Tie-Downs and Trailer Hauling a Beetle

[shortride]

What do you guys recommend for tie-down straps and what and where are the best tie-down locations on a '64 Beetle? I may be hauling a 1964 three hundred seventy-five miles. I've already planned for a U-Haul Car Hauler. It looks like the U-Haul has the tie-down harnesses for the front tires.
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Pearl White 1966 Sedan

Retired US Army - 21 years 11B40, 173rd Airborne Brig. - Vietnam Combat Veteran

[VOLKSWAGNUT]

Chains and binders...
Front axle beam and rear torsion bar tube to the trailer tie downs or frame.
When lashing down use a criss cross pattern to form an "X". (Thats important).
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aka Ken {o\!/o}
Its your vehicle- stop askin' for approval-do what YOU like for cryin' out loud
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Usually and often edited

[carlsonj]

If it is lowered the uhaul ones dont work good. I tried them and they are the kind that go over the tire and could not get them on. Had to go buy some at nearby store.

[shortride]

[chad(0\!/0)]

[shortride]

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What does a '66 Beetle weigh?
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Pearl White 1966 Sedan

Retired US Army - 21 years 11B40, 173rd Airborne Brig. - Vietnam Combat Veteran

[ThingBeast]

Approximately 1700 I think. Can anyone post some pictures of the correct way to tie down a bug to a trailer? As they say, "a picture's worth a thousand words"

[shortride]

[drscope]

Home Depot usually has decent tie down ratchet straps. They normally go for about $25 a piece. If the straps are too long we normally put the tails inside the car’s doors or trunk so they don’t get loose and drag along behind you.

I don’t normally cut my straps shorter because I never know what we will be hauling next, so it’s always better to have straps that are too long instead of straps that are too short.

It is possible not to have enough straps, but its never possible to have too many! The longer the trip the more we double up on the straps.

Something we got into the habit of doing is to go through the wheels if possible. If the wheels have any sort of open spot in them, put the strap through the wheel and tie the wheels down. That way the wheels are tight in place to the trailer and the suspension can move with bumps in the ride.

You just need to make sure that again you have a straight pull on your straps so the straps aren’t going to pull on the wheel in a way to actually rotate the wheel on the trailer deck and get loose.

Sometimes if you go to chassis or other parts that can move when the suspension goes up and down, your straps can get loose or come off.

Another thing to be aware of on a swing axle car is that the car will walk around side to side as the suspension moves up and down. That’s because of the camber change as the car bounces. Sometimes this can be a real problem depending on the trailer. I know a guy who had a 356 on an open trailer and it walked one wheel off the deck. Big pain to get it back up on the trailer deck.
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Mother Nature is a Mean Evil Bitch!

[Donnie strickland]

[hoghead5150]

i use the same as most everybody else here, 2 straps in front X pattern, 2 in the back X pattern. i take the long tails of the straps and fold them up then use long zipties to secure them. i put the zip tie around the strap AND the ratchet just for added security the ratchet doesn't come loose.

i usually stop and check the straps for tightness every so often. depends on how long i'm going to be on the road. for 400 miles, i would stop every 50-75 miles to check them. i'm a little over cautious sometimes.
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"i got a friend that knows a guy who's best friend has an uncle that used to have a bug just like yours!"

i measured once, cut it three times, and the damn thing is STILL to short!

[drscope]

I DON'T like the X pattern on the straps. It allows too much length on the straps and in a panic situation when things are going wrong, it is possible for the car to actually flip off the trailer as a result.

It is best to keep your straps going front to back and keep them as short as possible between the car itself and your anchor point.
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Mother Nature is a Mean Evil Bitch!

[VOLKSWAGNUT]

[shortride]

I got home with my new car. I drove to Albuquerque NM Friday morning and just now got home with my beautiful '66 Beetle. I will post pictures later.

I'm tired!
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Pearl White 1966 Sedan

Retired US Army - 21 years 11B40, 173rd Airborne Brig. - Vietnam Combat Veteran