tie downs
I may be courting disaster, but I don’t use front and rear tie downs. I’ve got a Yakima Outdoorsman bed rack on my pickup truck, using Mako saddles and Hully Rollers. My kayaks strap down very firmly using just the straps around the hulls with the saddles and rollers. I used front and rear tie-down straps once and couldn’t determine that it made a bit of difference, other than obstructing my vision while driving and creating a lot of wind noise.
Our '76 may have been my all-time
favorite car, for racing to and from rivers. No rust here in the SE. Just various problems, high part cost. We got 219,000 miles out of it. A burned valve and an increasingly flexy front understructure (rust?) finally took it down.
Eye bolt
On my Subaru I replaced a screw through the license plate with an eye bolt that goes through the steel bumper. A nut and lock washers are needed on both sides. It was a pain to reach the back side nut but it has worked flawlessly over the years. It’s located nearly on the vehicle centerline so it’s positioned correctly for a bow line. I use parachute chord which is thin but strong and does not flap in front of my face like a nylon strap would.
Just my 2 cents worth
Jim C.
My $2 solution …
… well, maybe a little over $2. My Toyota Echo has the same problem - all sorts of plastic junk in the front underneath (and part of) the bumper, air dam, what have you. I put two of my own tie-down points under there using eye bolts. I located the stiffest spot I could find, drilled a hole, inserted the eye bolt into a big fender washer, inserted that into the hole in the plastic, put a another fender washer on the other side, then a lock washer, then the bolt. Snugged it all down really tight and - voila - good to go. I’ve driven this way for months and there has never been enough pressure on the front tie downs (1" straps) to cause my eye bolts to even budge even though they’re mounted on plastic.
There are no other attachment points in front. The eye bolts I put in are convenient and easy to reach. The back of the car, BTW, has steel towing loops (I’m sure there’s a correct name for them) welded to the frame so no problem there.
Always amazed at the response
Thanks to everyone for the many suggestions. Might go w/ stocking for this weekend, but will go with a more permanent option soon.
Thanks again.
they have to be there
but they’re not
same problem on my 2000 Ford Focus
Webbing Loops worked great
Thanks again for the suggestions. Took some spare webbing and secured it under the front fender screw. Quick, easy and secure.
i know this guy.
i know alec well: he is a comic!
he would have no problem wandering into a shop and buying pantyhose.
i am told he went into lesanza in halifax to buy some nice stuff for his wife: an army buddy waited a gassed outside.
alec held up his purchases and called to his friend; “Does this look okay dear?”
i have heard that tale told a couple of times, apparently it is true.
i drive a toyota, that is how i tie the front and back down now. no damage so far.
you are right
but if your rack and car separate, the tie downs on the front and back keep things from hitting other cars at speed.
it’s a safety thing and as long as nothing goes wrong you will be fine.
front and back lines can ruin a kayak if they are to tight, one bump and they can tug the boat breaking it in the middle.
they are just for added safety, mostly for others.
Passat tiedowns
The Passat wagon has quite a long roof, which really helps carrying kayaks. You need tiedowns less with a Passat than with most any other type of vehicle.
Yeah, I checked under my son’s Focus
and I’ve never seen such a user-unfriendly front end for attaching bow ropes. The back end of the Focus has good possibilities, but the front of that car calls for a totally different approach.
Should have bought the B5
I can’t comment on the current version of the Passat (known as a B6 by VW folks). I have the 2000 B5 Wagon which was essentially the prior Passat version) that was built on the Audi A4/A6 platform. It’s been an excellent car. I’m at 164,000 miles, and 250,000 should be an easy run. Other than normal mainenance (fluids, timing belt, brake pads, tires, battery), I’ve had exactly two repairs… a $50 sensor in the fuel management system at about 120,000 and a starter at 152,000. The car has never been towed… so the single tow hook desribed above has never been used.
I don’t use bow and stern lines. Never have even with two touring canoes and a kayak on the roof. Maybe some day I’ll regret not using them… but if you really need bow and stern lines bolt the straps under the hood.
In addition, I hope your Passat problems are behind you, because I love mine. I’m just hoping that they’ll redo the B-6 Passat because it’s not really that attractive to me. If I need to buy a replacement for mine now, it’ll be a Jetta SportWagon or an Avant for me.
PK