MTFCA Forum

After constructing WWI ambulance project to the Ford plans, my overall height was 81" and the top is permanently attached. So, no issues until I start to look for enclosed trailer to transport and store this thing. Seems most standard enclosed trailers are not tall enought for most Model T's unless the top is lowered and the windshield is removed or moved out of the way.
So, it took a custom built enclosed trailer with a rear door height opening of 87", an interior height of 7.5 ft, a length of 18 ft and a width of 8.5 ft to allow me to enter the ambulance from the interior of the trailer to steer in and out. It will get winched in and out of the trailer and the floor of the trailer is slanted at the end to allow for shallow ramp door angle.

Mounting winch and painting plywood floor this weekend. Looking forward to loading and getting all the strap points figured out. I've been reading forum posts on winch cable attachment and tie down points.

Just didn't figure on a custom trailer, but at least I didn't have to take an ax to my garage door bricks like Henry did.

Congratulations Robert !! Did you find the trailer or have it custom built. The dimensions are the same as my custom designed trailer. I bought a TSC winch and took it locally to have it mounted. He quoted me $1000 just for mounting it ! I laughed in his face and spit in his eye Then I found a 5’ length of chain in the shop and bought 4 of those threaded chain lengths. I fitted a 2’ chain length to both forward D rings and each side of the winch frame. Hooked winch to a 12V battery for a test..VIOLIN ! It works and my mounting cost $26

BTW, you now have the trailering capability to haul a Ford cab TT also…

My Integrity 16" enclosed trailer has a door opening of 80". My Touring car will go in with the windshield and top up. That wouldn't help you, but I have about 3" of clearance loading my '27; an earlier T would be about 2" taller. It would be a very tight squeeze, but the older T's should go in. The windshield should not be a problem, it's the rear of the top that would be the issue.

I had the trailer scratch built from my requests and it was ordered last Friday and picked up this Friday, so a seven day build. Polycor panels and I had them weld in a winch plate up in the V nose to the trailer frame. They wanted $1,500 for a winch and I can purchase a 12k winch for under $300 and purchase a battery and ABS battery box and install the winch myself. Keyless remotes on the winch will allow me or my wife to sit in the T and winch ourselves into and out of the trailer.
Spare tire mounted up in the V nose, but not much storage room left over. I'm designing in my head two 10" deep storage cabinets to mount up in the V nose area to hold tow straps, tie downs, spare tools, etc.
Trailer Plus wanted over $14k for this trailer and a six week build date and I paid less than $8k for this trailer out the door.
It's only been one day, but I'm a happy camper with it.

I'd suggest E-Trak & wheel nets for securing your load inside. I have both on my both open & enclosed trailers with reinforced plates under the floor. Also wireless Warn winch with the same mounting arrangement so I can swap out easy enough.

I have the E-track. It's the only way to go. I also cut and bolted in a 2X4 With the rear-facing edge trimmed at a 45 degree angle. I just run the T in and when the front tires contact it, I know that the T is positioned properly. I use heavy-duty Nylon straps around the front crossmember in the front, and two straps around the center of the rear crossmember at the spring mount. I know that a lot of folks say that you shouldn't compress the springs, but I have been tying cars down this way since I was 18, it works for me, and I'm not going to change.

I use 4 D rings in my 18’ trailer from which I can quickly attach 2 heavy duty nylon ratchet ties crosswise to HD nylon straps between the spindles and spring perches. Also 2 HD nylon ratcheted straps crosswise on either side of the differential housing.Same D rings for TT and T

I have to mount my winch before I load the ambulance for the first time. We have talked about using deck and porch paint to paint the bare plywood on the flooor and the trailer walls, a light grey should help reflect light from the two small interior lights provided. My son also wants to install some led lights on the interior walls high up for any night time loading and strapping.
We discussed measuring and painting two 3" wide black stripes up the lenght of the trailer floor to guide the T while being winched in and out. As long as the four tires are on or near the stripes, we should be clear. We discussed two additional markings to indicate the front tire location, but a long 2 x 4 to act as forward chocks is appealing as we were going to use chocks on the T anyway in addition to leaving the winch cable installed and four rachet straps to the 4 D rings criss cross as mentioned in this and other threads.
The 2 x 4" with a relief cut and an eye bolt screwed into it for bungee coard attachment to a rubber wheel chock behind the front tire will keep everything in place, we hope.
I was under the ambulance yesterday to investigate where to install a tie down ring to connect the winch cable to the rear of the T as well as tie down attachment without putting strain on wichbones, differentials, etc. Still visualizing that location in my head. Crawling under the T while in the clean trailer is not objectionable, but trying to disconnect and connect a winch cable under the vehicle on pavement, not so much. I'm visualizing a winch cable on the front running out of cable getting the T all the way in, especially if I use a small nylon tow rope with hooks on each end as I have been doing on longer trailers., so trying to come up with a rear end hook up location.

