how to trailer a T?

[rmeismer1@aol.com]

I am just now outfitting a trailer to haul my TC and have wondered about how to hold it . I thought that it would be better hold it by some unsprung part of the car (wheels, axles). That way you would not have the load bounce up and down against the straps. I see that they make a set of straps that go over the wheels to hold then down. If anyone has better ideas please let me know. I would like some way to hook it up without having to get under the car. I had thought about putting a 4x4in front of the front wheels and maybe 2x4s on the inside of the wheels this would keep the car from sliding around, also guide it on. From M.G.( Meismer's Garage) Rolland Meismer Burlington,Iowa U.S.A. 1947 TC #3409--1951 TD #5522 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

[Peter Pleitner]

Hi Rolland, This can be a long subject. I'll respond to attaching TC to trailer. My trailer has four "D" rings in the bed, two forward and two back. I use 4 axle straps and four 10K lbs. ratchet/nylon straps. The axle straps I sling around the spring perch behind each wheel. Then I attach the ratchet straps to each and cross them over at each end to attach to the opposite D ring on the trailer, then tighten. This allows the suspension free motion, but requires reaching behind each brake drum. Crossing the straps prevents side hop of the TC, but I doubt this is really necessary. Alternatively you could fabricate aircraft cable with a one foot rubber hose and crimped hoops at each end. These you can slip around the knock-off nut, then use ratchet strap to secure to trailer. However your D rings would have to be mounted somewhat outboard and behind your wheels. A technique I observed in Europe and England I thought was clever and fast requires six D rings in the trailer bed, the extra two being located near the middle of the car, on either side. The middle ring is used to hook one end of both the front and rear straps. On the long lead of each ratchet strap is mounted a short strap (less then the diameter of tire) which has pinched oval rings on each end. Pinched oval rings allow these short straps to travel freely without chaffing. Slack is drawn from the ratchet straps which are already attached to the trailer. The long ratchet strap is slung over and behind each tire, with the short tire strap situated horizontal and on the outside of the tire. When the ratchet strap is tightened it pinches the tire very firmly and creates some downward pressure on the wheel tire. I've been searching for such short tire straps on this side of the Atlantic (different shape of rings than on axle straps) for a year! Does someone have experience with the third tie-down technique? Cheers, Peter -----Original Message----- From: rmeismer1@aol.com [mailto:rmeismer1@aol.com] Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2002 8:56 AM To: Diecuts@aol.com Cc: mg-tabc@yahoogroups.com Subject: [mg-tabc] how to trailer a T? I am just now outfitting a trailer to haul my TC and have wondered about how to hold it . I thought that it would be better hold it by some unsprung part of the car (wheels, axles). That way you would not have the load bounce up and down against the straps. I see that they make a set of straps that go over the wheels to hold then down. If anyone has better ideas please let me know. I would like some way to hook it up without having to get under the car. I had thought about putting a 4x4in front of the front wheels and maybe 2x4s on the inside of the wheels this would keep the car from sliding around, also guide it on. From M.G.( Meismer's Garage) Rolland Meismer Burlington,Iowa U.S.A. 1947 TC #3409--1951 TD #5522 [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/

[Frank O_ The Mountain]

In a message dated 6/11/02 05:57:38 Pacific Daylight Time, rmeismer1@aol.com writes: > Rolland, They make a set of straps that consist of two ratchet straps that go around your axle and another two axle straps, this is what I use when I have to trailer. Another one of our chaps has four loops that go around his spinners and then he honks it down with ratchet straps......but what ever you use, please make sure you have plenty of tongue weight.......see below, the cause of this accident was lack of tongue weight, not a gust of wind from an 18 wheeler Wind rolls classic Rolls Tuesday, June 4, 2002 BY NATE DEGRAFF KALAMAZOO GAZETTE Phillip Tatarowicz's 1933 Rolls Royce has traveled the European continent, sailed on a Greek ship and spent a good portion of its life in Africa. But perhaps its most taxing adventure occurred in southwestern Michigan. Tatarowicz, his wife and the $250,000 automobile, a rare Phantom II Continental, had just left a classic car show Sunday at the Gilmore-Classic Car Club Museum in Hickory Corners with two high-profile awards, including the prestigious Gilmore Award. The Rolls Royce, purchased by Tatarowicz last year, sat in a large trailer being pulled by the couple's sport utility vehicle as they moved west on I-94 toward their home in Illinois. Just west of the Fourth Street bridge in Texas Township, a gust of wind created by a passing tractor-trailer sent the trailer with the Rolls swerving wildly out of control. Tatarowicz slowed down and attempted to pull over to the left, but the trailer wheels dug into the grassy median. The trailer flipped into the median. The sport utility vehicle remained upright, but the trailer tongue wedged under the sport utility hitch, raising the SUV's back wheels six feet off the ground. "I opened the door and jumped down," said Tatarowicz. "Then I ran over and helped my wife out and moved away." Though the couple had escaped injury, danger lingered. The Rolls, upside down in the overturned trailer, was leaking gasoline. Firefighters from the Texas Township Fire Department showed up 15 minutes later. Fearing an explosion, the rescue team sprayed the area around the car with fire suppressant. But a difficult assignment remained. "We wanted to take the car out of there without damaging it further," said Robert Lohrberg, a Texas Township fire captain. Using jacks, chains, winches and cables from McDonald's Towing and Rescue, the team lifted the upside-down car to the trailer floor. They then stuffed special air bags provided by the Oshtemo Fire Department into the space between the car and the trailer walls. "We wrapped it up like a little baby and rolled it on over," said Texas Township Fire Capt. Dave Deloof. After removing the straps, chains and bags, rescuers inspected the car. They found only minor scratches, broken glass and some damage caused by the leaking gasoline. Though Tatarowicz estimated damage to the car in the tens of thousands of dollars, he credited the rescue team with saving the Rolls Royce from a far worse fate. The team had worked from 7 p.m. until 2 a.m. Monday morning. "The damage could have been 10 times worse but for the professionalism of the firemen, policemen and McDonald's," he said. "The guys were wonderful." Lohrberg said firefighters always try to save whatever property they can, regardless of its monetary value. But he was impressed with the toughness of the rolled Rolls. "Back in the '30s, they made them a little more solid than they make them now," he said.