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I like to tie down by the wheels, contrary to a previous poster, I figure that's how the vehicle rides on the road so there's no risk of putting stress somewhere that it may not be designed for, though I do agree it will put a little wear (similar to driving) on suspension components. I have seen (though not personally experienced) people report cracked windscreens and similar on some cars due to stressing/flexing the car in a way that's not intended when tied down by the body/chassis. It also allows the possibility of the straps loosening and tightening as the suspension compresses and rebounds, unless tightened hard enough to significantly compress the suspension, which then puts extra load on the straps compared to just the weight of the vehicle. I used to tie down by the chassis though and never had any problems, but have ultimately decided that I prefer to tie down by the wheels (and/or rear end on a solid rear axle - not our Vettes!).
Last edited by Metalhead140; Apr 12, 2016 at 12:17 AM.
Just took mine from Oceanside CA to Prescott AZ last week this way. Take a pair of ramps and put them under the rear truck wheels to get a better angle up the ramp. The folding fender on the driver side is nice also for getting in and out of the car. I have to go back next month to pick up the car and will do the same thing.
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
If you can, use Penske. They are less expensive. I got screwed by uhaul out here. They quoted me the one way price as the advertised one day price over the phone. I drove 5 hours to pick it up and they tacked on another $100.00 dollars. I could have just picked it up 15 miles away and dragged it both ways if I knew they were going to screw me. I complained to corporate headquarters and they sent me back to the district guy. They say they tape all transactions over the phone. I demanded the tapes and they never produced them. They will screw you any chance they get. Use Penske.
I strap to the frame, not over the tires. I do, when going a longer distance, strap through the back wheel to the opposite corner "D" ring with a smaller strap. Just for a bit of added security.
Pace Car spoiler clears ok, header flange will scrape a bit if the front of the trailer is a it lower than it should be. I place a wood block under the back middle of the trailer, it prevents squatting and also reduces the upwards "pull" on the truck ball and potentially the trailer from popping off the ball during loading. Make sure the Ebrake is engaged on the tow vehicle, proper tire inflation on the truck, and yes, have some extra boards, straps, zip ties (to keep the excess strap length from possibly flapping and striking the cars paint). Ive also seen somebody on the forum wrap the entire car with that cling-on static pallet wrap plastic. You can buy it by the roll, 36" x 200' for cheap. Helps keep stones and sand from damaging the paint, also keep the car dry(er) if your taking it a long way in crappy weather.
The trailers are easy to use and the fold over fender on the drivers side is great. As others have mentioned, some of the U-haul places are stringent on who they rent trailers to. Some places will let you slide if your vehicle is close to handling the weight, others will not even give you a second chance.
Just use common sense and look things over before hitting the roads. And I bet you will smile every time you look in the rearview mirror!
Thanks! It's a '79 F250 built here in Aus (coincidentally the same year as the Vette). As it's a Ford Australia assembled truck it is right hand drive and has a 351 Cleveland (yes Cleveland - Aussie F trucks ran Clevelands through until the mid '80s). Mine runs on straight lpg, which makes it affordable to run (it's my daily driver most of the time) and is a 4 speed manual. It's a cool truck.
Thanks guys, I'm actually thinking about mounting a trailer hitch on the front bumper of my truck so I can look ahead and smile while looking at my new C3 all the way home without taking my eyes off the road.
Towed mine on a uhaul trailer. The angle can be concerning, but just crank that support arm all the way down before you try to load the car. Should be fine.
I was able to load and unload my new 73 without any issues. It drove right up the ramps without dragging the front spoiler or the mid point on the chassis.
Thanks for all the comments and help regarding the u-haul trailers.
If you're "banging the gears with every movement" as stated early on, you don't have it strapped down tight enough. If you have it in neutral and unstrap it, you could be in for a few seconds of excitement. I use reverse for manual, and park for autos.
It is so cool to see vettes on trailers when driving....it means the car is leaving a place it was loved and going somewhere to be loved even more.
Plus the faces of those who pass you are usually green with envy!
I'm picking up my 1973 Corvette this coming Saturday. My plan is to tow it home with a U-Haul car trailer. Has anyone used one of U-Hauls trailers to tow a C3? If so, did you have any clearance issues when rolling it up the ramps, or any other issues loading or unloading?
The Gray U-Haul trailers are newer and alittle wider than the orange ones I believe. I needed it for the C6 GS I towed. Towed it from the gulf coast to east tn last year. For it I did have to remove the front wheel stops on the trailer and my front splitter on the C6 for clearance purposes. A 12' or so 2x8 works well to drive your front tires on to help with clearance issues also, if you have any.
I towed mine about 200 miles on a front wheel only trailer that I borrowed(old u-haul that he used to pull a vehicle behind his RV), no problems. No motor or transmission in car at that time.
I loaded mine onto a car trailer, with straps around each wheel, the chassis at the front and the differential. I picked up the corvette in Melbourne, Australia and drove it almost 900km (a bit over 500 miles) to Broken Hill, a small town in the Australian desert. It was only after I unloaded it at home, did I realise the body was not connected to the chassis. The previous owner took out (or in some cases cut) all the bolts but didn't tell me. As you can see, I have a bit of work to do.
Loading in Melbourne.
Straps around each wheel, the front chassis, and a chain around the differential.
Here is a pic from this afternoon bringing home a 71
The only thing to note...this was an older style trailer....the side walls were higher than the newer style. Even with the fender folded over I could not open the door enough to get out.
I had to climb out the window.....lol
Never had this happen before. When you rent one, make sure it is the newer style with the lower sidewalls
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