How to load a trailer like a redneck

Trailer on van, winch not working, Stag has locked up wheels, how do we get it onto the trailer.

Here is how, worked a treat too

Chock the van, then hook a log chain to ClifFord, job done

What redneck methods have you utilized to get the job done

how is that "redneck"?

seems more "old farmer" to me, since i've seen more than a few dead old tractors loaded onto trailers just like that..

How to take advantage of free, hot, water. 14 GPM

My father is the real redneck though, this used to be his idea of a "load of wood". Unfortunately, I cannot seem to locate the picture of the time he zip tied an electric pole saw to a ~25ft sailboat mast to get more reach.

novaderrik wrote: how is that "redneck"? seems more "old farmer" to me, since i've seen more than a few dead old tractors loaded onto trailers just like that..

lol that is how we loaded my s10 on the uhaul trailer... grandmother-in-laws neighbor drove his old blue ford tractor over, strapped to the s10 and drove forward while I steered the beast up.

Were you rearranging the exhibits at The Ohio Australian Embassy and Triumph Stag Museum?

It sounds even better when you read it in Edd China's voice.

Here's the opposite: unloading a SpecNeon with a blown engine:

The trailer was tight fit and the tires scrubbed the sides, and the car wouldn't roll freely off.

I used 30 zip ties to tie my 67 galaxie down to the trailer when I moved.

This is the second time I've done this (blocked the trailer, used the tow vehicle to pull the car onto said trailer). Honestly... its way easier and safer IMO to do it this way if you are loading a manual transmission car. You can creep along in 1st, there is somebody to control the car and make sure it falls off, etc. I've owned winches, and this way is way more simple... I don't know why more people don't do it. Biggest issue is simply having a long enough strap/tow rope.

chandlerGTi wrote: 30 zip ties [...] 67 galaxie

Yeah that should be enough

When I picked up the Nova, I drove a U-haul trailer 4 hours to get it. Alone. The car and the keys were there, and as per our agreement, the owner was not. We had already paid for the car. All I needed to do was load it up. Alone.

The car had fired up when I went to look at it earlier. No problem, just drive it up on the trailer. It did not fire up this day. The battery wasn't very fresh, as the car had been sitting. I had the foresight to bring a spare battery, but it wasn't fully charged either. I ran down both batteries in a futile and desperate attempt to start the car.

Okay, the car isn't starting. On to plan B.

The car was sitting on a slight incline. I would let the car roll down the hill and onto the trailer. I backed the trailer into position. The car rolled slowly, down the hill, up the ramps, and stopped with the back wheels maybe halfway up the ramps. No amount of pushing would finish the job. I pushed the car back down the ramps, and back up the incline and tried again. Several times.

By this time I was exhausted. I could not get the car rolling fast enough to get it up the ramps. I gave it one last shot, and got the same result. Rear wheels on the ramp, no way to push or pull it all the way on. No winch, no strap. Nothing. Eventually, a light bulb came on: Nothing, but the jack in my Dooley!

By placing the jack under the ramps and jacking them level, I was able to push the car onto the trailer.

Lessons learned: (1) Be prepared. I don't think I was, as I never considered how to load the car in the event that it wouldn't start. (2) Bring a helper! Almost anyone would have been strong enough to give that little bit of extra thrust that I simply could not muster.

In reply to CGLockRacer:

That explains some new tire marks...

A better question- if you had to drag it off, how did you get it on?!?!?

(no, I didn't actually notice...)

When I did towaways I got very good at sliding the flatbed under the rear of a front drive car and backing up under it so I only had to pull it a couple feet to get it loaded. Unloading was the opposite. Shake the drive wheels onto the ground and then drive out.

I had a 944 fall off a dolly once (long story, cursed car) and I had to back the dolly back under it. Not a good time on Cicero trying to get out of the city....

In reply to aussiesmg:

You wish that were redneck, its just midwest ingenuity that is rubbing off on you.

Redneck would be 22 cases worth of empty Budweiser cans for ramps and 12 drunkards trying to push it.

I've used a cardboard box with individual dividers for all the beer bottles as a soft, semi-cruashable barrier between a truck bumper and a car bumper to push said car up the driveway and into the shop for repairs.

