Ratchet Straps for RVing, Camping, and Boating

We all use ratchet straps to tie down dirt bikes and loads on trailers and stuff.  I even use them to make sure my sailboat stays snug on its trailer in transit.  Putting a twist in them helps keep them from vibrating and makes them easier to see in your rear view mirrors to make sure they are where they are supposed to be but some people say that significantly reduces their strength.  Just watched a Youtube video where a guy tested a bunch of 2" straps.  He tested with 1 twist, 4 twists, 10 twists and a wet strap (after setting a base line with a brand new flat dry strap).  He also tested a strap with a knot tied in it.  The one with the knot snapped way below the rated capacity of the strap, like somewhere around 1/3!  However, all the straps with twists held to just about the same force as the straight strap!  The differences that were seen could easily be explained by differences in the individual straps, not to the twists.  They all snapped somewhere around 9,000 lbs, about 10% below the stated breaking point!  Since I always try to use straps with a working load at least twice that of the load I expect to put on them, I am pretty comfortable with achieving 90% the rated breaking strength.  A pair of  1200# ratchet straps holding down a 300# dirt bike is surely plenty of margin!

The straps tested in the video were all 2"straps with a working load of 3,333 lbs and a rated breaking strength of 10,000 lbs.   The most load the tester was able to apply using the handle was around 1500 kg, or 3300 lbs so he was able to load the strap manually to close to its rated working load.  He used an 8 ton air-over-hydraulic jack to stress the straps to the breaking point.  Each strap broke with explosive force and the stressed areas of each strap felt warm or hot to the touch.  They all broke near where the strap wrapped around the spindle.  They all pretty much reached at least 90% of the rated breaking strength, which was 3 times the rated working load. The accelerated  and concentrated stress imposed by the air-over-hydraulic jack may have been different than the stress a normal load would supply but his test protocol seemed to be appropriate and consistent.  He tested them wet as well as dry, with and without twists, and with and without knots.  Twists and being wet did not make any significant difference.  Knots caused straps to fail at much lower loads --  only a fraction of their rated load capacity!

 

Twists help reduce vibration and eliminates the annoying hum wind passing over the straps often causes.  Twists also make the straps easier to see in your rear view mirrors so you can better monitor their condition during travel.  Instead of looking only at the thin edge, you have the twist revealing the full width to view making it easier to tell if they are coming loose.

Another trick is to tie off the loose ends so they don't flap around and cause damage to your vehicle and maybe even work loose!  You can usually just tie a simple overhand knot in the loose end around an accessible part of the secured strap and pull the loose end tight.

So, the bottom line is, it is OK to put a twist in the straps.  It reduces vibration and the twist makes them easier to see in your rear view mirrors.  DO NOT use a strap with a knot in it.  Knots DO significantly reduce strength!  If your straps get wet in the rain or at the boat ramp it shouldn't significantly affect their strength.

 

A common size for ratchet straps is 1" wide and lengths varying from 6' to 30'.   These straps are typically used for securing loads on pickups and utility trailers.  Larger straps are available for heavier loads.  I use 2 1/2" ratchet straps to secure my 25' sailboat to its trailer.  For really sturdy straps check out Matt's Straps, from Matt's OffRoad Recovery.  They are bit pricey, but that are extremely strong and durable.

 

I usually don't use ratchet straps to tie down my dirt bikes.  The cam-lock tie down straps designed for dirt bikes are usually more than adequate to keep them secure and using ratchet straps could easily over compress and damage the suspension.  Ratchet straps are really good for tying down loads on pickups and utility trailers and holding things in place inside moving vans.  And for keeping boats secure on their trailers and objects secure on deck or in the hold.  Be careful not to over tighten them or you could bend or break your cargo or damage what you are fastening it to.

