Trailer tie down tips

[WalrusLike]

I didn't like the loose safety chain because nothings pulling down on the front of the boat. So I thought a turnbuckle would be ideal.... Loose at ramp and tight before hitting the road. I got stainless rated to 4 tonnes (I think that's what it was)

But I am unsure if my thinking is correct. What do you guys think?

Also I want to get stronger tie downs for the back but so far the only strong ones I've seen are for the over the boat type. I only need the 1 metre strap to go from trailer to D on the stern.

Any idea where to get heavy duty short tie down straps?

The boat is a 5.75 glass half cabin.

[gazza2006au]

just buy the heavy duty long tie downs that go over the boat cut them short and melt the ends so they dont fray and for the front use your winch lock

[gruntahunta]

I have got a turn buckle and I like the idea of it way better than the chain.

[wags on the water]

If you use the turnbuckles - buy a locking nut as well.

[Mr__Bean]

If you are going to use turnbuckles then use galvanised ones rather than stainless.

Although far better quality, the stainless ones are much more prone to working loose.

Darren

[bf90]

Walrus the tie downs I have are about 1 metre long and I bought mine from bcf for $39.00 I just put some inner tude on both ends where it goes over the gunnel and the chine to stop rubbing through the paint, as for the front I use a galv turn buckle and it has to have a lock nut cause they are prone to coming loose when traveling cheers Brad.

[wags on the water]

If you are going to use turnbuckles then use galvanised ones rather than stainless.

Although far better quality, the stainless ones are much more prone to working loose.

Darren

And going missing......

[WalrusLike]

The stainless one I got has lock nuts... And it seems to me that even just finger tight locks it good. So if they do stay locked then being easier to turn and loosen would be a good thing when I arrive at the rigging area.

I never thought of melting the cut ends of the strapping. Good idea thanks.

My existing lighter duty ones already have a carpet piece to protect hull so I can reuse those pieces.

My wife gets strange ideas sometimes... For instance she is against a tightened safety chain. The problem is that sometimes it turns out she is right... And I never can tell when that will be. She is very sensible and clever mostly but she has some misunderstandings about physical mechanical things sometimes.

So it's nice to hear that at least someone else likes and uses turnbuckles to tension the chain. Surely it's better to stop any ability to bounce on the rollers when towing.

Here is a pic of what I did... I haven't cut the chain yet so it's doubled until I do.

[dnej]

I used wing nuts for locking nuts, and that allows you to unlock easily , yet making sure the turnbuckle doesnt move.

I used the chain in conjunction with the turnbuckle.

The one matter I did concentrate on, was keeping the chain in a position, so as to keep the boat forward, in the event of an emergency. In the pic, consider how far back the boat would move, if the rear strap let go.

The arc is quite large,and could be shortened in the middle with a chain heading towards the winch.
It will tighten, as you tighten the turn buckle, on the main chain.
David

[Mike Delisser]

If you use the turnbuckles - buy a locking nut as well.

I swapped the locking nut for a wing nut and use the fingers instead of a spanner now.

Even though my boat is only 4.4mts I still use a turnbuckle, have for 4 years now and would for any size boat, esp after being hit by a car from behind. I was stopped and he was prob only doing 30km when he hit the boat but my winch post was pushed flat and the only thing that stopped the boat ending up in the back of my car was the turnbuckle and chain. The turnbuckle was stuffed but it did the job. I don't know if its true or not but I use a galvanised one because some one told me stainless is more brittle.
Cheers

[tunaticer]

There is an earlier thread on this topic well worth reading.
The safety chain (which is what this essentially is) to to stop movement forwards or backwards in an accident primarily.
Take on board the idea in the photos of a two point attachment for this chain, it has major benefits by removing the 100% reliance on the winch post in an accident. Winch posts are often never really inspected apart from a hose down, any water ingression into the lower half will be there for ages rusting quietly from within with no external signs. If you are lucky it will break through before an accident or heavy braking event and be visible.

[Fed]

If you can't trust your winch post to stop back & forward movement then you need another winch post.

[Jarrah Jack]

Most winch post base designs are pathetic things with a couple of ubolts. I've seen a boat sitting on top of a car from heavy braking and its worth a thought or two.

[Lancair]

I use a stainless turnbuckle,(with lock nuts spanner tightened) but not on my safety chain, that stays loose as a final backup. My turnbuckle goes from the bow eye on the boat to an eye at the base of the winch post holding the bow down and forward tightly, the winch cable stays tight and I use two strap/ratchet type tiedowns at the stern, from the ski hooks on the boat to the last roller bogie on the trailer.

[Moonlighter]

Hi Walrus

The turnbuckle is a good idea, and as shown in your pic it does a great job of holding the front of the boat firmly down onto the trailer. But also make sure you still use the safety chain as well. It doesn't need to be tight, as it's there in case the winch wire or your turnbuckle setup fails.

Some people, as has been mentioned by others, add a chain from the bow eye that goes backwards onto the trailer frame, the idea being that it stops the boat moving forward in the event of a sudden stop! I add this to mine when I do any long trips.

