Best place online to get tie down straps/chain & binders

[justinf]

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I refuse to trust straps only.

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I agree, I'd rather have chains securing mine, it's not that much work, and I can have it secured in five or ten minutes.

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The reason I'm buying the straps is that I think I can cinch the truck down tighter with them than a chain and allow for less movement.

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Done right, you can cinch chains down tight with the binders, very rarely do I ever have to retighten a chain after driving for a while.

Also, I have towed my jeep with and without the suspension compressed and didn't notice a difference (the suspension is very soft on the jeep). Same goes when i towed an 80 K20 around, it didn't make any difference whether I had frame tied down or just the axles.

It just seems to me like you are going to spend a bunch of money on straps and chains that you don't really need to, but do what makes you feel safe towing.

 

[BlazerGuy]

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Keep in mind...Baddog lives in AZ...
He's not running a trailer on roads in the Midwest...

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What's the difference? /forums/images/graemlins/ears.gif

FWIW - When I was at Las Cruces last weekend, I was riding around with jac6695. He only uses chains on his S10 and it took he and I about 1 minute to load or unload it. I know he tows LONG distances using the same setup. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

 

[JK5]

Well...

In Ohio...the roads SUCK!!!
Our winters tear up the road around here...
#21 was repaved 2 years ago...and it already needs it again..
#76....is a mess..orange barrels every 10 miles..
many chuckholes too!!!

I basically off-road my tow rig/trailer to my wheeling spots.. /forums/images/graemlins/whistling.gif

 

[BadDog]

JK5:
If the roads are really bad, running at speed with the suspension loose might change my mind. But I haven't seen it yet even with some back roads around here that are not in very good shape.

As for damage, notice I said "Might even do some damage depending". As in "depending on where/how it is connected to the truck and trailer". Shock loads like that are completely different animal that most of what our trucks and trailers are build for. Allowing any system to hammer on itself is going to reduce it's longevity dramatically.

Corby:
Just curious, what chain setup does he use? When I got my straps, I had thought about custom making some chains just for loading the truggy and adding attachments specific to chains on my trailer. I figured maybe chain the back, pull forward, and boomer the front. Is that something like that what you guys used? I was using longer general purpose chains (16'-20') with hooks on each end. These chained front to back and back to front with a "V" on the rear axle. The biggest problem I had that took so long was fighting those long heavy chains, and trying to get them "one more link tighter" so the boomers could pull down tight. And the chains falling down between cross members, links stuck between the boards, and all while crawling around under the truggy trying to get it tied down after a long day on the trail. Generally just an unpleasant pain in the neck. Not much fun, and sometimes the boomers wouldn't get it tight enough, so here we go fighting for that "one more link" on the boomers again. Also had more than one occasion where the chain links "settled" and had to be rebound, but that's in part due to the length and using long general purpose chains instead of fitted chains. Anyway, just wanted to know what you guys have for a setup since it seems his is as fast as my straps.

The straps are so much easier to me. Not heavy to drag around. Wrap, snap, snap, pull semi-tight, ratchet, and done... It would be quicker and easier still if I added permanent hook points to the truck (like I was considering for the chains) rather than using the axle wraps. I'm VERY happy with that $100 spent... But, YMMV and we each have different views. Either way, good luck…

 

[BlazerGuy]

Jerry,
Yeah, I forgot that it gets cold up there. /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif We don't have winter we have post-summer...

Russ,
You'll have to contact James for the type of chains he uses since I don't have a clue. BUT, the way he loads his truck is as follows:
1. Chains down rear axle(crosses each other in an 'X' pattern)
2. He then drives fowards til the rear squats and it won't go any further.
3. Then he runs one chain behind the spring hangers and uses a binder(is that also known as a boomer?) to tighten it all down.

Again I don't really know anything else since I myself don't own a trailer but I know he's tows that setup for long distances like that.

 

[BadDog]

Thanks, the layout is really what I was interested in. And that's similar to what I had in mind (and mentioned above) had I not switched to straps. So, about the only diff in that setup and mine is that with the straps I just position the truck where I want it and install/tighten 4 straps as opposed to load, get out an place chains, get in and pull up, the finish placing/binding chains. Ether way is simple and fast. The only concern would be that balance on my smaller trailer is pretty picky. And inch forward or back makes a difference in towing, so pulling up against the chains was sometimes aggravating for me having to reset if it didn't stop at the right place. A bigger trailer probably wouldn't care as much.

And "boomer" is the same as non-ratcheting "binder". The kind that snap shut. It's just what I always heard them called (I guess due to the sound the make closeing) when I was young. The term still surfaces in my head once in a while.

 

[84_Chevy_K10]

I am not worried about damaging my rig with the tie downs. I just want to ensure it is strapped down sufficiently so that it will not move when I strap it down. I don't want it falling off the trailer. You never know when you'll have to make a panic stop or something, and I want to ensure that my truck is safe up there.