Since things have been quiet here figured i would show off our new setup, G

https://www.truckconversion.net/attac...3d10bac0c6.jpg

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Very nice! Does the Smart fit in the garage or you towing it?

Yes it fits in the garage, G

Sweet set-up... love the paint job.

We're off tomorrow heading downstate Mich looking at a few... so ready to get something, but buried in "free" work up north.

Love your overall look... gonna have fun tooling around the campgrounds.

Lar

I like it!! Gotta love posts with pictures to wake everyone up!!
-blizz

Outstanding rig! MORE PICTURES! MORE PICTURES!

Ya, I love that setup too. Very cool having the matching Smart. And with that pet door you put in you can easily have a passenger take a glance in there while motoring to make sure she's still cinched down tight. I pull a enclosed car trailer quite often. Standard procedure is to tie down the Vette inside, then drive a few/several miles and stop and ratchet everything tight again. Had the Vette get loose on me once and start rolling back and forth. Scratched up the back bumper and pushed my bicycle into the wall making a small hole in the plywood. At least it didn't go far enough to dent out the aluminum siding. It was my son's '87 track car so the scratches aren't that big a deal.

How do you strap down that Smart? Here's how I do our Vettes:

https://photos-b.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-...88642_1199.jpg

https://photos-d.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-...188641_943.jpg

https://photos-h.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-...88643_1460.jpg

I like strapping it down this way for a couple of reasons. One is you don't have to crawl around under the car hooking into the frame. The other is it allows the car to ride on the suspension. Rather than tightening the frame/chassis down tight onto the springs. The C4 vintage Vettes ('84-96) don't have easy frame hook points either. My son also has a '99 that is easy to hook into the frame on. I use both ways to strap that car down, just extra insurance.

Anyway, love your truck Gene. Gotta get a picture of it at night with those huge flood lights on top. And a day shot showing both awnings out would be cool.

Bob, Silver Crown installed E track in my garage, i guess some ratchet straps should do the job, its kind of tight in the garage, we will see how it goes, maiden voyage this weekend https://www.truckhome.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif https://www.truckhome.com/infopop/emoticons/icon_eek.gif, G

So the e-track is directly under each tire? That's another way to strap it down. Run the strap up over each tire as if wrapping it around the circumference of the tire. But you've got to make sure the tires are directly on top of the e-track. The straps I showed are called "California roll back" type according to the tow truck supply place I bought mine. The main strap just makes a loop around the top portion of the tire. It's pretty easy to do in cramped quarters. If you wanted to do something like that you can get hooks that lock into e-track and provide a metal loop for you to attach the roll back straps to. Or, are you using some sort of frame hook? Don't forget to stop after a few/several miles and check the tension. Also, make sure the car is in neutral and no parking brake.

.....IF THE TRUCK STOPS RATHER SUDDENLY....THE CAR WILL MOVE FORWARD AS FAR AS THE STRAPS WILL ALLOW.....NOW! should the ties break or the e-track move off the screws.....the car moves forward into the passenger lounge.....this is called a CLUSTER F**K cuz all that are riding up front will feel the total weight of the car and all the contents form the back of the coach.....I'd suggest a class 80 safety chain around the rear axle to an anchor like the back bumper...just because I like reading your adventures on the TruckConversion Forum.....and I own a roll off tow truck and have lost a vehicle off the right side into a ditch.....with a lot of luck I survived the accident and I now have that safety chain in place.... if anything is on the truck bed including the lawnmower and anything else that I don't want to hit me in the back from sliding down the bed like a rocket.......geofkaye and the Rivercity Girlz....

Thanks Geo and Bob, Bob please explain the neutral and no parking brake, i would have thought keep the car from rolling, Thanks G

One more thing, when the Smart car is in the garage, there is only 3 to 4" left in the front and back, It is a real tight fit, not sure if this makes a difference regarding the strategy, G

Here are a couple of shots sent to me by Silver Crown, this is not my smart and it is before the E track was installed, it shows the size relation between the car and the garage, G

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WOW....that gives new meaning to the phrase "Snug as a bug in a rug". Great looking rig!Let us know how the maiden voyage turns out.
MMM

Wow, that is close. Neutral and no parking brake. If you keep it in Park that will put lots of wear and tear on the parking pin in the transmission (I'm guessing the Smart is a auto trans). The rocking back and forth will be hard on that. The parking brake will also be terrorized by the constant to and fro causing the parts to wear out or bend. Geof, the chain around the axle won't help much in such tight quarters. The car has to get through the bathroom anyways before making it to the living room. Wouldn't worry about that too much. What about can you get some diamond plate wheel chocks made for the front tires to rest against? That would give you a good stopping point to pull the car up to. Then strap it down tight to the chocks?