Also, it is mandatory, I am told, that a load on a trailer that is underway is secured to the trailer in at least 2 places. So, in addition to the chain and turnbuckle at the bow, a strong strap across the boat down near the stern is what most of us do, it also keeps the rear of the boat held securely down onto the trailer.

Most people don't seem to be aware that boats bouncing around on trailers is the cause of more structural failures and other hull damage than any other factor.. So strap it down firmly at the bow and stern is the order of the day to protect your pride and joy.

Cheers

ML

[dnej]

78740This may help

[EdBerg]

I also use a turnbuckle with some chain to the front of the bow u bolt to the trailer frame, in addition I also have a shackle to connect to the winch post, plus a 2500kg strap to the back cleat and an angled one to the front cleats on each side.

The back one holds the stern down, the angled one helps to stop it sliding forward, the turnbuckle stops it bouncing on the front and the shackle stops it from going forward or backward. Overkill maybe but I wouldn't want 2500kg sliding over/though the roof of my Jeep if I smashed into something at 100km/hr, then again at 100km/hr the 3.4T boat and trailer probably would go through the jeep no matter what I had done at the back. :'(

cheers

Ed.

[fat-buoy]

Yeah I use a turnbuckle also.. it stops the boat bouncing around on the trailer as I tow it... works a treat.. just make sure you have a length of telecom rope in the car in case some turd decides to knock it off at the ramp... I find tying the front down to the trailer helps heaps with the towing as the front of the boat really has stuff all weight on it compared to the back.

[wags on the water]

If you get hook/eye turnbuckles instead of eye/eye, they are easy to remove from the trailer and lock in the car after you launch the boat.

[xbreama]

I use open eye turnbuckle one end shackled to closed eye other end
Also have small chain shackled to a clip that can pass through
the turnbuckle to stop it coming undone.

[WalrusLike]

Great tips fellas.. Thanks heaps. More are always welcome.

I agree 100 km boat is going to be hard to stop.... But maybe these efforts could stop it moving with a lower speed bimble.

[Mrs Ronnie H]

Hi
We have a chain and turnbuckle hooked up to boat to hold it down and also extra protection if something happened to come adrift.
Yesterday when we got back from Spinnaker I said to Bill he had forgot to tighten it.
Needless to say we will be replacing turnbuckle with something else as apparently it had come loose on way home.

While here anyone got any ideas on winch cable. Don't like wire, have a strap but it has stretched on one side ?? What else is there I can use.

Ronnie

[nigelr]

Hey mrs h - I have one of these and they are fantastic; the six metre version of this would suit you.
http://www.harboursidechandlery.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=872&osCsid=1jmb2cb6julv6a3lolq412qr70

now, know of any decent trailer manufacturers?

[EdBerg]

You can use Dyneema rope, it's very strong but it is also pretty expensive, not sure if all manual winches can take it, you would have to make sure that it can be fastened to the drum of the winch without damaging the rope, cheapest place to look for it would be on ebay, I was going to get some but my electric winch which I bought to replace the manual winch on the trailer on the trailer came with it. I am about to fit the winch in the next week or so.

It might be cheaper to buy a new winch with it on rather than buy just the cable, I bought the 4000lb winch for about $170 delivered.

[yellowbellyking]

hey mate where did you buy your winch the one i bought was a 4000lb for the same money but i never read about it properley its a power in and out

[EdBerg]

hey mate where did you buy your winch the one i bought was a 4000lb for the same money but i never read about it properley its a power in and out

I bought it from this guys site:

http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/alaka_net/m.html?_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253 A1%257C72%253A5520&rt=nc&_ipg=&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14.l1513&_pgn=1

I had a look and can't seem to find anymore of the 4000lb ones anywhere on ebay with the Dyneema rope. I must have got mine at the right time, as I type there is one other 4000lb listed in the cheaper range for $108 without delivery but that has a steel cable.

I just did another ebay check using 12V winch as the title and quite a few have now popped up http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/12V-4000lbs-Electric-Winch-ATV-4WD-Boat-Wireless-Synthetic-Wire-/260909491329?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item3cbf6ae481

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Wireless-4000LBS-1814kg-Winch-12V-Electric-Boat-ATV-4WD-/150791849963?pt=AU_Car_Parts_Accessories&hash=item231be507eb

Hope this helps

[MTAQ/BTAQ]

I am old school - so a truckies hitch bow and stern solves all my problems - I don't trust those ratchet straps from BCF - in my job I had to tow 3 tinnies nested one inside the other on a trailer from one end of Moreton Island to the other and back - not one bit of movement using the truckies hitch.

[Fed]

I wish I could do those truckie knots. :-[

The one thing I'm against is pulling a boat down hard onto the trailer to try & stop backward & forward movement.

I said it before & I'll say it again, if your winch post can't take it then get a better winch post.

With your bow eye under the bow roller it can't go anywhere and the rear strap/straps only need to be lightly nipped up.

Bow roller & bow eye height is critical and I have noticed alloy boats seem to present a real problem with their bow eye designs.

I think there's a few alloy boat makers & trailer makers who should lift their acts, what's with these winch plates pointing upwards and bow rollers the wrong height on the plates, too damned lazy to get it right.