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Highway speed with gear on top of the car
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willysp



Joined: 11 Jun 2013
Posts: 32
Location: Seattle, WA

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 12:11 am    Post subject: Highway speed with gear on top of the car Reply with quote

Hi all,
I wonder what do you think is a reasonable speed when you are carrying your gear on the top of your car using roof racks. If you want, you can tell us what type of roof rack or cross bars you use and the amount of gear you carry on top. I am asking this because I will be getting cross bars for my car and I never used the top of a car to carry anything at highway speed.
Thanks,
Wilson
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LeeD



Joined: 12 Jun 2008
Posts: 1175

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 12:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

For over 25 years, I carried 3 boards atop my Civics and cruised around at 70 on the freeways, never having a problem.
New tiedowns, solid Yakima racks, wide spread were the keys.
Drove up to the Gorge from SF twice with 6 windsurf boards and 2 surfboards atop, no problems.
Exceeding around 80 is pushing it though.
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KevinDo



Joined: 02 Jul 2012
Posts: 426
Location: Cabrillo Inside

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 12:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've always tried to stay below 65mph. Using Yakima Qtowers along with some tie downs from home depot that I replace annually.
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MalibuGuru



Joined: 11 Nov 1993
Posts: 9293

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 2:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Therefore, it depends on how well your racks are installed, how strong are your tie downs, and how you distribute the load.
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GURGLETROUSERS



Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Posts: 2643

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 3:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Have always carried roof rack strapped on gear (couple of boards, or a kayak) on small European cars at 70m.p.h. motorway speeds.

Used to rely on Thule heavy duty, designed for the car model, racks, but nowadays most car manufacturers supply their own dealer fitted racks as optional extras, which comply wit all current safety laws.

It is crucial that they are correctly FITTED (the adjustable bolt down/on parts). I specified the makers rack on my new Suzuki Swift mini, which is intended for carrying such things as windsurf boards. (They show that in the catalogue blurb.)

I've never had any concern at 70m.p.h. motorway speeds, even when passing long strings of artics, which generate car shaking whirlwinds around them! Though I do wonder what Suzuki legal department might say if they saw my Mahalo tandem board strapped on top? (Best they don't know, methinks!)

Also, most of us carry the boards upside down (fin upwards) despite the usual advice to do it the other way up. Neither do we tie the front and back down. We all assume the manufacturers allow the 'normal' extra safety margins above the recommended loadings. So far we've been proven right, since early 80's longboard days!
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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 7:58 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've driven tens of thousands of miles with at least 4 boards (including longboards) plus several masts, sails, and booms on top of a 280Z and an Astro van. My racks were a mix of OEM and hand-fabricated clamps, bars, etc. On the 280Z I ran a rope over the board noses and down to the front bumper. This was largely in NM, where gusty head, tail, and side winds were often (hopefully) 30-50 mph. I kept my speedometer below 100 mph most of the time (NM essentially didn't enforce limits on rural highways back then), so apparent winds were usually below 140 mph. Never had any doubts about or problems with the racks or the gear.
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Darbonne



Joined: 27 Jan 2012
Posts: 252
Location: Farmerville, Louisiana

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 8:48 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Van Tech M1000 camper shell rack. Bolted on with nylock bolts. I double up on the straps for long trips. 80 mph+ I don't even feel them up there.


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isobars



Joined: 12 Dec 1999
Posts: 20935

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 9:00 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'll bet that if you turned the board around and mounted it belly up, it would ride below your slipstream, boosting fuel mileage and greatly reducing lift and drag (i.e., force) on the load and rack.
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Darbonne



Joined: 27 Jan 2012
Posts: 252
Location: Farmerville, Louisiana

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 9:29 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

isobars wrote:
I'll bet that if you turned the board around and mounted it belly up, it would ride below your slipstream, boosting fuel mileage and greatly reducing lift and drag (i.e., force) on the load and rack.


You are probably correct. I usually do on longer trips. I started loading it this way after reading some posts on this forum. mainly to protect the bottom of the board. Also with it deck down I cant get in the back as easily. I just have an 8 minute drive to the other end of the lake. So this doesn't hurt me too bad. I'll be driving this rig to the Keys for the Kona worlds in Nov. 22 hours. Probably will load deck down.
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cgoudie1



Joined: 10 Apr 2006
Posts: 2597
Location: Killer Sturgeon Cove

PostPosted: Thu Aug 28, 2014 10:38 am    Post subject: Re: Highway speed with gear on top of the car Reply with quote

I installed custom gutters myself on my Ford AeroStar, so that I could
attach Thule feet and a Gorge Rack (square Thule style bars 4 vertical.)

I've driven that with 4 boards mounted up top way past 80MPH without
fear, (because I mounted the "gutter rails" myself). Having looked at
the way most factory racks are installed (some with pop rivets), I would
never drive those into any kind of wind or at any speed.

That was back in the days when I slept in my van (some 9 or 10 years ago). Now that I'm less itinerate, the stuff all goes inside, and my
van hasn't seen a rack since.

-Craig

willysp wrote:
Hi all,
I wonder what do you think is a reasonable speed when you are carrying your gear on the top of your car using roof racks. If you want, you can tell us what type of roof rack or cross bars you use and the amount of gear you carry on top. I am asking this because I will be getting cross bars for my car and I never used the top of a car to carry anything at highway speed.
Thanks,
Wilson
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