Bob, it seems like with that little room i have front and back , if the brakes are off and the car is in Neutral, just the process of the straps stretching will run the car into my wall. I fully understand what you are concerned about. Maybe i could block the front wheels, with stops like you suggested, even wood blocks against the rear wall, and another set of blocks agains the rear tires and ramp door. Do i have to be concerned about side to side movement or just front and back? thanks to all G

Good question about side to side. I think it would take a awful huge swerve or slam to get the thing to go sideways there. I like the diamond plate wheel chocks either bolted down solid to the floor, or sized to jam up against the front wall of the garage? But I still think you would want to strap it down to the floor like I do. Unless the chocks were very steep to prevent the tires from rolling up during a hard brake. Same for the rears I would think. Chocks/blocks at both ends would certainly give you good protection to from fore/aft movement.

...STRAPS STRETCH AND CHAINS DON'T....FWIW....AND YES, I HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH BOTH.......NO MOVING ANY OF MY EQUIPMENT WITHOUT CHAINS IN PLACE OR THE DRIVER LOOSES HIS/HER JOB ON THE SPOT...NO EXCEPTIONS....NO WARNINGS....EVEN IF THEY ARE THE BEST LOOKING DRIVER [FEMALE]THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN IN SHORT SHORTS AND A HALTER TOP IN MY EQUIPMENT....THEY WON'T DRIVE AGAIN FOR ME-NO EXCEPTIONS....I CAN FIX ALMOST ANYTHING-EXCEPT STOOOOOPID! AND TAKING A VEHICLE IN THE BACK OF THE HEAD/NECK IS JUST PLAIN TOO STUPID TO WORK WITH ME ANY LONGER.....geofkaye and the Rivercity Girlz....

Thanks GEO, i have always enjoyed your way with words and your willingness to share your vast experiance with us. As i am flying and chains will not be the best choice for my carry on luggage, i will definately buy some in Indiana and include them in my plan to secure the car, its good having you and Bob here to help me along, i build houses for a living but this Truck Conversion stuff is a bit new to me, AND I LOVE IT, G.

So Geof. The rear has a solid axle on the Smart. But, I'll bet if you wrap a chain around it and reef it down you're going to bend it and void the warranty. The front is independent suspension. I sure wouldn't wrap a chain around one of the lower control arms and reef that down either. They simply aren't strong in my opinion. Go watch any car delivery truck at any dealer. You're never ever going to see the new cars strapped down with chains around some suspension bits. It seems about split the ones I've seen between running straps over each tire, and hooking a frame hook into the frame, or a dedicated member that the manufacturer builds into the car. They either have notches in the frame that accept a special hook, or they have a metal bracket that the hook fits into. The thing I don't like about hooking into the frame is that you have to cinch it down very tight so that it isn't possible to compress the suspension any further when going over bumps. I like locking the tires down to the floor and letting the suspension do it's job the way the manufacturer built it. But, if you've got chains and can hook them in somewhere positive, and it works for you do it.

Here's an interesting one (read post 2):
https://clubsmartcar.com/index....=threaded&pid=189759

Looks like maybe the Smarts don't have a frame attachment point? They have a screw in tow hook as BMW/Audi/etc... do?

This guy wraps the straps through the spokes of the wheels. That's going to leave a mark. We do the criss/cross with the chains as backup on my son's '99 Vette. It's really the only way to do it since if we tried to run the chains from the frame holes to the straight ahead/ or behind d-rings they rub on the inside walls of the tires.

https://www.smartcarofamerica.c...er-22323/index2.html

The first picture of the green Smart shows the attachments I was referring to for the e-track. They are those short straps that he hooks his ratchet straps into. Can't tell how he hooked the front straps to the e-track. Maybe Smart's are very light? I just don't think e-track is that strong to trust a car to. I'd much rather have some large d-rings through bolted to the floor.

Here's a shot of the hooks I put in my trailer. Sorry I didn't take any pictures showing the underside, that's where the magic takes place. I got 4" aluminum angle (my entire trailer frame is aluminum). I cut sections of it about 5" long. I placed the piece of aluminum angle against the side of a trailer cross beam, under the decking of the trailer. Held up tight to the bottom of the wood decking. Clamp it to the cross member, drill two holes and bolt through with grade 8 bolts, and machine lock nuts (not nylock, machine lock have a slight peen over on one side of the nut making it stay put when you tighten them up). That way I could tighten the bolts until just starting to pinch onto the cross member and not have to crush it, and the nuts won't loosen. Then, drill the holes down through the floor and through the new angle plate. Then bolt the hooks on, again using grade 8 bolts and machine lock nuts. These baby's are strong! I got the d-rings at the wrecker supply store where I got the California roll back strap kit.

https://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-a...188639_421.jpg

That aluminum plate under the d-ring is a section of the angle that I cut off. I put that there to keep the vinyl flooring from binding on the hook.

