Trailering a Car
 

Not sure where to post this, maybe you guys can help me.

In September I will be towing the cobra in a enclosed trailer from here: http://www.randpcarriages.com/rental/ . I have reserved the 7' x 14' Enclosed Cargo Trailer.

I believe that in terms of size, its fine, I just dont know how to tie it down properly. Anyone have ideas?

Thanks,

Blue, there is no way that you will properly be able to secure a Cobra in an enclosed trailer with the above dimesions. You are talking about a complete car, right, not just the body?

Cobras are roughly 13 feet long by 6 feet wide, that gives you about 6 inches of clearance on the four sides.

You could do it on an open car carrier if you had to, but it's still not ideal.

Ralph

The ad says, "various D rings installed". Hopefully, you'll have two in the front, and two in the back. I would call the company and tell them what you plan, and make sure the D rings are in the right place.

Loop the tie downs aound the axle and A arms.

Many people like to cross the tie downs to prevent sideways walking of the car in transit. If the tie down are towards the middle, you don't need to worry about that.

You will not be able to get to the front D rings with that small trailer. Not enough room.

As stated before, the trailer is going to be a bit small, 7X16 is the smallest suggest enclosed trailer for a Cobra, with 7X20 being ideal if you plan to haul along spare parts, racing slicks, or tools. Properly sizing your tow vehicle to the trailer is equally important, do not rely on the "manufacturers maximum towing capacity" for your actual use.

As for tying down the car in the trailer, I originally posted this back in September 2005....

I tie my Cobras (along with every other car I tow) down as follows (all using 10,000lb rated tie downs, ratchets, and axle straps as you can never be too careful/cautious):

Front: Short padded axle strap around the outside of the lower control arm closest to the wheel assembly. Front left to Front left tie down loop, front right to front right tie down loop.

Rear: Short padded axle strap around axle tube as close to the center section as possible. Crossed in the rear to prevent movement of the car once strapped down. Left rear to right rear tie down loop, right rear to left rear tie down loop.

On IRS cars I use the same pattern on the front, but use a long padded axle strap around and through the rear wheel, also in a cross pattern as stated above.

Also, Once loosely tied down, I take the car out of gear and take the handbrake off. Once tied down tightly, I reset the emergency brake just to be on the safe side, but still leave the car out of gear as the rocking motion/movement of the car on the trailer will cause unnecessary wear of the internal gear set of the transmission over time.

Since originally posting the above in 2005, a lot of the commercial auto haulers have switched to "E" tracks such as these below.


E track system

http://www.truckntow.com/images/prod...dium/TH004.jpg

And

this one

http://www.truckntow.com/images/prod...dium/TH003.jpg

If you order from this company you need to specify whether you have the "E" track or the "I" track setup so that the clips are oriented properly.

Bill S.

I thought my measurement seemed off....
I should have double checked that.

Thank for you for the info on how to secure the vehicle down, but does anyone know where i can rent and enclosed trailer that WILL fit the Cobra?

Thanks,

What are you planning to use as a tow vehicle?


Bill S.

Well, as my original plan fell through cause I am an idiot and cant read, I am not sure....Originialy the vehicle was a Range Rover which can tow up to 7,100lbs....not sure how much the trailer weighs though

I rented a 8 x 18 trailer from the same site in June. Towed it to LCS with 99 Navigator. With the Cobra inside I estimate the weight to be about 4500 to 5000 lbs. The trailer I rented used a 2 5/16" ball and I bought the ball and tow bar before I got there.

They loaned me a set of tie downs and helped set them up. However I had to buy two locks.

Mention my name and the Blue Cobra.

Lee Rateike

Was it enclosed? Thanks for the tip! I'll give them a call tomorrow

Enclosed Trailer
 

I Tried To Use A 7' Wide Enclosed Trailer And My Car Would Not Fit Between The Cables Used To Lower The Ramp. You Could Probably Have Someone Hold Them Out, But I Would Go For The 8' Wide (i Went With The 8' X 18' But The 16' Would Do For A One Time Haul).

Billl--- I tie down like you do, but i was told NOT to set emergency brake when all is good and tight. Don't remember why not right now, but that's what I've been told.
any thoughts on why/why not??
I loosely set the e brake and put in gear to make sure things are hooked, but then put in neutral and release ebrake.
I certainly don't want to do it wrong, but i'm wondering if someone said to me that it puts a lot of pressure on the brake to have it set??
Looking for direction here.
thank you very much.
Kristen

While we are on a Q and A session, what are your thoughts, when on a long haul trip on an open trailer having the Cobra "Shrink-Wrapped" like it is done with boats.

I know you don't ever want to use a car cover while towing on an open trailer, but the shrink-wrap done by marine companies sounds interesting.

Has anyone ever seen or done that?

Ralph:MECOOL:

it is a pain in the butt to take it off, and its not THAT protective, although obviously much better then nothing at all....it will be a much bigger pain over all i think, then its worth.

Here is the company's pitch, note what they say about removal:

Do It Yourself Boat and RV Shrink Wrap Kit

Shrink wrapping is an easy and economical way to protect and store boats, RV's, outdoor furniture, equipment or any other commodity from dust and debris. Removal is just as simple and all of our materials are 100% recyclable. It also can become a nice side business.

http://www.pro-tect.net/boatkit.htm

Lol.....ok, maybe I am wrong. I remember pulling it off our boat one year and having to clean for hours to get rid of the dirt and what i think was some form of glue.....maybe its changed :confused:
Try it in your driveway and see how easy it is? Could be a great solution

Kristen,

Can't say why you were told this as there is no reason why the emergency brake would lock up or seize under towing conditions. Setting the emergency brake is an extra safety precaution while towing should a strap loosen up for some reason.............

Everyone else,

Using the shrink wrap on a Cobra (ie: fiberglass) may end up "staining" a fresh paint job. If the paint in question is over a year old, then the paint has aged sufficiently where it should not, but again caution should be used when covering it.............


Bill S.

HLC,

I've learned to set the E-brake when towing. On the trip back from Tulsa the back tiedown broke and the Coupe started to roll forward and nudge the trailer rock guard when decelerating. I felt the movement and retied, however not without some slight damage to the nose of the coupe. From now on I use two straps in the front and two in the rear and set the E-brake.

what not to do!!
 

What not to do 1.Never use the old chain booms that rachet over,had our racer nearly come off,tapped the brakes so it rolled forward over the front end :eek:fortunatly all the crew was caravaning together and help get the car back on.Wow how unnerving it was thinking of what could have happend.Threw those away and got the good strapps no more problems.

Good point, but depending upon the type of paint used, a year may not always be enough. I have a friend who had his car painted, and he took it off the road and put it in storage after 18 months. He covered it with a fancy blanket while in storage. When he took the blanket off a year later, you could see the imprint of the blanket in the paint. Had to wet sand and reclear the car.