Re: [Paddlewise] Roof Racks

> Bob Denton wrote:
> >
> > I think we have a good experience base here on the list. Has anyone EVER
> > experienced strap failure?

I have never had strap failure but I also use front and back bumper
ties.  And I don't completely trust the cam buckles on the rack straps
and therefore tie several half hitches after snugging up the buckle
strap.  This is just in case the spring fails on the buckle...at least
the knots should hold awhile.

I know it is a pain in the tush to tie the front and back bumper straps
but it is a smart thing to do.  I have a setup I bought in a RV shop
that consists of webbing straps with hooks and an adjustable cam
buckle.  My straps are wearing out and tearing and so I will have to
restring the contraption with new webbing straps.

The only failure or near failure I have ever had was with my Thule bars.
I was carrying a couple of hardshells sea kayaks on the roof on a trip
from NYC to Maine.  Since I was removing the roofrack between trips (I
park on city streets), I probably hadn't tighten the bars sufficiently
to their towers (roof-gutter mounted) when I set up the rack at the
start of the trip.  At about the Maine border, I stopped for a break and
did my usual checking of the cartopping situation.  One bar was within a
hair of coming completely out of one of the towers.  Another couple of
miles of driving and it would have come apart.  Since the straps were
tied around the towers and bars, they would have come loose too.  My
guess is that, given that I had the front and rear bumper tie-downs, I
would not have had those hardshells flying down the highway but the end
of the bar may have dented my roof-top some.

Bumper ties are a must.  On another occasion, I was cartopping a bunch
of boats (3 sea kayaks and one whitewater boat) locally on a city
parkway after a trip without bumper ties.  It was late when we got off
the water and I let our supposedly trusted local kayak instructor tie
one side of the setup.  As we drove down the parkway along the Harlem
River, I could see the shadow of the boats alongside me and thought to
myself about the optical illusion that highway lights can create with
shadows.  I said to myself "It looks like one of the boats is hanging
out sideways."  Sure enough, I looked up and indeed the front end of the
whitewater boat had come completely loose and was now almost
perpendicular to our line of travel and just missing hitting center
island light posts by inches.  I was in the extreme left lane and made a
mad turn across lanes to the right shoulder cutting off some taxis in
the process (NYC taxi drivers must now think kayakers are r-e-a-l-l-y
crazy drivers! :-)).  Seems that instructor type was as tired as we all
were and had completely forgotten to tie the front rack strap on the WW
kayak!  If it had been a longer sea kayak, what a mess it would have
been for all the boats on the roof!!!

I guess both near accidents were not mechanical failure but human
failure.  I don't know if that counts but it should :-). 

ralph diaz
-- 
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Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter
PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024
Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com
"Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag."
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