Posted By: Ocelot
Tips on tying kayak to vehicle - 08/24/19 05:01 AM
Thurssday night loaded up the suburban to go do some kayak fishing in Hot Springs Village.
About 35 minutes out heard a thumping on the roof as crossing over Lake Ray Hubbard.
When got to other side, pulled off the road and checked the straps holding down kayak to roof rack.
Front strap going across kayak had pulled apart. No fraying or damage in the area, looked like someone took a very sharp knife to it.
Tied strap together and put back on.
About 30 minutes later same thing happened again. This break was over a different part of the kayak/roof rack.
Fixed strap and moved it back some and rest of trip there and back no issues.
Fortunately in addition to one strap across the front of kayak and one across the rear holding the kayak to the roof rack I also had a tie down to front and rear of the vehicle.
In this case, the straps to front of the vehicle prevented the kayak from potentially being damaged or coming off the vehicle.
Having straps to front and rear of vehicle in addition to straps across the kayak also helps prevent your roof rack from being pulled off the top of your vehicle with the kayak attached.
Only takes a minute or two to add the strap to the front/rear of the vehicle but can save damage to your kayak, vehicle or an accident.
Additionally, my straps for tying going across the kayak are long so I tie the ends down after looping around some part of the roof rack.
Having the free end of the strap outside the buckle tied off so that it looped around the roof rack kept the broken strap attached to the vehicle and allowed me to here it flapping against the vehicle.
Without the loop, strap would have come completely loose and something much worse would have been the first sign something was wrong.
Hopefully these pointers can keep others from having an accident or damaging kayak/vehicle.
Time for me to get some new straps and have a spare in the vehicle.
I have made 100+ trips to the lake with my kayak in the last year without any problems. About a dozen to Oklahoma, Arkansas, College Station. All without incident. So this is not the case of not knowing how to tie a kayak down.
About 35 minutes out heard a thumping on the roof as crossing over Lake Ray Hubbard.
When got to other side, pulled off the road and checked the straps holding down kayak to roof rack.
Front strap going across kayak had pulled apart. No fraying or damage in the area, looked like someone took a very sharp knife to it.
Tied strap together and put back on.
About 30 minutes later same thing happened again. This break was over a different part of the kayak/roof rack.
Fixed strap and moved it back some and rest of trip there and back no issues.
Fortunately in addition to one strap across the front of kayak and one across the rear holding the kayak to the roof rack I also had a tie down to front and rear of the vehicle.
In this case, the straps to front of the vehicle prevented the kayak from potentially being damaged or coming off the vehicle.
Having straps to front and rear of vehicle in addition to straps across the kayak also helps prevent your roof rack from being pulled off the top of your vehicle with the kayak attached.
Only takes a minute or two to add the strap to the front/rear of the vehicle but can save damage to your kayak, vehicle or an accident.
Additionally, my straps for tying going across the kayak are long so I tie the ends down after looping around some part of the roof rack.
Having the free end of the strap outside the buckle tied off so that it looped around the roof rack kept the broken strap attached to the vehicle and allowed me to here it flapping against the vehicle.
Without the loop, strap would have come completely loose and something much worse would have been the first sign something was wrong.
Hopefully these pointers can keep others from having an accident or damaging kayak/vehicle.
Time for me to get some new straps and have a spare in the vehicle.
I have made 100+ trips to the lake with my kayak in the last year without any problems. About a dozen to Oklahoma, Arkansas, College Station. All without incident. So this is not the case of not knowing how to tie a kayak down.