Movement and tie downs.
How to tie a box to a roof rack.
When you own a car at some point or another you re going to want to put things on your roof.
There are really three kinds of scenarios for your roof wood said.
It s also crucial to secure your load to guard against movement on all axes front to back side to side and up and down.
Roof racks have been known to fail at high speeds with lots of updraft so take the extra precaution of tying the roof rack down to the roof of the vehicle as well.
By using proper methods you can haul your cargo safely to your destination.
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.
Assess your rack situation.
Tie each section firmly.
Tying a mattress to a car roof falls in a grey area of legality.
Use ratchet or cam straps to tie the roof rack through the doors not the windows.
It s the best way to carry oddly shaped unwieldy and extra items that might not fit in the car but.
Is tying a mattress to a car legal.
The only downside of putting you bike on top of a car s roof rack is if you forget it s there and go to a drive through you may smash your bike if you forget.
Aside from being dangerous this is illegal in most states.
There s the scenario where there s absolutely nothing on the top of your roof.
Wood said most roof rack systems for cars have a dynamic roof load of about 165.
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.
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.
Weave rope through the windows and around the mattress at least four times twice in front and and twice in back including the length wise rope already in place.
On a related note never tie anything across the roof that exceeds the width of the vehicle beyond either side mirror.
Remove your rack when not in use to avoid the added weight drag and noise.