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I plan to haul my car home from the Museum in an enclosed trailer. Need some input from those who have done this. I want to be sure I have the correct tie-down straps and hook style. I have searched the PDF version of the 2015 Owners Manual and found two paragraphs that basically say tow on a flatbed and not a dolly...duh! But nothing on towing in a car-hauler.
I understand that there are hook points in the frame. Can anyone post photos and discuss best method of strapping down?
Also, I have a Chevy 1500 crew cab, 2WD pick up with heavy duty trailering/cooling option, Vortec 5.3 engine, 3.73 gear ratio with locking differential, and a stated towing capacity of 7,000 pounds per the owner's manual. The C7 Convertible weighs 3,362 pounds and I'm guessing the tandem enclosed trailer weighs 2,500 pounds. That puts total weight of trailer and car at 5,862 pounds. Any reason to think that my truck would have any issues towing this?
Your truck should have NO difficulties pulling the car / trailer combination. I suspect that trailer might weigh a bit more than 2500 pounds. I towed mine home on an open U-Haul trailer but I had the original cover from the factory still on it (cover had never been removed at the dealership). I tied the front wheels down with the U-Haul wheel straps (went over the tires and ratcheted down tight) and then had some tow straps that I hooked to the rear suspension just to keep things from moving at all. Had NO problems whatsoever - I only had about a 200 mile trip. Pulled mine home with a 4WD Tacoma V6 - again, you'll have no issues.
I don't have a C7 but do have a lot of experience towing my C5Z and C6Z. There should be slots on your frame rail, just behind the front wheels and just in front of the rear wheels. That's where folks put the jacking pucks and are also used for shipping the cars. You can get t-hooks from a towing supply place (I used AW Direct). The t part goes into the slots in the frame rails and then you have an oval ring where you can attach a strap.
Get some thru the rim straps from Mac's Custom Tiedowns. Easy and safe way to haul a car. The rims are probably the strongest piece you can attach to. As long as the wheel openings are big enough, I always transport cars that way.
Towing mine back in an enclosed trailer next month. Much research and a career of tieing down cargo. They make "mini T Hooks" search the web for them. I also got two axle straps. I also have a nylon tow/winch bridle to wrap arund the rear cross member to winch it in the trailer. Clearance will be tight...
Check ground clearance for your trailer and your car and the front, rear, and the belly... I have built 12" by 30" approach ramps...
I have crawled around under a few C7 locally and this is my plan. Once on the ramp I will install the T Hooks on front. (right behind tire on the frame, oblonge small hole, T Hook only goes in one way so wiggle it, just a little bit) Axle straps will also go around the rear crossmember. Cross the straps is space is an issue to get lateral restraint.
If you want more info PM me and I will give you a call...
I trailer mine several times a year (from 600 to 1,200 miles each trip). Best method of tie down I found was putting the straps through the rims and back to the ratchet point. Each corner pulling in opposite direction keeps the car perfectly stable and this method was the fastest way to tie down, plus it was easiest way to monitor tightness during the trips. To eliminate any chance of "marking" the wheels with the straps I put a towel between the strap and wheel... Avoids any rubbing marks.
Wheel straps used to take me nearly 2 hours to attach, get right, tighten down and wiggle into the tight sides of the car hauler.... Doing it by putting the straps through the wheels and back to the attachment point takes under an hour and with no struggles. There is also very little tightening required during the trips.
Strapping the wheels down is the correct method. You DO NOT want to compress the suspension by strapping to the frame, let the car move on it's suspension as it's intended to. The loads placed on any sprung hard point can be intense when it's trying to hold down 3600 lbs and could easily rip the tie down points out of the trailer floor. When you tie down the wheels/tires there is no shock load, you are simply preventing the tires from losing contact with the trailer floor, the suspension of the car absorbs the load, which is what it's designed to do.
If you look at the way all the top tier car haulers secure the cars you will find then simply run a strap up over the tires to secure them to the floor of the hauler. Of course their trailers are designed for this with tracks where they can put the tie down points where they need to be.
