DIY Tie-Down Loops - safety Posted by: old_user on Dec-17-08 9:37 AM (EST)
Hello - this is just what my husband made for me a few years ago and it works great. (I met some people at a put-in who had done this and copied the idea.) He used seat-belt material, put a grommet in the ends end of the webbing, and used one of the engine bolts through the grommet (not adding a hole to the frame). A safety note: in rescue rigging, we are trained never to use nylon on nylon, therefore I don't loop the nylon tie-down line through the nylon webbing loop. Instead I use a carabiner or a snap hook so it's nylon on metal on nylon. That way the two nylon items don't chafe and fray. Thanks for promoting this great idea.
This is a great idea. Gone are the days when you could just place a "S" hook under your car or truck and tie your canoe to it. I did the same with two cars that I own and it has work wonderfully. The belts just fold back under the hood or flop back into your trunk. I used body fender bolts. Took the bolts out, put the bolts through the webbing and replaced the bolts.
DIY is great--if you have the resources. I bought a similar set of tie-downs from Oak Orchid Canoe and Kayak in New York. They work just fine, were easy to install and inexpensive. Nancy McN in Phoenix
Good point about the nylon vs nylon...I'll add that note to my next article on the matter. Thanks!
Good point on nylon fraying....I constantly look for wear and tear on such things. So far nylon ropes and strap combo has not been a problem. I like the caribiner idea except when the end of the line slips out of your hand and dings the paint job on the car. All in all, such clips are a good idea and work well with knots to aid in tightening it all down.