For the trailer I use, I need to load the '64 rear first. Anyone have pics of how they've been able to load a C2 onto a trailer this way? Not only are there few places to hook up but the rear valance would be damaged by the cable when the car reaches the ramps.

I was thinking about two 30cm struts starting from the holes in the rear frame cross member. Angling out toward the centre to end just in front of the valence lip. Putting a spacer in that common connection to lower the cable's hook connection point. From that lower point another 70cm strut going straight back to the frame cross member that sits beneath the gas tank. There is another 19mm diameter hole there that can be used. That strut would take the main force and be supported by the two side struts.

Any other ideas?

Bud.

 

If it runs back it on. You may however want the car turned around so the trailer will handle properly given the weight distribution.

 

I agree, your weight bias might be way off unless it is long enough to pull way forward.

 

Very good point.
Without the recommended tongue weight on the trailer you are asking for a scenario you really don't want to participate in. This can get out of control very quickly and leave you with NO way out. If you have to err', err' on side of more tongue weight than weight behind trailer's wheels, at least you can see what you are about to hit. I suspect many on this forum have experienced excessive tongue weight and experienced the sensation of "no control" with their steering, but the opposite is something best left to the trailer towers who have a death wish. BE SAFE.

 

A few years ago, at the end of Chevellabration (the national Chevelle event), the guy who took the BIG awards (best of show, etc) with an incredible 70 SS Chevelle, loaded his 70 backward on the trailer. SEVERAL of us advised/TOLD him NOT to do it. BUT, alas, he knew more than the rest of us who have loaded/trailered cars. Soon after he headed north on I-65 north of Nashville, his trailer began to weave severely back and forth. Before he could get it shut down, the entire rig overturned on I-65.
I had no sympathy.

 

Yep.. some will never learn, loading on a trailer backwards is a

 

It's not the way I wanna do it but it's a case of need to. It's an enclosed trailer that has changed from its manufacture. It's had a nose cone put on thus its way too heavy on the ball. I haven't put a scales under the tongue but I think it's probably 250lbs-plus empty. I tow trailers on a weekly basis, I know how things can get away from you. I'm not looking for trouble but I need to get some more weight to the a$$.

I don't like the idea of backing it on. I suppose you could get use to it but I'd rather use the electric winch and walk it on but need a point to attached the cable to.

I don't think load-levellers are the answer, as they don't actually remove the load from the tongue. They just try to re-distribute it through leverage.

Bud.

 

l
True if not loaded correctly, but I always found it to be OK! winched up by the push bar

 

What a great photo!

Bud.

 

As others have said it is all in the load distribution. Loading backwards is fine provided you have enough tounge weight 10-15% of total is a target range. This goes back to some posts on the shortest trailer that can be used to tow these cars. Getting a short trailer leaves the end user with little to no front to back wiggle room when getting the load distribution correct. I have trailered my vette and nova in my enclosed trailer backwards a few times for various reasons and I had to winch the cars toward the nose of the trailer approx another 18" from where I normally load the cars to get tongue weight right.

Making a blanket statement that you can't load the car in backwards is wrong, the car could be loaded sideways and upsided down if the load distribution is correct, the trailer won't know the difference and will tow fine.

 

How about just adding some more extra weights to the rear of the trailer?

 

Looks like Bud has a SB midyear coupe. Weight distribution is pretty close front/rear. Why all the emotion over loading forward or backward?

Just pull the car forward a foot or so and forget it!

 

There's two things to take note of, in this picture.

First, even though the car is loaded backwards, the bulk of the weight of the vehicle, is over the trailer's axles. This is an ideal situation. Where you get in trouble towing with a car loaded backwards, is when you get too much weight, behind the axles.

The Topolino's engine is set back far enough in the chassis, that it actually is over the trailer's axles. A Corvette, backward on that same trailer, would end up with the engine, and much of the car's weight, behind the trailer's axles.

The second thing to consider is that the picture of Walt's Puffer, is 50 years old. There's a lot more known about trailering cars today, then there was in 1963. Heck, most racers were still flat towing their cars with a tow bar, in 1963.

BY the way, COOL picture!

Why would you not want to use a weight distributing hitch? In fact, you should be using one.

Weight distributing hitches, are recommended whenever the gross trailer weight, exceeds 50% of the gross weight of the tow vehicle. A 3,000 pound Corvette, on a 1,000-1,500 pound trailer, is very likely going to weight more than 50% of whatever your towing it with. Unless your towing with a motor home, or a Peterbuilt.

If your trailer is long enough that the Corvette's engine is over the axles, I wouldn't be too concerned about loading it backwards. If not, then I would reconsider your plan. Either way, I wouldn't want to tow it without a weight distributing hitch. I'd seriously think about a sway control too, especially if I was towing with the Corvette loaded backwards.

 

[QUOTEu
Any other ideas?
Bud.[/QUOTE]


BUY a car trailer or have it loaded on a roll back.

 

I had no issue with my 66 Vette front or back-wards, I raise the front of my dove tail trailer to help keep the winch angles right and not hit the body.
For attaching as your first post asked, I tie to the hole in the frame just ahead of the rear tires. Worked for me.
I think Mike is right with the 50/50 front rear distribution of weight on the vette, 50/50 makes it neutral on a small block, a big block may change this by 150 pounds.

I will say we towed my buddy's Challenger with my trailer, we chose to back it on because it was not running and we did not want to take a 1/2 hour moving the car so we could load properly. I could not get the Challenger far enough forward on the trailer to fix the tongue weight issue. Up against my stops in the front it was still tail heavy. It would not trailer right and forced us to hold 60 mph max to avoid wagging the trailer.