1st time trailering my 911 SC cross country advice

[Tommy Z]

I am aware that this is an oft visited topic on the forum and I have read as many posts as possible on the subject however, many of them are outdated and I am looking for some specific answers. I'll be towing my 79' SC on a standard U-Hual auto trailer with my 2016 4X4 F-150 Eco Boost from South Florida to Denver Colorado. Not concerned about getting it on the trailer as there is lots of good info about that, but rather seeking advice on the cars orientation. It seems as though the board was divided on whether it was best to load it ass first or front first. I'm leaning toward rear end first for the added stability on the long drive but many mention tongue weight.

Can anyone tell me:
-How is tongue weight calculated so I can be sure I'm not too light or heavy at the tongue?
- My car has a whale tail. Is there a way to safely secure the tail so it can be towed backwards without causing any damage?
- Is it recommended to take any steps to minimize rock chips or any other potential damage from rock chips, weather or other acts of god?

Thanks Pelican Members!

[3rd_gear_Ted]

Center the rear wheels of the 911 over the rear axle of the trailer or it will wobble

[Tommy Z]

Thanks Ted, from everything I have seen/read it looks as though that you can't quite get centered over the rear trailer wheels with the 911 on a U-Hual trailer. This is why I thought it would be better to back it on. If you do load it front wheels first, is there any concern about beating up the hood/windscreen? Anyone take any kind of steps to protect the front of the car while trailering it?

[boyt911sc]

Originally Posted by Tommy Z

I am aware that this is an oft visited topic on the forum and I have read as many posts as possible on the subject however, many of them are outdated and I am looking for some specific answers. I'll be towing my 79' SC on a standard U-Hual auto trailer with my 2016 4X4 F-150 Eco Boost from South Florida to Denver Colorado. Not concerned about getting it on the trailer as there is lots of good info about that, but rather seeking advice on the cars orientation. It seems as though the board was divided on whether it was best to load it ass first or front first. I'm leaning toward rear end first for the added stability on the long drive but many mention tongue weight.

Can anyone tell me:
-How is tongue weight calculated so I can be sure I'm not too light or heavy at the tongue?
- My car has a whale tail. Is there a way to safely secure the tail so it can be towed backwards without causing any damage?
- Is it recommended to take any steps to minimize rock chips or any other potential damage from rock chips, weather or other acts of god?

Thanks Pelican Members!

Tommy,

The tongue weight is determined by using a scale. If you are not familiar how your 911 is loaded correctly in a particular trailer like a UHaul, have it checked by a knowledgeable shop. My Trailex has adjustable guides or stops for correct loading with just the car or with 4 tires on the tire rack and tools, after checking it with the scale. Next important aspect is the use of tie downs or straps, where to apply these straps, etc.

Check the straps tension after a few miles of driving and at rest areas. Are you moving out of FL? Drive safely.

Tony

[KMoore68]

Here's a tip from U-haul on trailer loading:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEHD9Wjw3lk

Kevin

[AlKidd]

U Haul's trailer are very short so I can see it being almost impossible to get the rear axle over the trailer axle. If your going to have more weight on an end its better to have more tongue weight than it is to have more tail weight. I wouldnt tow a Cabriolet backwards but I think its the best way with a coupe

[carreradpt]

I towed mine with a U-Haul trailer from Wash state to Cocoa Beach Florida in 5 days. Orientation was nose first and pretty far forward. Zero issues, no swaying. 4wd Dodge Dakota and right at the limit. The weight is better distributed with that heavy back end situated very near to the trailer axle.

[Tommy Z]

Originally Posted by carreradpt

I towed mine with a U-Haul trailer from Wash state to Cocoa Beach Florida in 5 days. Orientation was nose first and pretty far forward. Zero issues, no swaying. 4wd Dodge Dakota and right at the limit. The weight is better distributed with that heavy back end situated very near to the trailer axle.

Dan, That's good to know! Did you use a U-Hual trailer? Any concerns as far as damage from rocks etc.?

[Tommy Z]

Originally Posted by boyt911sc

Tommy,

The tongue weight is determined by using a scale. If you are not familiar how your 911 is loaded correctly in a particular trailer like a UHaul, have it checked by a knowledgeable shop. My Trailex has adjustable guides or stops for correct loading with just the car or with 4 tires on the tire rack and tools, after checking it with the scale. Next important aspect is the use of tie downs or straps, where to apply these straps, etc.

Check the straps tension after a few miles of driving and at rest areas. Are you moving out of FL? Drive safely.

Tony

Thanks Tony! Yes, we are moving back to Denver and very excited to be doing so. Slim chance I may try to grab one of the last spots in your May 2-3 classes. Thanks for the tongue weight info.

[carreradpt]

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploads16/IMG_41041264568190.jpg

Hi Tommy. I had some car protection tape that 3M sent me (free) I used it on the front of the car and it worked well and stayed put for about 3 days. I drove thru a snowstorm or 2 and it started coming off. I removed it all by Texas. No damage observed and we arrived in one piece. ps I used weights/arms/moments to determine my tongue weight. Don't remember the numbers but the tongue weight was satisfactory. Yes U-haul trailer.

