I was behind a pickup
on the interstate that launched a 8-person inflated raft from the top of the camper trailer where it was lashed. Impressive airtime, and nobody hurt, but with all the swerving and panic braking that went on it could’ve been ugly. I don’t want one of my boats to do that.
Methinks bow and stern lines are cheap insurance.
Stabilizes the load
The bow and stern tie downs do several things:
- First and foremost they prevent the boat from wobbling up and down around the middle pivot points where it is attached to the rack. That is especially evident if you drive most modern sedans with curved roofs and corresponding sub 30" spread b/w the front and rear rack bars. With only front tie down you keep the bow from going up or if you have a “V” tie downs, from going sideways too; but it can still go down during stops/bumps, so the rear tie down(s) keeps the stern planted. Neither the front nor the rear need be tight - just snug enough so that the rope does not wobble too much in thw wind.
- Second, in case of an accident or failure of the main rack, the tie downs will help keep the boat on your roof or near the car. You want a front to keep the boat from flying out and up behind you. You need a rear one to keep the boat from sliding forward in a panic stop or if your entire rack comes loose for some reason.
I assumed that Ford’s attorneys
factored those in. Who knows?
Anyway, Thule mounts attatch to the factory rails too (Taurus/Sable wagon).
That’s why I lash it to the crossbar.
But yes, if I were to rear-end another vehicle and my crossbars break free, stern lines might limit forward travel of my boat to six or eight feet - still putting it through the rear window of a minivan. I’ll take that as a valid argument in favor.
My tie down story
– Last Updated: Jun-22-09 4:53 PM EST –
JackL and I have been round and round about this before and I won't even respond if he writes.
I have always been a believer in tie down lines,and had recent rack failure because I had not used rear tiedowns,simply the car I had at the time had no real way of tieing down on the rear. The rack was used before on the car,and properly fitted as per Yakima fit guide.I was hauling 2 canoes with Yakinma gunnel stops.
I was traveling to MD last November,and that day the winds alone were 40-45mph.For those who will undoubtly comment,No I wasn't going boating. I was traveling at speeds of the average of 45mph. I mounted my boats on the usual Yakima with Q towers,gunnel stops,and Yakima web straps set up I had used for years and hadn't any release issues. Using front tie down only. Within 10 miles the rear rack released because crosswinds of at least 40mph hit the rear with enough force to release the rack.The front rack held,and the tiedowns I BELIEVE saved my boats from severe damage. I re- attached even harder on the Q clamps and continued on with some slight roof damage. A few miles further the same happened again. Luckly I was traveling slow enough to stop fast and attend too the release quickly. I had a 24" bungie cord,a short piece of tiedown rope,and a towel. I fashioned a crude rear tie down and secured it to the muffler bracket of the car. I continued the trip without incident,and further release.
I e-mailed Yakima about my incident,and they responded the the original Q clips were not long enough on the contact lip,and the proper angle. They sent me the replacements free. Either way the I BELIEVE the tie downs prevented release of the front rack,and crude rear also did the same once in place.Probably a rare incident,but restored my faith in tiedowns. In very windy situations,or highway travel, I WILL use front & rear tiedowns
billinpa
Hey Bill,
I am not going to stoop to your level, but you and I both know that it was a completely different incidence that we had a go around on.
Enough said on that.
cheers,
JackL
A cross bar is not fail proof
This cross bar failed due to high winds:
http://www.kajak.nu/bilder/bilder2003/div03_1/rails.jpg
A bow tie down prevented the boats from leaving the roof.
Don’t know about Ford
Thule writes the following in their manuals:
“All long loads such as, but not limited
to, sailboards, surfboards, kayaks, canoes, and lumber
must be tied down front and rear to the bumpers or tow
hooks of the vehicle.”
(See http://www.thuleracks.com/instructions/501688302,%20450%204502.pdf)
I would be surprised if Ford dared to recommend anything less.
