The topic of trailering and trailers was hijacking another thread so I decided to create a new thread to help show how to safely transport your Fiero. By no means is the only way to do it, this is the best way I have found and I invite other to show your rigs and the tips and tricks you use. Here is my 2 cents



Select a tow vehicle that will do the job. I use a 3/4 ton van. I have discovered that the E250 is far superior than any 1/2 ton. Will a 1/2 ton work? If the tongue is set correctly?Yes.

Second Trailer brakes...Trailer brakes...Trailer brakes. I do not recommend hauling any load of any size without brakes. Be it electric or the U-Haul type pressure type.

Tongue weight is a big factor. I have wheel chocks on my trailer that when the front wheels hit the trailer is perfectly balanced. I can pick up the tongue of my trailer with the Indy on it.

Here is a picture of my Indy on the trailer. It is a 14 bed with a 2 foot dove tail. I had to make my ramps 6 foot long as not to scrape the nose of the Indy.



As for strapping the car down, I recommend that you attach to the frame, not the wheels or A-arms. The reason for this is that the suspension of the car does not work against you. The trailer and the car basically become one with out any swaying or rocking.

To attach to the frame I use the GM R style hooks. Most every GM has slots near the wheel wells on the frame that these hooks slid into.



http://www.truckntow.com/pc...1-147164-r-hook.aspx

I use the standard 2 inch ratchet straps. They make them smaller but for the cost savings it is not worth it. I cross the straps left to right and right to left and it seems to be more stable. You should be careful where the strap hits on the frame, it will rub and cut your strap. I went to an auto parts store and got 4 of those seatbelt shoulder strap cushions that has the wool inside and put them around my strap if I think it may hit the frame.

Well let me know what the rest of you have. If I get time here in the near future I'll toss up some pictures.


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Factory Stock
The way God intended it to be.

[This message has been edited by ohioindy (edited 12-08-2008).]

great tips & very helpful!

now to get a Fiero worth trailering... !

thats great to know. now all i need is a vehicle to pull the trailer that gets decent gas mileage (maybe 20 mpg?) ... any suggestions? (oh, and i'm a little girl - 5 feet tall - so i'd need something that wouldn't require a step ladder to get into ...

Excellent points on securing the car on the trailer Mike, I'd also add using ratchet straps with snap closer hooks (as opposed to just an open hook or "claw") , the reason is that you want the hook to lock into your ty-down pionts on the trailer. If the trailer should bounce or you have to swerve suddenly the car can shift and if the hook dislodges, you've lost your car (I learned the hard way!). Fred Bartemeyer told me about these straps, you can find them on eBay, or through towing suppliers, there not cheap, but WELL worth the cost.

-Mike

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84' Indy Pace Car (car #2000)
86' G.T.
87' Coupe
Member: NIFE

Here are a few more pictures.
The R hook my not fit the straps so I got a chain cleat for each.






Here is the slots in the frame and the R hooks
Note: I don't have any Fieros here so this is my Silverado but you get the idea





Here is the seatbelt cushion to protect the strap



Mike put up a link for those straps if you would please.

Excellent thread.
One thing I would point out that I've run into transporting Fieros is that many times those frame slots are rusted to the point that I can't and won't use them. Especially on cars north of the Ohio River. I've hauled quite a few and almost always end up having to find another point to secure them to the trailer. Obviously, if you're hauling your own Fiero, you should know the condition of the car. I never know until I get to the pick up point. Therefore, I carry about a dozen different types of tie down straps.

Ron

Mike, you and I talked about this...I think you would get better handling with more tongue weight, I know I do.

I have a half ton Avalanche and 16 foot open trailer and it pulls the trailer like it's not there. I think half ton is more than enough for a bumper pull trailer unless you do a lot of towing in the mountians.
I get about 15 mpgs fully loaded, 8,000 pound capacity.

