Although most of your luggage will be secure while you’re on the plane, you still have to get it from and to the airport. You may not have room inside the car so you’ll need to invest in a Roof rack. Below you’ll find advice on how to choose a roof rack and how to secure the luggage on a roof rack. Let’s get to this one.
Choosing A Roof Rack
There are two types of roof racks to choose from, each with their own pros and cons.
Roof Baskets And Trays
They provide a secure surface on your car’s roof, where you can tie your belongings down. The downside is they’re not weatherproof, which means your luggage is vulnerable to the elements when traveling. To help offset this you can get a waterproof bag by covering your luggage, or you can use a Roof Box or Bag.
Roof Boxes And Bags
These are sealed spaces that can be attached to the top of your house. Being enclosed means your luggage is not at the mercy of the environment and is stored in a safe space together. A roof-box is ideal for stiffness. House bags aren’t rigid and behave more like tents on your roof. This makes the box longer lasting, and the best choice.
Roof boxes are the best choice when it comes to bringing your things on the roof, with second-hand bags, and then baskets and trays as a budget option.
Attaching Your Chosen Roof Rack
The way these are related differs from form to type. Roof boxes are the simplest since they just allow you to connect the box to the bars on your roof.
The other options, packs, racks, and baskets need a little more effort. Fortunately, it’s still easy, because you all have to repair it on the crossbars as before and secure the straps with which you tie your baggage down. You will want to check their strength and make sure that they are long enough to hold your luggage properly on the roof.
You can begin loading stuff now that you have a roof rack attached to your vehicle.
- Use this roof rack to store hauling extra luggage, camping equipment, cargo bags and more. Built for the outdoor adventurers lifestyle. Easy to install with 4 universal U-bolts. The bottom metal bars and side rails provide plenty of tie down points. A steel wind fairing is also included. Carry big loads and mount accessories directly to the crossbars or straight bars of this roof rack cargo basket.
- Mounts to vehicles cross bars with 4 universal U-bolts.Overall Dimensions w/No Extension: 43(L) x 39(W) x 6(H). Overall Dimension w/ Extension: 64(L) x 39(W) x 6(H) U-Bolt spacing: 1-7/8 x 4 3/4 Weight Capacity : 250 Lb
- Material: Steel. Color: Black. 6-1/2 tall, 1 diameter side rails keep cargo in place. Accommodating square cross bars up to 4-3/4 wide x 1-7/8 thick or round bars up to 1-7/8 in diameter.
- Warning: Never overload this rack! Though very durable, this external roof rack is not designed to protect the occupants of the vehicle in case of an accident or rollover.
- Using silicone sealant on the joint and welds in the assembly process is a good idea to avoid the rusting issue in the rain. And please feel free to contact us for any question.
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How to Tie Down Luggage on a Roof Rack
Loading Up And Strapping Down
With the box installed, all you need do is fill it up and make sure your luggage won’t jostle or slide around too much, as this can damage your stuff and the roof box. Just make sure the box is securely closed and locked so that it doesn’t accidentally fly open while you are driving.
Roof bags, too, not only need to be filled but also require you to anchor them down and then strap them securely to the roof. This can be done with the straps you installed when attaching the roof rack to your car. You won’t be needing to do much else other than getting on the road with these options installed.
With the tray and baskets, however, you’ll be doing a bit extra. With the tray or basket installed, begin by loading your belongings onto the roof rack. Then use the straps you installed to secure the baggage to the frame, pulling it tight and secure.
Once buckled and secure, there’s the issue that comes with it not being enclosed. Small items might come loose and fly off. For this reason, you might want to invest in a roof luggage rack net to pull over your luggage, securing it. Make sure to use the straps first, to hold the majority of things down, and use the net to catch smaller items.
At this point, you might have realized that the weather might be looking poor on the day of the trip, and you could end up damaging your belongings. Investing in a waterproof and weatherproof cover will prevent this. This fits over the tray or basket and adds to the stability and protection of your items.
Some Safety Tips
Below you’ll find a list of general safety tips to keep in mind when it comes to protecting your cargo:
- Make sure to use the proper equipment. Directly tying your things down with a piece of rope you had lying around will not do, as this is far less secure.
- Check that your luggage isn’t obstructing your sightlines when driving. Check your mirrors and windows, and make sure you have full visibility.
- Never let your baggage go wider than your car. This creates an imbalance in the vehicle, making driving difficult and even dangerous.
- Maintain a constant safe speed. It’s always better to go a bit slower than a bit faster when transporting anything on your roof. You don’t want to send anything flying or accidentally lose anything on the road.
Now that you know how to strap your luggage down and keep it safe during the trip, you can make that car ride to the airport and go on that vacation you’ve been needing all year!
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