Tieing down sleds... Haven't seen a thread like this yet....

[Gold5th]

Biggest thing, we always set our park brake. You might not think much about that, but I will put my buddies on for him if he does not.

Just my thoughts, don't need a ton, 2 well placed tie downs are better than 20 improperly placed tie downs.

Park brake.. if I'm loading or unloading, I always use it, brake on, then put into park. I prefer the load on my parking brake than on the parking pin. Anytime I have a load I'll do the same when parking, if it's just an empty trailer on a flat grade, I don't bother.

I use more because I'd have them fail before, so I like to play on the side of paranoid rather than go ok look I musta losta strap.. my sled just passed me.

But that's why I posted so I could find out what other people do, so I can learn a better way if not the proper way to do it, to get a secure load, and not wreck the sleds... I could grab some chain and load binder and crank thos suckers down... but I'd probably wreck things

 

[BackCountryBob]

We always kick the snow offs the running boards--alot safer when you tilt the trailer and drive off. I use the bars plus a HD strap across the skis behind the suspension and tie down the rear suspension with hitches over the hooks so they can't pop loose.

 

[Gold5th]

So I made it here no probs... I put 2 jerry cans and a rubbermaid thing between the sleds and tied it down.

checked it 3 times on the way down.. nothing moved..

 

[cowkiller]

Merry Christmas

I used to use just the bars and I lost a sled during an accident. the truck swerved from ice (under some water) anyway to avoid hitting other cars I drove it into a snowbank and the trailer went under the truck and wiped out both sides of the truckbed,tore out the exhaust system, etc .when we stopped the trailer was parallel to the truck against the snowbank. Pointing the other way (the tongue had bent around the rear tire) I looked and a sled was on it's feet (cat) 40-50 yards down the road.
I drove that mess home that night. now I Tie them down inside my enclosed.

 

[Twisted Boost]

So I made it here no probs... I put 2 jerry cans and a rubbermaid thing between the sleds and tied it down.

checked it 3 times on the way down.. nothing moved..

Glad you made it there That is quite a tie down deal you got going but like you said better safe than sorry.... I think if you had 5 ton on there with that many straps nothing would have moved...

 

[94fordguy]

Biggest thing, we always set our park brake. You might not think much about that, but I will put my buddies on for him if he does not.

Just my thoughts, don't need a ton, 2 well placed tie downs are better than 20 improperly placed tie downs.

Park brake.. if I'm loading or unloading, I always use it, brake on, then put into park. I prefer the load on my parking brake than on the parking pin. Anytime I have a load I'll do the same when parking, if it's just an empty trailer on a flat grade, I don't bother.

I believe he was referring to the parking brake on the sleds

I always set it too, kind-of a necessity when loading on a tilt bed trailer anyhow

 

[2001400ex]

Yeah, meant park break on the sleds. At least you made it safe. Some crazy stories on here about sleds and ending up a long ways away from the truck. I have been lucky on my trips.

I have only one funny one. My wife and I had to rush home from Bozeman back to Billings and I flew over the tracks in downtown Billings with two fourwheelers on my tilt bed trailer. She dropped me off and drove home, about 10 minutes away. She called me about 5 minutes later and said one fourwheeler fell off! It came off the front when she was braking for a stop light. What happened, the suspension compressed when I went over the tracks and the back tie down came off. She was lucky and a random guy stopped and helped her get the fourwheeler back on the trailer. No damage to anything

 

[Dogmeat]

I've got a 2-place enclosed, I set the parking brake on the sleds AND ratchet-strap them front and back to the d-rings, and sometimes even still the damned things get lose and work their way around the trailer.....

I dont even drive that fast or crazy at all either ...

I can't immagine people who dont even tie the sleds down at all

 

[Gold5th]

I never thought about setting the parking brake ont he sled, Irarely use that... cept for on start up when the sled wants to roll away because the rpm's are that high.

But yeah, nothing moving..

 

[icr]

If you use ratchet straps go over places that don't move, like slide rails, a arms, etc. If you tie to the bumper the suspension can compress and loosen the strap. I use 4 straps to tie down 4 sleds and have never lost one.

 

[sldgy]

Gold5th, think you've got it covered. Go play in the snow and have a great trip.

 

[MORSNO]

Has anyone ever had issues with leaving the parking brake set on the machine while trailering? I use the brake while loading on my tilting trailer, but release them after dropping the tilt down. Then I use Superclamps on the ski's and ratchet straps on the rear to keep the machines from moving around. I've never left the parking brake locked for more than a few minutes...didn't think it was a good idea to leave the system locked under preasure...opinions???

 

[sldgy]

Left my parking brake on, on every sled I've ever trailered. And that is alot of sleds, and alot of miles, and hundreds of hours. 0 problems.

 

[mountainbigbull]

I like to place the ski clamps further up on the ski, where it is more flat. In the pics they are up close to the spindle where it is more angled making the ski wanting to push back. I tighten them down enough so the skegs bite into the wood a bit.

 

[NDflatlander]

We usually just tighten the bar until the carbides bit into the deck and that's it. We have never had trouble with sleds when we used to pull them in open trailers the 950 miles west. Since we now use enclosed we tie down both the front and back into D rings in the floor.

 

[RX1Guy]

i probably have 2000-3000 towing miles and i have always only used a bar across the skis.

this is the trailer i have
http://www.voyagertrailers.com/2place11'metal.htm

 

[racingpit]

I use superclamps on the front, and just 1 tie down strap on the rear, never had a problem.