Adding 'recessed' tie down anchors

[tshep]

to a aluminum trailer.
It is pressure treated, 2 in. wood decked, and 'framed' by angle, that the deck 'lays' in.
It is often short 'walled' for fine loads.

So, looking real hard at D's that hang on a pin, through a 4 hole recessed bracket. If I go to a corner, they will lay in to catch 3 holes in pieces of angle (maybe through wood), and 1 hole solely in wood.
This leaves me deciding D's hinge parallel to sides, or D's parallel to front/rear beam.
Load will typically be a BX23 (on a 6x12 deck).
Seems to me, D's parallel to front/rear beams means loads will always pull on shaft to both sides of bracket (and parallel to sides will always pull on furthest bracket hole and into side of recess.
Any experience?

I'm also looking for confirmation that D's should lay down towards center of deck (will load at say 45* to deck) vs laying down away from center (and always pulling at 90*).
I think toward center is obvious - right?

THX guys!

 

[BlueKnife]

I'm not 100% following your whole description, but I will say, you should do whatever is necessary to be tying down to the frame of the trailer. Don't bolt tie downs to the deck.

 

[tshep]

I know, I over describe...

4 corners, 4 recessed anchors - which way?

 

[KennyG]

I went a little crazy on my 16 foot utility trailer. I have 4 D rings on both sides (3 on the frame, one on the rail above the fenders) and 4 in the deck (recessed into the wood, bolted through to the frame). I use the deck attachments when I'm hauling the tractor and the side rings when I haul furniture or junk. If you're mainly looking at hauling a tractor, I'd go with recessed D rings in the deck.

 

[BlueKnife]

I know, I over describe...

4 corners, 4 recessed anchors - which way?

I would be less concerned about which way the D rings are oriented than in getting them all bolted entirely to the trailer frame. Ideally, the "pivot/hinge" of the D rings should be perpendicular to the load being placed upon it.

 

[CliffordK]

You could load your tractor. then add straps to your favorite tie-down places. And orient the anchors to match the straps.

 

[tshep]

OK, I'm going away from a balance position (yes I weighed the hitch) anchored to the stake pockets - which are side only, maybe 1 foot from front beam and 3 feet from rear beam. So chains were, oh, 65* from sides toward centerline - but, worse of all, I HAD to remove short sides when I loaded the tractor. (So I could NOT also go fetch loose material at the site.)

I ended up in the 4 corners (hinge pin perpendicular to centerline, away from load) so I could get 3 of the 4 bolts per anchor actually in the frame of the trailer, and chains about 15* off from centerline.

So, not perfect, but a vast improvement for my time and $.