Not sure, but those look like rails to
me, not cross bars, and that those connections on the end pivoted as if on one round fastener. Obviously a poor design and/or construction.
rails
Yes you’re right those are the rails that the cross bars are connected to. And I also agree that it’s a bad design, but you have no way of knowing that before you have seen it fail.
My take is that it’s impossible to foresee a such an incident. If it’s not the rails it might be something else such as the cam buckle or the fastening arrangements of the crossbars. Hence, I don’t put my trust in a bomb proof rack. In fact Thule recommends tie downs themselves.
…
Been using the front tie down… worked ok on a interstate trip… but was concerned when an 18 wheeler created a lot of lateral wind force…
The Thule straps take less than 30 seconds… I’m going to start adding the back one also… straps get old… If you think about it both the front and back are secured to one side, say the left, prevent the front of the kayak from moving left or right…
who knows when a huge gust will hit you or some truck swipes the end, or some strap gets loose or breaks…
I also worked in construction for a while and saw many bad accidents that could have been prevented by following simple safety guidelines. I could even predict exactly how someone would get hurt.
I use shrink wrap
It does tend to become a spectacle at the put in.
tie downs
OK, thanks.
I like a reasonable amount of tension on the lines, mostly to help prevent the bow (or stern) getting caught in the wash from passing trucks. But I suspect even I don’t have enough tension to actually affect the metal of the hood in any way.
–
Darryl
A number of positives
– Last Updated: Jun-23-09 2:40 PM EST –
1. Bow and stern lines give you some early visual feedback should something be amiss with your boat(s) – in most cases, allowing enough time to slow down and stop safely. It’s also a good idea to get in the habit of ending your bow and stern line tie offs at locations that are visible from the drivers seat.
2. Bow and stern lines offer a level of redundancy should something go wrong with the rack or the straps holding your boat(s).
3. Bow and stern lines securely instill the peace of mind that comes from knowing that if your rack system fails, it’s unlikely that you’ll witness your boat going through another car’s windshield.
4. In the (unlikely) event of a catastrophe, it would be easier to claim in court that you took all reasonable precautionary measures to ensure that your boat was secured in a safe manner.
I used to work in the paddle industry and know first hand some of the horrifically inadequate ways in which some people tie boats to their cars. I’ve seen people (no BS here) tie a canoe to the roof of their car with 2 bungee cords before driving off! I’ve seen people tie boats to their cars with electrical extension cords! I refuse to drive on a highway behind anyone after seeing their shoddy tie-down setup, and quickly realize that I’m much safer with some distance between myself and them. I’ve seen a lot of boats come into the shop for repairs for damages sustained after falling off of a moving vehicle – it happens a lot more than you might think.
Ever since I had a boat come off my car, I use a good rack system (Yakima), secure my boats with straps that are visually checked for wear each time they are used, and use bow and stern tie-downs – putting the boats on my car does not take a lot of time (less than ten minutes for three boats), and I know that I’ve done everything reasonable to ensure that my boats are adequately secured to my vehicle.
Why take a chance?
Dan
http://www.westcoastpaddler.com
no one wants to admit
that their negligence is the reason why their “top of the line” rack system failed. Things generally do not “fail”.
On yourself or the boat?
Ford & GM…?
With the decision-making that has gone around US auto companies since the arrival of the Toyota Corolla, do you really think that an atty for Ford would really care?
for the big boats yes, not the small one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfAnXRMKBc0
6:00 minute mark, boat flies off roof.
I have bow and stern lines on the bigger boats, not on the manitou 13. I really need to add a line to prevent the manitou from flying forward in an accident, this thread is a reminder.
on my boat, where else?
(I came unraveled a long time ago!)
None
I’ve used under-hood tie downs on 3 cars ('95 Mustang, '01 VW Golf, and '04 Jetta Wagon) because towing lugs have all but disappeared on the front of newer cars. My older VW’s all had them.
But after 118,000 miles on the Jetta, the hood still looks fine.