With Spring comes Trailering Season. Are you prepared? Don't let your adventure turn into a nightmare. Let Barry show you how to ...

Bring it home in one piece!

         Now that spring is here, I'm sure everyone is hauling home their latest project truck or getting it out of storage. I would like to step up to the podium and remind everyone of a few trailering safety tips.

         Between hauling my own project trucks( and everyone else's I know! ) and hauling race cars to and from the track on weekends, I have quite a few miles with a trailer behind me. I would just like to share some of my observations for the novice and refresh the mind of the experienced on how to do this safely.

Tow Vehicle

         Ideally your tow vehicle should be as heavy or heavier than what you are towing. This means you might want to think twice about towing your 1-1/2 ton firetruck project home cross-country behind your S-10 Blazer. (Editor's note: Barry, Did my wife tell you about that stunt?? Barry is right, I once tried towing a '70 Chevelle Convertible on a tow dolly behind an S10 Blazer. It was one of the dumbest things I ever did. Somewhere in Massachusetts, we hit a bump and the next thing I saw was an alternating side view of the Chevelle - first in one mirror, then in the other. That was at 65 mph. Luckily, no one was hurt and nothing was damaged. Lesson learned, though)

          Longer wheelbase helps too. It keeps the tow vehicle from being pushed around by the loaded trailer. A 1/2-ton pick-up will do in many cases, a 3/4 or 1-ton is even better. Make sure all lights work. (Editor's note: In the photo above, you will see the optimal set up -- a 1-ton truck with dual rear wheels (a "Duallie"). The duals don't give you any more traction, but they add a lot of stability to your load -- handy for when the big trucks blow by you or you encounter stiff cross winds.)

         The tow truck should have a brake controller to work the trailer brakes. ( the law in many states for car hauling trailers ) The truck needs to have a safe hitch. I like the frame mounted receiver hitches. Use the proper size ball for the trailer you are hauling.(2" or 2-5/16" usually) Try to use a ball with a 1" shank on it instead of 3/4". Cost is almost the same.

         Should cost even be a factor when we are talking about safety on the road? I have seen 2 trailers lost when step bumpers came off trucks. The worst part was that the safety chains were hooked to the bumper in both cases. This meant the trailers went where ever they wanted until they got tired and stopped. Luckily, no one was injured in either case, but the drivers did need a change of underwear.

Trailer

         I prefer the use of a trailer, and not a tow dolly. You don't usually know the condition of the bearings or tires on your project you just dragged out of the woods. Doesn't it make more sense to get all 4 wheels on a trailer? Check the trailer over whether it's yours, borrowed or rented. Is the trailer even big enough to haul what you want?

         For hauling cars and trucks, it should have tandem axles and be rated for at least 5,000-7,000 pounds GVW. (gross vehicle weight) It should have brakes,( both axles by law here in MN.) and all lights should work properly. Ever follow someone who has the left turn signal on on the truck and the right one on the trailer is flashing? Check this out before leaving home. Brake lights too.

         Make sure the trailer tires are in good shape and properly inflated. Under inflation leads to blown out tires from excessive heat build-up under load. You do have a spare, right? Have the wheel bearings been packed lately? Do you carry a spare wheel bearing set? Make sure the coupler is in good shape and can be locked down securely to the ball.

         The trailer should have 2 adequate safety chains of the right length. Not so short as to keep you from turning, but not so long that they drag on the ground. They should be crossed when hooked up so they provide a cradle for the trailer tongue should it come unhooked. Many states also require a battery operated break-away system to be mounted on the trailer. This activates the trailer brakes if the trailer gets loose from the truck.

Loading

         Try to shoot for 10-15% tongue weight. This usually means loading the car/truck with the engine to the front of the trailer.If your load is 5,000 pounds, try to get 500-750 pounds of tongue weight. Have a few buddies stand on the rear bumper to get an idea of how much this "squats" your truck. See the photo at the top of the page-- This is what it should look like loaded. This is critical. Too much tongue weight will overload the rear of the tow vehicle and take weight off the front wheels leading to poor steering control. It will also pull alot harder than you would expect. Too little tongue weight is very dangerous! This will cause the trailer to "whip" violently. This will not occur until a certain speed is reached. The photo here shows a truck properly loaded on a gooseneck-style trailer

         I know a body shop owner who was towing a full-size Cadillac on a trailer behind a full-size Blazer. Everything seemed O.K., until he got up to speed on the freeway and the trailer started to whip. He ended up doing 2 360's and he came to a stop sideways in the middle of the road. This was caused by not enough tongue weight because he had loaded the car backwards. (engine to the back) His reason for doing this was that he wasn't going far, and that was the easiest way to load the car, and he didn't have time to turn it around. But I guess he did have time to tie up traffic during rush hour and put 2 new quarter panels on his Blazer, and paint it. Luckily no one was hurt, and everything stayed right side up.