This is what that looks like:
If you don't have a track where you can hook the straps where needed a tire cradle like this works well too. I like to keep the side force at a minimum and try to get most of the tension applied to holding the tire down, not pulling it to one side or the other.
I use the puck holes for the rear straps, kriss cross to D rings in floor. I use tire web across front wheels, car is backed into car hauler. Being a M6 C6 I winch it in to save the clutch. This is the way I plan to do my new Z06, but won't know if it will work until she gets here 1st week of march.
Last edited by nytrorcr; Feb 15, 2015 at 11:35 AM.
Reason: add to comment
Get some thru the rim straps from Mac's Custom Tiedowns. Easy and safe way to haul a car. The rims are probably the strongest piece you can attach to. As long as the wheel openings are big enough, I always transport cars that way.
Ditto that. There is no load on the suspension like you would have attaching to the body. It will not mar the wheels. Just be careful if you cross the ties in the front.
Good stuff guys - thanks. I am borrowing a friend's new enclosed trailer and need to go see it to find out what all straps and hooks he has. He hauls A-Body Pontiacs with it so should should be some room on sides with the Vette in it. I believe it is an 8.5 foot by 22' trailer.
Good stuff guys - thanks. I am borrowing a friend's new enclosed trailer and need to go see it to find out what all straps and hooks he has. He hauls A-Body Pontiacs with it so should should be some room on sides with the Vette in it. I believe it is an 8.5 foot by 22' trailer.
BJ
I measure a 8.5' trailer and with the wheel wells being on the inside, you will have about 5 inches on either side pof the car. I plan on leaving to top off so I can climb out the top. Yhere won't be much room on the side...
I measure a 8.5' trailer and with the wheel wells being on the inside, you will have about 5 inches on either side pof the car. I plan on leaving to top off so I can climb out the top. Yhere won't be much room on the side...
Hope this helps...
Dave
Thanks Dave - I'll shoot you a PM so we can talk by phone before I head up there. Looks like my museum delivery will be on March 12th or 13th.
Are you sure the trailer is 2500 lbs? That sounds kinda light for a 22' enclosed tandem axle trailer. I would go look at it there should be a label that tells you how heavy it is.
With the 5.3 even if you exceed the rating your truck will pull it fine, just watch for hills and stuff so you don't overheat the tranny.
I really really wish I could use a trailer to take mine to Ohio after I pick it up...
Are you sure the trailer is 2500 lbs? That sounds kinda light for a 22' enclosed tandem axle trailer. I would go look at it there should be a label that tells you how heavy it is.
With the 5.3 even if you exceed the rating your truck will pull it fine, just watch for hills and stuff so you don't overheat the tranny.
I really really wish I could use a trailer to take mine to Ohio after I pick it up...
I plan to check that weight - good point. I do have a pretty big "hill" to negotiate between Nashville and Chattanooga - Monteagle Mountain. I have trailer brakes on the truck as well, with the tow/haul mode and HD cooling for the tranny and engine. Should be fine.
My trailer may not be the same inside but here is what I measured.
Inside wall to wall is 8 Feet, between the wheel wells (WW) is 82.5 inches. Here is the tight spot, since the C7 73.9 inches that leave 5-6 inches between the WW and the car. WW height is above the car door height so your door won't open very far if at all.
My ramp is 74 inches long with a ramp height of 16-18 inches. This is going to cause a scrap risk at the nose/tail of the car as well as possibly the bottom of the car as it crests the ramp hinge.
Work arounds, WW door clearance,winch car in and have my 13 y/o nephew "drive". He can escape out the hatch or I drive it in and climb out via the removed targa top. For the ramp I have build some ramps out of 2X12X12. The ramps are fabricated with a notch to allow for the actual ramp to sit in. They are 3 levels high and are 30 inches, then 10 14 inches, then 10 inches. The middle is set up 4 inches and the top is set back from the 3 inches.
The single 2X12 X18" is for the rear tires of the truck this will raise the tongue and lower the ramp angle and approach angles...
Trailering a C7 - Need Input
