This certainly is not the...
This certainly is not the best way to load a truck onto a trailer. Although we’re using a heavy-duty tow strap here, in the past we&8217ve done it with a simple rope. One end of the strap was hooked to the hitch of the pulling truck, and the other end was hooked to the one being loaded. The trailer was disconnected, and the towing truck slowly driven forward as someone steered the loaded truck up. This method required a lot of room and a straight shot at the truck.
Since it seemed that we were...
Since it seemed that we were towing more and more nonrunning vehicles, we installed a Superwinch S4500 winch from Summit Racing Equipment (PN SPW-04532). We started by turning over the winch and making a template of the base to show us where to drill the mounting holes in the floor of the trailer.
Once we found the centerline...
Once we found the centerline of the trailer, we positioned the winch&8217s cable at that point and drilled the 1/2-inch holes using our template as a guide.
The winch was then secured...
The winch was then secured to the trailer floor. It’s small enough that it’s not in the way and doesn&8217t compromise any of the load area.
We ordered a quick-connect...
We ordered a quick-connect wiring harness for the winch, which required that we remove the winch’s side cover and replace the standard positive and negative wires with the ones for the quick-connect harness. The winch&8217s solenoid and the quick-connect harness were clearly marked Positive and Negative to prevent someone mistakenly switching the wires.
The truck&8217s half of the...
The truck&8217s half of the quick-connect wiring was installed. The negative wire was grounded to the frame. The positive wire was run up to the engine compartment and along the way secured with zip-ties to the emergency brake cable and wiring loom.
The 1999 Silverado we&8217re...
The 1999 Silverado we&8217re using as a tow vehicle had a positive battery junction box located behind and below the alternator. We connected the cable to one end of the supplied relay block and the other end of the block to the junction box terminal.
Connecting the winch to the...
Connecting the winch to the power supply is now as simple as plugging these two connectors together. They&8217re designed to go together only the correct way.
Now this is more like it....
Now this is more like it. By using the remote switch, the winch is so easy to operate a child could do it (with supervision, of course). We’ve loaded a 1-ton and pulled it up a pretty steep incline. Although the winch was pulling slowly, it worked flawlessly in what was an extreme test of its performance. The winch also makes unloading much easier than the push-it-off-and-hope-it-stops method we&8217ve used in the past.
We could now get the vehicle...
We could now get the vehicle safely up on the trailer, and we wanted to guarantee we could keep it there. We ordered a set of four combination ratchet tie-downs (27000 series) from Trust Me Tie-Downs. In the past, we’ve used ratchet tie-downs, which had hooks at both ends, and separate axle straps that went around the axletubes or control arms when there wasn&8217t a good place to snap on the hook. The Trust Me Tie-Down ratchet tie-downs can be used with a hook at either end or as an axle strap. This was much easier than our trying to locate our separate axle straps, which have a tendency to get misplaced. If you have a painted and detailed chassis like this one, the straps are the only way to go.
Once the vehicle was tied...
Once the vehicle was tied down at all four corners, we locked the ratchet by using a thumb to pull a lever and clicked the ratchet down as shown.
To ensure the tie-downs and...
To ensure the tie-downs and winch accessories are always available when we need them, we installed a Craftsman five-drawer box on the tongue of the trailer. Although the box was originally designed to fit behind the wheelwells in the bed of a truck, it worked well for this application. As a bonus, it can be locked for protection against theft or loss.
We turned our attention to...
We turned our attention to the truck. Our trailer was equipped with electric brakes, and though we had towed without their being hooked up, we wanted to stop doing that. We ordered a Hoppy BrakeMate from Summit (PN HMC-47265) from Summit Racing. The Brakemate is an electronic brake control that allows control of the soft- and hard-braking activation of the trailer brakes.
The BrakeMate&8217s wiring...
The BrakeMate’s wiring instructions were pretty straightforward and explained how to splice into most late-model truck harnesses. Our truck came with a trailer harness in the glovebox, which we mated with the BrakeMate&8217s wiring, which allowed us to plug neatly into the fuse box.
On the 1999 Silverado, the...
On the 1999 Silverado, the factory power lead and the blue trailer brake wire were located under the convenient electrical center on the driver-side wheelwell, under the hood. We located these wires and wired the power lead to the positive battery terminal. We wired the trailer wire back to the six-pin connector at the rear bumper. The instructions suggest wiring the ground wire from the BrakeMate directly to the negative terminal of the battery, which we did by pulling a wire through an existing rubber grommet in the firewall.
We attached the BrakeMate...
We attached the BrakeMate under the dash using the supplied bracket. It should be mounted in a location where it wont get bumped, but it should be placed where it can be easily adjusted to compensate for various loads. The Brakemate can be mounted at an angle, but the internal sensor has to be adjusted. To make the adjustment, point the lever on the left side of the unit directly down to the floor. The levers location will control how aggressively the trailer brakes come on.
We hooked up the trailer and...
We hooked up the trailer and took the truck and trailer out for a testdrive so we could adjust the settings. Always make sure to use at least two safety chains when you&8217re towing: Attach one to the hitch and the other to the frame of the truck (just in case the hitch comes off). What a difference it made to have the brakes working. To be able to adjust them easily made it all the better.
The only problem we&8217re...
The only problem we’re having now is that it&8217s so easy to load and tow non-running hulks, we find ourselves acquiring more projects or just goofing off.
An essential asset of any truck is its ability to haul and tow a respectable payload. In a related story ("Towing Basics"), we explained many of the terms commonly used in a discussion of a truck's towing capacity, and we explained how to pick the proper hitch to meet the towing demands. This month, we're going a step further to show you how to properly set up a trailer to load and safely transport a vehicle. We're also wiring an electric trailer brake system on our '99 Silverado.
We've always preached that sport trucks should be driven and enjoyed--for us, the term "trailer queen" has a negative connotation. But we realize there will always be show-only vehicles that must be transported either in an enclosed car hauler or on an open trailer. We have a rolling chassis for one of our project trucks that once in a while needs to be transported to places. Because it has a detailed suspension, our throwing some chains around it simply won't do.
After fighting loading and unloading it and other vehicles with a rope or a tow strap, we decided that some improvements had to be made before someone got hurt. We made a few calls and ordered some parts, and we now have confidence in both the truck's and the trailer's abilities.