Hey Robb
One of the guys said "If you use the 4x4 method, at best, you're going to have a
damaged car, and
at worst, the car may come through the trailer walls into your tow vehicle."
Well I
GUARANTEE you if you have a problem at freeway speeds, your 1200+ lbs. car WILL
have
more than enough inertia of motion to find it's way thru the enclosed sidewalls
of a
utility trailer. The most common problem with trailers is blowouts and/or
flats. I
saw a newish Haulmark trailer on the side of the road Friday while I was on my
way to
Detroit. It had blown a tire and taken the back half of it's fender with it. The
rubber left was just a jagged (how do you spell that word?) ring of rubber
around the
wheel. Quite amazing the trailer stayed upright.
Now think of your unsecured car in that trailer. I sure wouldn't want MY
Sprite in
your trailer. The downside of enclosed trailers is tying down the contents
especially cars that fill them pretty full, but find a way or trade it in for
an open
(ie easy to tie down) trailer.
Other issues to consider, the above example WAS a single axle trailer, I gave
up on
single axle trailers years ago, from a safety standpoint you cant beat a double
axle
trailer with brakes. Consider that a decent trailer weighs about 1000 pounds,
add
your car and you have well over a ton of weight/inertia of motion behind you.
I've
had my car trailer at all freeway speeds, 80 to pass someone? No problem, but
my car
is WELL tied down, on a double axle trailer with working brakes that'll take it
from
"fast" to "stop" faster than I can say "please don't let me die!" You just
don't
realize how easily you could be killed on the road with an unsecured car in that
trailer, and don't think for a minute those 4X4's are going to help you.
Several years ago, I bought a lot of utility shelving for my shop from a guy
who was
closing down due to retirement. A buddy offered to help me get this stuff the
200
miles to my shop. We took his Dodge ram pickup and his BIG open utility trailer
without brakes. Maybe 2500-3000 pounds total. First stoplight back, from
maybe 30
mph, I say, "Roger, you really need to allow at least double the room to stop
that
you would normally leave" He does listen to me and probably leaves 3 times the
room.
Fortunately we didn't have to wait long to get it out of the ditch on the side
of the
road that he had to drive it into to avoid hitting the car in front of him. A
wrecker was several cars behind, saw what happened and stopped. We really
weren't in
any danger, but his pickup and my shelving sure were. Instant believer, he's
since
gotten rid of that trailer and gotten one with brakes.
End of sermon
George Procyshyn
> Thanks to everyone who responded to my question about tie downs for my
> Sprite in the enclosed trailer.
>
> After spending some time in the trailer, I'm doing the following (any advice
> telling me this is a *really* dumb way to go is very welcome)...
>
> What do you think? Am I totally off-base here or will this work?
>
> Regards,
> Robb
>
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