We tow our Fieros and horse with our 1999 Mercedes ML430. My wife does all the strapping....mainly because I have a hard time getting under the trailer since my back surgery. She also does all the towing...mainly because I have a slight road rage condition and almost ramming an idiot driver while towing seems to be a no no....even in NJ.
If I can find a pic, I'll post up our ride.
I'm actually making a custom set of rear coil overs for the Benz to give a little less sag in the rear when we tow anything heavy.
Dave

Hey Mike,
Here's an auction number currently on eBay for the type of straps I have (sorry, at work tonight, couldn't post pic's.)

310070990747

The photos in the add show the hooks very well.

-Mike

quote Originally posted by jscott1: Mike, you and I talked about this...I think you would get better handling with more tongue weight, I know I do. I have a half ton Avalanche and 16 foot open trailer and it pulls the trailer like it's not there. I think half ton is more than enough for a bumper pull trailer unless you do a lot of towing in the mountians. I get about 15 mpgs fully loaded, 8,000 pound capacity.

Generally speaking I quit pulling bumper pull trailers quite a while back. I'm not a real fan but, I do understand that not everyone needs or wants a gooseneck trailer. Bumper pull trailers need to be more heavily loaded to the front or the tongue. As a general statement, your vehicle hitch has a weight rating, I always recommend to be within 25 lbs of that rating, not to exceed it but to approach the limit within 25 lbs or so. You only have to pull a tail heavy trailer once to know why. When it starts to wag and tries to pull the tow vehicle from side to side, it creates a very unsafe condition you will not want to duplicate.

Some folks use equalizer hitches, I've used one a few times, they seem to do a good job when you need to share the trailer tongue weight with the front wheels/axles of your tow vehicle. A gooseneck already does the same function as the equalizer hitch. I would also like to stress that there is no subsitute for properly adjusted and working trailer brakes. I prefer electric but that's just me. I don't like surge brakes, by the time they kick in, I'm already braking with my vehicle, I want my trailer brakes to work first. Drive in slick conditions and you'll learn why. One only has to experience a jack knifed situation to see my point on trailer brakes kicking in first.

Trailering requires the tow vehicle driver to be much more aware than the typical driver, the vehicle as a whole is bigger, both in weight, length and probably width. That means additional braking distances, wider turning radius and lane changes/passing requiring better depth perception.

Vehicles in that right hand mirror are always closer than they appear to be.

Trailer height and low points, know how much of a "dip" your vehicle can cross. I've seen jacks ripped off of trailer tongues because the driver decided he could get across that dip or curb or make that corner and curb it. It's not pretty when that happens. You will also drag the tail of your trailer if you're not careful.

Lights, lights, lights. Make sure all your lighting is working. If you're involved in any sort of incident, the first things the law checks is your lights, then brakes.

Backing: Practice, practice, practice and then practice some more. More than once I've had to help folks back their trailer out of some situation they got themselves into and couldn't get out of.

Know your tow vehicle's and your own limits. Once you're loaded and sure your load is tied down, drive a couple of miles and recheck your load straps, many times, you'll find out they've loosened up. They stretch. Also, never leave any loose items on your trailer, they most likely won't be there when you get to your destination and you might end up paying for the damage to someone else's vehicle from the item that fell off of your trailer.

I've probably left a bunch of stuff off this list but, I'm sure others will catch the things I've missed. Happy trailering/Fieroing.

Ron

Edited: This whole discussion assumes you're pulling your trailer loaded with a tow vehicle compatible with the task. I see folks on the road all the time pulling huge loads with vehicles that should never have had a trailer hitch put on them. I try to steer clear of them. I saw loaded trailers at this most recent event that were very close if not exceeding the limits of their tow vehicles. Everyone thinks they know better, I've been guilty also. Just be careful out there.

Ron

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 08-01-2008).]

People who trailer their Fieros and do not drive them are just plain silly.

quote Originally posted by blackrams: You only have to pull a tail heavy trailer once to know why. When it starts to wag and tries to pull the tow vehicle from side to side, it creates a very unsafe condition you will not want to duplicate. ............................ Everyone thinks they know better, I've been guilty also. Just be careful out there. Ron

Man, if I had the time and inclination, I would tell you all about the time a boss ordered me to pull a Detroit Diesel 6-71 powered triplex mud pump on a skid, complete with a full 300 gal diesel tank up thru North Lousiana from Lafayette La, with my company service vehicle. Here's the short version.

I protested strongly, got threatened with being fired (had 4 hungry kids at home at the time) so I latched on to it, went down the service road and back, told them it wouId pull it, but if it rained I couldn't stop it. It didn't go well. Hills and rain. Going down a hill, that trailer would swing me every way possible. All I could do was try to outrun the trailer going downhill, and say a prayer on the way back up the next one. A 16ft bumper pull trailer-no trailer brakes. About 100 miles later, & 6 miles from my destination, on a very long downhill grade, rain so hard the wipers couldn't keep up, off thru the ditch, fence and woods we went. When I got stopped, the trailer and pump skid were sitting outside my passenger window--still attached to the bumper hitch. Pine needles and cones all inside the vehicle, driver door bashed in, passenger door blocked by the trailer, I threw my clothes bag out the driver's window and crawled unceremoniously out behind it. Walked out to the hiway, cursing my boss, the oilfield, and the whole of Louisiana, crossed the road in a cold pouring rain , and stuck out my thumb to go home.

Oh--the 'service vehicle? A POS El Comino.
That was the last time I let a boss push me into doing something unsafe.

[This message has been edited by maryjane (edited 08-01-2008).]

Seriously, trailer safety is important. The straps with safety clasps on the hooks are worth their weight in gold. I have many friends who have very expensive cars that have recommended the link below for high quality tiedowns. I have bought several different styles from this company and will vouch for the quality. They are a little pricier than most, but worth it to me.

http://www.macscustomtiedowns.com/

Fred

quote Originally posted by blackrams: Trailering requires the tow vehicle driver to be much more aware than the typical driver, the vehicle as a whole is bigger, both in weight, length and probably width. That means additional braking distances, wider turning radius and lane changes/passing requiring better depth perception. ...Ron

This is true. One reason I drove to the 25th is that even though the Fiero is small, I can relax a bit compared to towing where I'm contantly scanning my mirrors for people hiding in my blind spots, checking my lane clearance and when getting gas contantly trying not to get boxed in where I can't get out.

This is my rig

quote Originally posted by jscott1: This is my rig

You like that long tongue on that setup?

quote Originally posted by RAREW66: The most important feature to me:

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Factory Stock…
The way God intended it to be.

quote Originally posted by RAREW66: People who trailer their Fieros and do not drive them are just plain silly.

Sorry buddy. Not street legal.

quote Originally posted by RAREW66: People who trailer their Fieros and do not drive them are just plain silly.

quote Originally posted by RAREW66: People who trailer their Fieros and do not drive them are just plain silly.

Hey Fred,

I heard ya the first time.

Ron

Excellent point!

quote Originally posted by R Runner: Sorry buddy. Not street legal.

quote Originally posted by maryjane: You like that long tongue on that setup?

I never knew it was considered long? In any case I don't have any problem with it, except as I noted if the car is too far back I will get a "tail wagging the dog" effect and you never want to have that. On my trailer the nose should be almost touching that box.

Fred, how do you keep you gas from turning into varnish? I KNOW that picture was not actually taken at 10 mph!

quote Originally posted by RAREW66: People who trailer their Fieros and do not drive them are just plain silly.

Did you hear about the guy out in Iowa who only has 193 miles on his Indy? He must trailer it :-)

quote Originally posted by Fierochic88: Did you hear about the guy out in Iowa who only has 193 miles on his Indy? He must trailer it :-)

Yaaaah,, he's Trailer Trash hahahahaha I kid I kid. But I did see him drive that 198 mile babe.. Rick B

I did leave out one very important thing in my list of trailer essentials. Does your insurance cover the trailer and the load it's carrrying? That can be a very important issue in times of "need". Few folks read the fine print of their policies. I make it a point to read mine.

Ron

I would prob prefer a trailer, but I own my own dolly. It works great for pulling any mid or small size car. Theres almost no additional weight, NO tounge weight at all. You can use even a less powerful tow vehicle. I towed my Fieros across country just fine behind a 3800 Lumina APV mini van. The Magnum with the Hemi has no trouble pulling anything on it and the 13.5 brakes on it stop anything im pulling just fine. I even towed a full size Blazer on it with no problem at all.

quote Originally posted by blackrams: I did leave out one very important thing in my list of trailer essentials. Does your insurance cover the trailer and the load it's carrrying? That can be a very important issue in times of "need". Few folks read the fine print of their policies. I make it a point to read mine. Ron

I'm not sure if my auto insurance covers the trailer, but my insurance on my Fiero covers the vehicle if it is towed. I have it appraised and insured for $45,000, but I have very limited mileage allowances, so it gets towed a lot...and driven only here and there. My auto insurance covers the Mercedes for full coverage and the trailer I got a great deal on, so if I lose that, then I'll just try and find another great deal.
When towing the Fiero, the Benz gets about 15mpg and it has a V8, so I can't complain. I'm thinking of removing the rear catalytic converters or all of them and installing O2 simulators to try and pick up some gas mileage.
Dave

I have always thought that a trailer loaded with a 60/40 front/rear weight distribution is more stable than one loaded 50/50. With slightly more weight in the front it will tend to track straighter.

Loaded aft, it could fishtail in unfavorable wind/vehicle speed conditions. I have seen this happen while following a camper. It resulted in a tire shredding, then failing at 65 mph.

Great topic.
At the 25th, DL10 and a couple of other folks were asking about trailers, obviously looking into getting one.

My trailer was bought from Chester & Elvira, owners of The Dirty Rat.



Give credit where it's due, they speced out a nice trailer.

It's an electric/hydraulic tilt bed:



The degree of tilt is about 6Deg. Easily mounted, put in park, and dismounted while elevated. It's best to have a second person to lower the deck after you have driven on, though.



Hydraulics & battery are stowed under the deck, away from sticky fingers
The battery is charged by the tow vehicle via a 6 prong connector plug.
It also serves to actuate the electric brakes, via a deadman switch, incase you loose the trailer while towing. Brakes come on, maybe preventing a "run on" accident.



A nice feature is the removable fenders. Just include a wrench in your tool box. Very handy as opposed to climbing out windows.


The bearings and spindles are EZ-Lube (I think that's the brand name). The spindles are drilled so that you remove a cap to expose a zerk fitting. Pump in grease and it travells thru the spindle to the inner bearing, then back out to the outer bearing, and old grease is flushed out wards, around the grease gun.



The spare tire is mounted to a side mast, and secured from those sticky fingers, again.



The deck and fender tops are painted with a no skid paint. Wet trailer decks are trecherous.
The one thing I don't like is the very low hung license plate mount. That has to be changed.
But, the brake/running lights are "armored" and the aft running lights are recessed into the deck.
Also, four recessed D rings are welded into the corners.



There are two positions for the wheel stops. One for stock Fiero, and one for those with low front air dams.
Third hole is for an eyebolt, incase you find yourself hauling furniture or honey-do items about.



There is a toolbox. I've seen better, but every trailer should have one.
The electric winch is nice. You can freewheel it out, electrically load and unload with it.



This shows the travel pocket for the tilt controller, and the extra wire for the winch, needed when the bed is raised up.
Also a saftey pin for locking the deck down.
Also the jackstand in towing position.
Some folks dismount the jackstand when towing, just don't become seperated from it.



This is the tilt controller. Plenty of extension cord included.



This shows the hitch, 6 prong connector, electric brakes deadman switch & lanyard, and the saftey tow chains.



