Tie down straps for boat on top of 4B
Submitted: Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 17:02
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Member - Norm C (QLD)
I've finally got the boat on top of the 'Lux. Seems very secure, but has only been out for a short test run so far.
We are heading for Woodgate Beach / Burrum River this week end so that will be the first good run; about 5 hours each way.
I currently have it tied down with 3 x 25mm rachet straps. The straps are rated to 400KG. I assume that is the pressure you can ratchet them to before they break. The boat is very secure and I cannot budge it, no matter how hard I try. I have a steel rail bolted to the racks down each side, with less than 10mm clearance to the boat gunwale. This will limit any sideways movement should any occur.
Forward and backwards movement is limited by the steel basket I have under the boat (carrying fuel
tank, swivel
seat, tinnie mover
wheels, etc). If the boat moves, the thwarts (
seat benches) hitting against the basket will limit the movement to about 30mm forward and 100mm back.
I guess my concern is the durability of the ratchet straps at motorway speeds (90 to 95KPH for us when towing) and on corrugated roads, along with the consequences if they fail without notice!!
For those with experience carrying roof top boats over long distances (including off road, how does my set up sound. What size tie down straps do you use?
Reply By: Member - len W (NSW) - Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 17:19
Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 17:19
norm.......... i use the same as you but only two straps but i got some clear plastic pipe from the hardware and run the strap inside it to help protect the straps on the sharp edges of the boat and from the sun so far i have had them over 12 months and does not look like wearing also i have reached 100 ks with boat on top no movement pluss i use a rope to the bull bar just in case
................len
AnswerID:
191482
Follow Up By: Member - Norm C (QLD) - Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 18:17
Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 18:17
Hadn't thought of the clear plastic. I had Kathryn sew up canvas sleeves about 150mm long that go across the keel to protect the strap, but there are a couple of other
places where rubbing may be a problem over time as
well.
I am carrying the boat a long way back. The rear bar is just forward of the tow ball and the boat overhangs that by about 300mm. The front of the boat is about 200mm behind the top of the windscreen. A rope to the bull bar would rub on the cab roof, so I am trying not to use one.
FollowupID:
449284
Reply By: strzelecki - Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 17:25
Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 17:25
Hi Norm,geeez heading off again lucky bugga.
What combo have you ended up on the bars,still 2 on the cab and one on the caonopy?
I never really trust those ratchet strap thingy's 100% ,I aways tie off the strap end securely just in case the ratchet goes rat bleep .
AnswerID:
191486
Follow Up By: Member - Norm C (QLD) - Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 18:12
Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 18:12
I have two commercial bars on the canopy and I had a bar made up that goes down the side of
the tub to protector bars that are joined to the tow bar. The rear one (to the chassis) carries all the weight when loading and unloading and probably about a third of the total weight when under way. There is no weight on the cab at all.
I put rollers on the rear bar to help with loading and unloading.
FollowupID:
449283
Reply By: madfisher - Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 17:50
Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 17:50
Hi Norm,
I normally get 18 months out of a strap but use wider ones and keep and eye out for tears which is normally the first
sign of wear. But i think with all your precautions you
will be right just protect against wear where the strap rubs against the boat. Tight lines you lucky bugger Pete
AnswerID:
191489
Follow Up By: Member - Norm C (QLD) - Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 18:19
Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 18:19
I bought the straps in a pack of four and only use three, so I will carry the other as as spare in case of wear. If they last less than 12 months, I'll go for wider ones next time.
FollowupID:
449287
Reply By: russ36 - Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 18:47
Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 18:47
amongst the garbage that supercheap stock is a pair of yellow good quality 38 mm 900 kg rated staps with good quality ratchets and webbing...i have used two to tie down my tinny from brissy to the gulf and back, and several local fishing trips, along with all of my daily scaffolding/ building material transport requirements for years..once you get going with these, ropes and truckies hitches just dont compare....i have also thought of protector sleeves for the top of the boat but havent got round to it yet....alot of the thinner webbing u see on the cheaper brands have bugger all abrasion resistance and are often not made of UV stable material
AnswerID:
191504
Reply By: friar - Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 19:49
Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 19:49
G/Day Norm C I use only 2 rachet tie downs.When i bought them they were too long so i cut about 1200 off them&. then had a machinist sew them together where they go over the keel & spray rails,been to the cape 7 times & territory 3times no problems,the only thing sometimes the wind causes them to sing ,a twist in the tie downs solves this problem.
Friar
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Member - Norm C (QLD) - Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 20:05
Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 20:05
Good tips there friar. I've been taking pains to keep twists out, but your 'put a twist in it' idea has some logic. I also cut 4.5m straps down to about 3m, but hadn't thought about getting the machinist (who I married 30 years ago), to double up where it rubs on the boat.
FollowupID:
449314
Reply By: Member - Willie , Epping .Syd. - Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 22:27
Monday, Aug 28, 2006 at 22:27
Hi Norm ,
I used to use straps , with canvas protective sleeves until a very clever fitter and turner , made me a set of four gunnel clamps which hold my 3.7m Dart solidly in place on the roof rack .
I will email you some photos of them .
Cheers ,
Willie .
AnswerID:
191558
Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 07:40
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 07:40
Norm,
You should have no trouble with those straps mate.
They are stronger than what they look.
You may notice however, that some straps are thicker than others. (like potato chips). Real el-cheapo ones are usually quite thing and I wouldn't trust them implicitly. The straps you can buy at the better hardware stores and 4WD outlets are thicker and more robust.
Straps don't "look" to be strong enough though. I couldn't help but put a "safety rope" on the front anchor tie-down point on my rig, just to give extra protection.
I have gotten over that paranoia now though with the camper, but the straps are more like 30mm wide and fairly thick. Just use two of them.
AnswerID:
191585
Reply By: Member - Beatit (QLD) - Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 07:59
Tuesday, Aug 29, 2006 at 07:59
G'day Norm,
Sounds OK but just a tip, I have heard of people breaking their tinnie by over ratcheting when tying it down. Apparently the kind of pressure you can apply with these straps is pretty harsh on a small area of the boat, so experiment a little to make sure that you don'r overdo it - we all like to give that one extra click but don't be tempted.
Kind regards
AnswerID:
191592