Loading a non-running car

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Sea_Smoke_2318@reddit

Had a guy come to pick up a full size SUV I was selling that didn't have a motor. I asked him what his plan was to load it on his trailer, he didn't have an answer.

Luckily my neighbor had 2 come-a-longs. Took some time but we got it loaded up.

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Nervous-Outcome2976@reddit

Even the 4" ratchet strap you will be tying it down with can get it up the trailer. It will just take time and a lot of resets, but it will work.

$ vs. time and ingenuity.

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Electrical-Bacon-81@reddit

I did this with 2 straps like a rowing machine to load a 1969 Chevy truck, I was sweating when that was finally done.

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Front_Masterpiece@reddit

I have done the strap method before. Not quick or easy but will get a car even with 4 flats on the trailer.

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A non running but rolling car is easy, lots of good advice here. The fun ones are where it’s on three flat tires with locked up brakes, the wheels are turned to one side and you don’t have a key to unlock the steering.

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sam280x@reddit

Winch is awesome, but barring that a friend or two and a running start, a HF come along, a chain hoist, any of those should work well.

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cl_solutions@reddit

Heavy duty ratchet straps. Have loaded a few with retired tie down straps and work well, just time consuming.

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Chainsawsas70@reddit

Get a Couple https://www.harborfreight.com/4000-lb-2-ton-capacity-10-ft-cable-winch-puller-69855.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=21901739183&campaignid=21901739183&utm_content=173216761191&adsetid=173216761191&product=69855&store=3294&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21901739183&gclid=CjwKCAjwiNXFBhBKEiwAPSaPCS_uedh7qkBfCteIhPDxvAIgFj41CA_JF21mxBxFrb9YpnNk-TztJBoC63gQAvD_BwE You and a buddy and a couple of resets and you'll be done in 15-20 minutes Or less without killing yourself in the process.

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AdorablyDischarged@reddit

So you are buying a project car and do not know how to load it on a trailer? I bet a paycheck that your project car is gonna be in worse shape in 10 years than it is now...

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No_Light_8487@reddit (OP)

Thanks for the encouragement! Really looking forward to more of your wisdom in the future as I take on a challenging new hobby around something I’m interested in.

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disappointed_sausage@reddit

I sold a car to a guy who showed up with a truck and trailer, no winch. He brought a friend in another truck and a really goddamn long chain. Pushed the non runner up to the ramps, hooked a chain to it, dragged the chain all the way up the trailer, onto the ground kinda behind the truck the trailer was hooked to. They then backed up the second truck, hooked the chain to that and dragged the car onto the trailer. The weight of the first truck kept the trailer from moving too much.

Did watching that fill me with feelings of confidence? No. Did it work? Yup.

It's not a good idea, it's just an idea. Good luck with whatever you land on.

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justinalexander45@reddit

I did something similar but unhooked my truck from the trailer, chocked the trailer tires and drug the car up on the trailer. As long as you go slow and have someone in the car getting loaded to hit the breaks you should be fine.

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bk775@reddit

And jack stands under the back of the trailer so the tongue doesn't pop up.

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BloodRush12345@reddit

It's scary the first time. But going slow is the key

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shupack@reddit

This is too far down. I've done it several times, works great.

A nylon tow strap will do less damage if you happen to rub it on the towing truck.

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fmlyjwls@reddit

I’ve done this where time was short and I had nobody to help push. It does work.

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betty_humpter@reddit

When I picked up my 69 coronet they just had 3 large Albanians push it up on my trailer. If you have a smaller car you might only need 2 Albanians.

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CrazyErniesUsedCars@reddit

gotta start measuring force in albanians

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Analog_Hobbit@reddit

Strangely enough, Google doesn’t have a conversion factor for that.

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unclestasiu@reddit

In a pinch, you can substitute any available eastern European variety. Highly recommended to not mix though. Some flavors don't pair well.

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Artistic_Bit_4665@reddit

Russians don't mix with anyone.

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cscracker@reddit

If the car has a manual transmission, and if the starter turns the engine, you can use the starter with the car in first gear to load it up. Newer cars have a clutch safety switch that blocks this but it's pretty easy to bypass temporarily. I have done this multiple times. Just don't do it for too long or you can burn up the starter.

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tehlurkingnoob@reddit

This is the redneck way I do it. Note: this isn’t safe on many levels but i take a few precautions to make it “safe-ish”

It only works if your truck is RWD. It might have to be LSD too, not sure if it works on open diff, can’t remember.

-Jack up only the rear of your truck so you have about 4 inches of clearance from the tires to the ground and put it on jackstands. Make sure you keep your jack under the axle at least a little as you have to be mindful of weight and stress on your trailer hitch tongue

-Now chock both front and back sides of your front wheels on the truck as well as your trailer wheels.

-put a heavy duty tow strap through your wheel spokes in a choke formation, and wrap it around the tire like a hose reel, and then hook the other end of it onto the vehicle to be towed.

-gently give the truck some gas while brake boosting it a bit to control your rotation speed and watch the rear wheel turn into a poor man’s winch.

I also like to set up big 4x4 wood blocks to act as wheel chocks on the trailer deck so the car stops on those and won’t keep rolling.

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Zealousideal_Sir_264@reddit

This is genius.

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Zealousideal_Sir_264@reddit

I've done with this ratchet straps. Its a bitch. Get some buddies and pay them with beer/soda/tacos.

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juwyro@reddit

Get a comealong or park facing downhill and roll it on the trailer if you can.

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Dieselpump510@reddit

But have someone in the tow truck to stand on the breaks if you are using a downhill slope. Sometimes the trailer will lift the back tires of the tow truck up off the ground and then the whole deal is skating down the street out of control.

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Remanage@reddit

Like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1EEZ_f4HS4

The other option is put jack stands under the back end of the trailer, so it can't go down and lift up the front of the trailer/rear of the tow vehicle.

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Far-Wave-821@reddit

So i bought a cheap ass HF manual crank cable winch that i bolted to a trailer hitch. I removed the crank handle and chucked up an electric drill on it.

Its ghetto but it works fine! 🤣

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