Posted by Chris Davis on Monday, March 08, 2004 at 9:50PM :
In Reply to: Lets tie one on! posted by Tim Holloway on Monday, March 08, 2004 at 4:30PM :
Once I strapped a WWII jeep to my trailer with two heavy duty 4" wide ratchet straps. I secured it via the front spring hangers and the rear bumperetts and ratcheted each strap down TIGHT. Then I drove for about three miles and stopped for gas where I checked the straps and took up a little more slack. About five miles later I went through an intersection with a bit of a dip and the truck and trailer bounced some (not excessive by any means) but as I left the other side of the intersection I no longer had a jeep on the trailer.
The bump had flexed the jeep suspension enough to relax the straps and POP, the hooks came off leaving an unsecured jeep. I had placed it in first gear, (and double checked it... as there was no parking brake)... but it popped out of gear too.
Fortunately, that sequence of bad luck was followed by a more amazing string of good. I jumped on the brakes in panic, but rather than rear ending my trailer, the driverless jeep executed a perfect lane change, passed me on the left side and rolled to a stop without hitting any other vehicle on a rather crowded 6 lane road.
A road crew working on the intersection saw the whole thing and quickly came to my aid, man handling the jeep back on the trailer where I strapped it back down via the AXLES. I've used the "unsprung" axle method ever since (and chains rather than straps) and while it makes for less interesting trips, I don't need that kind of excitement in my life.
My .02
Chris Davis
Centerville, UT
'45 WC51
Follow Ups: