Securing the rear of your sled while trailering?

[xcsp]

I came across Superclamp's Rear Superclamp, but not cheap at $140.

http://www.superclamp.net/site/superclamp_rear.asp

I currently use a rubber strap from the rear bumper of the sleds to the trailer deck while transporting, but curious if others have a better way that doesn't compress the rear suspension?

 

[willey]

I just use a racket strap to the rail and then to one of the eyes or hooks on my Floe!

 

[polarisman_98]

I have never strapped down the rear of the sleds on my 2 place. Probably should but I can't stand the thought of compressing and holding the rear suspension for a 3+ hour drive. That thing looks like it would work without doing so, but yeah not cheap.

 

[psindust]

I have never strapped down the back of my sled also, maybe just strap in the back just not tight to keep it in place if ya go over a big bump. But that tie down could be cheap insurance. Just a opinion.

 

[tritonmark]

Tie downs

We always put the brake on the sled, use front tie down , and ratchet strap the rear of the sled down. Not to far but enough so it does'nt bounch on a bump or if you had to brake hard. This is more for a longer trip and safety. How about the guys with the enclosed trailors that don't do nothing but drive their sled into the trailor, now make a fast stop and your 8,000 sled is kissing the one in front of it. Believe me theres people out there that do this. Safety!!

 

[polarisrider1]

We always put the brake on the sled, use front tie down , and ratchet strap the rear of the sled down. Not to far but enough so it does'nt bounch on a bump or if you had to brake hard. This is more for a longer trip and safety. How about the guys with the enclosed trailors that don't do nothing but drive their sled into the trailor, now make a fast stop and your 8,000 sled is kissing the one in front of it. Believe me theres people out there that do this. Safety!!

I am one of them. Run it in, run it out. Never a problem. Don’t set brake, you will forget and smoke $100 belt before you figure it out. In clam shell, clamp front. Open trailer front and rear tie down. Never a problem in 20 years with 4 place enclosed without tieing down. May not be politically correct, but works for me.

 

[indy_500]

I once trailered home my 99 indy 500 right after buying it with no tiedown and i forgot the pin for the trailer tilt (well, my dad did ) made it home 15 miles on hwy 41 no problem LOL! Get home, "WHERE'S THE TIEDOWN!?!?!" well, it was in the back of the truck The trailer tilt pin was still on the truck bumper somehow too. Guess I was so excited i got a new sled, forgot to tie er down!

 

[mn_polaris_guy]

For short trips, I do nothing, but for longer trips, I use the ratchet strap and compress just slightly.

 

[racerx]

with the two place for short trips I just use the bar but on longer trips I've used a strap from the bumper to the trailer eye on my floe. Another way I did it without having to compress the suspension is use 3 short tiedowns, first I snug one up between the sled bumpers and then one on each side of the sled where there was a hole in the rail and that was on Triton that had no place to anchor straight back from the bumper, at least no place that I liked.

As for my enclosed Triton I tied them down since it was basically an open trailer with an enclosure added but with my 27ft inline I do not tiedown as they only supplied a few anchor points which at one point I did run a keeper strap to prevent any forward movement but when I saw how the anchors were attached I knew any "quick" brake stop would just rip them out, so why bother. So far in 8 years if they move they have moved they have moved very little.

 

[live2ride]

I dont tie down the back of the sleds while in town, but on long trips I have used ratchet straps and compressed the rear to keep them tight. You got me thinking though. I was wondering if going through the track over the suspension or even through the holes on the track and anchoring to the rear of the trailer would keep the suspension from compressing?

 

[salmonbum]

I never tie down the back in my 2 place. I have a one ski superclamp setup and thats it. NEVER put the brake on cause it will damage the rotor. When we larger enclosed we pull em in and go.....nothing. Never had a probelm.

 

[favoritos]

I am one of them. Run it in, run it out. Never a problem. Don’t set brake, you will forget and smoke $100 belt before you figure it out. In clam shell, clamp front. Open trailer front and rear tie down. Never a problem in 20 years with 4 place enclosed without tieing down. May not be politically correct, but works for me.

