If you are moving to a new house or simply just want to buy a new mattress, you probably wonder how to transport your mattress with you. A delivery truck can assist you in transportation, but if you own a car, you might want to carry the mattress over the roof rack and save some money. If this is the situation, you’ll definitely want to know how to tie a mattress to a car roof rack?
Moving a mattress over the car roof rack is a bit complicated, but it doesn’t have to be that way if you know the proper steps. You can tie your mattress to the car roof rack with just ratchet straps, a plastic mattress bag, and a helping hand. Two handy tools and strength is all you need.
This article will provide simple and helpful instructions for safely tying a mattress to a car roof rack. So, without any further talk, let’s dive into it.
Is It Safe To Tie A Mattress To The Roof of A Car?
It is not safe to tie a mattress directly to the roof of a car. You should use a roof rack not to damage your car. The roof of a car is slippery, and a ratchet strap can’t be used on the roof directly.
So you’d have to use twines or ropes to secure it on the roof. If you tie a mattress to the roof of the car, you have to use the rope through the windows or the door which can lead to broken and warped doors or window seals. It can cost you up to $1500 to fix such big damage as this.
However, a roof rack can prevent all of these problems. It makes it easier to strap the mattress down and eliminates the chances of any kind of accidents if the mattress is secured properly. Therefore, it is safest to tie a mattress to the roof rack of the car instead of the roof directly.
How To Tie A Mattress To A Car Roof Rack
The easiest way to move a mattress to another place is to utilize your car and tie the mattress up on the roof rack. However, if you don’t tie up the mattress properly, there are risks of it falling on the road and causing an accident for everyone in the vicinity.
As simple as the process is, it can be hazardous if it is not done right. So, make sure you follow these steps and tie the mattress safely and securely.
What You’ll Need To Tie A Mattress To A Car Roof Rack
You only need three simple things.
- A plastic mattress bag or a plastic wrap
- Ratchet straps
- A helping hand
1. Plastic Mattress Bag
A plastic mattress bag will protect your mattress from the outer environmental elements like dust, rain, bugs, snow, infestation, etc, on the way to the transportation.
You can find these bags at most super shops like Walmart, Target, Uhaul, or Amazon for just 10-$25.
If you don’t have one of these plastic mattress bags, you can also use a plastic wrap and secure it properly with duct tapes.
2. Ratchet Straps
Using ratchet straps is the best option for tying something as heavy as a mattress on the car roof rack. It is possible to use nylon ropes to tie it. However, the ropes could unravel and cause the mattress to fall.
While securing the ropes to the handles or window of the car, the expensive car could also get damaged. So ratchet straps are necessary to tie the mattress.
A ratchet strap is a two-piece strap that can easily be tied down with a buckle. Each ratchet strap has an incredible load capacity of 500 lbs with 1500 lbs break strength.
It can vary for different kinds of straps. These can be found in any hardware store and are reusable for other purposes.
3. A Helping Hand
We all are aware of how heavy a mattress can be. Depending on the size, a mattress can range from 45 pounds (twin mattress) to 100 pounds (king-sized mattress).
Therefore, attempting to carry and lift up a mattress as high as the car roof alone is impossibly tough. It could lead to strained muscles or bad accidental injuries. You can call over a friend or a neighbor to help mount the mattress safely and efficiently.
Steps To Tie A Mattress To A Car Roof Rack
There are very few easy steps for tying up a mattress to a car roof rack. We will guide you through the steps here.
1. Cover The Mattress
Put the mattress inside the plastic bag carefully. Firstly, place the mattress flat against a wall or on the floor. One person can lift one end while the other person slides the bag over the mattress. Make sure there is no air inside and seal the bag.
If you use a plastic wrap instead of a bag, you can roll down the flaps and secure the parts with tape properly. The inside of the plastic wrap has to be air-free.
2. Mount The Mattress on The Car Roof Rack
After completely sealing your mattress inside the bag, place it on the car roof. But beforehand, check your car’s manual to know the maximum weight tolerance of your car and car roof rack.
You also have to be aware of the sizes of both the mattress and the car roof rack. For instance, a too big king-size mattress won’t fit on the roof of your narrow car.
Now that you are sure about the car’s weight and size limits, proceed with lifting the mattress. Use someone’s help for this part to avoid any unpleasant injuries or strains.
Do not fold the mattress, especially if it is an air mattress. Sometimes people take their dog-friendly air mattresses for camping with them. You should be careful not to bend it while loading.
Once the mattress is up on the roof, adjust it until the mattress stays at the dead center of the roof. Remember not to let the mattress cover your windshield at all. If needed, you can push it back a little.
3. Secure The Mattress With Ratchet Straps
This is the most important part of tying the mattress to the car roof rack. Two straps should be enough for an average-sized mattress, but you can also use three or four of them to be extra safe.
Follow these steps to tie the mattress to the roof rack securely.
- Place the ratchet straps over your mattress in an X shape.
- Pull the straps of one side through the roof rack.
- Grab the end of the other side and pull it through the opposite side of the roof rack.
- Hook the straps together by putting the hook through the circular part of the straps.
- Pull the ratchet strap up and down and strap the ratchet strap tightly.
- Lock the mechanism by closing the ratchet handle.
- For each ratchet strap, you repeat these steps until the mattress is secured tightly enough.
- Add the bungee cord from the middle to the back for extra security measurements.
There should be about 4-5 inches between the first ratchet strap and the mattress. Don’t tighten it enough to damage the mattress but also don’t leave any moving room for the mattress.
Once your mattress is tied up, and you’re on your way to the destination, make sure to drive slowly and steadily. Too much velocity will increase the air pressure and cause your mattress to fall, endangering your and others’ lives.
Bottom Line
After going through the article, you should now know how to tie a mattress to a car roof rack safely and conveniently. It is not a complicated procedure once you know how to do it.
Moreover, always remember to tie up your mattress to the car carefully and ensure the ratchet straps are tight enough to avoid any potential hazards.
