How to Tie Luggage Down with Roof Rack Straps

by Cameron Saunders June 20, 2019

Tying down your luggage isn’t difficult, but it does require some knowledge. Since securing your load is a top priority, we’re going to walk you through exactly how to tie down your luggage using roof rack tie downs (with tips from the NTC Australia!).

General Tips and Rules of the Road

Before we get down to the specifics, we want to remind you of a few rules of the road:

• You must restrain any load on a vehicle so that it is secure during normal driving conditions.

• Your load cannot negatively affect the stability of your vehicle.

• Your load cannot protrude from your vehicle in a way that inhibits anyone’s view.

• You must pick up any items that have fallen off your vehicle.

Now that you know the most basic rules of restraints, it’s time to start planning your trip!

First, look at your load and determine its weight, dimensions, friction levels (is it slippery or rough?), stability, and fragility. Then, choose a vehicle that can support the load properly. Check your country’s individual legal loaded vehicle weight and dimensions to ensure your safety and legality.

All loads can be restrained by using either a tie-down strap or direct restraint methods. Before using any restraints, make sure your equipment is in good working condition. (WRAPTIE™ uses only high-quality materials that have been tested extensively by real tradespeople as well as under laboratory conditions.)

Never use equipment that is broken, worn down, or damaged.

Using the tie-down method as a roof rack strap, your load is prevented from moving by the friction between the load and vehicle, created by the weight of the load and pressure from the tie-down straps. Tie-down straps are tensioned across the luggage to hold the load down. Tie-down straps are most effective if they are vertical and tight. The minimum lashing angle for effective restraint is 35°, so you may need to place stable packing material under the load to achieve this angle! 

How to Use WRAPTIE™ as Car Roof Rack Straps

Now that we’ve got the rules of the road all laid out, it’s time to load your vehicle and secure it with a tie-down! While any tie-down may suffice, WRAPTIE™ is the world’s only multifunction strap with the speed of duct tape, the versatility of a bungee and the strength of a tie down. The best part? They’re intuitive and easy to use! Among WRAPTIE™ multi-purposes use, roof rack tie downs are a perfectly suitable use, Simple...

Attach: Grab your WRAPTIE™ strap and secure using the Fast Grab end to your roof rack. Unlike traditional tie-down straps such as bungee cords, the ends of WRAPTIE™ straps are flexible, able to attach to anything. And because they do not have any hooks or buckles there is no risk of injury or damage to your gear!

Stretch: Now stretch the strap to the desired tension and wrap around your load. Remember that WRAPTIE™ straps are infinitely adjustable, with no fear of breaking or snapping back, meaning you won’t be left looking for a place to wrap up the loose ends.

Quick Tip: If you are tying down an extra slippery load such as a kayak then you may need some non-slip pads such as the Wraptie™ GRIPPERS which are made from recycled rubber!

 

 

 

Twist: Next, pull the WRAPTIE™ through your second contact point and twist the active end of the strap a half turn.

Secure: After the twist, you just secure the strap back along with itself. Our innovative hook and loop fastening system will anchor the strap to your vehicle and itself, making sure your cargo is along for the ride. With a max load of 50kg/110lb, even your biggest suitcase, tent, or whatever you’re traveling with isn’t going anywhere! There you have it, perfect car roof rack straps!

Heres a great video that runs through it all --> How To Use The Wraptie™ 130

What Next?

Now that securing your luggage is the least of your worries, it’s time to hit the road! Our suggestions? Plan your route ahead of time using a road trip planning website like Roadtrippers that can help you map out exactly where you're headed. Have friends and family on the way? Work out how you can incorporate a visit into your trip! They may offer you free room and board as a plus.

Let us know how you're using WRAPTIE™ on your summer adventures using #wraptiestraps on Instagram.

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