How To Secure A Load On Roof Racks

On each side of the roof you ll see a rack that runs the length of the roof of the vehicle.

How to secure a load on roof racks.

Two equally spaced straps running front to back and two side to side across the load will do the trick for most standard shaped items. After packing the cargo on top of the car use your tie down materials to secure the load. Step by step instructions step 1 packing step 2 secure everything well. This means that assuming you ve strapped everything down properly and your load doesn t exceed that weight you should be in the clear to drive as you normally would at highways speeds.

Place heavier items on top of lighter items to keep them in place and all items should stay centered between the doors. Then you can begin organizing the cargo on the roof of your car. Ratchet straps are a cheap and easy way to ensure the highest level of safety when deciding how to secure items on a roof rack. Next pull the long end of the strap under the crossbar on the.

Rope is ok but you have to master several fancy knots for it to be safe. Carry dirty gear like. That prevents the bundle from sliding forward backward or side to side. Next secure the load to the rack using ratchet straps photo 2.

First loop the strap under the roof rack s crossbar and drape the loose ends over your oblong load i e. Wood said most roof rack systems for cars have a dynamic roof load of about 165 pounds. Then secure the front and back ends of each lumber bundle with ratchet straps to prevent movement photo 1. Use a tie down that wraps around the item and the rails.

The second option is the side racks. With the third option crossbars with side rails you can secure an item to the side rails and run tie downs from front to back securing them to the crossbars. Carry bulky gear that won t fit in your vehicle. Use proper cam straps to secure your load.