Hauling a Spridget - Proper tie down technique?

[mikeamondo]

So I'm starting to work thru the details of picking up our Bugeye in a couple weeks. It's a '60 model and I'll be using a rented 6X12 trailer with ramp. I've hauled a lot of stuff, but never a car... Can some of you good folks give a rundown of the proper way to tie it down on such a trailer? Are the basic ratchet straps okay or do I need chains? Where on the suspension / wheels / ect do I attach them? Just want to make sure I don't screw something up or bend something by hooking to wrong part.....

Thanks!
Mike

 

[AngliaGT]

I bought a tiedown kit from Summit Racing that includes everything,
including straps to wrap around the rear axle.It was about $170,& comes with
a bag to keep it all in.I'd also get a couple of come-alongs.to use as insurance.
I hauled the MGB GT from CA to VA,with no problems.

 

[twas_brillig]

maybe take some additional blocks/ramps/etc. so that you can 'lengthen' the ramp out and change the angle as it hits the trailer so that the BE doesn't high centre.

Again, it's a long time since I secured one, but I'd be looking at straps/rope from the front wishbones to the front of the trailer; tie the rear axle to the back of the trailer (two straps/rope); secure the rear axle to each side, and throw a come along on to the rear axle to snug it down. A bit too much is best - but you're not trying to make the wheelbase longer. Doug

 

[jaegzie]

I haul them quite often and have the two ratchet straps around each front wish bone and I run one of the thick heavy duty ones around the rear axle running from side to side. Never had an issue towing them with these three on there. I use decent ratchet straps so you can clamp them down tight enough with just the straps and not worry about it moving side to side.

 

[Trevor Jessie]

Be careful not to crush any brake lines on the rear axle.

 

[mikeamondo]

Thanks, folks! That's exactly what I was looking for.... I think the straps I have are light or medium duty, so I'll pick up a heavier duty set. I was thinking of going thru the rims on each corner to the side of the trailer to secure it side to side in addition to the front and rears....

The blocking is a good idea... hadn't thought about the high centering issue.

 

[John Kuzman]

Be sure to put the gearbox in neutral after strapping down the car. Also, if you are renting the trailer from one of the usual companies, don't tell them you are hauling a car. They do not permit motor vehicles to be hauled on anything other than their dollies or car haulers. Tell them, only if asked, that your hauling car parts.

 

[mikeamondo]

They advertise the trailer for ATV's, golf carts and motorcycles... so i was going to go with "side by side"... but car parts will be true as well, since the seller says there's a pickup load of spare parts to send along....

 

[mikeamondo]

So.... Just a follow up on hauling a Spridget.... got my Bugeye home today with a 620 mile pull from VT to WV. Used the aforementioned 6X12 foot open trailer with ramp, rented by the only national chain that rents trailers ... U know the one. They only rent these for 'local' use, so I rented one of their pickups and the trailer... no problem with the extra miles... they adjust the pricing according to longer term rentals and miles. The pick up pulls it great, and the trailer tows really nice.... could almost forget it's back there.

A couple notes.... the ramp is too steep to completely clear the undercarriage.... scraped the exhaust just a bit on the way in. When we took it out of the trailer here in WV, I used my 8 foot ramps made from 2 2X8's hooked together with brackets to make 16 inch planks.... they worked great to get him out of the trailer with no scraping... just need to ad a block under the center of the 8 foot span for additional support.
Also... the spridet is 53 inches wide.... the opening at the back of the trailer is 57 inches.... pretty tight. Helps to have several sets of eyes and folks to push the car up the ramp slowly, as to be super careful. The same trailer without the ramp, I believe, has a full 6 foot width opening. As other have said.... getting that one, and using some nice 8 foot planks would make things easier.
For tie downs, we went from each corner with straps. Be advised that the trailer only has 4 d rings, one in each corner, and solid sides and floor.... I had envisioned straps every **** place just to over do the safety factor.... not enough hook points. My Bugeye has a roll bar, so we went to the side rails from that with 2 more straps. We also tarped the whole thing for the ride back, and ran a strap from rail to rail across the snoot to keep the tarp off the hood... that worked well.
The final thing we did, which added a measure of safety.... I used 2 4X4's cut to 6 feet in front of the tires and behind the rear tires. Once the car was in place, we cut 2X4's to brace from the front wall of the trailer to the 4X4, and from the tailgate to the rear one. This kept the little bugger in place for the long ride to his new home...
Last point.... the 6X12 trailer will give you 10 inches on either side of the car.... if you're a bit on the portly side, you're going have a touch time getting down there to put the straps on the front wheels once the car is in place.

