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my setup was looking wonky the other day
I run Thule towers and bars with an old Yakima box and random basket
I discovered that one of my four mounting towers had come loose and the whole thing was dodgy
never had a problem on any vehicle in 30 years until today
just keep an eye on your stuff
I ran roof racks year round for kayaks & skiing, IME if i didnt take them apart and put anti-seize on the threaded hardware the bars became permanently mounted to the car after a few seasons of neglect
Yeah I didn't check my roof rack for a couple of years and when I went to sell the car I had to use a hacksaw to get it off.
my first car
1970 Toyota Corona
still has the same surf racks on it I put on in 1987
my buddy still drives it
it’s got like 600k on it
best car ever
so it’s a long hauler?Quote:
Originally Posted by ~mikey b
yeah
best car ever
.Quote:
Originally Posted by AKPogue
damn dude!
i check mine weekly
a habit i picked up living in seward
.
On and off every year, it gets inspected twice a year
Few years back driving over the Driscoll bridge in NJ.. suv directly in front of me has two road bikes on a roof rack. In slow motion see the two front wheels lift up. Then entire rack just lifts into air - we’re doing about 75. Swerve out of the way and see both bikes + rack smash into highway and bounce into pieces. Bike parts everywhere. It’s shocking no one was seriously hurt. So yes, please check your roof racks.
Pro tip--when you get done tightening your roof rack, don't leave your tools on the roof.
Thank you for sharing your experience so everyone can benefit.Quote:
Originally Posted by old goat
I’ve “cough” never done that….
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That sound…as you drive away.Quote:
Originally Posted by old goat
Also check the roof for your sunglasses or six pack before driving away!
And put the key to your roof box on your car key ring. We watched a youngster in a stupid loud WRX drive out of the Kmart parking lot last year with his box wide open. Everybody is waving at him, and stoner dude was waving back.
Also, don't skimp and use a $20 used rack for a $2k bike. Watching my bike fly off the roof at 75mph, land on its wheels, front flip, then land back on its wheels, lean left into the fast lane, then lean right and drift over 4 lanes and run into a cyclone fence wasn't pleasant. I'm glad I own an aluminum Santa Cruz Nomad. I retrieved the bike with no damage at all. I bought a new bike rack the next day.
Attachment 395059Quote:
Originally Posted by Benny Profane
OR any finger of your choice.
I almost cried when my father hit a deer with his 7th gen corona. That car cruised Hwy3 between the coast and the Kootenays so well. Almost bought the salvage title, but tuition quashed that lark. Amazing (but not so surprising) yours is still on the road.Quote:
Originally Posted by ~mikey b
Some PTSD in this thread for sure.
Yep. Sucks.Quote:
Originally Posted by old goat
God, I miss those white sunglasses. Somewhere near Goshen, VA.Quote:
Originally Posted by sillybunt2
Loud thump. I look up to the rear view mirror and the front wheel to one of the mtn bikes is bouncing down the highway behind us. Made it pretty far actually. We were able to retrieve so no harm done.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerome
Ok, then let's add:
Don't drive into a building with a bike on a rack. What's worse is that I was involved in the design and construction of the overhang I hit.
Make sure the bike is tight on the rack. My lovely wife and her brother didn't fully tighten a bike and it flips over sideways, hung only by the wheel strap, smashing into the car and hanging half off at 60 mph. Left some nice dents in a nice car.
Don't drive through a ditch with a hitch mount bike rack. Ground most of a plastic tightening bolt off that way...
Don't leave wheels on the ground behind the car. Buddy drove completely over his wheel with his Jetta's rear tire. Impressive to watch it happen real time.
Lots of options for destruction!
Was a dear grandma? TragicQuote:
Originally Posted by BCMtnHound
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Not once have I done that. Or left a gloves on top when I was loading skis.Quote:
Originally Posted by detrusor
My $4,500 Cervelo did not fair as well when the rusty original bolt from my 30 year old Yakima fork block decided to retire itself on I-5.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gerome
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.
Passed a guy this summer whose bike was dragging from behind his car. He didn't check all the straps on his hitch mount I'm guessing, but at least one point of contact was still working while the rest of the bike was dragged like a villain in a western movie. Dude was happily driving along at 55, no clue as we all honked and waved when he passed. It was at least 4 miles from any trailhead at that point.
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by old goat
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.
Thanks for the advice. Got my first rack for my truck this year and I’ll be sure to be proactive
Do a walk around before leaving a location. Always a good idea.
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
Tall vehicle + roof rack box + low clearance parking garage = expensive, according to a friend.
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
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.
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by El Chupacabra
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.
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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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.
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.
that
is a wonderful story
Not for the bike.
I saw a mangled bike being drug behind a Sprinter up 89 north of Truckee last night - I didn't follow them into the trailhead parking lot to see the ensuing hilarity