First step, buy a RZR 1000, Check. Second step, buy a Trailer, Check. Third step, go out for a rip! Check, …and Fail.
Attempt One
So I severely under-estimated tying this unit down. For my first trip I attached ratchet straps to the frame (one on each corner) and tightened her down nice and snug. I’ve secured ATV’s and Sled’s this way so whats the big deal right? Well, a couple good bumps in the road, the suspension bottomed out and rebounded completely ripping out my anchor points on the trailer. I got home and was welcomed by this damage…
I know it’s not a lot of damage, and most would’ve just left it, but I’m pretty picky and really baby my stuff. So for me, this needed to be fixed. Between the new grill and the new front fascia, it ended up being a $400 blunder… It also could have been a lot worse; if an evasive maneuver had to be made to avoid something, this RZR could’ve went for a ride through the trailer wall and bounced down the highway…
Attempt Two
So anyway, after some more thought, I figured its probably best to tie down closer to the wheel, as close to the hub as possible. So I did this and although it didn’t look pretty and was a pain in the ass to setup, it did secure the car a lot better. The only issues with this method, (Besides being somewhat time consuming and a real PITA) the straps are rubbing the powder coat off my front A-Arms and they still come loose and need to be re-tightened periodically, especially on longer trips.
Back to the drawing board… Either I’m a moron overthinking this, or there’s a better way. After all, I’ve invested a lot of money here, between the RZR and the Trailer there’s almost $40k here! I may be overthinking this, but I’m not happy with the damage that’s happening every time I take this unit out. Not only that, but my confidence in trailering this unit is wearing thin.
Attempt Three
I need some peace of mind, and I need a proper way to tie this car down. Well, one phone call to Mac’s Custom Tie Downs and my problem is now solved! I ordered a custom tie down package that included new anchor points and custom sized wheel nets (I have 30" tires)
So I got them installed today, the entire job took me about 2 hours, from prep to install. I gotta say, this is clearly the way to go! This setup is unreal! Simple and easy, it now only takes me 15 seconds per wheel to secure this car down. Once secure, its incredibly solid, its as if the car is bolted to the trailer. Mac rates each anchor point at 2000lbs. which gives me a total load rating of 16,000lbs. I paid $370 for this package, this is really minor considering how much money we invest into these machines.
I’m seriously impressed with this Mac system. Clean, heavy duty and secure. I never have to worry about my car now while in transit. It’s money well spent for the peace of mind and security of my car.
Note: Although you could just install this kit with the supplied hardware, I went the extra mile and welded some aluminum plates to the frame and cross-members of the trailer. I then bolted the anchor points right through said plates. Your milage may vary.