In the first place your unsecured chocks will bounce all over the trailer floor while traveling. In the second place just winch from the front axle - it won’t place a strain on the wishbone. That is; if you want theT facing forward….

Yes, T loading engine forward for weight on tonghe. I have matching sets of HF rubber wheel chocks with eye bolts in each side and I bungee cord the two chocks to each other with the tire in between. Haven't had one wiggle loose yet. But a 2x4" screwed onto the deck floor appeals to me. And, I might just screw a 8ft board across the floor with an angle cut and another 1ft section screwed to that board where the tires contact to make the actual wooden chock/stop 4" or so high to make sure the T won't jump the board in a panic stop. The winch cable left in place will prevent the T from ever leaving the trailer, although it would have to crash through the rear door which I don't see happening.

All this mention of wheel chocks and winches is fine, but you are also going to ratchet strap the axles front & rear, correct?

Nice trailer.
Food for thought.
I've seen boards screwed to the floor to secure a car as noted above, seen one gentleman trip over them, getting hurt falling against the wall and debris stored in trailer.
Also was at a large tour and was there when a gentleman opened his trailer and found his car against the side wall, damaged. He had crossed his straps one of the front ones came loose, the other went slack to that side and car bounce to wall.
My opinion two straight forward two straight back. One comes loose still pulling straight.
Sorry just me, I'm sure this will start some debate.

Here's what I did, so that I can haul the 27 Fordor. The 30 Fordor is a bit longer, so I removed a bit of the front wheel-stop. I thought it would make it un handy to use the trailer for hauling lumber and furniture, but it's no problem.

If your T is 7’ tall (as most early T’s are with their top up), you need a trailer that is 8’ tall inside. Reason being is that certain road conditions can get the suspension on the T working enough to crash the top of the T into the ceiling of the trailer. Bear this in mind if you only have 6” clearance between T top and trailer ceiling. 6” clearance is dicey… 12” clearance is safe.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Yes, winch cable into trailer and leave winch attached, but two wheel chocks on one tire and four tie down straps at four corners, each one pulling as straight back as can be managed. It has been suggested that since these will attach to D rings welded to the frame that a normal hook tie down strap might come loose, so invest in tie down straps wich a snap buckle clip at each end that will clip to the D rings and not come off.
My ambulance wooden and canvas cover top is 81" tall and my interior height is 90", so, not only some room for bounce, but can't imagine it doing any damage to this top.
Board screwed onto floor may present a trip hazard, especially in my case, So, I'm envisioning a board that will thumbscrew through the floor into speed nuts under the trailer and the board can easily be removed for other uses of the trailer and then quickly bolted back into place for vehicle chock.

Now, for a tie down rachet strap question . . . if my ambulance weighs 3,000 lbs, do I need 4 3,000 lb rated straps? Or, do I divide the load weight by the number of straps and only need 4 600 lb straps? I'd like to be very over protected, but don't need the worlds largest or heaviest straps. What size or load capacity are you gentlemen using?

Ot the MVPA military vehicle convention in Oshkosh coming up in September, there will be a workshop hosted by the WI State Police on towing that I will attend and hope to gain more information.

If you tie down your T as I do, there's no way that the T can bounce and hit the ceiling. My '27 Touring has at least 6" of clearance and I don't give that a thought. I also do not use any chocks other then the 2X4" that I mentioned. The crossed front straps prevent side to side motion, and the rearward pulling rear crossmember strap prevents the T from moving forward. It has survived a 65 mph panic stop when a bunch of yahoos intentionally made a very fast stop in front of me. Suing for non-existent back injury is rampant here in Florida.

signsup wrote: ↑

Mon Aug 26, 2024 10:19 am

Now, for a tie down rachet strap question . . . if my ambulance weighs 3,000 lbs, do I need 4 3,000 lb rated straps?

