What do you do with the straps that cut across your front and back seats in cars with no roof rack? Doesn't seem safe or secure to me?
995380
I wish I could help with this question. The Sherpak I used was secured to a roof rack so I didn't have the inside the vehicle strap situation. Having a roof rack installed would solve the problem. Just make certain it has horizontal rails. This give
995381
They run along the inside roof of the vehicle and have clips so that the loose ends will not flop around. I imagine that if you are very tall then your head may compete for space where the strap is, otherwise it does not interfere with your lines of site at all.
995382
In my car, the straps are behind front passengers heads, and in front of (and above) rear passengers heads. We run them up thru the grab handles and it really is not an issue. My car has no roof rack, and the carrier has never slipped a bit - thru rain or 100+ heat.
135085
You would be better off getting one made for the roof of your car, their straps would be in the right place to secure it.
311642
I have a vehical with a roof rack and crossbars. For vehicles without, you have to run the straps inside your vehicle, whether its a 2 or 4 door.
1558161
We used this rack in a cross-country trip and had no problem with it. We did not put it inside the car. I guess the safety issue depends where you go. Someone could theoretically steal it if they snipped the cables and worked at it, but that would essentially be ruining it for them. When we stopped at night, we would take the bikes off the rack and put them in our motel room, but the rack remained on the car.
491747
You actually don't even need rails with this bag, the straps can also be threaded through the doors across the inside of the vehicle as well! (This is how we used it.) It comes with two different sets of straps, one for cars with rails, and one for those without. So yes, I am 99% sure that it will fasten well to side rails without cross bars. Of course, if there are no cross bars, the bag will sit directly on your car, and if you have lots of heavy stuff inside the bag for a long period of time, it could weaken your roof and potentially dent it...this is not likely to happen though.
695953
I did you a roof rack along with the sheet I purchased to keep it from slipping. The straps they included are pretty useless - I used bungie cords to strap it down. I also put the contents in plastic garbage bags to keep them dry if it rained. It did rain and because of the bags, everything inside remained dry.
477261
I haven't been able to find a way to do that. I had been wondering the same thing. I had the WHOLE thing torn apart after messy episode in the car, and I couldn't remove the straps.
764617
Not totally sure what you mean, but the clips are just attached to the straps that come with it. So you just attach the clips to the straps. Or leave them off to use with a roof rack or through the vehicle. We ended up running the straps through the vehicle because the clips just didn't work out for us.
1801603
You would definitely want to strap it to a car rack. Otherwise the bottom would scratch up your roof because the underneath is a hard plastic.
1529658
I wouldn't. I bought this thing 3 weeks ago and strapped it to the roof of my 2013 Subaru Outback, which has a roof rack that supposedly makes the strapping more secure. The thing tore off the car at 65 mph on route 80 near scranton, PA, and was promptly run over by an 18 wheeler. I recommend that you look for a device with a hard case--PepBoys sells some very good stuff along those lines at reasonable prices.
2006086
The bottom strap goes under the car so the trunk will not open with the rack on unless you loosen the strap. The rack takes all of ten seconds to put on or take off so I wouldn't let that deter you from purchasing.
491749
You don't need the cross bars. The bag can be attached to the roof with straps that go over the bag and through the car windows. I would recommend getting the mat that goes under the carrier. It keeps the bag from shifting and protects the paint on your roof.
211005
I used mine on my Toyota Sienna which had the rack and two cross bars. We spaced the cross bars just enough so the carrier would fit just inside and laid it directly onto the roof surface. The clips attached to all four sides of the rails/racks. Unfortunately, we returned it as it didn't even make it the whole trip. We used ours in the summer and the zipper tabs completely broke even though we had them locked together.
860586
No. It's a much thicker, more durable version of what a backpack strap is made of. However, the straps are wrapped around your car through the inside, so you could leave them on top of your vehicle (like I do) & if someone wanted to steal them they'd have to cut the straps, rendering them useless to whoever is stealing them in the first place. OR, you could remove them & replace them every time you leave your vehicle. They're a little more work, but a decent cheap alternative to a whole rack system. They do the job they're supposed to do!
665059
There are two receivers for the clips, the second of which allow you to clip them at more extreme angles if needed. There is elastic to help with the front seats. There are also hard plastic tabs that you wedge between the seat and the car frame (assuming it is tight like my cars) that also help you secure to the back seat.
2121724
I have used the bag twice, from Colorado to Connecticut and back from Connecticut to Colorado. I used the bags on my Toyota Corolla. Definitely no roof rack (too expensive). The straps are supposed to cross over and lock. I (both times) didn't cross the straps. I am only 5'5". so headroom was no issue. There is plenty of strap length so there should not be any issue for the Camry. The bag come with a "pad" so it can go directly to the roof. I hope this is helpful.
1820301
I am not sure why I am being asked questions about the Honda roof racks. I could not attach them to my vehicle and stated this in my review.