How to tie down canoe to car?

[usmcveteran]

Ok here is my question...... I just got roof rack today and it's installed. I am going to use rope to secure to rack and don't have questions on that at this point.

What I am wondering though are front and rear tie down points. My car doesn't really have any. I did buy 2 straps that you close in hood and trunk which gives you tie down points.

Can I use just one tie down for front and back or do I need two points in front and back ?

[Meketrefe]

The side ones are important. Make sure there is some firm padding so it puts the tension all around the canoe.
Do not tie to a closed trunk. This transfers the tension to the lock. Instead run the strap to the bottom of the car and find a solid place for the hook.
you might want to wash the bumper and then put a rug between the strap and the hood/bumper/etc.. so it doesn't get
scuffed with vibration. a sponge or some soft of soft foam will also work but a cotton towel is the best (very soft). secure it
with some duck tape so it doesn't fly or vibrate with the wind. Same thing in both back and front. Do not need a lot of force there but you want
steady tension that doesn't go loose on you. Road and wind vibration is normally what undoes things that is why tension and secure lock and/or
nuts is a must.
After a few miles on the highway see how everything is behaving and might want to stop the first service exit to check make sure all is
secured and doesn't come loose with the vibration. The best thing with this is redundancy so if you have two tie downs in every place with
different systems if one goes loose the other will take over. This is the same with anything you strap for a trip, specially one that inovolves
serious miles on the highway.

[usmcveteran]

Thanks, I plan on taking canoe to a couple local places before my trip to get dogs used to it and to practice tieing if down before a long trip. I didn't see any obvious front and back tiedown points but I will probably have to look a little more.


Anyone has any thoughts?

[thughes]

Get a truck?

[usmcveteran]

Not sure that's the most cost effective solution lol

[dwa12479]

What kind of car? I think I would use ratcheting tie down straps rather than rope. You can buy a 4 pack of 15' ers for around $25

[masterswimmer]

I agree with dwa. Ratcheting tiedowns to the undercarriage towing hooks.

[usmcveteran]

2013 Subaru impress hatchback

[usmcveteran]

I agree with dwa. Ratcheting tiedowns to the undercarriage towing hooks.

Don't think I have undercarriage towing hooks

[Hunter]

Around the canoe and through the windows.

[Cgrutt]

Oh, yeah, THAT car, LOL

Personally I'd use straps around the canoe and to the roof rack (over canoe, under rack, back over canoe and under rack again). They don't have to be ratcheting type, self locking work fine. Ratcheting are good too but don't tighten it so much it deforms your canoe. Front tie down is important so it doesn't pick up wind but the straps are really what is going to hold it down to the vehicle. Attach to something solid on frame of vehicle, not plastic or anything that turns/pivots. You can use another strap and a carabiner to make an attachment point if there is nothing obvious to connect directly too. Use a trucker hitch to fasten the rope to canoe and keep it taught. Two wraps around the rope towards the looped end of rope and then one over and back. If tied correctly you should be able to put quite a lot of tension on it by sliding the knot along the rope and it should stay taught when you let go of it. Same thing on back of canoe but less important than front.

[Meketrefe]

Depending on the ca'rs design and shape adding anchor points might be easy and w/o putting stress on the hood or locks. But I don't think it will be necessary.
look at the bottom and you will have plenty of places to hook the straps w/o any problems.

If I was going to do the below I would use an actual bolt on nice sturdy D ring galvanized or something for this weather and leave them. Again it depends on the hood design.
Same in the back.

[usmcveteran]

This is what I ordered already. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0024A...ck+quick+loops

It works by being wedged in and shouldn't put to much stress on truck or hood I wouldn't think.

Is one for front and one for back tie down wise good enough since it will have 2 straps on racks already?

[masterswimmer]

I always used two in the front and two in the back.
Restricting the lateral movement with two on each end served me well for decades.

[Meketrefe]

This is what I ordered already. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0024A...ck+quick+loops

It works by being wedged in and shouldn't put to much stress on truck or hood I wouldn't think.

Is one for front and one for back tie down wise good enough since it will have 2 straps on racks already?

I would not use those. The stress always goes to the lock and there is no guarantee they will stay in place.
Find a strong point to anchor the straps and forget about those.