If you have a roof rack the straps ropes can be looped around the side and cross rails.
Properly securing loads to roof rack.
It 39 s the best way to carry oddly shaped unwieldy and extra items that might not fit in the.
First verify whether your vehicle has a roof rack.
Consider 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.
Learn how to properly store cargo on the roof of your car.
On september 27 2002 the federal motor carrier safety administration fmcsa published new cargo securement rules.
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.
When you own a car at some point or another you 39 re going to want to put things on your roof.
A roof rack s load rating is based on a static load the weight of the load when the vehicle isn t moving.
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.
Wood said most roof rack systems for cars have a dynamic roof load of about 165 pounds.
Lighter goes lower place heavier items on top of lighter items.
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.
On each side of the roof you ll see a rack that runs the length of the roof of the vehicle.
The second option is the side racks.
Before placing cargo on your car s roof make sure you have the proper materials to keep the items secure and safe.
A roof rack acts as a support when securing your load.
But once you hit the road turn encounter bumps and dips or slow down inertia multiplies the weight of your load by four to five times.
The new rules are based on the north american cargo securement standard model regulations reflecting the results of a multi year research program to evaluate u s.
Use a tie down that wraps around the item and the rails.
Cover the entire load with a tarp or netting to prevent things from falling out.
Motor carriers operating in interstate commerce must comply with the new requirements beginning january 1 2004.
