PSA - check your roof racks

**Benny Profane** · 12-04-2021, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by old goat

The only thing I have left personally on the roof and lost was a climbing rope. Probably other stuff as well but I've forgotten. Friend of mine left his passport, credit cards, ID, money on the roof of his rental car in Italy. We ran into him in Rome as he was waiting to get a temp passport.
I've backed over my ski poles several times. I've learned that skis and poles always go on the driver's side while I change out of my ski boots.

Yes. Never put stuff on passenger side. I made it a mile down the road from Abasin one time when non stoner dude in my head asked stoner dude in my head, say, did you put your skis in the box? Doh. There they were, in the middle of the parking lot, looking lonely.

**El Chupacabra** · 12-04-2021, 09:56 AM

Expanded PSA: never let other people load your roof rack or hitch rack.

Brand new 4Runner, let a friend put his skis in the roof rack... and he dropped them down the side of the vehicle, scraping along the door the whole way.

**DaGriller** · 12-04-2021, 10:11 AM

Thanks for the advice. Got my first rack for my truck this year and I’ll be sure to be proactive

**jonesy** · 12-04-2021, 10:23 AM

Do a walk around before leaving a location. Always a good idea.

**~mikey b** · 03-14-2023, 07:47 PM

I was reminded of this today

check ‘em in the parking lot - boxes and racks

is everything that needs to be in there, in there?

secured, and shut, and locked?

and when I went to pull racks off my truck the other day I found one tower that was looser than I liked

just take a look at your setup next time you get a chance

**CptnCrunch** · 03-14-2023, 08:20 PM

Tall vehicle + roof rack box + low clearance parking garage = expensive, according to a friend.

**~mikey b** · 03-14-2023, 08:39 PM

when I had a camper on my truck I had a label I made stuck on my dash with the height of the rig printed on it - helped for parking garages and the like

SB · 03-15-2023, 03:48 AM

Make sure those clampy racks are closed and latched before driving.

Watched a guy driving down the access road couple weeks ago with the box lid fully open.

After having kayaks fly off the vehicle many moons ago you start double and triple checking.

Do not let your buddy who smokes dope like a freight train tie anything on or down.

**hutash** · 03-15-2023, 08:22 AM

Originally Posted by El Chupacabra

Expanded PSA: never let other people load your roof rack or hitch rack.

Brand new 4Runner, let a friend put his skis in the roof rack... and he dropped them down the side of the vehicle, scraping along the door the whole way.

Truth. I let my wife and daughter unload a kayak which they dropped and scratched the shit out of the car. Fortunately, it was an Outback, so it just added to its personality.

**detrusor** · 03-15-2023, 09:18 AM

Wife had the daughters kayak leave the sprinter somewhere in the gorge home from mt hood.

Noticed in Jackson hole. Many 11year old tears were shed.

**Gerome** · 03-15-2023, 10:02 AM

PSA: Don’t use low quality cheap racks. Three years ago I watched my Santa Cruz nomad roll off the top of my car on the freeway, make a front flip back onto its wheels at 75mph, roll one lane over to the fast lane, then roll right, across four lanes of traffic and stop in a fence on the side of the road. It’s amazing the bike had no damage out of pure luck. It’s nice that it is aluminum frame and not carbon so I can be more confident in the frame integrity. I bought a new Thule rack the next day.

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**Jax** · 03-15-2023, 11:13 AM

My ski poles were on the right side of car on the ground, skis already loaded. Took boots off, seemingly forgot to put poles in car because... out of sight, out of mind. Noticed a thump as I reversed out of parking spot, thought 'hmm chunky snow...' and proceeded to drive home. Total stoner move.

**EWG** · 03-15-2023, 12:31 PM

I once drove a bike mounted on a roof rack into a building overhang above a driveway. The clearance was about 10” too low. Destroyed the bike.

Here’s the kicker: I built the building. I stressed for a long time about how to raise that overhang, finally admitted it couldn’t be raised, and moved forward with that height. It’s a public parking lot. And the only person that drove a bike into it was me.

And I was sober.

So that was nice.