          The less the tongue weight, the slower the speed whip will occur at. It might be fine at 46mph, but at 48mph it gets to be a hand full. To get out of this situation you need to get slowed down. The best way of doing this is by manually actuating your trailer brakes and letting the trailer slow the truck down. (You did make sure you had working trailer brakes, right?) When you get stopped, you need to redistribute your load to get more tongue weight.

          When properly loaded, you won't hardly notice the trailer behind you. Before taking a long trip with a loaded trailer, I will even test it out on a highway near my house and readjust the load if necessary. It just makes the trip so much more enjoyable to have the trailer pull nice.

          Cars with tall, flat windshields tend to pull hard from wind resistance.(Model A's, for example) Sometimes these kinds of vehicles pull better if facing backwards on the trailer to better cut the wind. This usually means getting it as far forward as possible to get enough tongue weight. This can be hard to do on a short trailer.Use your best judgment.

          Every truck/trailer/load combination is different. What works for me may not work in your situation.

Tie Downs

          I started out using chains, and then switched to straps. I switched back to chains when a guy I know lost a car on I-80 in Iowa due to straps that had rubbed on sharp metal for 800 miles and got cut. After he told me about looking in his mirror and seeing his '37 Ford doing endo's in the ditch, I started using chains again. I have transport grade chain(gold colored) and hooks.

          Transport chain is stronger than logging chain. I use binders to tighten the chains up, and I safety wire the binder handles down so they can't come loose. I like to use 4 tie downs. 2 in front, 2 in back. I cross the chains in a "X" pattern in front and back when I can. This prevents sideways movement as well as front to rear. See the photo at left. Here, you see crossed chains (with binders) attached to the rear axle outboard of the springs. BE CAREFUL WITH THOSE CHAINS AROUND THE BRAKELINES!

          Make sure the tie down attachment point on the trailer is solid. I usually tie the axles down on the hauled vehicle so the suspension is free to work. Always check for loose parts that need to be tied down also. See the photo of the dog at the bottom of this page -- it shows a truck with a small tie strap on the hood. The hood latch was "tired" and this hauler didn't want to take any chances with the hood flying open on the New York Thru-way. (The photo also illustrates another important item -- the security/alarm system for your load)

          I don't know how many times I've picked up a project vehicle for a new owner at the former owners house, and found that the runningboards or something weren't bolted on, but just laying there.

On The Road

          Once you are moving safely down the road, don't forget to stop every once in awhile to check your load. I stop after everything has settled in (5 or 10 miles) and check the tightness of the chain binders. Then every so often when I get gas or whatever, I'll check the binders, look at the trailer tires, put my hand on each trailer wheel bearing to feel for a hot bearing, and generally check the load over to make sure nothing is coming loose.

          Always have some rope,wire and duct tape(my favorite!) with you to secure loose parts. You don't want your junk falling off on the road. Remember to leave plenty of room around you on the road! If you should have 1 car length/every 10mph normally, shouldn't this be double that when pulling a loaded trailer? Everyone else on the road will fight your attempts at this. There seems to be some unwritten law about having to pull in front of a loaded truck/trailer, and leaving him 12-1/2 feet of space. As soon as you have this happen to you a few times you will have some new found respect for the truck drivers in this country. How they keep from stopping and choking some drivers is beyond me.

          Try to stay in the right lane and drive smooth. This isn't the time to be cutting in and out of traffic. Watch your speed and wear your seatbelt. You do these things all the time anyhow, right? We just want you to get that truck moved around safely. It ain't worth you or anyone else getting hurt over. I already lost one friend who was working on his old truck, I don't want to lose any more. So please everyone take the extra minute, or spend the extra dollar to do things as safely as you can.

Hiring a Hauler

          If you don't feel you can do the job safely, maybe you should hire a hauler and make it his problem. They can be found in Hemmings and other publications. They usually charge by the mile, but some will have a flat fee for certain hauls. You may have to pay a premium price if you want it done right away.

          Most will try and wait until they have a haul for the return trip, or another job in the area. This is the only way to make money doing this. They also don't have time to waste, so make sure your vehicle is ready to load. They don't want to put air in your tires, and move Aunt Betty's furniture that's piled on your pride and joy.

          Is your vehicle nice? Do you want it hauled in an enclosed trailer, or is open O.K.? Is your vehicle insured while being hauled? I recently heard from someone who had a very rare '40 GMC woody hauled cross-country by a commercial hauler who shall remain nameless. The front end of the GMC was damaged during shipping, and now no one wants to take responsibility for the damage. The owner now has a "parts wanted" ad on this site, and the parts might not be easy(or cheap) to find. Something to think about.

          Most of all, have fun, and happy hauling!

Editor's Note: Need advice, parts or Machine Work? Stop by Weeks-End Garage and check with Barry.