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#71
Shop Tools And Equipment / Re: New trailer for the mini
Last post by cstudep - April 13, 2026, 12:10:04 PMSpeaking from experience on the over the tire method because I have steelies. Specifically on a "normal width" car trailer having to tie out to the edges with the car being so narrow in relation to the trailer, and with small 10" wheels....it really sucks.
With tie down points closer to the car width and larger diameter tires that method gets exponentially easier.
With tie down points closer to the car width and larger diameter tires that method gets exponentially easier.
#72
Shop Tools And Equipment / Re: New trailer for the mini
Last post by 94touring - April 13, 2026, 08:19:56 AMLooking back at your pics, you've already got eye bolts up front. Perfect for having a chain or smaller strap to one or more of your front D rings. You just don't want it extra tight because the suspension of the car needs to move freely of course. Toss something loosely over the rear subframe and hook into your center rear D ring and you're set.
#73
Shop Tools And Equipment / Re: New trailer for the mini
Last post by 94touring - April 13, 2026, 08:04:42 AMFrom my experience minis do like to slide. Maybe it's because they're so lightweight and the tire patch is small. It's not uncommon for me to see a shift in position in all the car hauls back and forth the 8 hours round trip to Dave's. That's just normal driving with some basic turns and curves. I still prefer through the wheel straps instead of over the wheel nets on minis. Over the wheels would be a pain on the rear wheels of my bus too, whereas the couple times I've had to trailer it, through the wheels were easy as could be. The bus is heavy enough I haven't seen it shift fwiw. The ass end of the vespa will slide too now that I think about it.
#74
Shop Tools And Equipment / Re: New trailer for the mini
Last post by MiniDave - April 13, 2026, 07:50:44 AMHe makes some good points.....
When we hauled a Mini on John's trailer he tied the front of the car all the way to the rear of the trailer, and the rear all the way to the front. I didn't like that arrangement because I was concerned that the straps could stretch and on rebound be loose. I thought it better to have them short....we had one car come completely loose in only a few miles, we were lucky that we caught it in town only a few miles from where we'd left, and re-strapped it. We were both confident that it was tight as can be when we first left.....
Dan's method is pretty failsafe.
I can't see a car jumping sideways unless you were to hit some pretty extreme bumps that could unload the car along with the trailer moving under it.
So maybe the tie downs that go over the tires is a better arrangement?
When we hauled a Mini on John's trailer he tied the front of the car all the way to the rear of the trailer, and the rear all the way to the front. I didn't like that arrangement because I was concerned that the straps could stretch and on rebound be loose. I thought it better to have them short....we had one car come completely loose in only a few miles, we were lucky that we caught it in town only a few miles from where we'd left, and re-strapped it. We were both confident that it was tight as can be when we first left.....
Dan's method is pretty failsafe.
I can't see a car jumping sideways unless you were to hit some pretty extreme bumps that could unload the car along with the trailer moving under it.
So maybe the tie downs that go over the tires is a better arrangement?
#75
Shop Tools And Equipment / Re: New trailer for the mini
Last post by 94touring - April 13, 2026, 07:45:37 AMValid points. I suppose crossing them you're limited by what's in the way anyway depending on the car. Those rubber stops are nice. I do the angled to the corner method, set the hand brake, and have the redundancy points the winch cable still attached up front with safety latch on the hook and a rear chain I loop up over the rear subframe that's attached to the trailer with a hook and safety latch on D ring. Both aren't super tight like the straps, just there to prevent rolling forward or backwards if a strap failed/came loose, the car shifts, and suddenly the other straps lose their attachments to the trailer. My trailer strap hooks don't have safety latches, so if there's enough slack they would fall out of position. When I trailer the vespa it sits in bike holder that kinda locks it in place anyways, then I have 4 straps that angle forward to keep it up against that holder and centered upright stabilized, AND then tie the front wheel to it! I just always err on the side of caution hauling things. Easy to add 2 extra straps as a precaution on a car, blocks, ect... The other thing is I load up, strap down, drive to the nearest gas station to top off, and re tighten/inspect the straps. Every fill up after that they get an inspection too.
#76
Shop Tools And Equipment / Re: New trailer for the mini
Last post by bikewiz - April 13, 2026, 07:14:23 AMSo in the same way there are hundreds of opinions on motor oil, it appears there are a lot of opinions on strapping a car to a trailer. This is a video from Mac's Tie Downs.
#77
Shop Tools And Equipment / Re: New trailer for the mini
Last post by 94touring - April 12, 2026, 08:55:34 PMThat works too 
#78
Shop Tools And Equipment / Re: New trailer for the mini
Last post by Red Riley - April 12, 2026, 06:49:59 PMQuote from: 94touring on April 12, 2026, 06:38:19 PMQuick advice, angle your straps outward to the corner of the trailer. Aids in keeping the car from sliding.Or cross the straps to the opposite sides.
#79
Shop Tools And Equipment / Re: New trailer for the mini
Last post by 94touring - April 12, 2026, 06:38:19 PMQuick advice, angle your straps outward to the corner of the trailer. Aids in keeping the car from sliding.
#80
Shop Tools And Equipment / Re: New trailer for the mini
Last post by bikewiz - April 12, 2026, 06:18:11 PMSo these are the straps I bought for strapping the mini down to the new trailer. I think they'll work just fine. I still need to do some fine tuning on the fore/aft position on the trailer but just chucking one side to try them on was easy.