Best way to secure kart to flat trailer?

[Aaron Witzke]

What is the best way to secure a kart to a open flat deck utility trailer? I was thinking ratchet straps through the frame, or do it like I have race cars on flat decks with straps around the wheels/tires. How do you do it? My trailer has no sides. Just a flat wood deck.

[Juan D Gomez]

I just use 4 ratchet straps to tie it down.
One pulling the front, two pulling the back that wrap around the stand holding it down at the same time, and one in the middle not too tight just for safety.
Avoid pulling down on the chassis and you should be fine.

[Aaron Witzke]

So putting my kart on the trailer today I felt uneasy... how tight is tight with a kart? I don't want it too loose that it will move around but I'm worried about over-tightening. I did what you suggested and they are all one "click" past taught.

[Nathan Adair]

Just tight enough before you start bending or stretching things. I'd say its a feel thing.

I also tow on an open trailer and one thing that works nicely is lay a couple of old kart tires on their sides and flatten them. Set the kart chassis on them before strapping it down. I put one just behind the engine mount but not under the sprocket and one in the front right between the pedals under the frame. It puts more of the strapping load directly on the frame.

[Josh Buttafoco]

I use fixed length loop straps from the upper front bar to eye hooks on the Left and Right sides of the trailer, using carabiners from eye hooks to loop straps. (no tie down straps)

For the rear I u have a eye bolt towards the back of the trailer, with one fixed loop strap going to the left rear cross bar on the kart and one to the right, again using carabiners from the eye bolt to the straps.

Basically this allows the kart to not be under any tension and is free to move 1-3 inches forward and back with out being strapped down.

I can post pics if needed, I ve tried a few different ways and this seems to be a great way to keep the kart secure and tension off the frame/components.

[Kyle Prokup]

Here's a pretty helpful article from K-Racer. Although they spoke about putting ramps for each tire for the kart in the trailer, I actually prefer the force off the tires, and instead on a beam or something to absorb some of the force from the bumps in the road.

http://kracer.com.au/blog/reader-questions/storing-and-transporting-your-kart

Strapping the kart integral to the ground from a point on the chassis? Putting the strain on the chassis while the trailer hits bumps? Something has to give up tension, and it isn't going to be the trailer. Seems like an easy way to get a kart to sag. An easy solution is to put the kart on blocks, and then stretch the force holding the kart as close to those blocks as possible.
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Kyle Prokup Racing
Tony Kart EVRR

[Dan Rudd]

[Charles Kaneb]

Replace a couple of the bolts holding the deck to the trailer with eyebolts, then attach the hooks on the end of your straps to them.
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"If you're still in full control, you're not going fast enough" - Fred Frame