c4cruiser

Is it feasible/safe to load and unload my C4 without the trailer being hooked up to my tow rig? The trailer does not have built-in rear jackstands so I thought of using a pair of portable 2.5 ton stands I have in my garage and placing them under the rear skid plates at the rear corners of my enclosed trailer. Then use the tongue jack to stabilize the trailer.

The car has an A4 trans so it goes in and out of the trailer now very easily and I can go as slow as necessary.

The problem I have is that I also have to use a small cargo trailer to haul autocross course equipment and do setup. The trailers have different size hitch ***** and just hitching/unhitching the two trailers is time consuming and getting to be a PITA.

Thoughts?

carefulnow

Chock the wheels.

StreetSpeed

I load and unload mine without the truck attached, but mine is 24' enclosed and 4000lbs. I guess the jack stands in the back should allow you to do it without issue, but still don't know that I'd feel good about it on a 1000lbs 18' aluminum trailer.

C5 Hardtop

Pic of trailer?

I'm confused about the jack stand usage for the rear of the trailer. If you have to use them that may introduce a new problem because they are designed to hold downforce and less side-to-side force that would occur driving a car into a trailer.

Wouldn't the rear of the trailer be self-supporting such that once the car is in the beginning stages of being loaded, the weight is distributed over the axles?

Have you considered the load rating of the tongue jack and then using wheel chocks designed like the ones the fire department uses?

NVR2L8

In addition to the above, I prefer putting wood blocks under the rear corners. More stable.

c4cruiser

Here's the trailer. At the bottom corner (just below the red marker light and reflector there is a skid plate that is 1/4" thick and about 4'x4' (one on the far corner too).



The electric tongue jack is rated for raising 3000 lbs a total of 18". When I set up the weight distribution hitch, the tongue weight with the car loaded was just over 600 lbs. With the car tied down in the trailer, the car centerline is just a few inches forward of the midway point between the two trailer axles.

The idea is to place the jackstands under the skid pads and not raise the jackstand pads. The jackstands are a ratchet type, not the ones that use a pin thru holes.

I would raise the tongue until the trailer skid pads contact the jackstands. From basic measurements, it looks like the gap between the skid pads and the jackstands when they are in place is about 2". I always use wheel chocks when loading and unloading the car when attached to my truck.

C5 Hardtop

Its a beauty .

When all else fails, read the manual . The trailer manual states to attach the tow vehicle first. It has a "Don't" section that says always hitch up before loading the vehicle.

Ignoring that, there is a Q/A section that talks about where to put the jack in the event of a flat tire. Maybe you could put the jack stands on the referenced frame rail of each side:

"Q. If I have a flat tire where do I locate the jack?
A. Once your trailer is securely blocked and cannot roll you can locate the jack either near the axle on the front to rear running main frame rail of the trailer or directly under the axle beam if safely accessible."

jaa1992

with my open trailer many times I've taken the two ton jack stands and put them under the dove tail to keep the trailer from popping up.

with your enclosed just make sure they are under the frame of the trailer.

555ss

Very few trailers can be loaded/ unloaded with out the truck attached. the trailer will raise the tounge then crash back down.( hell I don't try it with my 36 foot goose neck),.
SO yes use jack stands or a floor jack under the rear rail to keep the back from dropping as the car starts into the trailer.
I have watched way too many people forget to hook at the track then they plant the tounge into the tow vehicle when they get ready to leave.

Bill32

You want the jackstands to touch the skid pads before you load (or be very close to touching, not 2 in.).

We used to have an enclosed that had 2 built in scissor jacks at that location for just this purpose. I added a "Remove Before Flight" flag that would hang on the tow vehicle steering wheel so you wouldn't pull the trailer with the jacks down.

jbondfl

Given the weight of that trailer I"d be surprised if it tipped while loading. That said, jackstands are cheap insurance. Chock the wheels. Do you have a winch inside? That would make loading a very controlled experience rather than driving it in.

Dubstep Shep

Just use wood blocks under the corners of the trailer in the back.

My dad has two stumps that he uses to load his tractor. The tractor is 8,000lbs and weighs more than the truck. It'll pick the back wheels on the truck up off the ground and roll the whole thing without something under the back of the trailer.

RHEACERDAVE

I've towed autocross/time trial/ road race cars since 84 open and enclosed. Problem is when you put on brakes of car. Momentum carries to trailer and can make it squirt forward over the 2x4s you had in front of tires.. Don't ask how I know. That said I now have a 32 foot trailer and I won't load unless it is hitched to truck.

SunnydayDILYSI

Be careful. It was just a couple months ago that I saw a nice yellow c7 have its front bumper and splitter destroyed coming off of a trailer that wasn't hitched to a tow vehicle...

C5 Hardtop

Is the trailer going to be in the same location when you need to do the loading/unloading? If yes, maybe you could create a hitch mount to replace the work/counter balance of the truck. The idea is to drill a hole in a concrete slab and concrete in a 4"+ schedule 80 (or thicker) pipe and mount a ball on the top. Then you could hitch the trailer onto it for the counter balance.