This is the brake controller that Chester recomended. It's great. Progressive application, emergency thumb controller, enroute adjustable, and self trouble shooting.



These locks let you drop the trailer and at least leave it locked.
And there's also a lock for the hitch bar on your tow vehicle.



And these are the straps I use. They have a sliding D ring that lets you create a loop around some part of the vehicle, and a protective sleeve.
And they have the snap lock hooks which many states are requiring, nowdays.



Hope this helps.

David Breeze

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Pantera Rebody Kits

[This message has been edited by opm2000 (edited 08-02-2008).]

My very first fiero became a trailer queen once it lost its engine and a few other parts to become this...




It had a rather long tounge to help in high speed stability (the further back the wheels are, the better it will pull) and allowed it to be loaded with less than 20 lbs of tounge weight at the fiero to keep it from motor boating. The blue car had plenty of power to pull (SBC) and the 12" vette rotors helped get everything stopped. I need to build another one...

I've copy & pasted previous postings. Excuse the jumping to different subjects.

This was my 1st trailer, 16 foot, w/ steel deck, I did not like, it hardly fit in the garage, and the painted on pin stripe was very sloppy, looked like a drunken sailor painted it, so reordered another one.



2nd one was ordered with steel runners, it came with wood instead. I actually liked the wood better after I got it.
The trailer bed was 14' x 7' and has dove tail rear, over all length, hitch to tail is 17' 9". Has 15" tires. Removable driver side fender. It weighed 1400 lbs




The dove tail is a must, as it brings the ramps lower, less of an angle. The open middle has it's advantages, it's easy to craw under the trailer to hook up the tie downs. Plus, if you ever need to work on the fuel filter or change the oil, no need to jack the car up !. You can reach those under the trailer.

The trailer had brakes, and a "break away battery". (most states require them) In case of the trailer leaving the tow vehicle, it puts the on brakes so when you go back, you can hopefully find the trailer where you last saw it ! (that's how they told me)

My 3rd & current trailer,




I'm also using an equalizer hitch, and Dual cam anti sway system. I'll post a few photo's. The Dual Cam setup makes the towing so nice. Used to have that "white knuckle" grip on the wheel when trucks would blow by, or with cross winds. Now, there is no sway and the setup makes it feel so solid. I keep looking in the mirror to make sure it's still there !!

(following copied from Open Roads fourm, Posted: 11/19/2003)

Okay, just got home from the dealer. Were having some 10 - 15 mph winds & rain, on the way down, I barely went over 55, the trailer was swaying a bit when the wind hit it.

After installing the Dual cam anti sway system, on the way back home, I kept trying to put into words how the truck felt. It did feel different.

As I was watching another trailer in front of me, that was swaying , I then realized the words I was looking for. HOLY COW !!!! What a difference.

My vehicle wasn’t swaying at all. The wind would blow across the highway and the guy in front would go all over the place.

If felt as if was driving a one piece unit instead of a truck towing a trailer. I was able to relax and not have that white knuckle grip on the wheel. The ride was as if I was only driving the Suburban !

It really surprized me how sturdy/secure it felt. Boy, what I've been missing !!! I'm glad the wind was blowing across the road, it really was a good test. A few trucks passed me, I could still feel there wind push a little, but it no longer felt as if I was out of control.

The dealer showed me a way to hook up the W/D bars that was diferent than the way I usually do. He said to back up to the trailer with the tongue right above the ball, then hook the spring bars up, tighten with the chains, this would push the hitch/ball up into the tongue. Then lower the jack.

He called it preloading the weight.

I used to just back up, plop it down on the ball, then tighten the spring bars with the chain. He said this way would not do as good a job.

Here’s the before & after shots. We swapped the spring bars.
(the final adustments were not done as this photo was taken)



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I installed a dual backup camera system for my Suburban and the trailer.

Monitor that has a factory look, fits in an existing cubby that GM put in many trucks.

I've found it hard to back up to the trailer when hooking up & also while on the road, keeping track of the idiots that like to tailgate a trailer. It also will help me in backing the trailer up into the garage.

