Ratchet strap lashing points

[MrNoo]

I don’t see the logic of not using ratchet straps on rope hooks. The strain on the hooks is directly proportional to how tight the straps are pulled. Leave them reasonably tight as a rope would be and there’s no difference to a rope. I’ve yet to see any rope hook or strap hook fail on my trailers when used with ratchet straps and in an emergency there would be no more strain on the hooks whether straps or ropes are attached. The hooks are inert and just don’t care what is pulling on them.

Main issue is that the hooks on the strap ends are bent and welded together with not much of a weld, have seen them split when just put through the hooks instead of securing them properly over the trailer hooks. See it quite often at ploughing matches where people don't strap up correctly. Some decent D rings on the end of the straps would be a much better job.

 

[Dave W]

I’d sack my driver if he used the rope hook for a ratchet strap.

 

[PI Stsker]

I’d sack my driver if he used the rope hook for a ratchet strap.

You sound a lovely guy.
Education costs less than ignorance

 

[Dave W]

You sound a lovely guy.
Education costs less than ignorance

He’s been educated don’t worry

 

[Bongodog]

I don’t see the logic of not using ratchet straps on rope hooks. The strain on the hooks is directly proportional to how tight the straps are pulled. Leave them reasonably tight as a rope would be and there’s no difference to a rope. I’ve yet to see any rope hook or strap hook fail on my trailers when used with ratchet straps and in an emergency there would be no more strain on the hooks whether straps or ropes are attached. The hooks are inert and just don’t care what is pulling on them.

My previous Transit pick up had a loose rope hook, bolts were snapped - by the use of a ratchet strap !!

Quite simply a ratchet strap can put far more force on a rope hook than a rope and dolly knot ever could

 

[Dave W]

I’d sack my driver if he used the rope hook for a ratchet strap.

I’ll rephrase it. I wouldn’t allow anyone I was responsible for to use rope hooks

 

[Cowabunga]

My previous Transit pick up had a loose rope hook, bolts were snapped - by the use of a ratchet strap !!

Quite simply a ratchet strap can put far more force on a rope hook than a rope and dolly knot ever could

It can do but it doesn’t have to any more than you have to strip threads when tightening bolts.

 

[borderterribles]

My previous Transit pick up had a loose rope hook, bolts were snapped - by the use of a ratchet strap !!

Quite simply a ratchet strap can put far more force on a rope hook than a rope and dolly knot ever could

Particularly if someone slips a piece of wood through the ratchet for leverage!

 

[Paddington]

Fitted a couple of M12 load eyes today after opening a couple of holes already on the chassis. Sourced from Amazon, probably Chinese, no load rating, but they look better than bits of knotted rope.

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

Make sure your strap hooks are welded together then there’s no reason they can’t be used on the hooks

I had this discussion with a dvsa guy about 6 months ago, apparently the issue is with it locating on the hook that's the problem, and to stop this they point blank don't like it, what can happen is,
The strap is usually thrown over from the far side, and you walk around and hook the strap on the hook, and we have all done it like this at some time, but the strap is not held tight, so you hook it on best you can and see its on before you go to other side and pull it tight as you do, then fit ratchet and strap it down, but it can happen that the hook on the strap that is welded the 2 ends together for strength can slip down till you get to other side, this can cause the rope hook end on trailer to get between the 2 welded together on strap, and this can mean that when you tighten it from other side, instead of it pulling on rope hook close to where it's welded on to trailer, it puts all the weight on rope hook end, and could possibly just straighten the rope hook out and strap comes off,
D rings could be ok, but the powers that be from above just put a total ban 9n ratchet straps on rope hooks to avoid misunderstanding

 

[Lakesdigger]

I had this discussion with a dvsa guy about 6 months ago, apparently the issue is with it locating on the hook that's the problem, and to stop this they point blank don't like it, what can happen is,
The strap is usually thrown over from the far side, and you walk around and hook the strap on the hook, and we have all done it like this at some time, but the strap is not held tight, so you hook it on best you can and see its on before you go to other side and pull it tight as you do, then fit ratchet and strap it down, but it can happen that the hook on the strap that is welded the 2 ends together for strength can slip down till you get to other side, this can cause the rope hook end on trailer to get between the 2 welded together on strap, and this can mean that when you tighten it from other side, instead of it pulling on rope hook close to where it's welded on to trailer, it puts all the weight on rope hook end, and could possibly just straighten the rope hook out and strap comes off,
D rings could be ok, but the powers that be from above just put a total ban 9n ratchet straps on rope hooks to avoid misunderstanding

Even with d rings rope hooks are usually slightly under the side of the trailer so whereas rope nicely folds around the corner a d ring often when the strap is tightened has a fair amount of leverage pivoting on the trailer side and pulling at the rope hook.

 

[David.]

If you haven't got holes available or the facility to drill them in, is it acceptable to locate the hooks onto the underside of the channel section that forms the trailer siderail?

 

[Mydexta]

My graham Edwards beaver tail has rope hooks down each side on each cross member, and nothing else.
How else am I supposed to secure a vehicle to it, when that’s all it came with from the factory

 

[Fendt516profi]

My graham Edwards beaver tail has rope hooks down each side on each cross member, and nothing else.
How else am I supposed to secure a vehicle to it, when that’s all it came with from the factory

Funny because

Graham Edwards have been putting proper strap mounting points in the cross members for years. One of the main reasons I buy their trailers.
Even though everyone raves about ifor

 

[smcapstick]

My graham Edwards beaver tail has rope hooks down each side on each cross member, and nothing else.
How else am I supposed to secure a vehicle to it, when that’s all it came with from the factory

They have a shitty little square cut out of the crossmember behind the rope hook. They’re really good at cracking.

 

[Lincs Lass]

My IW tipper only has hooks under the body ,,no where else to hook a ratchet onto ,bolted a few extras on the tail door and on the headboard .

 

[Dave W]

They have a shitty little square cut out of the crossmember behind the rope hook. They’re really good at cracking.

Are you sure?
I’ve ram them for 15 years and not cracked one. Not ever had a single issue.

 

[smcapstick]

Are you sure?
I’ve ram them for 15 years and not cracked one. Not ever had a single issue.

Yep.

There is one mitigating circumstance, though… mine was a monster: 20x7’6”. The amount of flex it had was horrifying. It just wasn’t solid enough to be a machinery mover.

After the chassis cracked for the second time, I repaired it and let it go.

 

[clbarclay]

I tend to hook ratched straps on to the chassis rails. Works best when the straps are going strain around, not at angles like when strapping down a car by the wheels.

I suspect the best solution is to sell the ifor for near new money and buy a new trailer that was properly designed for ratchet straps, but it's sort of "better the devil you know" that puts me off replacing it.

 

[Paddington]

I wonder what force a ratchet strap can actually exert ? Far more than a rope, I seem to remember may years ago watching someone recover a bogged Land Rover using a large pair of ratchet straps.