How to strap a hexayurt to a roof rack

[ciphergoth]

I have an ageing BMW X5. I have a roof rack with 4' bars a little over 3' apart, attached to the rails that come with the car. I have some 15' snap-hook ratchet straps. I will soon have 12 pieces of 8' x 4' x 1" R-Max insulation, wrapped in tarp and sandwiched between 1/4" plywood. How do I get these things home, and later across the desert to BRC, in one piece?

Here's my first idea - admire my amazing draftsmanship


BM virgin and hexayurt virgin, so this is going to be an adventure.

[Sham]

Will you be using duct tape for any part of the tie-down process? Duct tape is your friend.
Actually, ratchet straps strategically placed would be the best way to tie this down.
Congrats on the BMW. Are you sure you want to bring that to Black Rock City to be sandblasted and permeated with talcum powder fine dust (inside and out) for the week?

[ciphergoth]

"strategically placed" - that's my question, where do the straps go? Yes, duct taping the whole yurt-sandwich together seems wise.

As for the BMW - it is old and has already cost us more in repairs than we paid for it, but we're fond of it. I was hoping that putting a car cover over it would protect if for the week - am I wrong?

[AntiM]

"strategically placed" - that's my question, where do the straps go? Yes, duct taping the whole yurt-sandwich together seems wise.

As for the BMW - it is old and has already cost us more in repairs than we paid for it, but we're fond of it. I was hoping that putting a car cover over it would protect if for the week - am I wrong?

Indeed. In general, car covers are not advised, as the dust is pervasive, will get under the cover, then act as an abrasive between the cover and the paint. The drive in alone will load your vehicle with dust, plus you have to open the windows/doors at Gate and then Greeter's. Our pickup has dust in every nook and cranny. You can keep your car closed as much as possible, cover the dash, tape up vents, but there will be dust. Imagine parking it in a bag of flour or a box of talcum powder for a week.

[motskyroonmatick]

I'd use thicker plywood. It's cheaper than 1/4 inch typically, will provide a more rigid package and protect the edges better. Gut wrap the sandwiched package with 2 ratchet straps and one lengthwise. Then load on rack and tie down to luggage rack or through the tops of the doorways or both.

[ciphergoth]

Many thanks for the plywood advice! Making this more complicated, I also want to make a Camp Danger 2.1 door like this



except using neodymium instead of a latch, and a small hole in place of the AC hole since I'll be using a FIGJAM swamp cooler.

Will I need to have three sheets of plywood on my roof rack, or can the door assembly do double duty as the top sheet of packing plywood if I bolt the door shut?

Home Depot sell "11/32 in Oriented Strand Board" in the right size for cheap, would that be suitable for something like this?

Also trying to figure out how strong the magnets need to be...

[spacetime]

In a similar boat.

We are also looking to transport a yurt on top of a sedan roof rack this year.

We also need to rebuild the door for our yurt.

[Meat Hunter]

There are many ways to skin a dead rabbit and all of them work - Depending on the individual, some ways are easier than others.

I have several friends who camp in yurts that have A/C units. Instead of using a heavy plywood side with the A/C mounted high, they cut a hole in the foam way low down-close to the ground and let the weight of the A/C sit on 2 small pieces of 4" x 6" lumber sitting on the ground which supports the weight of the A/C.

[LowePro]

See safety issues here:

viewtopic.php?t=33306

[lucky420]

forget the plywood, why add all that extra weight?

This is what I've done; get a big roll of shrink wrap. Wrap the stack several times width and length wise, put on top of vehicle, put cardboard "L" s where the ratchet straps will be on the rmax (so as not to make indentions when strapping tight), ratchet that bitch down and there ya go.

[spacetime]

forget the plywood, why add all that extra weight?

This is what I've done; get a big roll of shrink wrap. Wrap the stack several times width and length wise, put on top of vehicle, put cardboard "L" s where the ratchet straps will be on the rmax (so as not to make indentions when strapping tight), ratchet that bitch down and there ya go.

I think folks worry the flexure while driving at high speeds might result in it breaking. Described here:

[lucky420]

If you shrink wrap it well, it should be fine. I did this and strapped it to an. 89 land cruiser using 2 ratchet straps on each side. I drove from Reno to Pyramid Lake with it for Symbiosis. Not a lot of freeway time but some...and it was a bigger car than a focus.

I posted a pic here on Eplaya couple years ago.

We wrapped the shit out of that bitch though

[lucky420]

If you shrink wrap it well, it should be fine. I did this and strapped it to an. 89 land cruiser using 2 ratchet straps on each side. I drove from Reno to Pyramid Lake with it for Symbiosis. Not a lot of freeway time but some...and it was a bigger car than a focus.

I posted a pic here on Eplaya couple years ago.

We wrapped the shit out of that bitch though

viewtopic.php?f=277&t=26890&p=844518&hi ... rt#p844518

i found the pic!

[spacetime]

If you shrink wrap it well, it should be fine. I did this and strapped it to an. 89 land cruiser using 2 ratchet straps on each side. I drove from Reno to Pyramid Lake with it for Symbiosis. Not a lot of freeway time but some...and it was a bigger car than a focus.

I posted a pic here on Eplaya couple years ago.

We wrapped the shit out of that bitch though

viewtopic.php?f=277&t=26890&p=844518&hi ... rt#p844518

i found the pic!

Oh I see. I think concern is bigger when the boards are mounted to a roof rack where air passes beneath.

[some seeing eye]

Have you considered pallet wrap? You could bring a supply to wrap outgoing and even wrap neighbor items. It's recyclable in many places.

[lucky420]

Have you considered pallet wrap? You could bring a supply to wrap outgoing and even wrap neighbor items. It's recyclable in many places.

That's shrink wrap, correct? Yes, if you go this way, be sure to bring the roll with you for the trip home

[BBadger]

Pallet wrap is always good to keep them in place, but won't ratcheting the panels down damage the edges since they're not all that tough? Or does their lack of weight mean you don't really need to ratchet them down all that much?

[lucky420]

Pallet wrap is always good to keep them in place, but won't ratcheting the panels down damage the edges since they're not all that tough? Or does their lack of weight mean you don't really need to ratchet them down all that much?

No, you put bent cardboard (L shaped) where the straps bite into the Rmax. Using the cardboard L's prevents it from crimping into the panel.

I had that bitch strapped down tight

[BBadger]

Huh... I always imagined the Rmax stuff was like styrofoam, where even cardboard wouldn't really protect it and you'd need something like solid wood. Guess not!

[lucky420]

I know it's weird but the cardboard does do a lot to to even out the weight/stress where the straps bite down. Use a couple of layers of cardboard for the L's