The kit has a video switcher module to select either camera. When vehicle is placed into reverse, the screen and selected camera will turn on. Has a separate override switch that turns the system on while driving.


(inside trailer, camera location)

(Truck camera location)

Nice set up.

What brand camera system are you using, I've been looking at them the past few months. I think I prefer a hard wired camera system but having no experience in this, I have to ask folks their opinions. I'd like to mount a camera where the third brake light is located and another on the gooseneck of my trailer. Any suggestions?

Ron

quote Originally posted by blackrams: Nice set up. What brand camera system are you using, I've been looking at them the past few months. I think I prefer a hard wired camera system but having no experience in this, I have to ask folks their opinions. I'd like to mount a camera where the third brake light is located and another on the gooseneck of my trailer. Any suggestions? Ron

Mine is called "CubbyCam"

My install post: //www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum6/HTML/056857.html

Web Site: http://www.cubbycam.com/sto...in_page=products_all

If you guys don't mind, how much did your various set-ups run you?

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My Build Thread

quote Originally posted by Unsafe At Any Speed: If you guys don't mind, how much did your various set-ups run you?

Not having a clue as to what kind of trailer you're interested in, or who you are actually asking, my suggestion would be to contact the folks that own the trailers that you like via PM or email and ask them. Many folks are reluctant to discuss things like that on an open forum, some are not. Do you already have the tow vehicle? A place to keep this equipment when not in use? Assorted tie downs, hooks/rings? Do you want a tilt bed and or winch? I'd love to have tilt bed but, that's way over my head with a trailer the size of mine, dollar wise. Gets expensive fast.

I fully recognize that most folks don't want or need a goosneck trailer the size of mine. Just having a trailer like mine ensures you're going to have a 3/4 ton truck at a minimum and depending on the loads you're wanting to haul, may require a 1 ton or greater. Most folks don't want to invest those kind of dollars in equipment that is only going to sit there 99% of the time.

Ron

I had a trailer for a 20 foot boat that I converted to a car hauler. I have a Dodge van with 3800 engine. I've hauled two Fieros 60 miles with no problems. It has surge brakes. I'm still working on the tie downs and still run rope through the wheels in addition to the straps. The car coming loose is my largest concern and so I'm doubling up on th tie downs. I'm getting 17 mpg which is about 4 mpg less than I get without towing. I drive in the truck lane at 60 mph in order to stay out of the way of the trucks. You can't drive 55 mph without impeding traffic here. (Northern Calif.)

[This message has been edited by dratts (edited 08-03-2008).]

quote Originally posted by blackrams: I did leave out one very important thing in my list of trailer essentials. Does your insurance cover the trailer and the load it's carrrying? That can be a very important issue in times of "need". Few folks read the fine print of their policies. I make it a point to read mine. Ron

I asked and as long as the trailer is hooked to the tow vehicle it's covered by the tow vehicle insurance. Now if it's parked at the hotel and someone makes off with it...then it's covered under my homeowner's policy.

I don't like tow dollys. First time I used one towing a black Fiero at night I got run over by an 18 wheeler. He said he didn't see the dolly or the Fiero sitting on it. After that I decided 4 wheel trailer is the only way to go.

Well I like my dolly. I don't need all that extra weight.

quote Originally posted by jscott1: I don't like tow dollys. First time I used one towing a black Fiero at night I got run over by an 18 wheeler. He said he didn't see the dolly or the Fiero sitting on it. After that I decided 4 wheel trailer is the only way to go.

I also prefer using a trailer over a dolly but have both. I suspect that your truck driver was not practing good driving techniques like, Looking at what's on the road infront of him. This assumes you had lights on your dolly.

Ron

Hauled a Pontiac Ventura on a dolly--Lafayette La to San Angelo Tex about 10 years ago. No problems, but I wouldn't want to do it again. Had hades backing it up behind the big U-haul truck I was pulling it with.