Properly Securing Loads To Roof Rack

Use a tie down that wraps around the item and the rails.

Properly securing loads to roof rack. Consider a roof rack. Wood said most roof rack systems for cars have a dynamic roof load of about 165 pounds. 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. If you have a bunch of small things your best bet is to bundle them together as one big item before securing it to the rack making it much less likely that one will escape without notice.

Before placing cargo on your car s roof make sure you have the proper materials to keep the items secure and safe. Cover the entire load with a tarp or netting to prevent things from falling out. Stack items evenly across the roof and in the center of the doors. Learn how to properly store cargo on the roof of your car.

Motor carriers operating in interstate commerce must comply with the new requirements beginning january 1 2004. A roof rack s load rating is based on a static load the weight of the load when the vehicle isn t moving. Lighter goes lower place heavier items on top of lighter items. First verify whether your vehicle has a roof rack.

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. When you own a car at some point or another you 39 re going to want to put things on your roof. It 39 s the best way to carry oddly shaped unwieldy and extra items that might not fit in the. A roof rack acts as a support when securing your load.

On each side of the roof you ll see a rack that runs the length of the roof of the vehicle. 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. Always pay attention to the load limits of your roof rack either printed in the manual or stamped on the rack itself. If you have a roof rack the straps ropes can be looped around the side and cross rails.

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. On september 27 2002 the federal motor carrier safety administration fmcsa published new cargo securement rules.