Chain Storage Ideas for a Trailer

[ArtisanFarms]

I have a 14’ Deck over style equipment trailer that I share with three of my sons who live close by. It rotates between our homes and the farm depending upon who is using it. Consequently, I like to keep an assortment of straps, chains and binders on it so that it is ready for whatever is thrown at it.

I keep the binders and straps in a toolbox mounted near the tongue of the trailer and am looking for a good way to store the chains without having it become a tangled mess.

How do you store chains on your trailers in a way that makes it easy to check that they are all there and that doesn’t result in them getting tangled.

 

[JeepYJ]

Use some square or rectangular tubing to make a “box” by welding some scraps across one open end to be the bottom (leave openings for rain and debris to fall through. At the top you can cut some notches for the hooks. Easy enough to add some pieces and a padlock for some extra security.
To keep the chains from tangling hold the hooks together and fold the chain in half. Put that end in the box first and lower the rest of the chain into the box.

 

[Beerhippie]

To keep the chains from tangling hold the hooks together and fold the chain in half. Put that end in the box first and lower the rest of the chain into the box.

Which will work perfectly until the first son borrows it.

 

[a6hux]

We use ammo cans for our car hauler chains.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I ran ready rod from front to back on the inside of my box. I hang one hook to the rod and the other to the chain. The excess goes into a box underneath. Same with the ratchet straps.

 

[Zewnten]

Heavy duty expanded steel sitting on cross members. Only put one hook on the chain, binder grabs the other side. Chains always tangle but this way the chain can pull through the mess.

 

[cmandp]

The cat looks like he has it under control. He'll make sure they are all pushed off the trailer deck and onto the ground so the trailer is clear to load.

 

[djbmw]

Amazon has a decent one that also has a locking cover over it:

"Mytee Products 24" Trailer Chain Holder with Aluminum Metal"

Mytee Products 24" Trailer Chain Holder with Aluminium Metal - Heavy Duty Trailer Cab Rack Chain Hanger for Load Binder - Holds up to 14 Chains or Binders : Amazon.ca: Automotive

Mytee Products 24" Trailer Chain Holder with Aluminium Metal - Heavy Duty Trailer Cab Rack Chain Hanger for Load Binder - Holds up to 14 Chains or Binders : Amazon.ca: Automotive

www.amazon.ca

Have you looked at how some of the flat bed/tow truck/fire truck/long haulers carry theirs and borrowed some ideas?

 

[scooby074]

5gal bucket. hang hooks over the edge

 

[bwringer]

Each chain goes into its own container. I've seen everything from ice cream buckets to old Tupperware to coffee cans used for this.

If they're exposed, punch some holes in the bottom so water can drain. Everything will still become a rusty mess, but at least each chain will only be tangled with itself.

That said, I grew up on a farm, but one with highly questionable maintenance practices. So that is maybe a really, really bad idea.

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

5qt or 1 gallon jugs are about the perfect size for the chains I have. I 1chane per jug.
I cut the spout opening and leave the handle.

 

[zendriver]

Old sturdy plastic or metal milk crates if they will fit in your box. That what I use to store all securing devices, but the in the garage, since my trailer does not have storage.
\
one on top of the other, the chains really don't tangle and they are abut the right size to stack ratchet straps.

 

[In The Doghouse]

Seems you need to maintain a cat-alog of the available chains on the trailer. And your volunteer has already showed up.

 

[YesIHaveAHammer]

Which will work perfectly until the first son borrows it.

Common complaints with shared trailers...

Someone put it away loaded, using it as storage. So whoever wants to use it has to unload it, including finding somewhere to put said load.

Someone removed or fitted the sides or tail extension. So it's rarely in the configuration you left it or want it in next time. Bonus points if you need to search for the bits and the pins to attach them.

Someone broke the lights or the cables. Nobody fixes it because they didn't break it and they know it'll get broken again. So everyone has their own temporary light kit.

Someone removed the parking shoe for clearance, or parked it on soft ground and the nose sunk. So now you need to dig around the hook or lift it before you can use it.

 

[Beerhippie]

Someone removed the parking shoe for clearance, or parked it on soft ground and the nose sunk. So now you need to dig around the hook or lift it before you can use it.

A buddy of mine lent his lowboy to a friend. My bud didn't have much space to store it, so told his friend to just leave it somewhere on his property that it would be easy to get to next time he needed it.

When he needed it that winter, it had been left sitting in a three-foot deep puddle about the size of the trailer--which had frozen solid all the way to the ground. He got it out that spring, but had his friend hook it up, as it required standing in three feet of ice water.

 

[Junkman]

When I had my wreckers (about 55 years ago), I stored them in buckets with holes at the bottom for drainage. I also dipped the chains in yellow road paint so I could find one if it had been "borrowed" by another tow company that was also on the scene of the wreck. That worked for a while until some of the other companies did the same. Then I folded them in half and dipped the U part of the chain into white paint, so I had 2-tone chains. Every morning, the drivers had to inventory the chains while checking the trucks. Holding onto the chains was difficult, so we had to add a color code to them to prevent them from being swapped from truck to truck. This was done by painting the tag that came with each chain, showing its grade and weight capacity, a different color for each truck.

 

[Cheesy1]

My boss in high school and college used 2.5 gallon chemical jugs that had been triple rinsed. Cut a chunk out if the top to drape them in. Left hooks clipped to top edge.

 

[Sumboodie]

If you sort of "fold" the chains and put in a pile, they don't really tangle up. At least it works for me. My truck the toes the trailer has an underbed box that to had a bunch of chains. They aren't hard to pull out of them. Some are 1/2" 30fters.

 

[alfadan]

I use small buckets and keep the hooks on the edge.