Hope all that helps someone looking to haul one in the future!
Mike

 

[twas_brillig]

I just picked up a late 60s Midget parts car with a 6x12 U-Haul trailer (2" ball) with ramp and hauled it about 250 km/150 miles. I wrapped a chain around the rear axle and tied to the rear corner d-rings then wrapped a short piece of chain around the front crossmember (no engine nor radiator nor grill nor hood) and used a come along through the grille opening tied over the front edge of the trailer down to the hitch assembly. The trailer has hydraulic brakes (driven off the loading of the hitch when you stop) and a maximum speed limit assigned at 88 km/hr (55 mph).
I'll be going back to pick up another onewith wire wheels tomorrow but there's a bit more body that will be in the way on that one.
If I was hauling a 'real' car, I might have throw some 2x?? down on the floor between the tyres and the sides of the trailer. And the box is 6 ft wide, but the entranceway is 57" wide (as mentioned earlier), so adequate room if you're careful. Doug

 

[Nelson]

Be aware that the brake lines are attached to the axle from the differential to the wheels. The chain could crunch them. No problem if you plan to replace the line.

 

[twas_brillig]

More learnings: picked up the wire wheel 1970 Midget today, and the knock-ons stick out further than yesterday's 1969 midget parts car was wide. A PO had heavily modified the front, but there was no front bumper but still only maybe 1 or 2 inches maximum from end to end on the trailer - so make sure you measure your over all length as I'd just pulled up something from the Internet, and it was wrong. Used the same technigue as yesterday, with a chain around the rear axle and the come-along tieing the front D ring back to the axle as I couldn't get to the front crossmember etc. I checked maybe half way home, and the come-along had gone slack. Remember I'm just hauling pars cars, but doubling up everything when hauling vehicles of value would be A Very Good Thing. Doug

 

[twas_brillig]

Dang! Unloaded today, and learned that the reason I had no free length available to secure yesterday's parts car was because a previous owner had lengthed the vehicle about 8 inches as part of installing a Ford 2.8 litre V6/automatic. Livin' and Learnin'. Doug

 

[drooartz]

Never seen a lengthened Spridget... not even sure how that would work.

 

[mikeamondo]

I was going to say that something must have been different on that car... I had a decent amount of room front to back on my bugeye.... even used a bag of mulch in front of the grill, just in case something went wrong and it slid forward. With no front bumper in the car, the first thing to hit the trailer wall would be the turn lights. I also used 4X4's in front of the front wheels and behind the rears, with additional boards, cut to length, running the front wall and rear gate and screwed into the 4X4's. Made perfect parking stops and worked like a charm to help keep it all in place. I had a roll bar to work with, so that provided side to side help, but without that, I would have had something between the tires and the trailer sides..... bags of mulch are cheap and you can still use them when you get home!

 

[Jim_Gruber]

Bugeye Guy did cut one in half a few years ago and added 6" worth of cockpit room. Doors got lengthened 6" as well. Overall looks quite nice and his customer IIRC 6'2 or 3 with a substantial let's call it girth. I think he made Chuck Crist? "Formerly the Worlds Largest Sprite Driver" at over 300 lbs look small.