How to Tie a Car Down to a Trailer
Tying down a vehicle to a trailer takes a little bit of technique and a little bit of know-how, but if you do it correctly, you'll never have to worry about losing a vehicle on the road. This process takes no tools or special equipment other than tie-down straps, and it should take about 20 minutes to do.
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Instructions
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1
Load the vehicle onto the trailer. This usually involves driving the car up a ramp onto the trailer. Make sure the vehicle is as centered side to side as possible, and put it in nose first if you can. This will give you a better towing experience.
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2
Loop the ratchet tie-down strap across a front suspension point such as the lower control arms, and loop it around, hooking it to itself in the process.
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3
Connect the other end of the ratchet tie-down strap, the one with the hook, to the anchor on the trailer. There should be some slack in the line.
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4
Tighten the strap so that there is a little slack in the line. Make sure that when you're ratcheting the strap tight you don't twist the strap itself. If you do, it will be a pain to undo from the vehicle.
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5
Repeat this process to the other corner on the front end.
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6
Hook the ratchet tie-down strap around the rear axle of the vehicle or another strong suspension point, and connect the other end to the opposite side's tie down anchor on the trailer.
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7
Repeat step 6 on the opposite side of the trailer, creating an "X" shape with the tie downs. Tighten them both down as tight as possible.
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8
Tighten the front ratchet tie down straps as tight as possible. This will create a tension in the lines and won't allow any of them to slip.
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9
Wrap up any excess strap around the ratcheting assembly and tie it off to itself.
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