 
Sometimes you can use a ratchet strap or tie down strap as an emergency towing strap for dirt bikes and ATVs.   I would not recommend using them on larger vehicles.  Even side-by-sides are significantly heavier than dirt bikes and ATVs and can easily exceed the rated strength of ratchet straps and tie downs when being towed.  If you need to tow a larger vehicle use a towing strap, snatching strap, chain, or kinetic rope designed for that purpose.  Kinetic ropes are wonderful tools for extracting stuck vehicles.

 

Whenever you use ratchet straps make sure they are rated far above the load you expect to put on them.  Straps will usually give two numbers.  One is the working load, the other the breaking load.  Never use a strap with a working load less (or even near) the load you expect to put on it.  I like to have at least a 2 to 1 factor -- a strap with a working load rated for at least twice the weight I expect to put on it.  The tie down straps (not ratchet straps) I use for my motorcycles are rated around 400# each and I use two on each bike.  The bikes weigh under 300#, giving me way more than a 2 to 1 safety factor, in fact it is closer to 3 or even 4 to 1, depending on the weight of the bike.

Make sure your attachment points are suitable.  When securing loads on trucks and trailers the straps will usually be attached to the vehicle.  Take care to place them where they will hold securely and will not damage the vehicle.  When using straps to secure OHVs or even automobiles, be sure to fasten them to sturdy places that will hold well and neither the hooks nor the straps will bind or inflict any damage.  Even the holes in the top of pickup beds are often not strong enough to use as anchors for ratchet straps.  More than once I have seen them dimpled or distorted by the hooks on ratchet straps that were cranked down too tight.

It helps to make sure you thread ratchet strap correctly too.  Here is a nice Youtube video on how to use a ratchet strap.  It is surprising how often we thread them wrong and that always makes using them difficult or impossible and may reduce their performance.  Take an extra minute to thread it right and things will go much better.  Putting the loose end through the slot in the spindle from the wrong direction will make it difficult if not impossible to properly tighten the straps and lock the handle.  Not pulling the slack out the line before using the ratchet can result it too much material being wound around the spindle, eventually making it impossible to finish tightening the strap.  Always thread the strap correctly, then pull the loose end tight before you start to tighten it using the ratchet handle.  Then tie off the loose end so it doesn't flap in the breeze.  A flapping loose end can mask your view of a strap that is coming loose and sometimes the flapping loose end can jar the handle loose, especially if it hasn't been fully locked down or flapping around it may cause damage to your vehicle.

 

I recently saw ads for self-retracting ratchet straps.   Haven't had a chance to try them out yet.  I have seen some reviews on Youtube and they come off pretty well. Having straps that hold themselves in place while you tighten them and roll themselves up when you are ready to put them away has a certain appeal.  Another advantage is the working end won't pull off the roller like ordinary straps.  However, I am not sure if the bulky roll in the middle would get in the way in some applications.   The ones I've seen look like the roller isn't much bulkier than the normal ratchet handle and spindle so they may be OK, but they might run out of turning room on short runs.  They are also, understandably, a LOT more expensive than standard ratchet straps, like 3-4 times as expensive!

Two cautions for using ratchet straps.  The ratchet handles can deliver a LOT of force to the straps.  Be sure that your attachment points are strong enough to handle the load!  Also exercise caution to avoid damaging the load itself.  Ratchet straps are definitely strong enough to bend metal and break plastic parts.  Sometimes you can minimize the impact of the straps by using padding between the straps and the load.  The pads spread the force out so it isn't concentrated in one place to wreak damage.  Pads will also help avoid damage from the straps rubbing the load if the load shifts or air movement during travel vibrates or moves the straps.  The leverage delivered by the handles of ratchet straps is very powerful.  This is definitely an advantage when securing heavy loads, but can allow you to apply too much force, sometimes enough to damage the cargo.  I use 2 1/2' ratchet straps to secure a 25' fiberglass sailboat to its trailer and noticed some little stress fractures under one of the straps after this last trip.  Guess I shouldn't have given it that last extra tweak!

 

Tie one on!