My OT Loon stays on my truck 4-5 days
a week, tied down with ropes. No movement and seldom have to tighten the ropes. Got back from a 600 mile round trip last week and the ropes never had to be retied. I’ve hauled a jon boat on top of a van across country tied with rope and never a failure. Seems with staps I’m always retightening. As for knots, you really only have to know how to make a loop in your rope and tie a half hitch. Those two knots will get you through a lot.
Yup, illegal in NJ
Wha Ho, Pilgrims;
According to a phone call made to one of the chief honchos of the NJ State Police by a member of our club (after a local police officer stopped her with a warning) using rope to tie down an object to a motor vehicle is a no-no in the Garden State.
Fat Elmo
Bungee
If you add a couple of bungees to your strap the cam won’t loosen. Avoid ratchet straps. Not only is there a danger of over tightening you also have to deal with that large chuck of metal.
Personally I’ve driven many thousands of miles around the west hauling my kayaks using only bungees without a problem. I dare say that western driving conditions are more challenging than in the east, due to high winds.
Tie it with rops and throw a couple of
cheap straps around it for show. Hell, if I were strong enough, could lift my truck by the kayak after its roped down.
Ahh, slippery straps…
My Thule saddles came with slippery straps, so I guess I’ll go rinse them out. Good Tip.
Re: ratcheting straps. I had my big old fat Loon 160T on my roof for 5 months straight as I drove from LA to Mammoth to LA to San Diego to LA to Las Vegas and back. The ratchet straps didn’t seem to be a problem, when used with saddles. The boat was secure at 85mph. I bring the straps down to the cross bar close to the side of the boat. That way the tension in the strap pulls down, not sideways. Makes for a nice secure boat, with out over tightening.
Don
Ropes
Straps are for people who don’t know the ropes.