PM
#29
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# Whatever - don't forget to lock ramps. Another example of not being distracted when loading up. last year when coming from NJMP to LI i'm on the Cross Bronx Exp. Those that know this road know there are hardly NO places to pull over. i'm in the right lane and two guys in a pickup pull up next to me and motioning to get my attention.
I figure this probably wasn't good so i open my window. "Hey, both of your ramps are hanging out around 6-8 ft". "holy Sh*t", on the Cross Bronx of all places. I happened to look over and saw a really big area to pull over immediately to my right. i pulled over got out and sure enough - Both ramps are literally hanging out of their holder!
it was a trailex open and what was weird was while the lock was no where to be found, the little pin that goes into the lock was there in it's place. that means the pin bounced up and out of it's place, the little flappy door dropped and the pin landed back in it's hole!! no idea how that happened.
I figure this probably wasn't good so i open my window. "Hey, both of your ramps are hanging out around 6-8 ft". "holy Sh*t", on the Cross Bronx of all places. I happened to look over and saw a really big area to pull over immediately to my right. i pulled over got out and sure enough - Both ramps are literally hanging out of their holder!
it was a trailex open and what was weird was while the lock was no where to be found, the little pin that goes into the lock was there in it's place. that means the pin bounced up and out of it's place, the little flappy door dropped and the pin landed back in it's hole!! no idea how that happened.
04-21-2015, 12:55 AM
#30
I pulled that keys on bumpr move a few weeks ago....just now got all the locks changed out. I feel for you Mike.