Same here. No tie downs in the last 70K miles with an enclosed trailer. The sleds can move, but it is minimal. The worst we have seen is a ski tip touching the running board of the sled in front. They only move when the trailer floor gets covered in ice. Bare floors and they stay put.

 

[xcsp]

Thanks for the replies. For short trips, usually don't secure the rear of the sled, but longer trips and when hauling 2 sleds I do-this is in a Triton enclosed.

I prefer to not leave them unsecured since a few years back a friend's sled came right off the trailer when they attempted to avoid a deer while trailering-sled was on an open trailer only secured by a ski hold-down bar.

I struck a deer also with my truck with the trailer on & two sleds, hit the brakes hard and kept it straight-and sleds only came forward a few inches.

 

[fjr4me]

In my 4-place enclosed I have the track mats and ski glides. The glides are so slippery that the sleds move back and forth easily when stopping and starting during travel.

We just use quick straps on the front and back to keep them in place. On the back we just snug it up on the bumper without compressing much at all and have never had a problem in many years of use. we also use the parking brakes and have never had problem with brake rotors or smoking a belt.

In my buddies trailer with no glides we used to just pull them in and put on the parking brake. The carbides would dig into his trailer floor and everything stayed put. We now use front and back straps on in his trailer also.

The reason for this change in our strategy occurred when another group we were spending the weekend with a few years back got into a quick stop situation on the highway and their trailer started to jack knife. The driver countersteered and the trailer went into a violent back and forth motion that sent them into a steep ditch and almost rolled the rig. Then they got the rig out of the ditch later that night they opened up the trailer door to mayhem.

The (4) sleds were not tied down and banged into and rolled onto one another during the mayhem. Broken windshields, scratched up plastic & aluminum, broken tailight lenses on two sleds. One sled has on its side and leaked gas everywhere. What a mess!! Needless to say those guys now strap the front and back of the sleds also.

This will not likely happen to most folks, but it can happen.

 

[hednup2]

not tied down

Same here never tie down the rear have a triton enclosed 2 - place trailer and have not noticed any movement from either one, I also lock the brakes and have a track mat under the picks to save bed of trailer.

 

[G]

Long trip - short trip - 35 years - never tied down rear of sleds on 2 place open trailer. No problems.

 

[dmsrx]

If you are more comfortable tying down the rear I'd do it. You're not going to hurt anything by compressing the suspension. The shocks don't care and the springs won't take a set in that position. For you guys who have uncrated a new Yamaha you all know how much the rear suspension is compressed when it is shipped. Almost to full compression, and they are like this for long priods of time.

 

[polarisrider1]

In my 4-place enclosed I have the track mats and ski glides. The glides are so slippery that the sleds move back and forth easily when stopping and starting during travel.

We just use quick straps on the front and back to keep them in place. On the back we just snug it up on the bumper without compressing much at all and have never had a problem in many years of use. we also use the parking brakes and have never had problem with brake rotors or smoking a belt.

In my buddies trailer with no glides we used to just pull them in and put on the parking brake. The carbides would dig into his trailer floor and everything stayed put. We now use front and back straps on in his trailer also.

The reason for this change in our strategy occurred when another group we were spending the weekend with a few years back got into a quick stop situation on the highway and their trailer started to jack knife. The driver countersteered and the trailer went into a violent back and forth motion that sent them into a steep ditch and almost rolled the rig. Then they got the rig out of the ditch later that night they opened up the trailer door to mayhem.

The (4) sleds were not tied down and banged into and rolled onto one another during the mayhem. Broken windshields, scratched up plastic & aluminum, broken tailight lenses on two sleds. One sled has on its side and leaked gas everywhere. What a mess!! Needless to say those guys now strap the front and back of the sleds also.

This will not likely happen to most folks, but it can happen.

That reminds me, to put insurance on my sled for this winter.

 

[electraglide1]

Salmonbum, what rotor damage can happen by setting the brake on a sled? I've done that a few times and want to make sure I'm not creating a problem.

 

[goneaway]

i run a ratchet strap through the same spot the superclamp attache to slots that are in the trailer. dont have to tighten to tight just snug enough to hold the hooks