Securing your shovel

Hi Douglas

Most roof rack manufacturers sell an add on kit for clamping your shovel to the side of the rack. (Mines a tracklander rack)

Easy to get at, easy to release.

I drive a corrugated track everyday and it hasn't loosened up yet.

Ocky straps will do as a bare minimum ....

Just make sure that when you jam the brakes on ... the shovel cant slide forward.

Ive had a lip for the blade to fit into ... and a sealed end, tube for the handle tip on a couple of past arrangements.

You can buy a pair of brackets that clamp to the side of a basket, or to the channel of a Rhino Rack.

The brackets have a tube which the handle passes through and held there by wingnuts.

I have a pair of metal brackets but noticed during a recent visit to Roof Rack World there is also a pair of plastic ones available.


Bill.

Douglas C,

as OzTroopy has said, I believe that it is extremely important that the shovel can't move forward if it works loose, so the blade should face towards the rear of the vehicle in dedicated "through brackets" as in the Rhino type.

Brian

Agree with all the comments. TJM stock some nice cheap rubber mounts with a quick release strap. I used them, bolted to the roofrack, but bolted them from the inside and left about 1 inch of bolt poking through the mount so it pokes outwards. I drilled a hole in the shovel handle so it fits over the bolt. This stops the shovel going forwards or backwards.

Hi Douglas if you are looking for the "No Frills" version, I use a piece of plastic plumbers pipe big enough Dia for handle of shovel to fit comfortably in + 2 hose clamps to secure pipe to pack rack, shovel slides in from rear, on a 100series LC head of shovel is high enough not to walk into is very easy to access when needed and is secured by a piece of cord tied to pack rack with a snap hook on the end that clips onto shovel. Very Cheap and easy to use has served me well over the years.
Safe Travels
Barry

You can buy a packet of heavy duty cable ties for under 20 bucks and they have hundreds of uses. Clamp them firmly on your shovel and it'll never move then cut them off to use it. At a few cents each it's cheap, easy and convenient. Just don't discard them carelessly.

I got some 2 small lengths of steel tubing to feed the handle through, drilled a hole in each one, welded a nut over each hole and screwed a bolt through the thread to secure the shovel handle. Welded a back plate to the tubing and bolted that to the roof rack.

I saw these in a 4wd accessory shop for over $90, I made mine for $2.50. 5 years later they're still going strong. If I get time after work tomorrow I will post a photo.

Thank you all for your responses ....lots of possibilities that I can explore ...and plenty of inexpensive but effective options .
Thanks again ...much appreciated !
Douglas C