How to Check That Your Vehicle is Secured on Your Car Trailer
Whether you secured your vehicle on a car trailer yourself or had a U-Haul employee complete your trailer hook-up, it’s important to check that everything is in order at multiple points throughout your towing journey. A lot can happen on the road, and it’s not unheard of for vehicles in tow to become loose from their trailer, so think of this as a towing pit stop. The two primary parts of your towing hook-up that should be checked throughout your journey are the tire straps securing your vehicle on the car hauler and the safety chains (also commonly referred to as security chains) that serve as a backup to these tire straps. We’ll walk you through the process for checking both.
How to Secure Tire Straps
- Starting with one tire, place the tire strap over the tire so that the end of the strap is positioned near the ratchet, and wrap the webbing over the tire.
- Center the tire strap ratchet to the middle of the tire by sliding the ratchet sideways
- Loop the tire strap underneath the tube, then through the slot in the ratchet spool.
- Pull at least 6 inches of the tire strap through the ratchet spool, then use the ratchet handle to tighten the tire strap until the ratchet will not tighten any further. Ensure that the webbing of the tire strap remains wrapped over the tire during this process.
- Push the ratchet handle down and rearward to stow it.
- Repeat this process for the other tire.
How to Secure Safety Chains
- Loop the security chain over the subframe or other structural member of the vehicle in tow.
- Leave about 2 inches of slack on the security chain. If there’s too much slack, you can twist the chain to coil the chain links and shorten the length.
- Use the rubber retainer to secure the “S” hook to a loop in the chain.
- Repeat the process for the other security chain.