YES! At least that much, if not more.

3000 lbs is the static load. When moving at 70 mph and coming to a sudden stop, (like running into something), the 3000 lbs force is multiplied several times over, (too long since engineering school or I could tell you how much exactly). Also, during the sudden stop, only 2 straps will be doing all the work. I believe my straps are rated at 6000 lbs. each.

I ordered an 8’ foot floor to ceiling interior height trailer a month ago and it should be here in a couple weeks. Went to at least five dealers that order trailers from the factory but they all declined because I only wanted the trailer to be seven and a half foot wide. I am old, like most of this group, and can’t drive worth a darn anymore so I need a little extra help in seeing what is on the side and back of me at all times. The way these drivers drive nowadays on the freeway or highway, looking for opportunities for a lawsuit constantly, I would like to be a little safer if possible. Just my own thinking!!!
The 7’-6” interior side to side space is just enough to get around the car, but the axles are the same as the 8’-6” wide trailers so it is not going to be an issue to be swaying from being too tall.

My ambulance is 6/5 ft wide and my trailer rep suggested the 8.5ft interior width. It is almost recommended for all 18ft long or longer trailers anyways, so I went with it. It is a car hauler floor configuration which means the rear floor slopes down towards the rear and the drop down ramp door does not have to angle all the way up to the flat cargo floor. So easier loading and unloading and less strain on the door. But, the fender wells do come up into the interior floor and reduce the width between them to about 7 ft, so be mindful of that. My wheel axle width is not the width of the T as the fenders and, in my case the side wooden guard rails stick out past the wheels and tires, but it is at a higher level than the fender wells.

We are painting the interior flooor with porch and deck paint today and tomorrow and then rollling on bedliner material on the door ramp and ramp extension for grip and moisture protection.
I purchase a 9,000 lb winch to mount inside up near the V nose along with a ABS marine battery box to bolt down to the trailer floor to hold the winch battery. I also want to wire in some led lights running off this winch battery as the trailer interior lights only use the tow vehicle power and the truck lights need to be on for the interior trailer lights to be on and I'd like to have some lights that operate independantly for when strapping down and getting the vehicle ready for transport without running the tow vehicle or it's battery.
I want to connect a trickle charger to the winch battery and run the power cord out through the bottom of the trailer so that I can plug it in from outside the trailer and not have to open the trailer up to charge the winch battery.

After winching the ambulance in for the first time I want to look at some storage cabinets or ammo box storage to hole straps, tie downs, tools, etc.

Looked at Harbor Freight Etrack parts and pieces as well. Maybe down the road. If I haul two different vehicles with two different tire widths, it looks like I'd have to install Etrack for both vehicles as the tire cages line up with the tires and Etrack. Things to ponder...

" just winch from the front axle - it won’t place a strain on the wishbone."

George, Please elaborate, thanks, jb

Well,… it’s only Fisiks. Consider you’re probably pulling horizontally and slowly with power from a 12 V battery. I can’t imagine any untoward thrust of the wishbone ball against the crankcase receptical. But I even cross ratchet strap front axle outboard of the perches. I don’t believe that adversely impacts the wishbone either. YMMV

Just an update to kind of wrap this thread up...still need to actually winch ambulance into this trailer, but no better time to take some pics.

Rear tail gate ramp and extension were coated with bedliner. Duct tape at end indicates tire initial line up position and pool noodles over rear door cable keeps me from walking into them.
Interior floor is porch/deck grey enamel. After checking out interior lighting, we may paint interior walls gloss white.
9,000 lb winch on 12v battery. Winch bolted through floor and through winch plate welded to frame tongue.
Side door is nicely located to, hopefully, ease into and out of the passenger side of the T.
I'm holding off on Etrack for now, a couple of concerns. I'll just go with the four corner D rings attached to frame rails for now. Short trips to and from car shows and local display events. Not planning on long road trips.
I've got to come up with some storage for straps and tie downs. They are all in pick up truck tool box for now, but I'd like to come up with something interior, but looks like walls of V nose section is only available space
Thanks to all for input and suggestion s on this investment.

I highly recommend painting the walls white. It makes a huge difference inside.

Someone also suggested the white plastic wall panels like in restrooms that will just glue or tack up in place and provide a nice, clean, bright, and washable surface. Its a little tight in there on either side with the ambulance loaded and having a surface to slide against kinda appeals to me.