1988RedT2 wrote: When I picked up the Nova, I drove a U-haul trailer 4 hours to get it. Alone. The car and the keys were there, and as per our agreement, the owner was not. We had already paid for the car. All I needed to do was load it up. Alone. The car had fired up when I went to look at it earlier. No problem, just drive it up on the trailer. It did not fire up this day. The battery wasn't very fresh, as the car had been sitting. I had the foresight to bring a spare battery, but it wasn't fully charged either. I ran down both batteries in a futile and desperate attempt to start the car. Okay, the car isn't starting. On to plan B. The car was sitting on a slight incline. I would let the car roll down the hill and onto the trailer. I backed the trailer into position. The car rolled slowly, down the hill, up the ramps, and stopped with the back wheels maybe halfway up the ramps. No amount of pushing would finish the job. I pushed the car back down the ramps, and back up the incline and tried again. Several times. By this time I was exhausted. I could not get the car rolling fast enough to get it up the ramps. I gave it one last shot, and got the same result. Rear wheels on the ramp, no way to push or pull it all the way on. No winch, no strap. Nothing. Eventually, a light bulb came on: Nothing, but the jack in my Dooley! By placing the jack under the ramps and jacking them level, I was able to push the car onto the trailer. Lessons learned: (1) Be prepared. I don't think I was, as I never considered how to load the car in the event that it wouldn't start. (2) Bring a helper! Almost anyone would have been strong enough to give that little bit of extra thrust that I simply could not muster.

if you have ratchet straps heavy duty enough to tie the car down, then you have a winch that can be used to pull a car onto the trailer.. it's not fun and the makers of the straps would cringe, but it works..

That reminds me of loading a x1/9 out of a barn. Brakes were locked up, couldn't find the key and it was in the back of the barn. I backed the van and trailer in and use the trailer to slide the car between a camper and a tercel to the front so I could use two harbor freight come-alongs to get it up on the trailer. This is after using a pickax and a butane torch to melt the ice in the only doors track; and trying to back a trailer up a wet grassy/icy incline. Gearhead(Jeff) and standard125r(Andy) were in on that and it was a good time.

My first tow job was getting a non-running basket case Sunbeam Tiger that my dad bought sight-unseen in Mooresville, NC. We had just got our trailer so we volunteered to go get it. The Tiger barely steered, and had no battery. This was the successful version of "put the trailer at the bottom of the hill and the car at the top and see what happens". Of course then we stared at the thing for half an hour trying to figure out how to strap it down. We knew nothing! It's a miracle it stayed on for the whole ride home, then the ride to dad's a few weeks later.

Unloading it at dad's was another adventure. I got all the straps off and we tried to push it off, but something on the bottom of the car got hung up on the back edge of the trailer. I remembered the trick of backing the rear of the tow vehicle up onto ramps, so while my dad went inside for something I grabbed ramps and backed up the 4Runner. Imagine my surprise as I looked out the back window of the 4Runner to see the Tiger suddenly declare "I'M FREE" and happily scoot down the trailer ramps onto the side of the street. I had nightmares of it suddenly hooking left or right or whatever direction would throw it into traffic and certain death to everyone involved. Instead it just rolled down straight and came to a stop a few feet behind the trailer ramps just in time for my dad to come out and see me say "Just the way I planned it!"

alfadriver wrote: In reply to CGLockRacer: That explains some new tire marks... A better question- if you had to drag it off, how did you get it on?!?!? (no, I didn't actually notice...)

Lots of help from the paddock. And yes, there were probably a few rubber marks on the inner walls.

HiTempguy wrote:

Hey, I've seen that pic before...

chandlerGTi wrote: That reminds me of loading a x1/9 out of a barn. Brakes were locked up, couldn't find the key and it was in the back of the barn. I backed the van and trailer in and use the trailer to slide the car between a camper and a tercel to the front so I could use two harbor freight come-alongs to get it up on the trailer. This is after using a pickax and a butane torch to melt the ice in the only doors track; and trying to back a trailer up a wet grassy/icy incline. Gearhead(Jeff) and standard125r(Andy) were in on that and it was a good time.

I still feel bad about that whole thing....

We dragged my RX-7 around with a ratchet strap attached to the trailer until the brakes unsiezed. Then we slowly pulled it up onto the trailer with a 6' long comealong.

Mind you, it was just before dawn, -5f, and I'd left my gloves at home.

A long time ago, we pulled a 307 SBC short block out of Pseudosport's 1969 Camaro with a chain and a straight bar from a weight bench and two dudes dead lifted it standing on the fenders while a third guided the block over the nose onto the pavement. IIRC, I think SyntheticBlinkerFluid may have been in attendance as well.

If that wasn't redneck enough for ya, we then dragged the poor block around his gravel driveway on a chain attached to his truck's bumper, swinging and sparking all over the place. It was like a GIANT pair of Truck Nutz flailing around all over the place. We were in pain from laughing so hard.

Tim bought a Mercedes coupe (the one that's mouldering in the office, not the sedan we took on our family vacation), and since the rear brakes were frozen, he also pulled it off the trailer using a winch. Unfortunately, he tried to pull it onto a rolling floor jack since he wanted to be able to move it around the shop, and so he put me in the car to try to steer it onto the raised jack as he dragged it backwards. I was NOT happy when it fell the 3 feet off the jacks.

Margie