...STRAPPING THE SUSPENSION IS A GOOD WAY OF TOWING-I USE IT WHEN TOWING A VEHICLE THAT IS _N_O_T_ SCRAP...EX:BOATS AND LAWNMOWERS -TRACTORS TRUCKS AND CARS AND A WHOLE VARIETY OF OTHER THINGS.....AND HERE IS THE ISSUE....IF THE VEHICLE IS INVOLVED IN A ACCIDENT OR A CRASH....THE STRAPS WILL GIVE AND THE GIVE WILL ADD TO THE WEIGHT TRANSFER THAT MOVES FORWARD CAUSING A SECOND COLLISION ON THE WRECKER BED...AND THAT IS CATASTROPHIC......YOUR BODY IS IN FRONT OF THE CAR....STUFF HAPPENS-THE ISSUE HERE IS THAT THE CHAIN WILL NOT ALLOW THE CAR TO SLAM INTO THE STRAPS-AND I REALLY DON'T CARE IF THE CAR IS TOTALED-IN A CRASH THE TRICK IS TO SURVIVE...NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN MY LIFE....EVERYTHING ELSE IS REPLACEABLE-THAT IS WHY I CARRY INSURANCE-IT BECOMES THEIR JOB TO MAKE MATERIAL THINGS WHOLE....FROM MY EXPERIENCE -THE INSURANCE COMPANIES DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB ON EVERYTHING BUT MY BODY AND THE BODIES OF MY CREW.........THEY CAN NOT MAKE _ME/THEM WHOLE AGAIN.....I COULD REPLACE MY CREW SO MY ISSUE IS PROTECTION OF MYSELF SECOND MY CREW.....CUZ NOW THAT I HAVE THEM TRAINED I'D HATE TO LOOSE THEM......geofkaye and the Rivercity Girlz

I understand you don't want it to come loose Geof. I just don't understand where you think Gene should attach those chains. I don't think it would work to wrap a chain around the tire.

Hay Gene, I found these at Northern: https://www.northerntool.com/sh.../product_13818_13818 . Funny they show it draped over a large race tire yet in their catalogue they say it's only good to a 9" wide tread max. These might work better for you if your e-track is directly under the tires, or you could put some d-rings down like I did right where you want them.

Looking how close you are at the front there's no way you're going to be able to hook into the frame and go up front like that guy did on his trailer in my earlier post. You're going to have to attach something into the frame and go out the sides at the front, or strap down the tires like I do.

Very nice pictures!!!!!!

went to tow411.net most of them are putting cloth in rims and using straps through rims. i like the idea of mounted stop blocks in front of tires and just straping down rear. what about cutting floor and dropping down floor and welding pockets for tires to set in.

That's a cool idea too. I don't think you even need to do any welding. You could buy some of those wheel caster things that they sell at Harbor Freight or Northern. Take the casters off, cut the holes in the floor, set the wheels things down in and bolt them down. You could seal them in with silicone or liquid nails. Assuming they need to go somewhere that there is nothing underneath in the way. I'd still want to strap them in those dips tho.

That tow411.net is a cool site. I found this thread there with some pictures of the Smart being towed. Wheel straps, the way I said. One has some chains wrapped up around something but only apparently as a safety measure, there' no tension on the chains.

Sorry, forgot to put the thread link in: https://tow411.yuku.com/reply/6...ar.html#reply-631838

A buddy of mine uses these tie down systems to haul his very expensive Old Shelby Mustangs he likes this system and I think it may be a solution for you too. (Maybe not I just remembered your tight quarters, you may have a heck of a time tying that car down.
Travel Lite lockdowns

You may have to think about a winch, spool out a bunch of cable, then hook up the car, then winch it up into the truck tight against some custom built chock blocks for the front tires, then ratchet strap the rear down and into place.

blizz

Okay Gene, how did it go? How do you strap the car in? Any pictures for us? Did it stay put? I'm dying to know.

O man, having an absolute blast, Got into Silver Crown Sat, spent easter weekend in the parking lot. went over every inch of the rig, few minor repairs done on Monday, then i noticed a little oil leaking from the tailpipe of the Generator,spent mon night in the parking lot at Onan. Loaded up the gen for 7 hrs under a full load, rings seated, took off mon afternoon 2pm, drove till 10pm, slept in Wallmart in Ohio, woke up at 5am, drove till 5pm nonstop to SC. The rig is a Beast and i love it. Tied down the Smart Car with ratchet straps to the E track, and built, over easter weekend in the parking lot of Silver Crown, a Chock system that wedges the car between the front wall and the rear door, i will take photos, the car did not budge. Internet service is sporadic, photos soon, thanks to all, as i lay here writing this the rain is pounding on the roof of my loft bedroom, a breeze is blowing in my awning windows, my wife is just walking in up the stairs, and life is great, Gene

...I love it when it all comes together and you are satisfied......geofkaye and the Rivercity Girlz

That is great news! I wish I was out enjoying my t/c. Mine's been resting in the shop all winter. Next weekend we're taking a trip down to Omaha, just for the weekend. Mother in law is coming to visit with her sister. Father in law loves to ride in the t/c, sipping his beer and watching a movie or satelite. Glad they made those chocks up. This forum is great huh?

Blizz, i really like the way that system looks, I am going to call them to get specs and pricing, the E track worked great but i like the way this system keeps the straps under the car and tight, i will give me more free space on the sides of my car for storage, i have about 18" on each side after the car is parked, Thanks again, Gene