A year or so ago we bought a Subaru Outback, and then an Aluma trailer on which to haul it behind our class C RV. The Outback fits perfectly on the Aluma trailer, but figuring out the best way to tie the Outback down on the trailer was a bit of a puzzle.
A friend of ours (with the same trailer and Outback) suggested these lasso tie-down straps, which we tried. However, our trailer didn’t have attachment points in the best places for using those straps, and we improvised. Long story short, the straps didn’t work very well for us and frayed and broke–not very good when you’re towing down the highway. A better solution was needed.
The Outback has tie-down points on its frame, but they’re not conveniently located nor easy to use. After a bit of research, I learned that a common method of tying cars down on trailers was to use the control arms as attachment points. Additionally, our trailer has tie-down rings at the front and rear, so I just needed a solution for a strap that hooks to the tie-down ring on one end and wraps around the control arms on the other. I found a great solution on ETrailer.com. The Bulldog Winch 13-piece ratcheting tie-down strap set makes it easy to securely tie my Subaru down on the trailer.
Each strap has snap hooks on either end–one hooks to the trailer tie-down ring, and the other hooks to the rings on either side of the axle strap. Wrap the axle strap around the control arm (in my case they wrap around twice), hook one of the snap hooks through the rings on the axle strap, and then hook the other snap hook to the trailer tie-down ring. Tighten the ratchet and you’re good to go. The snap hooks make it highly unlikely that any of the straps will fall off or come disconnected, and the axle strap has a reinforcing cover that prevents wear from rubbing.
I’ve only used these straps on one trip so far, but it was a total of 1800 miles. The straps need to be checked periodically and will probably need a little tightening after the first 50 miles or so, but I felt confident that the car had zero chance of moving on the trailer. This was a much better arrangement for this trailer than the lasso straps I had previously tried. I highly recommend this strap set. They’re easy to use, strong, and durable.