4 surfboards with the Thule hard rack system and security

[surf patrol]

Posted by chickentendah

Hi there. I will be making a big investment soon in a full Thule hard rack system, but there's a few things that I need to know if you guys can help out.

I'm looking to transport a total of 4 shortboards (fins removed if necessary) on top of a Thule base rack system. How would I do it safely?


A) Two PAIRS of surfboards side by side using 4 rack pads and 4 tie-downs



B) Four surfboards stacked in a huge sandwich (fins removed if necessary) using 2 racks pads and 2 extra long tie-downs



(I hope you like my MS Paint skills there )


I will probably be investing in some SteelCore tie-downs, but something worries me. A chain is as strong as its weakest link. So what keeps a thief from toying with the Thule load bars themselves? In other words, could a thief simply remove the load bars (and all the surfboards attached to it)? Do I need to buy those Thule lock cylinders?


Cheers.

[chickentendah]

Whoops, I wasn't trying to answer my own question up there....

In illustrating the two configurations above, I was trying to ask whether or not they are SAFE ways to transport 4 surfboards. Are they? Do you guys have any personal experience hooking up your boards those ways, and do you have any suggestions?

[surf patrol]

I have seen both arrangements for stacking surfboards but I would go for the two stacks / extra ties. It's easier and on the bottom boards and more stable.

I have never been one for leaving boards on the racks unattended so I cant really answer that - I always lock them inside. (you need a car large enough to do it obviously, is your ms paint diagram to scale? )

[chickentendah]

I have seen both arrangements for stacking surfboards but I would go for the two stacks / extra ties. It's easier and on the bottom boards and more stable.

I have never been one for leaving boards on the racks unattended so I cant really answer that - I always lock them inside. (you need a car large enough to do it obviously, is your ms paint diagram to scale? )

I guess two stacks would be common sense. Now that I think of it, a single stack of 4 surfboards would sit pretty high. Going 70 miles per hour on the freeway would potentially be dangerous.

The MS paint diagrams are definitely not too scale

[Hang11]

Never had a problem doing it either way with Thule racks - they're really solid. Only thing is, if it's longboards, in bags, you might not get 2 + 2 on a rack, unless it's a wide car. If you do the 4 on top way, then be careful driving under trees and going into car parks - seen a mate lose his fins before from a height barrier.

Depending on the type of rack - if it's for a gutterless car, get the locks, if it's for a car with roof gutters, just take the knobs off to tighten the rack, and replace with a bolt - then any thief would need a decent set of spanners to get the rack off the vehicle, which would put most off.

The Thule ski/snowboard holders that go on the racks are really good too.

[McFlyfi]

Use two stacks of two boards each. Totally safe. I've done that a lot with 4 sailboards- No problems. I stick another set of pads between the boards to protect the two boards from damaging each other.

The steel core straps are a good idea as well. The Thule system is totally burly- I've had mine for about 18 years. It hurts to buy it at the time , but it will last you forever.

As far as thieves messing with the rack itself- I doubt it. Theives are generally opportunists. A solid rack is not something messed with easily.

As was mentioned, if yours has the knobs to tighten it on, then remove the knobs. Mine has the gutterless posts, so it takes a 7mm (or 8, I can't remember) hex wrench (provided by Thule) to put on and take off the rack. You can get locks to cover these. I have them, part of the original system.

We used to knot the ends of the straps and close them in the car doors- if someone was looking to take your board, and didn't have a knife to cut the straps, they couldn't easily undo the straps.

Never had a board taken (knock wood).

[chickentendah]

Thanks for the great advice guys!

(Is it just me or are the people on here more friendly and helpful than that well-known big forum? I'm surprised that nobody has posted "just get a soft rack you kook" yet.)