P500 Securing on a trailer

[oldfortyfive]

I've tied my P500 down a number of ways, but have not been happy with them. I've finally settled down on using the heavier 1500lb working load ratcheting strap from Menards as the ratchet is so much better than the smaller ones. I use one strap across the front bumper. This is what I'm doing now in the rear. I welded a head on one end of a 13/16" diameter steel bar and slide it through the frame holes. I put a pin on the other end so I could remove it. A single strap works well. This gets the ratchet away from the tires and makes it much easier to secure.

 

[Remington]

Buy this. A lot of us use them. I use it for my P5 and my P1 it’s affordable and 10 times better than what your doing.

Erickson 09160 Wheel Chock Tie-Down Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015CJICIK/?tag=sxsweb24-20

 

[Gassygordo]

But this. A lot of us use them. I use it for my P5 and my P1 it’s affordable and 10 times better than what your doing.

Erickson 09160 Wheel Chock Tie-Down Kit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B015CJICIK/?tag=sxsweb24-20

I do the same, works great!

 

[Diverguy]

Wheel chock tie downs are the way to go!

 

[PNWGuy]

When I went riding with friends last weekend, they had two ATVs on a trailer with the fold up sides that were ramps.

I noticed that when we were about to leave, they didn't strap them down.

I asked if they were going to secure them and they said they didn't need to.

I didn't say anything and followed them back to town, with the ATVs rocking back and forth the whole way, banging into the trailer sides.

When we stopped to drop one guy off, I noticed all the dents and scrapes in the ATV's front and rear bumpers.

 

[twodog]

I have been hauling ATV's on trailers for a long time. The Erickson set up is the only thing that keeps them in place. It takes all the suspension movement out of the tie down that puts slack in no matter how well you ratchet down. It really works well.

 

[trigger]

Cabelas makes a version of the wheel strap/chock setup too, good sh**! There are also two factory holes down low in the rear that I use for long trips as added security, the lower the better.

 

[Remington]

Just as a note, my front set are the Cabelas ones @trigger has. my rears are the Ericksons. Erickson makes the ones for Cabelas so there exactly the same but blue straps than black. I guess the only difference is u can go to the store to get the Cabelas ones right away and there a few bucks more.

 

[oldfortyfive]

I actually have the Erickson chocks on front, but now only use them to locate the machine on the trailer. They are fine on the short trips, but when I head out west to Montana with the higher winds there can be so much rocking on the suspension it’s scary. I’ve had to slow way down at times. My trailer is only a 5x10 so that rocking really matters. What you don’t see is the custom aluminum storage box I slide under the machine for trips. It just fits under there and when cinched down the machine is solid to the trailer. It trailers much nicer on the long trips.

 

[twodog]

I have not trailered in western wind but I have over many miles of rub board rough Forest Service and other roads. The Ericksons are the ONLY thing I have ever used, and I have tried about every ratchet system out there, that keeps the SXS or ATV right where you put it . So what if the wind rock the machine some if all 4 wheels stay right where you put them the machine is going nowhere. I have had ratchet straps come loose in less than a 1/4 mile on rough roads and the SXS go so off center it was a bear to unload. No more ratchet straps on the suspension for me they just do not work reliably.

 

[oldfortyfive]

I typically trailer around 5000 miles a year. I can tell you there is a difference between a 5’ and a 6’ trailer on a long haul. They are probably fine on a 6’ trailer. If you loosened straps in a 1/4 mile you had at least one of these problems:

1. Too light duty a strap
2. Not cinched down enough (hard to do with a low strap angle)
3. Driving too fast
4. Illinois roads

I’ve never had a strap come loose more than a click or two from stretch over time on the road.

 

[Bullseye]

Those Ericksons look pretty good unless you use your trailer for other things then you have something bolted to the floor of the trailer in the way. I use my trailer for hauling many things.

 

[jamesh]

On the back, I put a hook on the sway bar and anchor to the outside edge of the trailer outside the front wheel. On the front, I loop hook around the bumper base and anchor on outside edge of trailer outside the back wheel. I do this on each side and it works great. My machines stay more secure this way than using the tire straps.

I agree with Bullseye on using the trailer for other stuff (like my tractor or construction materials). Plus, you are putting all your faith in two non-bolted screws that hold one board down to the trailer cross member at each wheel. I do use E-Track, but I run it across perpendicular to the length of the trailer. I put one bolt through each board with nut and washer on bottom side so all the boards are tied together. I also put a lag screw down in every other hole that does not span a gap between boards. Since the boards are treated, the hardware has to be stainless. Cost me a few hundred bucks in bolts, nuts, washers and lags. But I don't worry about it at all. Incidentally, I just traded my utility trailer for a longer car hauler that has welded on D-rings that I'll be using in the far front and far back. I am also going to use stake pocket D-rings for the mid point between machines. Still installed the E-track on this one (front, middle of wheel wells and back), but it will probably be used for securing other stuff like lumber.

 

[pFive]

Harbor Freight has these bonnets, they work well. I would never compress the suspension on a vehicle to tie it down again.

Bonnet

• pFive
• Jan 8, 2019

This is the safe way to go.

 

[jamesh]

Harbor Freight has these bonnets, they work well. I would never compress the suspension on a vehicle to tie it down again.

Why? Honda manual even says to use tie down points on the frame. I violate that by using the sway bar. Millions of bikes, quads and atvs have been secured by compressing their suspensions. The only advantage I see to bonnets or wheel straps is speed - maybe. Each to their own.

 

[pFive]

BEc

Why? Honda manual even says to use tie down points on the frame. I violate that by using the sway bar. Millions of bikes, quads and atvs have been secured by compressing their suspensions. The only advantage I see to bonnets or wheel straps is speed - maybe. Each to their own.

Because the suspension can bounce and allow straps to loosen or fall off entirely. When you strap down a car or truck you try to strap over the axles,(or close to the spindle) because they do not move up and down. If you strap down by the sprung components you have to compress the suspension entirely to be safe, and most of the time people don't do that. Now, if you use the newer stretch straps that could be different I guess.

 

[Duckhunt]

BEc

Because the suspension can bounce and allow straps to loosen or fall off entirely. When you strap down a car or truck you try to strap over the axles,(or close to the spindle) because they do not move up and down. If you strap down by the sprung components you have to compress the suspension entirely to be safe, and most of the time people don't do that. Now, if you use the newer stretch straps that could be different I guess.

X2. I had a strap come off completely after a hard bump trailering it. Luckily my 500 is pretty much sandwiched between the front rail and rear ramp. Yeah, I'm sure I could have had the strap tighter but now with the HF bonnets (which I got the idea from here!!!) it's a zero concern.

 

[rtn001]

I use the Erickson chock tie down system also. Tried other ways and on bad roads the straps worked loose. On short trips I only strap the two rear wheels. On longer trips I strap all four. Never strap the front tires only. The rear of the sxs will bounce to the right because of the crown of the road. It will get up against the rail making it a bear to unload maybe or off the trailer if no rail.

 

[jamesh]

BEc

Because the suspension can bounce and allow straps to loosen or fall off entirely. When you strap down a car or truck you try to strap over the axles,(or close to the spindle) because they do not move up and down. If you strap down by the sprung components you have to compress the suspension entirely to be safe, and most of the time people don't do that. Now, if you use the newer stretch straps that could be different I guess.

Yeah I've read such on the internet. Never had a problem with it myself.

 

[trigger]

Whatever works for you but I can only assume that these guys know more about it than we do?