Putting your rods on a roof rack

[Dave]

I'm just about to set off to a local open when I read this on facey...

"Great start to the ****ing day rod bags flown off van on M62 rods got terrah never to be seen again well packed <name removed> could be San Miguel time very early today "

It's not something I do but have heard of others doing it - something to bare in mind if you do

 

[bricky72]

Back in 70s this was only way to transport rods on old man’s car we never had any issues and did some miles going to venues

 

[OldTaff]

Our holiday last year the rods ran on the roof bars from East Kent to Devon without any problems - have to say though that I had half a dozen straps along the length of the rod bag and checked them all at each of our stopping points on the way.

It’s not something I’d do out of choice but rather out of necessity since the only other option was to leave Jacob at home for the week and for some reason Lou wasn’t up for that

 

[warrington63]

It happened to me around mid 80's , I had my tackle on the roof rack Coming down the M56 to Lymm I thought I heard a bang and looked in my rearview mirror and saw my holdall cartwheeling down the motorway after me. Luckily the motorway was very quiet, I shot into the hard shoulder , ran to where holdall had stopped and grabbed it and ran back to hard shoulder,
Less than a minute later an HGV came past blaring his horn as I was going back to my car .
Got home fearing the worse for contents of the holdall ,I removed the tubes, everything was fine apart from the flicktip on my Shakespeare bleak whip that had snapped , I got a new tip for it, I still have the whip .
The holdall which was one of the black Nash Matchman ones had a few scuffs on it, apart from that it was fine.
Next time out I put the holdall in passenger side of the car .

 

[TiggerXFM]

It happened to some friends of mine years back!
Another time the same friends rod bags stayed on the roof, but the force of the wind bent the holdall backwards and snapped their rods!

 

[DFL]

I’d come back home and forget they’re on there.

 

[davej1981]

This exact thing happened to me a friend in 1999. We we going for a weeo to ireland to fish the shannon and given he only had a vauxhall nova the rods went on the roof rack. On the motorway we heard a big bang, wondered what it was. I looked out the rear window to see the roof rack on the middle lane, whole thing had come off! Mate pulled over and we watched two lorries drive over them. Thankfully no accident was caused but wasnt a great start to the holiday! We were both only 18 at the time. The police came and removed the debris and we went onto the next services and had a silent 20mins. Quick call to parents and they posted their credit cards to the b&b in ireland! Arrived the next day and got a new feeder rod and the holiday continued. Was all covered by mums household insurance and they £500 worth of gear was priced up by my local shop at £2k . Insurance paid out direct to the shop. 2 poles and a load of drennan team england rods, luggage and shimano reels and i was ready to go again. So at least a happy ending

 

[Wrongfoot]

Use an appropriately sized roofbox! Plenty out there at 6ft long internal and various height, width and volumes. Principally designed that way to take skis, but good for fishing.

Don't leave anything in overnight though. Nothings is theif proof.

 

[Scardinius]

Imagine if that bag had caught in a wheel arch and straps tangled around the steering. Fix things down properly.

About 10 years ago on the A30 a roof box came of the car in front, luckily a good distance. I could not swerve as I was overtaking. Hit it at 50 ish after braking and it exploded spraying bits all over the road. Bounced over the contents much of which flicked up from the back wheels into the cars behind.

 

[Wrongfoot]

I've heard similar stories, about surfboards and wind surf's when I did that as a sport. Usually old tiedowns and excessive speed into headwinds involved.

Maintenance and care avoids most problems and some attention to whether your carrier/racks have a good design.

 

[DFL]

I had an ex boss that forgot his expensive push bike was on the roof when entering a carpark with a height limit.

 

[Dave Spence]

There can be a helluva lot of money in a hold-all, buy a van or a big estate car.

 

[RedhillPhil]

Rods on the roof? I used to bolt a length of plastic drain pipe to the roof bars and put the rods in the pipe.
Worked for me.

 

[rudd]

It’s not as if you cannot buy mini span sets or rope from the likes of Halfords or Homebase. Then learn truckers hitch knot to tighten rope down and some form of hitch to hold.

 

[RegalisXFM]

Never done it with coarse gear but used van guard type pipe carriers for sea fishing rods in the past. Lockable too.

 

[dave55]

me and my mate have been giong to ireland since 1992, when we have not gone in a van we have gone in a car always had rods on roofbars never had a problem

 

[SeanB]

Back in 1987 my parents were taking me through to Hull one evening when a holdall came off a cars roof as we were passing on a wide bend and it smashed into the windscreen. Luckily because it hit at an angle it only cracked the glass and bounced off. Unluckily when the police arrived it turned out the other driver wasn't taxed or insured.

 

[Scardinius]

Maintenance and care avoids most problems and some attention to whether your carrier/racks have a good design.

This

 

[Scardinius]

me and my mate have been giong to ireland since 1992, when we have not gone in a van we have gone in a car always had rods on roofbars never had a problem

You’ve been doing properly. It‘s those who don’t we need to worry about.

 

[Scardinius]

Our holiday last year the rods ran on the roof bars…

Like jousting lances?