- 1). Pack your luggage with the heaviest materials on the bottoms of the bags. If your luggage is top-heavy, it is more likely to tip over and come off your roof rack. Secure your bags with all zippers, buttons or other closures tight. If you plan to leave your luggage unattended on top of your Pilot, secure it with small padlocks.
- 2). Place the luggage on top of the Pilot, on the inside of the roof rack rails.
- 3). Secure the luggage to the top of the Pilot by placing tie downs from one roof rail to the other, with the luggage underneath. Use at least four tie-downs or bungee cords, placing two across and two length-wise across the luggage. Another ideal apparatus is a net-like bungee cord, sometimes called a bungee cargo net, that places bungee cords over the top of the luggage in a net-like fashion. For this type, secure each of the net's hooks to the roof rack, making sure to distribute the hooks evenly around the rack.
- 4). Test the strength of your tie-down job before you leave for your trip. Drive down the street, or use an abandoned parking lot to brake quickly, making sure that your cargo overhead stays where it's supposed to be. When you take off for your trip, check the tie downs every time you stop, to make sure they're all still in place.
previous post
next post