[mepstein]

I just bolt it down and go. I’ve probably trailered 30 different Porsche's and always put them right side forward. I done a bunch with a uhaul trailer and they are so heavy that a lighter car doesn’t affect them much. The bigger the tow vehicle, the less things seem to matter in back. When I’m using my friends dually, I don’t really feel the trailer.
Whatever way you decide, do a couple mile test run. Make some turns and hit the brakes and see how it feels. When you do your drive, go for a couple miles and then hit the brakes hard. Pull over and check the straps. If all is good, you should be good for the rest of the trip. Some a-hole will cut you off at some point so it pays to do the brake check before you need it.

[Tom_in_NH]

I hauled my 83 SC from NH to St Augustine, Florida using a UHaul car trailer and my HEAVILY loaded F150 FX4. I loaded the car butt-forward to minimize the tendancy for the trailer to pendulum. Maybe not an issue.....

Carefully check out the condition of the ratchet straps that are permanently attached to the UHaul car trailer. One the unit I rented, one of the ratchet mechanisms was badly rusted. The ratchet lock on that one kept releasing, making for an exciting trip! Many stops to reset. The northeast roads were certaily a contributing factor there.

Loading the car butt-first does increase the tongue weight. The truck handled great, although heavy!

[cabmandone]

If you drive the car onto the trailer, just watch for the back of the truck to start dropping. When you see the back of the truck start to drop, you're good. If you have ramps to pull up onto the trailer and the ramps have drop legs that touch the ground when you drive onto the trailer, take not of the distance from the drop leg to the ground prior to driving onto the trailer. You want to end up with a slightly bigger gap between round and drop leg of the ramp. If using a tilt deck it gets easy. Once the deck cams over, pull just a little more forward and you're good. The main thing you want to prevent is lifting the back of the tow vehicle. If you don't have enough tongue weight, the trailer can step out on our when on a downhill grade.

One more thing: I don't know how much driving you've done with a trailer but trailer brakes are your best friend. Your 16 F150 probably has a built in brake controller. If you can get a trailer with brakes, when on downhill grades use the slide switch to apply brakes to the trailer first before applying the vehicle brakes and if you feel the trailer wiggling behind you, apply trailer brakes to straighten things out don't apply the vehicle brakes.

[Coastr]

You always want more weight over the front of the trailer than the rear if you can’t center the mass over the axle. Up to the limit of the ball weight. The 911 is something like 40/60 weight - the center of mass is around about the Jack point on the sides. If you reverse on you can bias towards getting the center of mass in front of the axle without putting too much on the ball. But I’m just an armchair expert never towed a 911. I’ve seen enough sway dahscam video to make me paranoid about not leaving too much weight at the back. You think a 911 can oversteer because of weight at the back - nothing compared to a rear biased trailer.

[Tremelune]

This is some blase ****. Measure and do the math. You want 12-15% of the total trailer weight on the tongue. Position the car reasonably, weigh the trailer, check the weight of the tongue with a tongue weight scale or by weighing just the rear axle with the trailer on and off, and reposition until you're in range. Most junk yards have scales and will let you weigh a few times for a couple bucks.

If you can't get the distribution right with the car forward, then put it on backwards (and make sure the windows are closed or the windshield might escape)...

That F150 can tow anything, so there's room for slop, but I wouldn't mess around with my 911 over 200 miles of every kind of terrain and traffic conditions. "Probably fine" doesn't cut it over the mountains at US highway speeds.

[Joe Bob]

You have a PM. I'll be going to Colorado empty. Enclosed trailer.

[Bill Douglas]

Whether or not you are front first or arse first, coming or going, don't leave it in gear.

[lateapex911]

So, one thing people forget that can make a huuuuuge difference is tires. Fords OEM Michelin Primacy tires have sidewal flex and the trailer will walk the dog so to speak. Like you turn the wheel and then suddebly the whole rig darts. VERY unnerving. (I've towed an enclose up and down the East coast, NYC to ATL a bunch, and when I first towed on the Primacy tires I thought there was a broken part under the truck. WAY more nervous towing than racing! So, no matter what tires, inflate them!!!!!! TO the max. And if you are in the market, by all means consider sidewall construction when choosing new ones and do it BEFORE the trip.

[lateapex911]

And yea, the 3.5EB motor is awesome towing, that part is a breeze.

[gduke2010]

Originally Posted by Tom_in_NH

I hauled my 83 SC from NH to St Augustine, Florida using a UHaul car trailer and my HEAVILY loaded F150 FX4. I loaded the car butt-forward to minimize the tendancy for the trailer to pendulum. Maybe not an issue.....

Carefully check out the condition of the ratchet straps that are permanently attached to the UHaul car trailer. One the unit I rented, one of the ratchet mechanisms was badly rusted. The ratchet lock on that one kept releasing, making for an exciting trip! Many stops to reset. The northeast roads were certaily a contributing factor there.

Loading the car butt-first does increase the tongue weight. The truck handled great, although heavy!

This looks like how I loaded my car on a Uhaul trailer. I bought a couple heavy straps from Napa and attached them to the front suspension and trailer.