How To Tie Down Luggage To Roof Rack

Quickly and easily strap cargo to roof rack or trailer using ratchet straps.

How to tie down luggage to roof rack.

In the case of a naked roof you should be looping the rope through the car through the doors not the windows and around the object on the roof and a towel or blanket should be used to protect the roof of your car from the object. It s important to use the right tie downs and place the item correctly on the roof rack if you want to avoid damaging your cargo or causing an accident. To tie down a kayak place it right side up on your roof rack and center it. Improper tie down practices are all too common and many accidents and injuries happen because someone didn t take their time loading cargo on the roof of the car.

Here i have the bicycle s handlebars firmly planted on the roof rack s cross bar in the. Use ratchet or cam straps to tie the roof rack through the doors not the windows. Of course properly strapping down your load is crucial in making sure all your gear reaches its destination. Run 2 boat straps over the top of the kayak and them under the roof rack bars then bring the straps to the other side of the kayak and loop them under the roof rack bars on that side.

The purpose of this page is to not only to give you step by step instructions on securing cargo to your roof rack but also to educate you in the safety precautions you ll need to keep in mind as well as. Tie the straps down with cam buckles to secure the kayak. Fortunately roof luggage racks save space inside your car by allowing you to utilize your roof space for your gear. If you have side rails and crossbars the straps can be looped around those.

Just load up the roof strap down your cargo and hit the road. With anything you plan on tying down you ll need three preferably four solid points of contact stability. For a video and step by step instructions on how to tie down a kayak please see our article on how to tie down a kayak to a vehicle. By using proper methods you can haul your cargo safely to your destination.

The basic steps to properly and safely secure cargo to the roof of your vehicle are the same whether you re securing your cargo to roof cross bars side rails ladder racks or baskets.